G.I. Joe #1 Connecting Covers by David Nakayama

G.I. Joe #1 by Skybound is right around the corner, set to drop next month on November 13th.  The culmination of the mini series’ for Cobra Commander, Duke, Destro and Scarlett will officially jump the Joes and Cobras into the Energon Universe.    We got a look a while back and some preview pages and initial covers, but now a set from Nakayama can be seen, they’ll span issues 1-4 and connect when done.  Hit your local comic shop to make sure you snag em if you dig em!  Check them all out after the break!

LOS ANGELES 10/03/2024 — Today Skybound and Image Comics, in collaboration with leading toy and game company Hasbro, revealed the connecting variant cover series from superstar cover artist David Nakayama for the highly anticipated launch of G.I. JOE. From the chart-topping, acclaimed creative team of writer Joshua Williamson (Duke, Cobra Commander), artist Tom Reilly (Duke) and colorist Jordie Bellaire (Duke, W0rldtr33), the history-making comic book series kicks off on Wednesday, November 13.

Spanning issues #1-4, Nakayama’s connecting covers showcase a dynamic battle scene featuring the women of G.I. Joe and Cobra.

“David is one of the hottest and most in-demand cover artists working today, and we’re thrilled he was able to do not one, but four covers for this connecting set,” said Ben Abernathy, Executive Editor at Skybound. “The exuberance that comes across in these covers is just a taste of what’s to come when readers finally get to devour the all-new G.I. JOE.”

In addition to the kickoff of Nakayama’s connecting cover series, the extra-length debut issue will feature a wraparound main cover by Reilly, along with variant covers by other superstar artists Jerome Opeña & Dave Stewart; Brett Booth, Livesay & Andrew Dalhouse; David Finch, Danny Miki & Dave McCaig; Lee Bermejo; Sozomaika; Jenny Frison; Jeff Spokes, E.J. Su; Jonboy Meyers; and Andrea Milana.

Conrad Hauser, Codename DUKE, has assembled a special force known as G.I. Joe to battle the rising power of the mysterious COBRA in the aftermath of the Autobots and Decepticons’ arrival on Earth. But the enigmatic Cobra Commander has unleashed the power of Energon like never before!

Featuring the First Appearance of an ALL-NEW character and many familiar faces, this is the comic that will change everything you think you know about G.I. JOE…and that’s only half the surprises in store!

Skybound and Hasbro have recently announced a bevy of promotional initiatives in support of G.I. JOE #1, including the Skybound Insiders “Choose Your Side” initiative that is offering readers the opportunity to see themselves on the pages of G.I. JOE in the series’ house ads, which will begin running in issue #1 on November 13. Also recently announced are Los Angeles events on November 13, including a Joshua Williamson signing at Things from Another World at Universal CityWalk Hollywood, paired with an exclusive Skybound Insiders screening of G.I. JOE: The Movie (1987) and Q&A. Williamson will be making additional signing stops at Collector’s Paradise in Los Angeles and Third Eye Comics in Annapolis on November 14 and 16, respectively. Fans of G.I. JOE will want to make sure they are locked in as Insiders, so as not to miss upcoming events and activations to be announced.

The all-new series will become another tentpole of the Energon Universe, the crown jewel of the historic collaboration between Hasbro and Skybound, who has introduced a brand-new era of the TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE franchises in one shared comic book universe. Energon Universe titles include the ongoing series Void Rivals by writer Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead), artist Lorenzo De Felici (Kroma), and colorist Patricio Delpeche (The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country) and the two-time Eisner Award winning TRANSFORMERS by writer Daniel Warren Johnson (Extremity, Do a Powerbomb), artist Jorge Corona (Middlewest), and colorist Mike Spicer (Stillwater, Murder Falcon). The Energon Universe also includes G.I. JOE miniseries Duke, from Joshua Williamson , Tom Reilly and Jordie Bellaire; Cobra Commander from Joshua Williamson, Andrea Milana (Impact Winter: Rook) and Annalisa Leoni (Oblivion Song); Scarlett, from writer Kelly Thompson (Black Widow, Birds of Prey), artist Marco Ferrari (Frontiersman), and colorist Lee Loughridge (I Hate This Place, Killadelphia); and Destro, from writer Dan Watters (Loki, Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!), artist Andrei Bressan (Dark Ride, Birthright), and colorist Adriano Lucas (Dark Ride, Birthright), which introduce the iconic characters of the G.I. JOE and Cobra factions to the Energon Universe. Fans should expect can’t-miss moments from every issue of the Energon Universe, as secrets are unveiled along the path to answering the BIG questions from some of the biggest franchises in comics today.

