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What can I say?  IDW seems to be on a roll this month…  Hama’s G.I. Joe: Real American Hero title was fantastic this month, the mainline Joe title has shown a direct uptick, I’ve been deeply entrenched in G.I. Joe: Origins, and it’s been terrific seeing Chuckles thrust back into the spotlight during the G.I. Joe: Cobra title.
One thing has become quite clear during this secondary run of G.I. Joe: Cobra…they’re making a concerted effort to introduce new and interesting Cobra characters throughout the title’s run, and they seem to be quite interested in sticking with the second tier characters.  Already we’ve seen Croc Master and Cobra La, and now with Issue #11, we get a look at a very different Big Boa.
How does it all work?  Click the Read the Rest of this Entry link below for the skinny.

G.I. Joe: Cobra #11
Written By: Mike Costa and Christos Gage
Art By: Antonio Fuso and Chee
We start off by seeing Chuckles firmly within the Cobra organization, and his personality seems to have taken a dramatic shift.  While we certainly saw hints of a sarcastic undertone within his attitude throughout most of the title, seeing him almost in full mockery mode straight to Cobra Commander’s face is alarming.  Even more alarming is that the Commander takes it in stride and seems quite content to use him as his weapon against the Crimson Twins.
Chuckles’ attitude ruffles the Twins’ feathers of course, and Xamot’s blatant disregard for protocol certainly doesn’t help him or his brother along.
During some conversation with Cobra Commander, we see a really different side to the terrorist leader…we see someone who doesn’t want to “rule the world” or “destroy the world”, we see a very smart and sinister corporate leader who wants to shape the world in his own image.
Chuckles also gets introduced to Big Boa, who appears to be remarkably different, at least from a visual standpoint.  Big Boa apparently served with Collosus security (the same organization featured in the current G.I. Joe: Origins arc), had spent some time doing MMA, and was eventually turned to Cobra by Cobra Commander himself.  I’m not entirely sure what’s up with the metal jaw, and it’s a bit weird to see him out of his typical uniform.
Cobra Commander also throws a bit of a test at Chuckles…a test with potentially lethal consequences, which he passes without hesitation.
All told, this issue felt like it really dove once again into the deep and sordid underbelly of the Cobra organization.  Seeing Chuckles interaction and dynamic with the Twins, who were once after his head, and seeing Cobra Commander slowly shift his attention towards Chuckles and away from Tomax and Xamot.  You can almost feel Tomax’s desperation as he senses their end coming quickly, while Xamot seems content to just fly along without a care in the world.  I absolutely love this conflict between the two Twins and seeing them on totally different pages is a great change from how they are typically portrayed.  The “light” and the “dark” are becoming clear…
Chuckles wise-cracking attitude is refreshing among the melodramatic atmosphere of the rest of the Cobra organization, and it’s fascinating to see how Cobra Commander attaches himself to the newcomer.  I loved the speech between the Commander and Chuckles as well, describing their new patent, which seems as if it could be a legitimate product, but also with a sinister angle, too.
Fuso’s artwork remains consistent throughout the series, an oddly stylized take on the human form, yet I still maintain it fits the style of the story and compliments the Costa and Gage quite well.
All told, this was a very good read.  Nothing mind-blowing, but another very solid, intriguing issue of IDW’s best G.I. Joe title and a great further exploration of the Cobra organization.

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