Written by Brandon Jerwa.
Art by Tim Seeley; Cory Hamscher; Andrew Pepoy; Brett R. Smith; & Dreamer Design.
“Fantom” Art by Talent Caldwell; Jason Gorder; & Christina Strain.
Collection Cover Art by (Uncredited) – possibly Tim Seeley.
SUMMARY:
In either late 2004 or early 2005, Devil’s Due Publishing (DDP) released this 144-page collection reprinting 2004’s Issues # 28-33. Also included from Issues # 31-33 is Wraith’s eleven-page back-up tale entitled “Fantom.”
Destro quits COBRA to lead his own mercenary group, which includes his son, Anthony, and Mistress Armada. The Baroness is left torn between her allegiances to her estranged husband, Destro, and Cobra Commander. Utilizing some new recruits, the Joes execute an aquatic recon mission accessing Cobra Island’s central computer.
In Sierra Gordo, Duke’s controversial tactics causes intense heat from Hawk & Flint, despite his capture of Destro. Cobra Commander and the Baroness disagree on rescuing Destro. Meanwhile, Hawk seethes over Destro leveraging his own political release in exchange for future cooperation against COBRA.
Placed on probation, Snake-Eyes & Scarlett join Falcon’s Joe unit in Badhikstan to thwart COBRA’s rival: The Coil. While Zartan and Dr. Mindbender scheme in The Florida Everglades, Falcon’s squad is captured in the Middle East and then later released for an ominous reason. COBRA’s assault on the Joes’ escort train pits Hawk vs. Cobra Commander. Hawk is subsequently haunted by its tragic outcome.
“Fantom” has Mistress Armada & Anthony Destro out to recruit the world’s most notorious free agent: the mercenary ‘Wraith,’ who possesses state-of-the-art, ghost-like stealth armor. Beach-Head and Shipwreck briefly appear, as Wraith penetrates a heavily-guarded prison demonstrating his nefarious potential. If Wraith joins Destro’s payroll, the question becomes: who else may be facing a lethal sales pitch?
Note: Oddly, DDP neglects to identify this collection’s issue numbers.
REVIEW:
Upon introducing six forgettable new Joes, writer Brandon Jerwa then focuses on juggling multiple storylines at once. Though initially successful, his reliance on shifting back and forth between too many sub-plots gradually spins Players & Pawns into an unremarkable muddle. While Jerwa’s basic plotting isn’t hard to grasp, the sheer number of characters these sub-plots necessitate frankly is, to the point of distraction (i.e. still recognizing all who’s who).
For G.I. Joe die-hards, Players & Pawns is really more just business as usual, with COBRA’s internal strife an added bonus. As to the tantalizing “Fantom,” it’s the best asset. Aspen Studios’ fingerprints are obvious, as their ultra-slick visuals easily surpass DDP’s rudimentary artistic style. Jerwa ups his game concocting the Joes’ new Iron Man-like nemesis, but this nasty serial likely isn’t enough to make the otherwise ordinary Players & Pawns a keeper.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
In a full-page gallery format, ten covers are included: Issues # 28-30, # 30A-30B-Convention Exclusive, #32A-32B, and # 33A-33B (two additional covers slightly altering Wraith’s 33B cover don’t appear). Credited cover artists include: Tim Seeley; Cory Hamscher; Andrew Pepoy; Val Staples; Mike Norton; Talent Caldwell; Jason Gorder; Peter Steigerwald; Christina Strain; Michael Turner; & Aspen Studios.
Based upon some unidentified signatures, DDP evidently isn’t crediting all of the covers’ contributing artists.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5½ Stars
