Where do I start? Well I guess thats the major question of this thread. I love the idea of getting a subscription to a comic like it was a Maxim Magazine. So I picked up the America Elite #0 while at a comic store and I was floored when I saw how much comics had changed over the past 15 years. My comic reading was limited to a few yrs, I read comics like Xcalibur, Punisher, Batman, Uncanny Xmen monthly. I didnt read the GiJoe comic from Marvel, I bought them and placed them in a plastic bag and never read them (I wanted to keep them as mint as possible.) needless to say I still have a few i'm not sure what i have or what is missing. I do know I spot read some issues (if i had enough to buy 2 copies of a issue. (sorry I dont rememebr much, it was 15+ years ago. )

So I am looking to either start recollecting the Marvel series or/and move to another series. I am not a big artwork critic, I look for an interesting storyline.
So I want some advice on what to read.....

I was a big fan of the Characters developed through the cartoon series of GiJoe. I am looking to find a comic that contines the same portraial of those chracters. (after reading Americs Elite I felt lost because I didnt know the story behind Hawk and CC. So the scene with Hawk and Duke made me think, what have I missed and where can I find this information.

I did some preliminary searching on Devils due website and I began to feel lost I dont know where to start.

Do I start with the Marval Series?

Are the devils due comics spinoffs from stories and plots from the marvel series? Did devils due just change everything from what was originally presented in the Marvel series?
There seems to be so many new (post 80's series) GiJoe comic's:
GiJoe Real American Hero?
Battle files?
Frontline?
Reloaded?
Master and aprentice?

I assume Snake eyes Declassified is just a 3 book set.



Where do I start??? any suggestions would be helpful.

Now if I have to start with the Marval series is Ebay the way to go or should I contact a comic store aquire a complete set of 155 issues?

Silly question, are some of these comic hard to find?

thanks in advance

Start with Marvel. In fact, I have several issues for sale. [plug] ;)
http://www.patrickriley.com/joestore/#comics (most in great shape and a few grab bags with "reading copies" listed at the bottom of the page)

The last 11 issues or so (#145-155) are hard to find/relatively expensive

For info and some summaries of the comics, visit this site: http://www.myuselessknowledge.com/joe/gihome2.html

Yeah, I totally agree with Patrick. Definitely start with the Marvel stuff. I would get all 155 issues, all of the GI Joe: Special Missions, and the four GI Joe Yearbooks. I would even add in the four Order of Battle issues - they were basically every character's filecard from the mid 80's in comic book format.

After Marvel I would progress to Devil's Due stuff. Lots of these issues (both Marvel and Devil's Due) you can pick up in $1 bins in comic shops. The only issues that might give you trouble are the last ten issues or so of the Marvel run - and even they are pretty obtainable.

Happy reading, and welcome to the fold. :cool:


EDIT: And to answer some of your questions...

Devils' Due is actually a fairly cool amalgamation of the cartoon, Marvel comic, and Hasbro toy lines. Many purists dislike it, but I'm grateful for anything GI Joe I can read. The "Snake-Eyes Declassified" story arc by Devil's Due is a definitive re-telling of the origin of Snake-Eyes. Hama first covered this ground back in issues #26 and 27 of the Marvel series. He continually added information as the comic progressed. The new story is supposedly going to incorporate most if not all of the older material with some new stuff thrown in for the fans. Fun reading by all accounts.

Enjoy!

I would also start with the Marvel run. They have trade paperbacks that reprint up to the first 40 or so issues, it would also make it easier to obtain 40 consecutive issues.
Some of the characters personalities differ in the Marvel series in comparison to the cartoon but it's still good reading.

Now that I've actually started to read the Image/Devil's Due run, you should definitely start with Marvel. You really need to get to know the characters and storylines well enough to follow the Image/DD series