Now that we’ve settled into 2026, I’ve finally had a moment to finish my thoughts on this - I’m ready to call it: the best comic book series of 2025 wasn’t from the Big Two.
No, I’m not talking about Absolute Batman – which I have a very love/hate relationship with – or Ultimate Spider-Man… in fact, I’m not talking about anything that DC or Marvel is putting out. There are some new books that have launched this year I absolutely love – like Chip Zdarsky’s new Captain America, but that still needs time to cook.
No, the best comic book series of 2025 is – hands all the way down – Skybound’s G.I. Joe, led by writer Joshua Williamson.
Since the “Energon Universe” launched in 2024 with the Duke, Destro, Cobra Commander, and Scarlett minis - alongside Void Rivals and Transformers, this franchise has been firing on all cylinders. Skybound has managed to do what previous publishers struggled with for years: embracing exactly what people love about G.I. Joe while fearlessly pushing it forward.
When IDW took over the GI Joe title from Devil’s Due, it started fairly strong but fizzled over time with more than one reboot just not hitting all the marks. While IDW did right by Larry Hama and picked up where his original A Real American Hero continuity left off from Marvel – something Skybound has also done – picking up where it left off from IDW – the multiple series outside of that didn’t see the success that even the Devil’s Due run saw. I will say though, GI Joe: Cobra (and Cobra II) mini-series by Christos Gage, Mike Costa and Antonio Fuso remains one of the best GI Joe stories of all-time.
Although IDW started strong, over time the publisher struggled with the franchise’s identity. Maybe it was the wrong writers; maybe it was the struggle to capture new and returning Joe fans... maybe it was a struggle to be relevant – especially in a Global War on Terror world while also at the same time trying to capture a sense of nostalgia. For me, I was a huge fan of the Devil’s Due run, especially America’s Elite and the World War 3 finale that delivered a really wonderful conclusion to the GI Joe vs. Cobra saga – this coincided rather well with the 25th Anniversary of A Real American Hero.
We’ve had decent animated offerings like Resolute and Renegades, but the live-action films (Rise of Cobra and Retaliation) just weren’t it. And while I think the Snake Eyes movie was a solid film, it didn’t really feel like Snake Eyes.
So, why is Skybound’s relaunch so successful? It captures every aspect of the lore. Whether you like the realistic military side, the wild sci-fi, or the vibe of the 80s cartoon, this book speaks to you. Interestingly, this Cobra Commander is very much the “Snake-being” from Cobra-LA—and while I personally prefer the “radicalized used car salesman” version of the character, it works perfectly here.
Skybound has done the one thing I usually hate: they merged Transformers and G.I. Joe and made it actually work.
I’ve never been a fan of them co-existing, but the Energon Universe has made me a believer. While Void Rivals didn’t quite hit for me, and Transformers has been phenomenal, G.I. Joe is the true standout. Energon is used as the motivation for Cobra and the source of the iconic laser weapons from the animated series. The two franchises only crossover when necessary; nothing feels forced or rushed.
The stakes feel real again. We’ve seen Joes killed off already—which is rare—and it creates an “anything can happen” atmosphere. This is amplified by deep character development for Duke and a massive subversion of expectations regarding The Baroness.
Traditionally, The Baroness is Cobra through and through. However over the past decade or so she’s been portrayed as more morally ambiguous anti-hero of circumstance. The movie version in Rise of Cobra went as far as making her mind controlled and Cobra Commander’s brother for some reason, the Snake Eyes movie made her a straight up Cobra operative with no ambiguity, but Skybound has done something truly remarkable.
The Baroness is a Joe. She and Duke were imprisoned together and she ended up becoming a GI Joe. They’ve got as far as giving her unique armor and giving Destro a new love interest creating a sense of mystery around whether or not The Baroness will turn. Honestly, I hope she doesn’t as this version of the character is phenomenal.
One of my favorite aspects of Skybound’s GI Joe reboot is Night Force. Flint is my favorite GI Joe and he’s made a couple of appearances alongside Lady Jaye and Beachhead as Night Force. They are very much the black ops/wetworks side of GI Joe. They’re doing the real in-the-shadows types stuff and have since recruited Shooter and it appears that Roadblock will be their next member. I love how there isn’t a separate Night Force series and their appearances have been sporadic adding to the air of mystery around what they’re doing. They are cold, calculating and efficient – what one would expect from military and clandestine units like Delta Force, The Activity and the CIA’s Special Activities. It’s really my favorite thing about this run.
All of this is what’s making the GI Joe run more than memorable, but there’s one other key element that has to be mentioned. While the Asrashikage Clan appeared in Scarlett’s mini-series, there has yet to be mention or an appearance from Snake Eyes. Think about that for a second. Skybound has built one of the best GI Joe runs, injected new life into the franchise and they’ve done it without their most iconic character. That’s not to say Snake Eyes is nowhere to be found, he’s a central character in the original “A Real American Hero” continuity being written by Larry Hama, but the point is this new continuity is over a year in and there’s no Snake Eyes yet. That’s a testament to the creative team.
This reboot has been so successful that Skybound is developing an animated series based on it and Transformers. There’s new life breathed into GI Joe and as Hasbro is really getting deep into the obscure characters with the Classified Series, there’s no doubt in my mind they too will capitalize and start making figures based on the comics.
If you aren’t reading Skybound’s GI Joe, I can’t recommend it enough.
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