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G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #277 Review: No Ordinary Joe

Whenever you have a large cast and a huge fictional continuity, there are always tales between the tales we know. These small frame moments provide context to the larger sweeping plot elements we consider on an ordinary basis. This issue takes aim at the aftermath of a Cobra invasion of G.I. Joe's desert headquarters and the work of an unconventional pair, keeping their team safe.
G.I. Joe A Real American Hero #277 Review: No Ordinary Joe
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #277 Cover. Credit: IDW
The military policeman Law and his canine colleague Order didn't see a lot of front line action. One would not expect them to be parachuted down into danger zones alongside some of the team's better-known names, but if they qualified for this elite task force, you'd have to expect that they are (pardon the pun) no ordinary Joe. Using Order's keen olfactory senses and Law's training and experience, a Cobra surprise left in the base is discovered and addressed while most of the team was none the wiser.
Writer Larry Hama knows these characters inside and out, literally writing the book on each and everyone, and shows the level-headed, competent Law at work sniffing out threats in every nook and cranny of the team's massive underground base. Brian Shearer, J. Brown, and Neil Uyetake's artwork could easily have been murky and hard to decipher, given the low lighting situations and claustrophobic environments. Instead, they delivered crisply detailed encounters and effective visual storytelling.
The possible only deficit for this deft done-in-one story was the anonymous nature of its antagonists. With the four main challenges on the field, literally three of them could have been anyone from any discipline in Cobra, from the throngs of types of Vipers and operatives available. That anonymity made them easy to dismiss.
Still, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #277 is a master of craft making a mountain out of a relative molehill, which in and of itself is an accomplishment. If you can't get enough militaristic action, this will scratch that itch. RATING: HONORABLE MENTION.
By Larry Hama, Brian Shearer
'Untold Tales' Part 2! When Cobra infiltrated the secret G.I. Joe operating base in Utah (called 'The Pit') the Joes mounted a successful counter-assault to take it back (G.I. Joe ARAH Vol. 9). And now Living Legend Larry Hama reveals the untold tale of human bravery and canine loyalty during that monumental battle through the eyes of combat MP Law and his best battle-buddy Order! Featuring explosive artwork by longtime G.I. Joe ARAH alum Brian Shearer!

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Hannibal TabuAbout Hannibal Tabu

Hannibal Tabu is a writer, journalist, DJ, poet and designer living in south Los Angeles with his wife and children. He's a winner of the 2012 Top Cow Talent Hunt, winner of the 2018-2019 Cultural Trailblazer award from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, his weekly comic book review column THE BUY PILE can be found on iHeartRadio's Nerd-O-Rama podcast, his reviews can be found on BleedingCool.com, and more information can be found at his website, www.hannibaltabu.com. Plus, get free weekly web comics on the Operative Network at http://bit.ly/combatshaman.
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