I have to admit, my appreciation for this is based almost purely on nostalgia. If you're not a G.I. Joe fan, you'll likely have no use for this book. For that matter, fans of the new series who don't have an attachment to Marvel Universe, Who's Who and other "character dossier" type material probably won't really get it either. But I was always a fan of the back of the action figure cards (written by Larry Hama) that detailed the names, military specialities and backgrounds of the Joes and the Cobras. Wherle, Blaylock and company have recreated that feel, in all of its cheesy glory, in G.I. Joe Battle Files.
Unlike many books of this nature, Battle Files can't really be called a pin-up book. While the artwork is generally solid, it's not spectacular for the most part. It's basically a bunch of posed figures, in costumes that are pretty similar to one another since they're all variations on military gear. I was reminded once again that one of the reasons Snake-Eyes was the Wolverine to G.I. Joe's X-Men was not just because he was a ninja and a commando and all that cool stuff, but because his costume looked so much different from the others. The artwork here, especially that by former Waiting Place penciller Mike Norton and G.I. Joe #5 penciller Eric Wolfe Hanson, is good, but the design of the book means that there's nothing real dynamic about it.
Instead, the draw is the information about each character. This is a great primer for those who read G.I. Joe but don't know the characters. I'm not sure those people wouldn't be bored out of their mind by the information, though. So it's really a book for those who already know a lot of this stuff, from having read the file cards or the original stories. What it offers up is a neat little insight into how each Joe spent their time between the end of the team and reinstatement, reminding me how much potential there is in those lost tales, and a writing style that recalls all the cheesy goodness of Hama's inventions. Some of the Joes's origin stories are downright ludicrous, from Dusty being a Vegas-born air conditioner repairman to Beach Head's rise from bullied young man to tough drill sergeant (who willingly takes the code name Beach Head!)
Which is not meant to mean that the only reason to buy this book is to ridicule the goofy nature of the Joes, although that may be a side benefit for some. As a fan of the Joes, I enjoyed this chance to get reacquainted with the various characters I enjoyed without Blaylock having to somehow work them all into a story. I especially appreciated the look at the command structure, which shows where each Joe ranks, the brief history of the G.I. Joe team, and the inclusion of fallen members and past allies as well as actual team members. Blaylock is a fan of these characters, and that love of the concept shows through in everything he does with the book.
Battle Files is not an essential component of the G.I. Joe book, and I think it's safe to say that casual fans could skip it without missing anything. However, this book has a lot to offer longtime fans of the books and newcomers alike, and I look forward to seeing what the next two volumes can deliver on Cobra characters and then the vehicles of both sides.
