It’s time for another one of the Free comics from this year’s event. This comic is the start of a whole new series where these two popular franchises will duke it out. Since it is the first issue; we don’t get to see them fight all that much, but it is the set up. It also serves as an alternate retelling for both sides so that the continuity fit. Unfortunately, the art and character personalities take the comic down a few notches.

The plot involves the Joes as they are taking down a Cobra base and thoroughly enjoying it. None of them are actually taking it seriously, but Cobra is still pretty confident since things are going according to plan. The plan changes a little because Bumblebee and Starscream are duking it out. The Decepticon has a pretty huge advantage and explosions ripple across the area. Will the Joes be able to finish off Cobra Commander and still have enough energy left to take on a Decepticon?

The plot itself is decent, but the dialogue can be a little painful. Duke and Snake Eyes spend most of their screen time flirting with Scarlet. It’s sad enough that such an epic commander like Duke would be doing this while on a mission of life and death, but Snake Eyes? Snake Eyes is supposed to be the quiet and tough ninja that does what must be done. Not only does he ditch the mask, but Snake Eyes talks a lot. He makes many puns and jokes while showing off the fact that he’s not as professional as he used to be. Snake Eyes gets a lot of hype for his reasoning skills, but then he throws an ordinary grenade at a huge robot. I don’t believe that this was a very smart move.

The ending is pretty sad for the heroes. Bumblebee has a pretty sad fate in store for him and the Joes have a man down. Hopefully, Duke will bounce back from this and look good again. That way, the rest of the Joes can follow suit. The first issue is supposed to make you want to pick up the series, but I can’t say that this one did anything for me. It just wasn’t that fun to read.

The artwork is pretty bad and at times it feels as if it’s a fan comic. I really have to say that the art is some of the most underwhelming that I have seen in ages and the bandages scene was particularly hard to look at. I actually had to make sure that this was the official comic as I was reading it. Art is something that can really help a comic if done right and these drawings just bring the issue down.

Overall, Transformers vs GI Joe may have just been called GI Joe: Attack on Cobra! The Transformers cross paths with the Joes for a second, but they’re mainly involved in completely different plots. Naturally, this is because it’s only the first issue, but it doesn’t change the fact that we didn’t get a whole lot of interaction. I wouldn’t pick up the next issues based on this one and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to the casual reader. Start off with the Transformers and New Avengers crossover instead.

Overall 5/10