The Genie-powered COBRA continue to cause havoc across the globe, with GI Joe struggling to control the manifestation of Cobra Commander’s wishes. Yet the Commander hasn’t learned that he has to be very careful what he wishes for…

This second issue of the deliberate homage to the tone and style of the 80s GI Joe cartoon continues just as it started (and you can read my review of issue one here!), with a knowingly cheesy and intentionally daft chapter which is a ridiculous amount of fun. The art, dialogue and plotting are absolutely perfect, in that they could easily have been ripped directly from a lost episode of the decades-old TV show. It’s brilliantly put together and it’s a real shame that it’s a limited series; IDW’s near- imminent loss of the Hasbro licenses, GI Joe included, is pushing them into doing some really interesting stuff with these franchises.

Though the overall impact may be lost on readers who aren’t familiar with the cartoon, those of us who grew up in the 80s, lapping up these extended toy adverts – and taking them far too seriously – are going to get so much enjoyment from these wonderfully produced homages.

Even the moral message that follows the main story is hilariously on-point and adds to the feel of authenticity even further. This is an excellent, lovingly produced work of nostalgic art and I can’t recommend it enough if you have prior knowledge of the GI Joe cartoon.

After all, knowing is half the battle.