Snake Eyes: Dead Game #1

IDW Publishing; $4.99

Easily one of the most popular G.I. Joe characters from the comics and the long-running cartoon, Snake Eyes is the focus of this new miniseries from IDW Publishing and writer-artist Rob Liefeld and co-writer Chad Bowers. In an industry where promotional hype is a way of life, Snake Eyes: Dead Game has given IDW one of the genuinely most anticipated comics of the summer, owing no small part to the combination of a robust G.I. Joe fandom and Liefeld’s devoted following.

To cut to the chase, it lives up to the hype. The first issue is a page-turner, with copious amounts of action and intrigue. Will it sustain over the course the miniseries? That remains to be seen, but thus far the exploration of the most mysterious member of the G.I. Joe team definitely has me ready for the second issue.

There are four main covers (cover A, cover B, retailer incentive cover A, and retailer incentive cover B, and about 493 exclusive variants (okay, it’s more like 36) out there.

– J.C. Vaughn