While the larger than life Cobra Commander is likely the most well known G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero character, Snake Eyes isn't much further down the list. With nearly 100 different toy releases and a role in every iteration of the franchise, he's always been a central figure of its mythos. He escalated to leading status on "rule of cool" alone. This guy is a completely silent ninja commando with katanas, Uzis, and grenades strapped all over his pitch-black attire, and he just happens to have a pet wolf. Yeah, that sells.
Despite the inherent challenge in revolving traditionally speech bubble-driven stories around a character that never speaks, it only makes sense to capitalize on his popularity by giving him a comic book of his own. The original Marvel run was even retitled G.I. Joe: Starring SNAKE EYES at one point. The five-issue Snake Eyes: Agent of Cobra story isn't the first time IDW Publishing has slapped his name onto one of the titles, either. I imagine copies would sell on marquee value alone, but the added "heel turn" is sure to grab a bit more attention this time around. The question is, how does it hold up as the first of a series?
I'll tell you right out of the gate that this is not for someone new to the franchise. Snake Eyes: Agent of Cobra #1 builds on writer Mike Costa's prior Cobra-centric Joe stories, and requires that you're already familiar with what's been going on in the IDW universe. The issue also happens to spend more time with Destro than its titular star, complete with a five-page childhood flashback. Chameleon is the only other major character to appear, and she isn't even referred to by name. The lack of hand holding is refreshing in some ways, but I definitely feel for anyone that might pick this up thinking it's a good way to ease themselves into a new storyline.
There are moments where you're reminded of how good Snake Eyes-centric comics can be, almost reminiscent of Silent Interlude: the famous dialogue-free issue of the Marvel series. They're very few and far between however, with the bulk of the pages showcasing how difficult it must be penning a book with a mute star. The storytelling and one-sided dialogue rests firmly on Destro's broad metallic shoulders.
Still, it's nice to see so much of Destro despite how many paragraphs he has to spew while Snake Eyes just stands around in the corner. Artist Paolo Villanelli (what a name!) does his best to stage each scene in an interesting manner, and the book picks up considerably once our star is given his mission. The plot chugs along in montage form as Destro waxes poetic about Mr. Eyes' talents. Unfortunately, it takes 17 pages to get there. The issue wraps up shortly after.
Snake Eyes: Agent of Cobra #1 is the first in a five-part series, and it serves to set up the next issue more than tell a story of its own. The world building should be compelling for die-hard Joe fans, but I can't help thinking of the impressions of someone checking this out because it happens to have "that cool ninja guy" on the cover. I know that portion of the potential audience is likely small however, because G.I. Joe is far from the powerhouse it once was in the popularity department. I would have loved for this issue to have a big enough hook to help turn that around, but it never set out to do so. This is a piece of a larger puzzle, and on those grounds alone it does precisely what it should.
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