[Breakerfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by agp

Slow down the release schedule and give the people more alternatives without taking what got you popular off the menu.

The Hama written ARAH is still on the menu though.

[agp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Breakerfan

The Hama written ARAH is still on the menu though.

I don't think it's realistic to think that was going to be the main continuity again. It was almost a 15 year break on something that pretty much ran its course. Reboots can at times be the right call and given the time passed it's to argue with the decision. Hama ARAH is a great example of successful elseworlds/alternate reality being put to use. A segment of fans were serviced without any harm or division. Whether of not it should of been wrapped up by now is another discussion.

EDIT: When I said not take what got you popular off the menu, I mean the core of the franchise. Look at James Bond, it changes a little as time goes on but the heart of what made the movies endearing is usually there. We wouldn't have gotten almost 60 years of movies if it was perpetual direct Dr. No sequels.

[PanzerKrake]

Castle fall is out today. So it's basically an ending for the series, they do kind of wrap things up so it's clear they knew the book was coming to an end sooner than expected probably. It's obvious they wanted to do more here, for example the whole Snake Eyes / Jinx storyline goes absolutely no where and is never seen again. So it does feel like a rushed ending, it's about 3 books long in one small trade sized issue, but focuses on just wrapping up what was started. Guess it's better than just ending the book, but still it's clear this was meant to go on longer originally.

Quote:

Originally Posted by agp

I haven't read all the issues but I think this would of done better as something other than GI Joe or an elseworlds series. I don't know why the elseworlds format isn't used more. Such a great tool for serving your customers. Instead let's radically reboot/change main continuity and drive people away. This had potential but being the main continuity hurts.

Things like GI Joe, Transformers and most super heroes are like comfort food. You can't mess with the recipe too much or people are going to get turned off. It's people like us that are probably over indulgent in these franchises that are constantly asking for something fresh. Slow down the release schedule and give the people more alternatives without taking what got you popular off the menu.

But this is comics, fuck long term success, right?

This is essentially just that though, it was an elseworlds like product. You still had the mainline continuity going with Hama books, and you got the game, toys, etc all doing their own thing. GI Joe at this point is a bunch of different continuities and has been for a while.

Not really sure how much slower they can go, and if they want to push the franchise they do got to do something new. But comic books are not the answer, even at their height, the IDW franchise books still sell nowhere near what the big publisher hero books sell. Hama's ARAH sells fairly consistently, it does so so, nothing great but has been consistent really even if not considered a big success.

GI Joe is not gonna really go much of anywhere with comic books, to reach a larger market they need something larger, a new popular cartoon, movie, or such to really catch on. Right now it's a franchise just living in nostalgia.

[Megastar]

Well at least it got a ending and hopefully the Snake-Eyes movie will spawn new comics.

[viper416]

I actually liked the run where Krake was cobra commander. Whatever series that was. I wished they continued that one

[J James]

This was a fine resolution for this series such as it is. Unfortunate that they were not able to touch on other plot threads but at least they had the notice available to use the existing characters to tie it all up meaningfully.

Using Bludd as a major plot device was smart. He was the most important Cobra figure in this storyline and went through an epiphany which added up well. The training montage recurring imagery led to the Baroness fight nicely.

All in all this was only a glimpse at a Joe universe I would have been willing to see a lot more of. I'll be looking out for other work from this artist in the future as well.

[ozzie92]

I didn’t see #11 hit my comic store this week...are you guys reading it digitally?

[Dreadnok Twins]

Zandar & Zarana were going to show up in the series, but it never lasted long enough to happen.

[Plasticfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by J James

This was a fine resolution for this series such as it is. Unfortunate that they were not able to touch on other plot threads but at least they had the notice available to use the existing characters to tie it all up meaningfully.

Using Bludd as a major plot device was smart. He was the most important Cobra figure in this storyline and went through an epiphany which added up well. The training montage recurring imagery led to the Baroness fight nicely.

All in all this was only a glimpse at a Joe universe I would have been willing to see a lot more of. I'll be looking out for other work from this artist in the future as well.

ALL OF THIS.

I really appreciated the closure (well.. open ended closure) and it's unfortunate that this series won't continue. I will always be an "ARAH first" guy but this was a good series and worthy of support as a companion GI Joe title. In addition i think it was written better than Hama's series.

Initially i thought Bludds use was a bit too convenient but i had to remind myself that the series writer knew the end was nigh.

Between the writing , the BATS, Cobra Commanders helmet and the redesigned Viper uniforms this series had enough positives to deserve a longer run.

I enjoyed it for what it was.

[seaneley]

Sid this come out?