Publisher: Image Comics (Skybound Imprint)
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Andrea Milana
Colourist: Annalisa Leoni
Lettering: Rus Wooton
Release Date: 21st February 2023

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Hot on the heels of a first issue we called “a violent and ambitious reimagining of the classic Saturday morning cartoon baddie”, Skybound’s Energon Universe continues to expand this week as Cobra Commander finds himself coming face to face with none other than the Dreadnoks!

I’ll admit to not being the biggest fan of G.I. Joe (or “Action Force”, as they called it on this side of the Atlantic) growing up, but outside of Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, the characters I was most into were the Dreadnoks. A group of degenerate biker-types with cracking toy designs and brilliant names, they instantly made a lasting impression on my younger self, so seeing them make their return in the pages of this latest issue was a real treat.

As you may have expected from the Energon Universe so far (and as you can see from the preview pages below), Joshua Williamson dials the violence and bloodshed all the way up right from the get-go, immediately cementing the ‘Noks as a group not to be messed with. And whether it’s Buzzer and Ripper taking care of some rival gang members, or a third Dreadnok who shows up later in the issue, they certainly make one hell of an impact.

That said, this series is called “Cobra Commander” not “Dreadnoks”, and Williamson and Andrea Milana’s revitalised version of the would-be leader of Cobra shines once again here, all duplicitous scheming and sharp, angular design. Milana’s grimy aesthetic remains top-notch, combining seamlessly with colourist Annalisa Leoni to deliver a world packed with evil, violence and menace.

The final pages take things in a slightly unexpected direction, and while this issue perhaps isn’t as tied into the larger shared universe as some of other issues we’ve seen in recent months (no Transformers here, for instance), that’s probably not a bad thing in the long run. The main storyline does take back seat just a little though, and in that respect, your overall enjoyment of this issue will likely vary depending on how much the aforementioned Dreadnoks appeal to you.

About as far removed from its Saturday Morning Cartoon roots as you can possibly get, this series is another absolute triumph for Skybound’s Energon Universe, and I cannot wait to see what comes next.

Rating: 4.5/5.

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[PREVIEW ARTWORK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

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The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson-Adams (aka Ceej)
Article Archive: Ceej Says
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