"This Is a Long-Term Commitment": G.I. Joe's New Creative Team Confirm Ambitious Plans for New Era

G.I. Joe writer Joshua Williamson has confirmed that he has multi-year plans for the Energon Universe reboot of the famous franchise. After a year of build-up from Skybound Entertainment, the release of G.I. Joe #1 is less than a month away, and Williamson, the author tasked with heralding the flagship series, is thinking long-term for his commitment to the series.

In an interview with with Screen Rant, Williamson spoke about his plans to stay on G.I. Joe for the long haul, and teased some big stories to come past the first year. “It’s gonna be a lot of fun for the first year, and beyond,” Williamson said, promising that he’s not going anywhere for a while.

With so many creative teams coming and going on high-profile comic books, especially over the last several years, Williamson emphasized that this will not be the case for the Energon Universe G.I. Joe series.

The "G.I. Joe" Reboot's Writer Promises “Big Plans” And Long-Term Storytelling For The Upcoming Series

G.I. Joe #1 – Written By Joshua Williamson; Art By Tom Reilly; Color By Jordie Bellaire; Lettering By Rus Wooton

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Speaking with Screen Rant, Williamson had this to say:

We have so much stuff planned, and that’s one thing I want readers to know: this is a long-term commitment. We really do have a big story that’s planned. This isn’t going to be a short, little run and then we take off; we have big plans that we want to do right.

For comic book fans, especially those investing in following a series month-by-month, it is always heartening to hear a creator profess a “long-term commitment” to the book they are working on, as it gives them a reason to make that investment in a series for an extended run. Williamson’s already charted a lot of new ground with this year’s Duke and Cobra Commander miniseries, which set up the G.I. Joe corner of the Energon Universe to critical acclaim and sales success.

So far, Williamson has gotten the ball rolling on several story threads to continue in the ongoing series, which it will be thrilling for him to bring to fruition in the main series, whether it’s the splinter team of G.I. Joe operatives that Hawk has assembled in secret, or Scarlett choosing to stay undercover with Clan Arashikage. Williamson also noted that the sheer amount of characters in the G.I. Joe franchise means he’ll never run out of potential stories. “I could write this book for years,” Williamson said, “and there would still be characters I wouldn’t get to.”

Josh Williamson Promises A Significant Commitment To The Energon Universe G.I. Joe Series

G.I. Joe #1 – Available November 13, 2024 From Skybound Entertainment

With hundreds of G.I. Joe characters to choose from, all Williamson has to do is look over at his toy shelf, although he’s quick to note he doesn’t know how he’ll be able to get to them all:

“I have all the toys over here on my shelf, and I was thinking, ‘Man, I don’t know when I’m going to get to this character.’”

With a main roster in G.I. Joe #1 consisting of Duke, Stalker, Rock ’N Roll, Cover Girl, Clutch, Baroness and new character Risk, Williamson and his creative collaborators are certainly off to a good start. Ultimately, familiar characters popping up in unexpected ways will be one of the great thrills of the Energon Universe G.I. Joe series, and Williamson seems committed to that.

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Readers will have to wait another few weeks before they can get their own copy of G.I. Joe #1, but they might want to make sure they have it pre-ordered at their local store. Considering the massive success of fellow Energon Universe titles Void Rivals and Transformers, the new G.I. Joe book looks to be just as successful, with Skybound promising one of the biggest launches of the year. Now that fans know writer Joshua Williamson is on the title for the long-haul, G.I. Joe fans have even more reason to follow the new Energon Universe series.

G.I. Joe #1 will be available November 13, 2024 from Skybound Entertainment.