First Look: G.I. Joe and Night Force Collide in Extra-Sized G.I. JOE #25
The Energon Universe is about to turn Joe against Joe.
Skybound, Image Comics, and Hasbro have revealed a first look at G.I. JOE #25, the landmark extra-sized issue that launches a massive new story arc on August 19, 2026. The issue brings G.I. Joe face-to-face with Night Force, setting up a major internal conflict that has been building across the series.
The creative team includes writer Joshua Williamson, artists Tom Reilly and Andrea Milana, colorist Lee Loughridge, and letterer Rus Wooton. Together, they are kicking off what Skybound is calling the biggest G.I. Joe story in Energon Universe history.
Readers can catch up on the previous chapter with our G.I. JOE #24 review before the new arc begins.
G.I. JOE #25 Launches Joe vs. Joe
G.I. JOE #25 is built around one simple but explosive idea: G.I. Joe vs. Night Force.
The preview pages make the setup clear. Colonel Hawk wanted two teams. The world has changed, and the impossible now threatens the natural order of things. While Duke’s G.I. Joe operates in the light, Night Force strikes from the shadows.
That split creates immediate tension. These are not villains storming the gates. These are soldiers with overlapping missions, competing methods, and conflicting ideas about what it takes to win. When friends become enemies, the fallout has the potential to reshape the entire G.I. Joe side of the Energon Universe.
Skybound’s official listing for G.I. JOE #25 confirms the issue as an extra-sized milestone release arriving in comic shops and on digital platforms on August 19.
Joshua Williamson Builds Toward a Bigger War
Writer Joshua Williamson has been one of the key architects of the modern Energon Universe, and G.I. JOE #25 looks like the moment where several threads begin tightening at once.
The core appeal here is not just the action. It is the character conflict.
G.I. Joe and Night Force are both trying to handle impossible threats, but they are doing it from different sides of the same war. That gives the issue a strong hook for longtime G.I. Joe fans while also keeping it accessible for newer readers who came into the franchise through Skybound’s relaunch.
The press release describes the issue as the beginning of a massive new arc, and the preview pages back that up with scale. There are battlefield sequences, team movement, heavy machinery, and a sense that the Joes are being pushed into something bigger than a standard mission.
Tom Reilly and Andrea Milana Bring the Action
The art team on G.I. JOE #25 is a major selling point.
Tom Reilly, who helped define the look and tone of Duke, joins forces with Andrea Milana, whose work on Cobra Commander brought sharp intensity to the darker side of the Energon Universe. With Lee Loughridge on colors and Rus Wooton on letters, the issue has the right visual language for a story that balances military action, espionage, and larger-than-life comic book spectacle.
The preview pages show clean staging, strong silhouettes, and bold red visual accents that make the Night Force material feel immediately distinct. The battlefield spread also gives the issue a bigger cinematic scope, which fits the extra-sized landmark status.
Night Force Steps Into the Spotlight
Night Force gives this new arc a sharper edge.
The name alone suggests covert operations, harder choices, and missions that may not fit cleanly inside the public-facing G.I. Joe structure. That makes the team a perfect pressure point for a story about trust, command, and how far heroes are willing to go when the mission demands results.
The conflict also gives the series room to explore different personalities inside the Joe organization. Duke may be the face of the operation, but Night Force represents another approach entirely. If the Energon Universe has taught readers anything, it is that every hidden operation eventually comes with consequences.
Industry coverage from outlets like Comic Book Club Live and First Comics News also points to this issue as a major turning point for the series.
The Energon Universe Continues to Expand
G.I. Joe remains one of the central pillars of the Energon Universe, the shared comic book line from Skybound and Hasbro that also includes Transformers, Void Rivals, and the upcoming M.A.S.K.
That shared-universe structure is part of what makes G.I. JOE #25 important. This is not just another anniversary-style issue. It is a major chapter in a larger franchise roadmap where secrets, alliances, and rivalries continue to shape the future of multiple Hasbro properties.
Skybound has built the Energon Universe around momentum. Each title has its own identity, but the larger line keeps creating the sense that every major decision could affect something bigger.
With G.I. JOE #25, the focus turns inward. The threat is not just Cobra. It is division inside the mission itself.
Variant Cover Lineup
G.I. JOE #25 features a wraparound main cover by Tom Reilly, along with a large lineup of variants and incentive covers.
Cover A: Tom Reilly
Lunar Code: 0626IM0276
Cover B: Jerome Opeña & Neeraj Menon
Lunar Code: 0626IM0277
Cover C: Miki Okazaki
Lunar Code: 0626IM0278
Cover D: 1:25 Incentive Variant by Fadime Yildirim
Lunar Code: 0626IM0279
Cover E: 1:50 Incentive Variant by Michele Rubini & Annalisa Leoni
Lunar Code: 0626IM0280
Cover F: 1:100 Foil Incentive Variant by Jonboy Meyers
Price: $5.99
Lunar Code: 0626IM0281
Cover G: G.I. Joe Blank Sketch Cover
Price: $5.99
Lunar Code: 0626IM0282
Cover H: Night Force Blank Sketch Cover
Price: $5.99
Lunar Code: 0626IM0283
Cover I: Foil Variant by Tom Reilly
Price: $5.99
Lunar Code: 0626IM0284
Cover J: Zartan Foil Die Cut Mask Cover by Andrea Milana & Andres Juarez
Price: $5.99
Lunar Code: 0626IM0285
The Zartan foil die cut mask cover should be a major collector target, especially with the issue being positioned as a landmark chapter in the series.
Release Details
Title: G.I. JOE #25
Publisher: Skybound / Image Comics / Hasbro
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artists: Tom Reilly and Andrea Milana
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Rus Wooton
On Sale: August 19, 2026
Price: $4.99 unless otherwise noted
Format: Extra-sized comic book issue
Story Arc: Night Force Part 1 of 5
Universe: Energon Universe
Final Thoughts
G.I. JOE #25 looks like a major inflection point for the Energon Universe.
The series has already delivered military action, espionage, character drama, and franchise-shaking reveals. Now, Skybound is putting the pressure directly on the team itself with a Joe vs. Joe conflict that could redefine how G.I. Joe operates moving forward.
With Joshua Williamson writing, Tom Reilly and Andrea Milana on art, and Night Force entering the spotlight, this extra-sized issue has all the pieces needed for a major launch point.
G.I. JOE #25 arrives in comic book shops and on digital platforms on August 19, 2026.
Discussion
Are you picking up G.I. JOE #25? Which side are you more interested in right now: Duke’s G.I. Joe team or Night Force?
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