Larry Hama ARAH comic and the new GI Joe toys

[Hawkwinter]

Just finished reading ARAH #166 (yup, a little behind) and I gotta say I'm having fun with Hama's return to the original series. In many ways it really feels like the old GI Joe again. It's still missing some of the real "awesome" moments but it's cool nonetheless.

What's missing is new characters. And for that matter, the new toys are missing stories. I care about the old Joes so much because of all the stories I associate with them. While I know that the new GI Joe toys are superior to what we've gotten before and I can really appreciate them for their detail and cool design, they just don't have much meaning to me because they just "are", there is no story attached to them at all.

The toys are awesome again so why not start bringing some of the new designs into the ARAH comicbook?

Like 166 was a naval based story, I would love to see a Jungle themed issue (or story arc) with Recondo, Duke, Spirit and Snake Eyes squaring off against the new Shadow Tracker and a group of Jungle Vipers. I think this would be awesome. Give us a chance to learn something about Shadow Tracker and see the new uniforms of the Joes.

Anyone else want to see this sort of thing? The comic connecting with the here and now Joes and Cobras of the toy world again?

[Troynos]

There are new characters. We got Topside in 166 and Blizzard is coming soon. Neither of those were ever in Marvel's ARAH.

We've already seen the PoC Hiss in an issue of ARAH.

Patience. They'll come as the storyline calls for it.

Hama's not forced to include new toy and character designs every year like he used to be. So characters won't be appearing hap-hazardly like they used to (the first and only appearance of Stretcher and Hot Seat with the Raider for example).


ARAH started off strong, faltered big time in the middle, but is starting to come around.

[Stormgard]

It's interesting to me that you seem to want something new, but with the familiar cast of Joes. I'd go the opposite direction myself.

I would rather see old ARAH Joes that weren't given much or any face time - there are so many characters from the early 90s they could do more with. I don't like the idea of a book that focuses just on a core team of 12-20.

Bear in mind, this applies to Cobra troops as well. Why set the Joes up on a jungle op against Jungle Vipers when you could use Night Vipers and/or Range Vipers? I know we've seen them plenty before, but what do we really know about these Cobras aside from the fact they look badass?

I do echo your request for a jungle issue, some of my favorite of the old adventures took place in juingle settings. Perhaps a return to Sierra Gordo? I'd go with a mix of old favorites and less well known Joes - for a jungle emission, how about: Pathfinder (point man), Recoil (radioman), Repeater (machine gunner), Falcon (team leader), Outback (survivalist/general longbearded badass), and Zap (heavy weapons).

[steve2477]

Agreed, there are Joes and Cobras that never got an appearance in the old Marvel run, which always disappointed me.

None of these characters ever appeared in the Marvel run, Windchill, Big Boa, Downtown, Capt. Grid Iron, Freefall, Sub Zero, Gnawgahyde, Hydro Viper, Mercer, Taurus, Red Dog, Bullhorn, Pathfinder, Sky Patrol, Coldfront, Overlord, Updraft, Major Storm, Tracker, Cloudburst, Skymate, Overkill, Interrogator, Col. Courage, Sideswipe, Barricade, Long Arm, Mace, Gristle, Bushido, T'Gin Zu, Blast Off, Mirage, Snowstorm, Banzai, Effects, Vypra, Chameleon, Sidetrack, Thunderwing, Whiteout, Crossfire, Doubleblast, Surefire and Big Brawler.

I may have missed a few, but it just shows that they have alot of Joes and Cobras if they want to add new characters to the mix at anytime without changing outfits or adding any newer characters.

As well as including Joes that were only given one issue to show who and what they do.

[Stormgard]

I'd like to see Sub-Zero in the comic. He's meant to have a positively mean personality, and I think that could add a little toughness and realism to a story.

[Hawkwinter]

The new I am asking for is the same as what you guys are asking for. As I feel about the new PoC stuff I aslo feel about most of the later 80's, early 90's stuff. No connection.

So it's the same thing. I just picked the new stuff as I think the idea I presented would make an awesome story. Plus I can't stand O-ring figures now that the cool new ME stuff exists and they haven't made figures of most of the later 80's/early 90's stuff. It's just be cool to have stories in teh comics about teh stuff I'm actually buying.

And really it's how Hama writes that makes Joe. Together with the more colorful art. It's the 80's style. Not the new, everyone has to die and the art has to be 3/4 black ink style I hate so much.

[Stormgard]

I do agree it's a shame that the Joes in one comic are different from the Joes in another comic are different from the Joes in the torystore and the movie and they're all different form the Joes on whatever the newest animated show is. I guess that's what you get with the splitting up of the franchise into multiple paralell universes.

But in all fairness, the comic/filecards and the cartoon were different universes even back in the day.

[Jay West]

I think a happy medium would be the current designs. Do we really need shirtless Mindbender? How about a lab coat? Let's have Duke look a little more like the recent POC figure? I can't imagine Hama cares if the figures are updated.

[Trooper13]

If I was hasbro I wouldn't waste the plastic. lol

[chuck x goren]

There were several characters from the original line that never made into the Marvel series... but there were also a LOT of vehicles and thingamabobs that never did. More so than the figures. I'll expect we'll see some of that stuff, as well (like the recent issue that showed the Bomb Disposal Unit in the background).

Like Troynos said, issue 166 was all naval action... but wouldn't it have made sense to also deploy the yet-to-be-seen "Cobra Sea Ray" to chase Destro's sub?