Borovia

I'm re-reading the old Marvel stories in my recently acquired trade paperbacks and this still stands out as one of my all-time favorite story arcs and what established Marvel's Stalker as my second favorite Joe team character after Scarlett.

It'd make a magnificent film.

Agree completely about the Borovia story arc. I don't know far into the Marvel line you've read, but the Joes end up returning to Borovia later on once or twice. I'd love to see Hama take us back there again, it would be a nice homage to the olden days, while still hopefully moving forward.

And agree about Stalker, and how the Borovia story is really integral to making him who he is. (In my case, he's my second fave after Tunnel Rat). I'd also say that the Borovia story shows Outback at his very best, and the post Borovia fallout touches upon the moral complexities of real worl soldiering.

Out of curiosity, what makes Scarlett your favorite?

I completely agree, too. By far the best storyline, from their first insertion, to when the mission goes FUBAR, to their rescue and escape, I love every second of it.

Originally Posted by Stormgard

Agree completely about the Borovia story arc. I don't know far into the Marvel line you've read, but the Joes end up returning to Borovia later on once or twice. I'd love to see Hama take us back there again, it would be a nice homage to the olden days, while still hopefully moving forward.

And agree about Stalker, and how the Borovia story is really integral to making him who he is. (In my case, he's my second fave after Tunnel Rat). I'd also say that the Borovia story shows Outback at his very best, and the post Borovia fallout touches upon the moral complexities of real worl soldiering.

Out of curiosity, what makes Scarlett your favorite?

I like the aesthetic of her character design. I also like that she's one of the very few pop culture characters from the American South who really isn't personified as a stereotype.

Originally Posted by Charade

I completely agree, too. By far the best storyline, from their first insertion, to when the mission goes FUBAR, to their rescue and escape, I love every second of it.

I use Indiana Jones Russian soldiers for Borovian soldiers, Colonel Dovchenko as Mosiev, Irena Spalko as Olga and the cemetary warriors with headswaps as the gulag prisoners on my shelves.

Or I will when they arrive.

Originally Posted by Barefoot Jedi

I use Indiana Jones Russian soldiers for Borovian soldiers, Colonel Dovchenko as Mosiev, Irena Spalko as Olga and the cemetary warriors with headswaps as the gulag prisoners on my shelves.

A Borovian diarama and customs.......you just give me my next 10 project ideas....

Absolutely, wholly agree with everything in the first two posts. It's a FANTASTIC story arc and when you read it and when you read other parts of the Marvel series you sorta wonder sometimes how they managed to also miss the boat so badly at times. There should have been/could have been more story lines like this one. The venture into Sierra Gordo (the first time around, I mean) and the North American Banana Monopoly was really terrific, too, but lost some of its steam by having to incorporate Destro (for me at least).

But yes, this Borovia story arc REALLY changed my outlook on Stalker 110%. He was sort of a character I had never really cared about previously, but this story arc made him a hero and enviable character to me. Not #1 or #2 in my book, but I love the character.

It's a shame they hacked the character later in the series when he bounces around Manhattan with Storm Shadow running away from Night Creepers and such. That story arc was a piece of garbage and made Stalker seem fairly juvenile.

I think IDW could do a lot with Stalker if they wanted to delve into his background a little.

He starts out being head honcho of a Detroit street gang - the kind of person you would expect to end up as a Dreadnok or something. Just think of what kind of person gets to that position - we're talking about a ruthless, intimidating thug, almost certainly a murderer - a real bad guy.

But he somehow becomes one of the most likeable and respected Joes. He never loses his cool, he's really self disciplined. Of all the Joes, he's the one being represented as a happily married family man.

How does this kind of change happen? What makes him leave the street and join the Army? Is his close bond with SE tied in part to relating to SE's dark side (does he see his friendship with SE and kind of trying to rescue SE from himself)? And he almost seems a little too perfect for his own good - what are his flaws and weaknesses? What about his old gangbanger friends - a few of them are surely still alive, and they're the kind of people that might be drawn to a community of rules and violence - like Cobra.

I think there's a dark, complex, and ultimately inspiring to be told here.


As for Outback, I don't think he's ever been portrayed as convincingly as during the Borovia story. He's a tough, resourceful survivor, a natural improvisor. He clearly a team player, but seems to work best on his own. He has always gotten his fair share of face time, but I don't think they've really done anything with his personality since the Borovia story.

The first Borovia story arc is in my top three, along with the original Cobra Island Civil War, and the Special Missions trip to China and the E&E afterwards.

Another great story was the Special Missions issue wth Dusty, Mangler, Lightfoot, and Outback. It didn't seem rushed, but was such a great story, I would have loved that to have been spread out over several issues.

I was reading the issues today where SE goes to Borovia to rescue George Strawhacker. I was thinking when IDW did the best of TPBs, they should have done locations - Borovia, Trucial Abysmal, Sierra Gordo, etc. They could have thrown in all the stories that happened in the countries.

I love the names of Hama's fictional countries.

My favorite by far, though, is Wolkekuckkuckland.

I still like the story where SE goes in to rescue Strawhacker a hell of a lot, its really edgy yeah it kinda falls apart towards the end but its a good tale.