Image Comics reviews 4/24/24 – Duke #5

The assignment for Duke #5 was pretty clear — stick the landing. Given the high quality of the debut G.I. Joe title in the Energon Universe from writer Joshua Williamson, artist Tom Reilly, colorist Jordie Bellaire and letterer Rus Wooton failure seemed unlikely.

To absolutely no surprise, Duke #5 concludes in a very exciting manner. It neatly ties up Duke’s solo mission, continues the connection with Daniel Warren Johnson’s initial Transformers arc and sets the stage for G.I. Joe.

Duke has made his way to MARS headquarters. He’s already encountered Mercer. He narrowly survived Scrap-Iron’s ambush. Now he faces a Battle Android Trooper. Convinced MARS’ robot is a smaller version of the giant robot that smashed his friend, Duke is relentless.

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One underrated aspect of the mini-series is how Williamson embraced the notion that Duke views himself as an American. Maybe not a hero, but in a movie environment where too much U.S. nationalism can doom a global box office, this was a welcome shift.

This one-on-one battle with a B.A.T. does an excellent job of showcasing Duke’s resolve and tenacity. And it’s far more refreshing than being told how great Duke is in combat. Readers get to witness it firsthand. Considering how massive in scope G.I. Joe can get, Reilly does a tremendous job of making the simple act of Duke vs a lone B.A.T. feel important.

Bellaire gives the battle a different color palette with mostly shock orange, some black and red accents. This doubles down on Duke’s shock and the danger of a B.A.T.

There are bigger and larger scale conflicts to come, but this was a savvy move to keep expectations in check. No need to rush to the big global threats when one B.A.T. can cause so much mayhem.

It’s been fun seeing how Williamson has incorporated key aspects of the Jope mythos in a fresh new way.  Not to the point of being unrecognizable, but unique enough to stand on its own.

The payoff — sorry, no spoilers — makes a ton of sense and lays the groundwork beautifully for the next step in the formation of G.I. Joe. Duke #5 did exactly what it needed to accomplish. Williamson also throws in some great character beats that Reilly perfectly conveys the characters’ personalities.

It’s a pretty exciting time to be into G.I. Joe and with Duke #5 wrapped all eyes turn now to the finale of Cobra Commander.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Photo Credit: Image

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