‘G.I. Joe #13: Dreadnok War – Part 1’ Review (Skybound)

Written by Joshua Williamson | Art by Tom Reilly | Colourist: Jordie Bellaire | Letterer: Rus Wooton | Published by Skybound

Skybound’s G.I. Joe run has been consistently strong, but Dreadnok War looks set to be the book’s first truly wild, unpredictable event—and issue #13 kicks it off with exactly the kind of pace and swagger you want from a major Joe storyline.

From page one there’s a sense of escalation. A new Energon signal crashes onto everyone’s radar, pushing both G.I. Joe and Cobra into motion, and instantly reminding readers how high the stakes are in the Energon Universe. Duke leads the Joe team with his usual no-nonsense grit, while Cobra Commander spirals between desperation, paranoia, and ego – an emotional cocktail that paints him as both dangerous and slightly unhinged. It’s a great contrast, and it gives the whole issue a propulsive, character-driven rhythm.

But the real juice here is the return of the Dreadnoks, and Skybound clearly wants them messy, loud, and impossible to predict. Their entrance is chaotic in the best way, shaking up the neat Joe-vs-Cobra dynamic and introducing the arc’s biggest question: what happens when a third faction doesn’t care about the rules of engagement at all? Ripper gets a surprising spotlight too, drawing on his history with Cobra and turning what could’ve been a simple villain cameo into something more textured.

The big desert set-piece is classic Joe: vehicles roaring, explosions hitting hard, and both sides scrambling for position. Artist Tom Reilly handles the action beautifully, keeping things clean but still giving every panel a gritty, tactile feel. It’s energetic without ever becoming messy, and the colours pop in that pulpy, throwback way that suits the Dreadnoks perfectly.

If there’s a downside, it’s that this chapter is very much laying foundations. It’s a launchpad, not a full meal. But it’s paced well, visually sharp, and packed with enough character conflict to promise a genuinely eventful arc ahead.

For fans following the Energon Universe or anyone who grew up loving the mayhem of the Dreadnoks, this is a cracking start.

**** 4/5

G.I. Joe #13: Dreadnok War – Part 1 is out now.