GI Joe catch-up

[LogJam]

Hello,

I have never read a single GI Joe comic book and want to start (a big task, I know - sorry for being way behind).

How would I start? I would like to read all the early ones as well as all of the spin-offs and side story issues. Is there a volume that can be purchased which has all of the past issues in one book? With there being more than one publisher, I was not sure if this was even possible.


Thanks for any help you may have.

Kind Regards,
Mike


P.S.: I am posting a similar question for Transformers.

[Gonzogoose]

Wow, that's a lot of reading! Okay, www.smalljoes.com has some of the original trades for sale (1 covering issues 1-10, 3 covering issues 21-30, and 5 covering issues 42-50). Obviously there are more trades out there and a lot of issues not included.

The series that I know of you'll want to have if you want to read them all are...

Marvel:
G.I. Joe (main series) 1-155
G.I. Joe Special Missions 1-28
Tales of G.I. Joe (Reprints of earlier issues)
G.I. Joe/Transformers (4 issue mini) (Not in continuity)
G.I. Joe Order of Battle (4 issues - dossiers and info)
G.I. Joe Yearbook (4 issues - original stories)

Image/Devil's Due:
G.I. Joe 1-43 I think

Devil's Due:
G.I. Joe Frontline 1-18 (side stories)
G.I. Joe America's Elite (The Current series)
G.I. Joe Vs. Transformers (Not in continuity)
G.I. Joe Vs. Transformers II (Not in continuity)
G.I. Joe Vs. Transformers III (Not in continuity)
G.I. Joe Special Missions: Tokyo (one-shot)
G.I. Joe Special Missions: Manhattan (one-shot)
Snake Eyes Declassified
Scarlett Declassified
Dreadnoks Declassified
G.I. Joe Reborn
Cobra Reborn
Arashikage Showdown
Master and Apprentice
Master and Apprentice 2
G.I. Joe Battle Files (3 issues, dossiers and info)
G.I. Joe Reloaded (Not in continuity)

Dreamwave:
Transformers/G.I. Joe (Not in continuity)
Transformers/G. I. Joe II (Not in continuity)

Many of these are also available at www.smalljoes.com

Here's a pretty comprehensive list in case I missed anything: http://www.yojoe.com/comics/

And quite a few of the various trades and single issues are available here: http://www.grahamcrackers.com/shopping/shopdisplayproducts.asp?page=9

I would suggest if you're wanting to go from the beginning to start with the Marvel main series, all 155 issues. Then go to the Devil's Due series G.I. Joe, then G.I. Joe Frontline, then America's Elite.

Special Missions and all the minis are great, but they are side stories and can be read later. Now, you may want to read the Declassifieds though because they reveal origins of key characters.

Hope this helps.

[James 'Logan' Howlett]

Marvel:
G.I. Joe (main series) 1-155
G.I. Joe Special Missions 1-28

The best of the best. If you have to only get so many books on that huge list, go with these.

[LogJam]

Hello,

Thanks for the help! I really appreciate it!

I see they did release some of the stories together in bulk volumes. Any idea why they didn't release all of them in a bulk volume? They skipped quite a bit? Were the others not as good?

Thanks!
Mike