Joe Battles Joe! But Why? The Biggest G.I. JOE Story Begins
“Rebooting such a prolific brand in a way that satisfies longtime fans and welcomes new readers alike is a very delicate balancing act, but Williamson never fails to make it look easy.” —Comic Book Yeti
“This series continues to be a must-read with every issue.” —Fanlight Zone
LOS ANGELES 5/7/2026 — Today, Skybound, Image Comics, and Hasbro, a leading games, IP and toy company, announced a major new story arc in the hit Energon Universe series G.I. JOE, starting in G.I. JOE #25. The top-tier creative team of writer Joshua Williamson (DC K.O.), artists Tom Reilly (The Thing) and Andrea Milana (Cobra Commander), colorist Lee Loughridge (Universal Monsters: The Mummy), and letterer Rus Wooton (Invincible Universe: Battle Beast) set the stage for a jaw-dropping G.I. Joe vs. Night Force event fans have been anticipating for over two years. Don’t miss this landmark issue when G.I. JOE #25 hits comic shops August 19, 2026.
It had to happen: G.I. JOE vs Night Force!
Everything has been leading to this EXTRA-SIZED landmark issue as Joe battles Joe, friends become enemies, and the chart-topping team of Joshua Williamson and Tom Reilly kick off the biggest G.I. JOE story in Energon Universe history!
“One of the many things I love about working on the Energon Universe is the opportunity for long-form storytelling. The ability to craft and earn a big story like G.I. JOE vs Night Force. Something we've been setting up since the first mini-series. To reward our readers, and to do it with two incredible artists like Andrea and Tom is awesome,” remarked writer Joshua Williamson. “This is our biggest issue yet, full of major surprises, twists, turns and new characters! This story will change the face of G.I. JOE and will kick off a massive story for the Energon Universe, but what could possibly make G.I. JOE and the Night Force team want to fight each other?”
In addition to the main wraparound cover by artist Tom Reilly, the lineup of variant covers for G.I. JOE #25 includes an open-to-order cover B by Jerome Opeña & Neeraj Menon, an open-to-order cover C by Miki Okazaki, a 1:25 incentive streetwear variant by Fadime Yildirim, a 1:50 incentive variant by Michele Rubini & Annalisa Leoni, a 1:100 incentive foil variant by Jonboy Meyers, JOE & Night Force blank sketch covers, a foil cover by Tom Reilly, and a die cut Zartan mask foil cover by Andrea Milana & Andres Juarez.
"To launch such a pivotal event with the 25th issue in incredible,” noted Executive Editor Ben Abernathy. “We’ve been building toward this storyline for over two years and it’s thrilling that it’s finally come together!”
G.I. JOE is a 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. Other Energon Universe titles include the ongoing series Void Rivals by writer Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead), artist Andrei Bressan (Birthright, Destro), and colorist Dee Cunniffe (The Wicked + The Divine), the two-time Eisner Award winning TRANSFORMERS by writer Robert Kirkman, artist Jason Howard (The Astounding Wolf-Man), and colorist Mike Spicer (Stillwater, Murder Falcon), and the new fourth Energon Universe title, M.A.S.K. by writer Dan Watters (Batman: Dark Patterns), artist Pye Parr (2000 AD), and Pierluigi Casolino (DC vs. Vampires) arriving June 10. 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 #25 (Lunar Codes Coming Soon | $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, August 19, 2026.
The full list of variant covers is below:
- G.I. JOE #25 Cover A (Wraparound) by Tom Reilly
- G.I. JOE #25 Cover B by Jerome Opeña & Neeraj Menon
- G.I. JOE #25 Cover C by Miki Okazaki
- G.I. JOE #25 Cover D (1:25 Incentive) (Streetwear Variant) by Fadime Yildirim
- G.I. JOE #25 Cover E (1:50 Incentive) by Michele Rubini & Annalisa Leoni
- G.I. JOE #25 Cover F (1:100 Incentive) (Foil) by Jonboy Meyers ($5.99)
- G.I. JOE #25 Cover G Blank Sketch Cover (JOE) ($5.99)
- G.I. JOE #25 Cover H Blank Sketch Cover (Night Force) ($5.99)
- G.I. JOE #25 Cover I (Foil) by Tom Reilly ($5.99)
- G.I. JOE #25 Cover J (Foil) Die Cut Mask Cover by Andrea Milana & Andres Juarez ($5.99)
ABOUT HASBRO
Hasbro is a leading games, IP and toy company whose mission is to create joy and community through the magic of play. With 165 years of expertise, Hasbro delivers groundbreaking play experiences and reaches more than 1 billion fans annually around the world, through physical and digital games, video games, toys, licensed consumer products, location-based entertainment, film, TV and more.
Through its franchise-first approach, Hasbro unlocks value from both new and legacy IP, including MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, MONOPOLY, HASBRO GAMES, NERF, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH and PEPPA PIG, as well as premier partner brands. Powered by its portfolio of thousands of iconic marks and a diversified network of partners and subsidiary studios, Hasbro brings fans together wherever they are, from tabletop to screen.
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, a 2025 JUST Capital Industry Leader, one of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S. by the Civic 50, and a Brand that Matters by Fast Company. For more information, visit https://corporate.hasbro.com or @Hasbro on LinkedIn.
ABOUT SKYBOUND ENTERTAINMENT
Skybound is a creator-first, multiplatform studio co-founded by visionary creator Robert Kirkman and CEO David Alpert. Built to power impactful storytelling across comics, television, film, games, audio, merchandise and collectibles, Skybound owns a portfolio of globally recognized hits and high-value franchises including Invincible, The Walking Dead, Impact Winter, Stillwater and more. With in-house studios including Skybound Animation and game developer Quarter Up, Skybound is the go-to launchpad for scaling original stories across all forms of entertainment while preserving each creator’s authentic vision.
Skybound publishes bestselling comics with top industry talent across its originals, licensed slates, and young readers imprint Skybound Comet. As a licensing partner, Skybound collaborates with Hasbro, The LEGO Group, and Universal Products & Experiences on their most coveted properties. Skybound’s groundbreaking reimagination of TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE in the Energon Universe is Hasbro’s most successful comic book line ever, headlined by the two-time Eisner Award winning TRANSFORMERS. Additionally, Skybound ran the two most funded comic campaigns ever on Kickstarter.
Press Contact:
Shannon Meehan | Skybound Entertainment
smeehan@skybound.com
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