G.I. Joe: Dreadnoks Declassified

One of the most exciting villains in the 1980s GI Joe line was the elusive Zartan. A master of disguise with a strange chameleon-like ability to blend into his surroundings, Zartan was the figure all the kids wanted next to Snake Eyes and Destro.

In the cartoon and Marvel Comics, nobody knew who Zartan really was. The leader of a group of bayou bikers, Zartan was the only character who intimidated Cobra Commander. That's probably because old Snakeface knew that at any moment, Zartan could eliminate Cobra's leader and replace him without anyone being all the wiser.

This 2006 miniseries from Devil's Due Publishing seeks to reveal the mysteries behind the villain without spilling the beans on him. In reality Zartan might be Amauri Sanderson, an American soldier who sold government secrets to France. Or he's a mercenary named Lee who sold France's secrets to a central European nation and then double-crossed that country to funnel weapons to Cobra.

What surprised me the most was that the revelation that the man I grew up believing was Zartan wasn't the original Zartan. But it all made for a really great story that provides more backstory in the origins of the rise of Cobra. I always thought that the flashback stories were the best ones told in the Marvel books and Josh Blaylock's story was on par with the amazing pen of original Joe comics writer, Larry Hama.

Along with the main story, there's a back-up short story which also promises to reveal some deep-dark secrets of Zartan's past. Really, the only reveal is that the leader of the Dreadnoks has had so many different secret identities, Zartan can no longer remember who he really is anymore!

I learned from listings for other DDP Joe titles that there are at least 2 other 'year one' type miniseries. One about Snake-eyes. The other about the first lady of American freedom, Scarlett. I want them both. But if I got to pick the one I want to read first, it would be Scarlett's story as I already know quite a bit of Snake-eyes' origin.

The opening story was fantastic! I liked the backup. But it lacked the promise of big shocking secrets coming to light as assured on the back cover of this collection. Despite that story being a recap of the Dreadnok's miniseries, it was a fun read. Lots of action. But also a glimpse at some early Stanley Lau artwork before he started going by the moniker 'Artgerm'!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.