G.I. Joe #24 — Joshua Williamson and Tom Reilly Bring the Spy Thriller to a Tipping Point

The Crystal Ball arc hits its conclusion in G.I. Joe #24 as Joshua Williamson and Andrea Milana pull the rug out from under everyone. With Risk making a dangerous play for an unknown ally, trust is the one commodity that won't be left on the table.

There is a specific kind of tension that only a long-running spy series can build, where every handshake feels like a potential trap and every alliance is temporary. Joshua Williamson’s G.I. Joe run has mastered this atmosphere, turning the classic IP into a pulse-pounding thriller where the real enemy is often the person sitting across the table. This week, the series reaches the end of its current major arc, and the stakes have never felt more personal or more precarious.

The central mystery has revolved around the enigmatic Crystal Ball and her elaborate schemes, but in issue #24, Williamson shifts the focus to the human cost of espionage. Risk, typically the team’s moral compass and emotional anchor, finds himself isolated and forced to gamble on an unexpected ally. It is a bold move that exposes the fractures in the Joe team’s unity and raises the question of whether any operative, on either side of the conflict, can truly be relied upon.

Andrea Milana and Lee Loughridge deliver artwork that matches the script’s intensity, blending gritty realism with the sleek, dangerous aesthetic of high-stakes international intrigue. Milana’s action sequences are fluid and brutal, grounding the comic in a physical reality that makes the political maneuvering feel just as impactful. Tom Reilly’s cover captures this mood perfectly, hinting at the betrayal and uncertainty that await inside the pages.

If you have been following the Crystal Ball storyline, this is the issue where the pieces finally start to fall where they may. But it is also accessible enough to grab if you are looking for a tight, self-contained thriller with a strong cast of characters navigating a world where loyalty is a liability. The art alone makes this worth the cover price.

Keep an eye on the variant covers for this issue; Reilly’s work tends to be a collector’s favorite, and copies with his distinctive style on the shelf are likely to disappear quickly. It is a great addition to any spy comic collection, especially one that proves the G.I. Joe legacy is in capable, exciting hands.