G.I. JOE #1 ($4.99, unless otherwise noted) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.

The full list of variant covers is below:
G.I. JOE #1 Cover H (1:10 Copy Incentive) (Connecting) by David Nakayama (Lunar Code 0924IM254) – available November 13, Final Order Cutoff October 21

G.I. JOE #2 Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive) (Connecting) by David Nakayama (Lunar Code 1024IM350) – available December 18, Final Order Cutoff November 11

G.I. JOE #3 Cover D (1:10 Copy Incentive) (Connecting) by David Nakayama (Lunar Code Coming Soon)

G.I. JOE #4 Cover D (1:10 Copy Incentive) (Connecting) by David Nakayama (Lunar Code Coming Soon)

G.I. JOE #1 Cover H (1:10 Copy Incentive) (Connecting) by David Nakayama

G.I. JOE #2 Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive) (Connecting) by David Nakayama

G.I. JOE #3 Cover D (1:10 Copy Incentive) (Connecting) by David Nakayama

G.I. JOE #4 Cover D (1:10 Copy Incentive) (Connecting) by David Nakayama

ABOUT HASBRO
Hasbro is a leading toy and game company whose mission is to entertain and connect generations of fans through the wonder of storytelling and exhilaration of play. Hasbro delivers play experiences for fans of all ages around the world, through toys, games, licensed consumer products, digital games and services, location-based entertainment, film, TV, and more. With a portfolio of over 1,800 iconic brands including MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, Hasbro Gaming, NERF, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH and PEPPA PIG, as well as premier partner brands, Hasbro brings fans together wherever they are, from tabletop to screen.

Hasbro is guided by our Purpose to create joy and community for all people around the world, one game, one toy, one story at a time. For more than a decade, Hasbro has been consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media, one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute and one of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S. by the Civic 50. For more information, visit https://corporate.hasbro.com or @Hasbro on LinkedIn.

ABOUT SKYBOUND ENTERTAINMENT
We do things differently here. Skybound is the creator-driven, fan-focused company behind landmark global franchises like The Walking Dead, Invincible, Impact Winter and hundreds more IPs that are redefining entertainment through our Wheel of Awesome business model. Skybound unlocks the unique opportunity to cultivate all aspects of a franchise from development through distribution; our IP connects with audiences through groundbreaking stories told on a grand scale. We empower our creators to directly expand their IP and turn their ideas into movies, TV shows, tabletop games, comics, podcasts, collectibles, video games, or all of the above and then some.

Skybound publishes award-winning and bestselling comics series such as Invincible, The Walking Dead, Stillwater and Ultramega, among others. Skybound’s commitment to partnering with top industry talent and giving an elevated platform to diverse and unique voices has resulted in a record-breaking run on Kickstarter, where we launched mega-successful campaigns for Ava’s Demon, Extra Fabulous, and G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero — the most funded comic book campaign in Kickstarter’s history. Skybound Comet, our young readers graphic novel imprint, released the Clementine (set in The Walking Dead universe) series to great critical and commercial success. Skybound is also a savvy and sought-after licensing partner, working with companies including LEGO, Universal Products & Experiences and Hasbro to publish comics for their most coveted properties. Skybound’s Energon Universe series is Hasbro’s biggest comics launch of all time, with TRANSFORMERS #1 becoming the bestselling comic of 2023.

Skybound doesn’t just make global franchises, we change the way that global franchises can be made.