G.I. Joe #1 - 155 Comic Cover Gallery & Series Thoughts (Marvel 1982-1994)

This is a slideshow of all the original G.I. Joe comic covers (by Marvel) issues #1 - 155, plus Special Missions #1 - 28, Yearbook #1 - 4, G.I. Joe And The Transformers #1 - 4, Order Of Battle #1 - 4 and the 1995 Special #1 (drawn by Todd McFarlane). Also, I give my thoughts on the series as a whole, despite quite a few plot threads left hanging from the sudden cancellation.
Check out the behind-the-scenes photos on my Facebook page: / 295471453806030

[@SamGuthrie1977]

Issue #34 was the first comic book I ever bought -- the awesome dogfight between the Skystriker and the Rattler. I was immediately hooked on not just G.I. Joe comics, but I fell in love with the whole fascinating world of comic books altogether. That classic issue was my gateway drug. 32 years later, and I'm still collecting comics books. But my complete run of the original Marvel G.I. Joe is the crowning jewel of my collection.

[@Transfixed]

This comic was the best thing in my young life, for reals. I'm currently reading the IDW collections and it's so nostalgic :D

[@MrFiend1973]

Fantastic job on both the comic book and toy reviews, I've enjoyed them very much! Very much fan of the comic reviews as they had me re-living my childhood G.I Joe memories. I collected the comic from issue #1 to about #120, where things started to get too odd and all about ninjas. So I missed the last 30 issues or so, thanks for letting me know I didn't miss much. In the original comics there were letters to the editors where the readers asked questions, pointed out errors, and whatnot and the editors responded. If a reader pointed out an error in story continuity or other mistake AND offered a plausible explanation that made the error not actually an error (as in the authors "meant to do that"), that reader was awarded a "No-Prize". To my knowledge this was unique to G.I Joe comics. I wrote in one day when I noticed a problem with their explanation for Zartan's chameleon ability. It didn't make sense to my teenage mind how they (I think) attributed Zartan's ability to shift to technology in his suit/breastplate. A few issues later he didn't have any equipment and was shifting. I wrote in and explained it, after just having been exposed to mutants in the comic world and attributed Zartan's shape shifting ability to being a mutant, not technology. I was actually awarded a "No Prize" for that. Anyways, awesome series of reviews, looking forward to watching more of the toy ones to keep the G.I Joe memories flowing but I would really like to see a review of the Special Missions if you haven't done so already. Please. Great stuff!

[@teddybeer6206]

So I got the first three G.I.Joe complete collection hardcovers and good LORD! This has nothing to do with the campy cartoon. it's a roller coaster ride of non stop action and drama...and what surprises me the most is that Cobra Commander isn't a bumbling idiot but a brilliant, evil, demented, psychotic tactician.

[@skabcat242]

The cobra civil war story was my favorite.

[@poolshark1438]

skabcat242 May I ask what issues were those a part of? I have all the comics and I've read the comics up to a certain point and I must have stopped at that story arc. Thanks!

[@poolshark1438]

skabcat242 Sorry jumped the gun #72-78

[@robonintendo]

The joes made a small appearance in the Transformers Generation 2 comic in a side story entitled "tales from earth" or some such.

[@Lots43]

Those Yearbooks were great

[@teddybeer6206]

My god...I'm surprised with how impressed people seem to be with this comic series...I'm only familiar with the Sunbow series when it comes to this franchise. I ordered the first volume of the complete collection hardcovers and I was wondering...how do the comics compare to the cartoon?

[@formbx257]

+Ted Michel They're pretty much opposites. Larry Hama wrote the file cards as well, so there is a Viet Nam background to many of the characters/events in the stories. The comics got pretty serious and even killed many characters (mostly Joes). There was also an emphasis on Snake Eyes. Much of the character development comes from the Cobra side (Destro, Baroness, Zartan etc.) and not much from the Joes. I treat the cartoons and the comics as very, VERY separate entities.

[@teddybeer6206]

+formbx257 woah woah...people actually DIE in the comics?! um...do they still use lasers or do they actually use bullets here?

[@formbx257]

+Ted Michel Bullets, mostly. In addition to death, many characters got wounded (usually not seriously, but blood was depicted).

[@teddybeer6206]

+formbx257 So the comics are a serious war story with loads of character development and realistic violence...well, consider me sold!

[@jmsberetta]

cool reviews and break down

[@hector1011]

Great Job reviewing the original comic book series. I'm only missing about 10 or so comics to complete my collection. Keep up the good work.

[@neiltemple123]

The cover to Yearbook #3 is my personal favorite. This time Scarlett and Storm Shadow save Snake-Eyes from the Cobra base. (Scarlett returns the favor from issue #21).

[@MrFiend1973]

-found the Special Missions! :)

[@woofan25]

Issue 82 is my favorite as well.

[@mattmc5069]

My all time favorite was #98 the return of cobra commander. He was my all time favorite and the comic felt very strange after his 'death' in #61. It was great to see him alive and well and more insane then ever

[@poolshark1438]

#26 The origin of Snake Eyes has to be my all time favorite possibly right along side #1 and #2!

[@poolshark1438]

Off topic, but I'm reaching out to the Joe fan community for help. Does anyone know the name of the character in the original cartoon run that was a communications guy like breaker. He was usually dressed like the average green shirt and had a mainframe like backpack on. And he was never made into a figure. Also does anyone know a list of characters that were transferred over into the toy line? Thanks everyone for the help!

[@formbx257]

Pool Shark The cartoon-only comm guy was called Sparks. Not sure what you mean by characters transferred into the toyline?

[@poolshark1438]

Characters in the cartoon and comics that weren't made into the original figure run like Sparks, Big Lob, Kwinn, and some others I would presume.

[@formbx257]

Pool Shark I don't know if there was a specific list for that since there were hundreds of characters that were comic and cartoon-only creations. You may want to check collector forums like YoJoe and HISSTank to see if anyone has compiled such a list. Sparks, Big Lob and Kwinn were made into figures recently due to fan demand (as well as the Hard Master, Blind Master, the October Guard and General Flagg sr.). The Gamesmaster, Billy, Mara and Admiral Ledger currently don't have any figure representation, though.

[@formbx257]

Pool Shark Oops! The Blind Master figure I was thinking of was the live-action movie version, so there isn't a comic version of him. There still isn't a Soft Master or Pythona either.

[@WarmachineVengeance]

One of the best comic series ever, no doubt.

[@Casimir1100]

hey formbx257, do you read the modern Joe comics?

[@chipperwilliams7854]

Good stuff!

[@GRAYMATTER_235]

@formbx257 THIS SERIES ENDED IN 134 THE INTRODUCTION OF MEGATRON WAS A KICK IN THE BALLS. WHAT A DISAPPOINTING WAY TO END. 135-155 NEVER HAPPENED IMO THEY JUST DONT EXIST.

[@chocos26]

I like ur videos a lot, I own all those comics and i also have issue 26 price at 75 cents 😁