Gary Collinson reviews G.I. Joe: The Cobra Files #7…
“FLINT is ready to disband the COBRA FILES team, but CHAMELEON will have none of it. But what neither one suspects is that TOMAX, the captive COBRA member, has an ace up his sleeve that will rock the team to their core.“
Since the relaunch of IDW’s G.I. Joe line earlier this year, I think it’s fair to say that the results have been mixed at best, but there’s little doubt that of the three books in the continuity, G.I. Joe: The Cobra Files has been the standout by a country mile.
Sadly, the title is due to come to an end with issue #9, but on the plus side, that means that all of the build from the past six issues is set to pay-off, and writer Mike Costa and returning regular artist Antonio Fuso get things underway here with yet another superb issue in G.I. Joe: The Cobra Files #7.
The last we saw of our Cobra Files team, Flint had voiced concerns to Duke over the unit’s remit, recommending that G.I. Joe pull the plug. But Flint’s decision doesn’t set well with all members of the team – particularly former Cobra agent Chameleon and her secret admirer Clockspring, who’s spent the best part of the past six issues being manipulated into turning against his field commander by another ex-Cobra, Tomax.
For much of The Cobra Files, Tomax has been lurking in the background as Costa sewed the seeds for this final story arc, and the Crimson Twin comes to the fore here as he finally shows his true colours, putting his own plan to disband the team into action by calling upon a couple of his old Cobra buddies (one a particular fan favourite). By the final panel, things are perfectly set up for an explosive conclusion to the series, and I can’t wait to see what Costa has in store for us with the final two issues.
Gary Collinson is a writer and lecturer from the North East of England. He is the editor-in-chief of FlickeringMyth.com and the author of Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen.
Originally published October 2, 2013. Updated April 12, 2018.
