Publisher: Image Comics (Skybound Imprint)
Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Andrei Bressan
Colourist: Adriano Lucas
Lettering: Rus Wooton
Release Date: 19th June 2024

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Skybound’s Energon Universe continues to expand this week as global arms dealer Destro kicks off his own miniseries spinning out of the events of Cobra Commander # 5. With Cobra now officially formed following the union of Cobra Commander’s Energon and Destro’s military technology, this new series begins with the metal-faced one doing a bit of light government overthrowing, field-testing his newly souped-up B.A.T.s, and helping to further cement his own individual power base.

While series writer Dan Watters freely admits he was never really much of a G.I. Joe (or should that be Action Force?) growing up, the British author does a great job here, hitting all the key notes of the character while adding his own fresh twist to the proceedings. With motivations that tiptoe the line between honouring his ancestors and turning a profit, and the same flair for the dramatic that Cobra Commander showcased in his own miniseries, this take on Destro looks set to be thoroughly intriguing for newcomers and grizzled G.I. Joe fans alike.

On the visual side of things, Andrew Bressan turns in a confident shift here, blending detail and expression while ensuring this series has its own distinct style to set it apart from the rest of the Energon Universe.  Destro himself looks great, and it’s good to see Bressan leaning into the physics-defying ability of the Laird to have actual facial expressions through his mask, even if it never really made much sense in any version of the character to date.

The story itself is mostly focused on fleshing out the title character – or at least this new version of him – but it’s great to see Watters throwing some familiar new characters from the world of G.I. Joe into the mix, creating a new faction in the process and adding a pair of cold, calculating psychopaths to the equation. Always a good thing, especially when all-out war is almost an inevitability at this point as both Cobra and the Joes start to amass friends and enemies.

The final pages ramp up the action, putting Destro right in the midst of a warzone and showcasing his slightly more unhinged side – something we also got to see earlier in the issue with him having a frank, honest (and worryingly two-way) conversation with the statues marking the graves of his Scottish ancestors.  Another fantastic blend of cartoon excess and gritty Energon Universe drama, and given how well these series have been integrated to this point, a fairly essential purchase if you want to stay up to date.

Rating: 4/5.

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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
You can follow Ceej on Twitter

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