Summary
- Devil’s Due’s “The Disavowed” brings back an ’80s task force with a darker edge than G.I. Joe.
- With a crowdfunding campaign launching on August 20, the series follows the United Five as they face a threat from their past.
- Fans can expect a fantastical, brutal story that pulls no punches, with familiar characters in a unique spin.
G.I. Joe is back in comics in a big way thanks to Skybound’s Energon Universe, but the franchise’s previous publisher is getting back into the military action/adventure game, albeit with a twist. Devil’s Due is getting ready to launch a crowdfunding campaign for The Disavowed, “the ultimate ’80s task force” who disappeared in the ’00s and who find themselves called back into action to deal with a threat from their past.
Launching on Backerkit on August 20, The Disavowed comes from the creative team of Devil’s Due founder Josh Blaylock and Spyboy artist Pop Mhan. “Once they were America’s #1 secret task force,” reads the launch page, “Beloved in the ‘80s. Revered in the ‘00s. Today they are only The Disavowed, and the powers-that-be will do anything to stop them.”
The launch page goes on to describe the series as “G.I. Joe meets The Boys,” hinting that the new series will have a harder edge than a certain group of Real American Heroes. Telling the story of the legendary strike team the United Five, The Disavowed will bring those heroes out of retirement to deal with the cult-like terrorist organization Komodo.
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The Disavowed is a New Take on Military Action from the ’80’s
Devil’s Due was the publisher that brought the G.I. Joe franchise back to comics after a long hiatus. Its relaunched G.I. Joe comic was an instant success, jumping to the top of the sales charts in 2001 and leading to a wave of relaunched ’80s titles such as Transformers, Thundercats and Battle of the Planets. Devil’s Due held onto the license until 2008, putting out a boatload of comics until IDW took over as the licensee. Of course, G.I. Joe comics now come out through Skybound’s massively-successful Energon Universe line.
The set-up sounds awfully familiar to the publisher’s previous licensed title, and should excite fans who remember the days of Devil’s Due’s G.I. Joe relaunch:
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The United Five-The worst kept government secret of the 1980s and subject of rampant ‘90s internet lore, the U-Five were formed to stop the esoteric cult-turned-terrorist organization, Komodo, which claimed to harness knowledge from another realm that could threaten the world. In 1989, United Five’s mission was accomplished (at least for a while), but not before many, including Curtis Howzer (Codename: Dane [The Great]), gave their lives. Now, Curtis’ son Matthew Howzer is determined to uncover the truth about his father’s death and the United Five organization. His obsession leads him to pursue a military career that unveils the true story behind the conspiracy theories, uncovering a story that was far more fantastical, debauched, and brutal than anyone could have believed.
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“Fantastical, Debauched and Brutal”: The Disavowed is Pulling No Punches
Sharp-eyed fans should be able to recognize stand-ins for Duke, Snake Eyes, Cobra Commander, Destro and many others in the promo art released for the series, but hopefully, The Disavowed will have a unique spin on this new world to distinguish it from being mere fan-fiction. The idea of a legendary team of heroes from the 1980s coming back to deal with an old threat is a novel one, and the son of that team’s leader picking up the baton in the present day should make for an engaging story. The Disavowed‘s promise of a harder-edged story than that typically seen in G.I. Joe should be an enticing tease for long-time fans.
The Disavowed will launch on Backerkit on August 20.
