‘G.I. Joe #15: Dreadnok War – Part 3’ Review (Skybound)
Written by Joshua Williamson | Art by Tom Reilly | Colourist: Jordie Bellaire | Letterer: Rus Wooton | Published by Skybound
Skybound’s G.I. Joe line keeps proving that when it leans into pulp grit and character tension, it fires on all cylinders. Issue 15, the third chapter of the Dreadnok War arc, slows the breakneck action just long enough to dig into something far juicier: the ugly, uncomfortable dynamic between Duke and Cobra Commander when the guns drop and the masks – literal and otherwise – start slipping.
A huge part of why these quieter beats work is the art team’s shift to darker, moodier colours during the barn sequences. It’s all deep shadows, lantern glows, and the kind of muted palettes that make the silence feel weaponised. The atmosphere practically squeezes the walls in around both men. Duke is simmering; Cobra Commander is seething; neither is willing to give an inch even when they’re equally trapped. It’s the best kind of tension: the “if we weren’t tied up, you’d already be throwing punches” kind.
And that brings us to the man who put them there: Road Pig. His entrance is exactly what you want from one of the Dreadnoks’ most unhinged heavy-hitters – big, brutal, and unbothered. He’s the perfect foil for Duke and Commander’s forced partnership. Where they operate through strategy, ego, and grudges stacked a mile high, Road Pig is pure chaotic muscle, happy to drag the newly “bonded” enemies into the mud just because he can. His portrayal here feels ripped straight out of the best ’80s Joe media: larger-than-life, unpredictable, and somehow still grounded within this more mature universe.
Once the book swings back into motion, the arc continues tightening the screws. The Dreadnoks are escalating, Joe and Cobra forces are stumbling toward reluctant cooperation, and the storyline’s pace still feels like a convoy picking up speed, with every issue adding more weight and momentum.
If Part 1 was setup and Part 2 was acceleration, Part 3 is where the emotional stakes hit. It’s character-first storytelling in the middle of a gasoline-soaked war zone, and it works brilliantly. This issue keeps the Dreadnok War rolling with confidence, tension, and a much-needed dose of character-driven grit. The barn scenes alone justify the price of admission, and Road Pig’s debut is exactly the kind of bruiser energy this arc needed. The best modern Joe comic continues to prove it’s earned that title.
**** 4/5
G.I. Joe #15: Dreadnok War – Part 3 is out now.
