Hisstank has a WizardComics Interview with Larry hama about the new IDW Joe comic. The high points are:
1)Larry is the writer!
2)It is a re-boot.

Discuss...

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At this point, I don't think a reboot is all that bad of an idea. That give Larry a chance to use characters that were previously dead (Lady Jaye, Breaker, etc.) and to not have to worry about 25+ years of continuity, because let's face it, most of the characters would be 50-60 if they've be on the team since 1982.

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Sounds perfect. I hope it winds up more like this:

You guys won't be dissapointed.

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I wish its about the core 13 Joes.
Each had his/her speciality and they were a pretty complete group.
Add Doc as the team medic and maybe a guest specialist once in a while, but keep the focus on the original team.

I wasn't that happy with the end of the DDP's ending so I can't wait for a reboot.

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Larry - definitely good news.

Reboot - if it was anybody BUT Larry, then I wouldn't touch it on a bet. Too many things have gotten rebooted over the years that don't need it -- Marvel's "Ultimate", Star Trek, Planet of the Apes -- now G.I.Joe. I know not everyone liked what Devil's Due did, but for the most part, I did.

My opinion will depend a great deal on just how much of a reboot this is. Flushing away 25 years of history never strikes me as a good idea. If Larry sticks to established personalities and certain high-profile histories, then this can work. If "everything changes" -- I won't be interested. Let's say I am optimistically skeptical. We'll see.

While I'm not married to the idea of it being a reboot, I've got faith in Larry's ability to recreate it into something fresh. To me it's about the characters and the stories, and as long as that all remains intact, I can give or take past events. I'll at least give it a whirl before condemning it one way or the other.

Looking forward to checking it out.

Justin

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When did Breaker die?!

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I'd take preferance on it being within continuity, but at this point I don't think that can really be done. I know it can be done and Larry Hama doing it will probably do it right. I'm wondering if it'll be a reboot though in the sense of that it doesn't necessarily start over but it just doesn't mention the previous stuff that's not wanted anymore. Either way I'll be there.

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AHHH this gets better and better the more I hear, and I am a "negitive Nancy" or "big complainer" so you know this has to be good.

But IDW and Larry shouldn't have to be tied to the turdbuger that was DD's run, which is why I am happy with this.

I'm all for a reboot, I just hope they don't use it as an excuse to change the feel of GI Joe. I don't want them to try to go all 'grim and gritty' like they did with that horrible Thundercats series a few years back. I also don't want it to become 100% straight 'realistic military' action. GI Joe has always (yes, always...I don't care if the military experimented with hand-held laser weapons, we still don't have them, so it's still science fiction) had a good mix of military realism and sci-fi elements. I think losing too much of either half of the coin would ruin the fun. But I trust Hama to not let either of those things happen.

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Issue 109 along with 6 other Joes. http://www.yojoe.com/comics/joe/joe109.shtml

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Much like GI Trekker, I see this as like flushing out 25 years of history.

I'll gladly give it a try anyway.

Now for the blasphemous part. Hama made the GI Joe universe what it is, there's no debating that. However, people tend to only focus on the golden stuff. For me, it's issues #1 through about #35. After that, the writing got less interesting year after year.

The last year or so was just slop and people never seem to remember than. Hama has openly attributed this to Marvel's unwillingness to put a good artist on the title, which I can understand.

The reason to bring back Hama is to recreate the old feeling, but bother if all of his earlier work is being dismissed? Let someone else write it. If it's a new continuity, it doesn't necessarily need to feel like Hama's work again, does it?

Wait, reboot from 1982 (flushing away 25 years), or reboot from 2001 (flushing away DDP)?

- JM

Reboot = Starts over from day one
Retcon = retroactively changes continuity at/from a certain point

We're getting the former. Marvel/DDP continuity is finished. IDW's a completely new take on the GIJoe vs Cobra property.