Meanwhile, in the G.I. Joe corner of the Energon Universe, the third miniseries has just begun as Scarlett #1 hit local comic store shelves. Our red-headed spy is presented in covert ops fashion, and judging by the first few panels, dressed to kill.
Our heroine is embedded into a lavish affair, likely the environment for the wealthy and bored type of hedonistic criminals. Judging by the repeated warning from her C.O. of “do not engage,” one could assume Scarlet has a history of disobeying orders. It is soon discovered a familiar face is also present and on a mission of their own.
While expectations of a conflict are high, there is also a sense of suspense building as to what the mission truly is. I expected it to be related to the conflict recently seen in the Duke and Cobra Commander series, however it takes a sharp pivot as we see Scarlet completely and expectedly disobey those orders, rescuing a number of women who are victims of human trafficking.
As Scarlett returns from the mission, she is confronted by some familiar faces from the previous miniseries. It turns out, while her C.O. is unhappy with her recent choices, another covert unit is interested in helping her pursue personal goals as long as she is able to fulfill some of their pursuits as well.
The issue comes full-circle as Scarlett is embedding herself once more, but this time, death is the consequence for failure. Infiltration of the fabled Arashikage is a near-impossible task.
I enjoyed this fresh start of the series. It felt like writer Kelly Thompson (DC Birds of Prey, Marvel’s Black Widow) wrote this as both a standalone tale while also clearly progressing to a longer story. It is a compelling tale where readers can easily become drawn in by Marco Ferrari’s art (Frontiersman, Antioch) and Lee Loughridge (Creator of Deadly Class) on colors. There is a smooth style to the issue where one can become invested in the larger mission but also in Scarlett’s personal backstory.
This foray into the Energon Universe appears to be a curious one. While at first there does not appear to be any direct link to the broader universe, my instinct tells me while this begins as a smaller, personal covert ops mission will gradually reveal itself to be part of the larger universe. I imagine we will see some more familiar faces and the inevitable introduction of some other figures attached to the Arashikage.
