Image Comics reviews 8-19-26 – GI Joe 25, Redcoat 19

Redcoat 19

This issue is a tough one to avoid saying too much about because of its payoff, but it reads like a defining moment in the life of Simon Pure.

Writer Geoff Johns is no stranger to writing emotional issues that put his heroes through the wringer, but this might land the hardest. Simon established a loving marriage and raised two young children. He’s had a stable job and the respect of the community. Even in this perfect moment, Simon knows it can’t last forever. He can, but his family will eventually get old and his wife and finally his children will die.

Unless Simon’s old rival, Benedict Arnold can make good on his promise to make them immortal as well. When Arnold gets kidnapped, Simon and his longtime ally, Albert Einstein, have to use all their resources to track down his kidnappers.

It’s best to take in Redcoat like a movie as artist Bryan Hitch is making this series every bit as cinematic as possible. Hitch, with inker Andrew Currie, can make the simplest moments look dramatic based on his posing and perspectives of the characters. It makes those final pages all the more impactful. Like Hitch, colorist Brad Anderson is delivering some of his finest work on the series providing bold color choices that complement the story with lighter and darker hues. Rob Leigh’s lettering always shines in Redcoat thanks to the script style fonts he uses.

This was a huge issue for the series likely setting up some major repercussions in the next stretch of issues. The Redcoat creative team continues delivering one of comics’ most compelling series every month.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Photo Credit: Image Comics