GI Joe: Sierra Muerte #3 Is a Thrilling Conclusion To The Joes’ Adventure
by Tony Thornley
Michel Fiffe’s miniseries GI Joe: Sierra Muerte has been many things- a homage to classic GI Joe, a thrilling spy adventure and a gateway for Fiffe’s other work. Now as it draws to a conclusion, the question is was it successful while still being a satisfying story?
The Joes have one chance to put a stop to Cobra’s plans in Sierra Muerte, and it all hinges on the captured Destro and Baroness. The team raids Cobra’s fortress, leading to bloody conflicts all around. Can our heroes win or are the odds stacked against them?
Fiffe’s story continues to hit all the right beats. He adds human stakes for each of the characters, and generally it’s very satisfying, even if it doesn’t land the way were expect. One of the highlights is Cobra Commander’s fate, which is satisfying, but also played for a wonderful gag after three issues of build-up.
Outside of his character work, he tells an excellent action story, both thanks to his art and his writing. His stylized characters always exaggerate the action in ways that draws the reader in and emphasizes the focal point of the page. He also has a lot of fun with the spy-fi tech and weapons that became GI Joe’s hallmark, with each getting spotlights at different times.
So was this series successful? Absolutely. It was a fun throwback, but it was also a solid action story, and a great standalone adventure. This would be a great gateway for any lapsed GI Joe fan, or someone looking into trying out Fiffe’s work for the first time.
GI Joe: Sierra Muerte #3 is available now from IDW Publishing.
