When Skybound announced they will work with Hasbro on a new universe featuring Transformers and G.I. Joe, many fans wondered what that meant for Larry Hama, whose name has been synonymous with the G.I. Joe comics since the 1980s. Today Skybound confirmed something Hama had already mentioned on social media — that they will continue to publish G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, and will even keep the legacy numbering.
“Several years ago, a fan at SDCC asked me how long Larry Hama would be writing G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comics,” said Michael Kelly, VP of Global Publishing at Hasbro. “My response was the only appropriate answer for someone in my position: ‘for as long as Larry wants to keep writing them.’ It’s exciting to be continuing this journey that started back in 1982, and I’m grateful to the great team at Skybound for helping me keep that promise.”
Hama will be joined by artist Chris Mooneyham and colorist Francesco Segala, with G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301 coming to shops in November. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero was originally published by Marvel in 1982 and then revived by IDW in 2010.
“I am delighted to be continuing the saga of G.I. Joe with the good folks at Skybound and totally amped to be taking the G.I. Joe team to issue #301 and beyond,” said Hama. “Little did I know back in 1982 that I would be associated with the Real American Hero for over 40 years. My thanks to the whole crew at Skybound for allowing me to continue to chronicle the exploits of characters who have become like a family to me.”
The Skybound series will bring the return of an original (and popular) Joe, who was killed off in the IDW series:
A new era for G.I. Joe begins in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301 with this jumping on point for new readers as your favorite characters – Duke, Scarlett, Roadblock, Storm Shadow, Cobra Commander, Serpentor and more – are back for new battles, new friends, new enemies and…THE RETURN OF THE ORIGINAL SNAKE-EYES!
“I’m very excited to be working on such an enduring property with original writer and comics legend Larry Hama, not to mention being able to do it at Skybound,” said Mooneyham. “I think Skybound is going to be able to offer G.I. Joe storytelling opportunities like never before, and I’m honored to be part of it. Yo Joe!”
This news follows what broke yesterday in the pages of Void Rivals, which featured an appearance by the Transformer Jetfire. Skybound also announced miniseries featuring Duke and Cobra Commander, written by Joshua Williamson, which will be set in the new Energon Shared Universe rather than the continuity Hama has maintained for 40 years now.
“One of the main goals of Skybound with these Hasbro properties is preserving and honoring the legacies already established with Transformers and G.I.Joe. While we’re creating something new with the Energon Universe, we’re also going to be devoting equal resources to paying respect to the glorious stories that came before and made these brands what they are today,” said Skybound’s Robert Kirkman. “I don’t want to live in a world where Larry Hama isn’t continuing his unparalleled run on G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero, and thanks to Skybound, I won’t have to!”
The “new” G.I. Joe title will be accompanied in November by G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1 Larry Hama Cut, a special reprint of Marvel’s iconic first issue featuring Larry Hama’s original, unaltered scripting in a key moment that was changed in limited instances for the final printed edition.
G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero #1 arrives in stores Nov. 14 — a Tuesday, you’ll note.