Background
In Issue 41, we saw intrigue and action as Cobra’s lawyers file paperwork for international recognition of the muddy chunk of Gulf floor that has risen to the surface. And all out battle by a ragtag bunch of weary Joes to try to kick them off it. Feel free to check out the review of Issue 41 in case you missed it. (You can catch up on other “Now You Know With YorktownJoe” reviews there as well.)
On to the issue
Author Larry Hama does his best to bring new readers up to speed with what has happened previously. Hawk and Scarlett discuss telling Ripcord what has happened. Hawk and Duke look a lot alike at this point in the comic run. In this issue Hawk is mostly in all green for the discerning eye.
Hawk lets Ripcord know that the Dreadnok Buzzer escaped Military Police (M.P.) custody and fled with Candy. Candy is the name of the young lady who was previously seen as Bongo the Balloon Bear. Her father was a Crimson Guardsman, but she didn’t know it. Her family’s home was a scene of a battle with the Crimson Twins and the Joes.
While speaking with Ripcord, Hawk suddenly receives a video call from General Austin, his superior officer at the Pentagon. He chews him out for the debacle on Cobra Island, and what is know being referred to as a sovereign nation.
But in the middle of the call…
General Austin suffers a heart attack.
Meanwhile the aforementioned Buzzer and Candy are on the road with a ruined M.P. bus. The window is smashed and Buzzer believes they need to switch it for a different vehicle.
Candy is smacking Buzzer trying to get him to leave her alone. But he makes fun of her instead.
Elsewhere, Billy and Storm Shadow are training. Storm Shadow must be really confident. To let an apprentice throw a sword at him and land it in his sheath is most impressive. If he missed, Storm Shadow would have a hard time explaining the hilt sticking out of his chest in the Emergency Room intake area.
Fred II is trying to recover from a battle with Scarlett and Snake-Eyes on a Staten Island Ferry back in Issue 36. He has a fever and the doctor tells him to rest, but he refuses. He also mocks the original Fred’s wife an children. He is bent on continuing his mission, even if it kills him.
Stalker and Snake-Eyes offer to drive Hawk to see General Austin in the hospital, where he seems to be recovering from the heart attack.
Since this is G.I. Joe, that is going to lead to a type of car pursuit, of course.
Fred II notices and name drops a VAMP Mark 2 G.I. Joe jeep. He notices it leaving Fort Wadsworth as he is getting to his car, and decides to follow it.
Buzzer ditches the M.P. bus and steals a pickup truck. A local thinks he is going to kill Buzzer for stealing his truck, but Buzzer nearly runs him over and then scoops Candy back up and drives away with her.
She notices a shotgun hanging on the rack, but he mentions it is empty. As they continue to struggle some shells fall out of the glove box. Candy smashes him in the face, loads the shotgun, and pulls the trigger…
He begs for his life, as Candy makes him get out of the truck, but then she leaves him stranded and drives away.
The Soft Master has arrived at Springfield Police headquarters and asks to use their computer system. The officers who are all on the Cobra payroll harass him, then threaten him with violence.
He gives them ample warning that if they try anything it will hurt.
He ends up breaking a fingernail, but all but the group leader of the police are out of commission. The office is in shambles. The last guy complies and helps him search for information on the Hard Master.
Meanwhile, Storm Shadow and Billy are training and discussing the Hard Master as well. Storm Shadow lets Billy know that sometimes ninjas can see their future when death is coming close. But Billy claims he sees nothing as Storm Shadow brings a blade near his head.
That is because Billy knows Storm Shadow would not harm him. The Hard Master on the other hand was focused on training so intently that he missed that death was near to him.
Billy promises Storm Shadow he will ask Cobra Commander about the matter when he confronts him in the future. They don’t realize Soft Master is investigating this on his own in Springfield.
Fred II placed a tracker on the VAMP with the Joes in it, and he is trailing them.
But he is sick with a fever, and it is throwing him off his game.
Snake-Eyes and Stalker decide to go to the Vietnam Memorial to pay their respects while Hawk is visiting General Austin in the hospital. Stalker frequently calls him General Flagg throughout this issue, but let’s just let that go. General Flagg died in Issue 19. If Hawk is waiting for him, he will be waiting a long time. General Flagg – dead in Issue 19. General Austin – heart attack this issue.
Fred II tracks them to the Vietnam Memorial, and as the rain is falling, it appears that one of the monument soldiers is shedding tears.
As Stalker reminisces, Snake-Eyes points out a missing name. One of their fallen team members Wade Collins is not listed in the directory of the dead.
Wade Collins is very much alive. He survived being left for dead, and is now a member of the Cobra Crimson Guard – Fred II. And he’s pointing a gun at Stalker and Snake-Eyes in the rain.
The issue closes with Storm Shadow returning from grocery shopping to find Billy missing and a little note:
Storm Shadow murmurs to himself that there is nothing to forgive.
—–
Issue 42 was filled with dialogue and a few threads of different interwoven stories. The search for the truth of the Hard Master’s killer on multiple fronts. Candy trying to escape from Buzzer and almost killing him. Two of the original Joes in peril at the hand of one of their presumed fallen friends. It leaves us on a cliffhanger, wondering what will happen next!!
Hope you enjoyed this review!
Tune in soon for Issue 43.
Now You Know – a little more about: ”TIES THAT BIND” Feel free to let me know what you thought of this issue in the comments AFTER THE JUMP!