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Junkyard Joe #1
- Writer:
- Geoff Johns
- Artist:
- Gary Frank
- Letterer:
- Rob Leigh
- Cover Artist:
- Gary Frank, Brad Anderson
- Publisher:
- Image Comics
- Price:
- $4.99
- Release Date:
- 2022-10-05
- Colorist:
- Brad Anderson
After launching their acclaimed Image Comics series Geiger last year, longtime comic book creators and collaborators Geoff Johns and Gary Frank are reuniting for the spinoff series Junkyard Joe. Focusing on the eponymous robotic soldier, the prequel delves into the unflinching wartime exploits of Junkyard Joe before Geiger's cataclysmic opening. Joined by other frequent collaborators, colorist Brad Anderson and letterer Rob Leigh, Junkyard Joe's opening issue is just as accessible to new readers as those who have been following along with Geiger from the start in a battle-charged and emotionally tinged debut.
Set at the height of the Vietnam War in 1972, Junkyard Joe #1 follows a squad fighting for their lives in the jungles of brutal conflict. They soon discover that there's more than meets the eye to their latest squad mate. As cartoonist draftee Muddy Davis longs to return home from the traumatizing horrors of war in Southeast Asia, this mysterious soldier will change his life forever. And despite the robotic Junkyard Joe being programmed as the ultimate killing machine, he is more human than he and his peers realize, setting the stage for startling consequences.
It's been interesting to watch Johns and Frank work in the creator-owned space after years of working together on multiple projects for DC. Just as Geiger delivers the post-apocalyptic scope and sensibilities, Junkyard Joe is a brutal war story unlike anything else the creative team has delivered before. The violence is graphic, and blood will run, but the team maintains their story's emotional core, with each death having its own resonance rather than simply being gratuitously depicted for violence's sake as Muddy and Joe endure a particularly hellish experience in the jungles of Vietnam.
Working with Anderson, Frank's artwork is gripping and expertly laid out, bringing a mature edge to the combat sequences without being overly focused on the carnage. Making a robot emote is no easy feat, yet the art team keenly hones in on Joe as he undergoes his own crisis of conscience amidst the chaos of war. Each panel has a depth that conveys so much without having to over-deliver on exposition or spectacle to get the narrative across. Similarly, Leigh's lettering catches the omniscient observation for the reader and the boots-on-the-ground perspective that drives the story.
Further underscoring the creative team's commitment to accurately depict the horrors of war and help the veterans' community, the proceeds of black-and-white Junkyard Joe variant covers -- dubbed the Veterans Edition -- will go towards the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans and the British nonprofit organization Veterans Aid. Johns' company, Mad Ghost Productions, will also donate $2 for each issue sold. With both Johns and Frank's grandfathers having served in World War II, this story has a surprising poignancy and emotional connection for both men. This level of dedication comes across on the comic page.
Junkyard Joe is slated to jump ahead several decades following its opening issue, but the new series is engaging and inviting for readers unfamiliar with Geiger. Maintaining the series' mature, grounded sensibilities while emphasizing its emotional heart, Junkyard Joe is off to a fantastic start as it unveils Muddy and Joe's intertwined backstories. With an oversized first issue set to go on sale this October, there is plenty to pore over as the Vietnam War is explored, offering an alternative history destined to pay off with apocalyptic intensity in the pages of Geiger.