Cobra Annual 2012

writer: Chuck Dixon
artist: SL Gallant

Normally IDW's Cobra series demands to be written by Mike Costa (with or without Christos Gage and most frequently illustrated by Antonio Fuso), who seemed like the only creator capable of providing the trademark character-based storytelling required to deliver the Cobra perspective from a truly compelling, psychological perspective. I've just learned that Chuck Dixon can do it, too. (This is the first time someone other than Costa or Gage, who left a few years ago, has written one of the company's G.I. Joe books with "Cobra" in the name.) Dixon wrote a Zartan origin that suggested to a certain extent that he might be qualified, but now he's stepped up fully to the plate. This is a sign that the company realizes more than ever that the Cobra books are the best thing it's got in this franchise. After "Cobra Civil War" spun out of G.I. Joe: Cobra (which was quickly relaunched simply as Cobra), it was easy to get that impression, but this has got to be the defining turning point. The story's not too bad, either, in case you were wondering. The new Cobra Commander is a completely new character, and his origin helps fit him in with everything Costa has done with the characters who used to be one-dimensional villains. I have to imagine that Costa himself didn't write this one due to his recently cancelled Black Hawks (which curiously lacked any real sense of character) work at DC. All I can say is, I hope IDW does more and more G.I. Joe stuff like this.