Skybound revealed it had the licenses for G.I. Joe and the Transformers, both Hasbro properties, and would be placing them in a shared universe (see “Skybound Brings Together G.I. Joe and the Transformers”), but Hama’s comics will stand alone. The new series will bring back the original Snake-Eyes, along with other iconic characters such as Duke, Scarlett, Roadblock, Storm Shadow, Cobra Commander, and Serpentor.
Also in November, Skybound will publish G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1 Larry Hama Cut, a new printing of the first issue of the series, which was originally published by Marvel. The new issue will include Hama’s original script for a key moment in the story, one that was changed in some areas before publication. This will be the first time that the comic will appear with Hama’s original script.
“One of the main goals of Skybound with these Hasbro properties is preserving and honoring the legacies already established with Transformers and G.I. Joe,” said Skybound Chairman Robert Kirkman in a statement accompanying the announcement. “While we're creating something new with the Energon Universe, we're also going to be devoting equal resources to paying respect to the glorious stories that came before and made these brands what they are today. I don't want to live in a world where Larry Hama isn't continuing his unparalleled run on G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, and thanks to Skybound, I won't have to!”
Hama started writing G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero in 1982, when the comic was at Marvel Comics, and continued as the writer for most of the 155-issue run there. IDW Publishing picked up the series in 2010 and wound it up with issue #300 in 2022, shortly before their license with Hasbro ended (see “IDW Wraps Up ‘G.I. Joe’ with Record-Breaking Cover”).