Comic-Con@Home: Liefeld’s Love Of Classic G.I. Joe Is Expressed In ‘Snake Eyes: Deadgame’

A new comic featuring G.I. Joe character, Snake Eyes, was released last week by IDW. At this year’s Comic-Con@Home, comic writer and artist, Rob Liefeld, had his very own spotlight panel where he discussed working on the project.
Ironically, Liefeld was approached by Hasbro in the 90’s to take over the comic license of G.I. Joe but passed on the opportunity. Fast forward to last year, he was approached by then chief creative officer of IDW, Chris Ryall, about working together. He had loved G.I. Joe since a kid and it was one of the first toys he remembers owning. The comic creator would only be a part of the project if he could do this particular story so it had to be approved by Hasbro.
The limited series revolves around the ’83-’84 iteration of Snake Eyes and the plot boils down to weapons of war. In this case, the Sword of the Dead which has the ability to raise the deceased. The villain is Kirigun, a real nasty warlord from way back who was put down eons ago but is suddenly reawakened. The titular character gets dropped in a zone with a familiar P.O.W. with an eagle eye and kung fu grip and gets embroiled in the conflict. The title represents Liefeld’s nostalgic love of the toys he had with the best of the present version of the franchise.
It’s about a hero against insurmountable odds. Basically, he puts Snake Eyes into a Liefeld story. You can find his signature take on weaponry with big, unconventional guns and lots of action. At times, which is fitting for the character, he incorporates scenes with no word bubbles and focuses on the fighting. He’s even contemplating a full issue with no dialog and might draw inspiration from many of the toy playsets. If the comic is successful, he’d love to do a sequel.

When developing the story, he already had the first two issues and the ending planned out. Since this is his love letter to his interactions with the toys, Atomic Man will make an appearance. He already alluded to another classic figure that appears in issue #1. He wants to bring in all the characters in the bronze age and create an international feel by visiting different locations. He adds that without Snake Eyes, there would be no X-Force or Deadpool.
Near the end, Liefeld expressed his excitement for the upcoming film on the character. When he came aboard, he had no idea a big budget movie was in the works. Through his involvement on the comic, he’s interacted with Henry Golding, who assumes the role of the ninja commando on screen. He had a geek out moment when the actor reached out on social media expressing his love for the Cable and Deadpool action figures as a kid.
When it comes down to it, Liefeld wants to help restore the G.I. Joe property and bring it to a bigger audience by working on Snake Eyes: Deadgame. He’s already incorporated characters from his past into the series but he wouldn’t mind seeing any of the new ones he’s created get their own action figures.
Snake Eyes: Deadgame #1  is out now from IDW, and you can rewatch the panel below: