G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #91

Name: G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #91
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Oct 1989 · Marvel · 1.00 USD; 1.25 CAD; 0.50 GBP

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“No Simple Solutions”

About this Issue

Issue #91, titled 'No Simple Solutions,' is the dramatic payoff of a multi-year Arashikage ninja saga that Larry Hama had been building since the early 1980s. It delivers the in-universe death of the Blind Master — the Arashikage clan's last active avenger of the Hard Master — and permanently repositions Zartan from pure villain to something far more morally complicated, as he assumes the Blind Master's identity in a bid for redemption. The issue weaves together three simultaneous action threads (San Francisco, the High Sierras, and Broca Beach) in a way that showcases Hama's signature character-driven storytelling within an action-comic framework. Its editorial selection for IDW Publishing's curated 'Best of Larry Hama' hardcover confirms its standing as one of the most narratively significant single issues of the entire 155-issue Marvel run.

In "No Simple Solutions," G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #91, the psychological toll of war takes center stage as Clutch’s memories are weaponized by the Dreadnoks and the Baroness using the Brainwave Scanner. Meanwhile, Zartan confronts the Blind Master in a clash that ends in tragedy, leading to a startling revelation and a dramatic transformation as Zartan takes on his fallen rival’s identity. Written by Larry Hama and illustrated by Tony Salmons with inks by Randy Emberlin, the issue blends intense personal drama with high-stakes action, as Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Timber, and Jinx battle Red Ninjas while Storm Shadow faces the survivor of his past arrow wound. The cover, by Andy Kubert, captures the tension in bold, dynamic lines.

writer Larry Hama · artist Tony Salmons · inker Randy Emberlin · colorist Bob Sharen · letterer Rick Parker · cover Andy Kubert

ComicBooks.com Value

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Raw (VF) $8

CGC 9.8 · 15 in census $1,015

CGC 9.6 · 15 in census $404

CGC 9.4 · 6 in census $325*

CGC 9.2 · 6 in census $296*

CGC 9.0 none in existence

CGC 8.5 · 4 in census $256*

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CGC 8.0 · 2 in census $128*

CGC 7.5 · 2 in census $112*

CGC 7.0 · 2 in census $101*

CGC 6.5 none in existence

CGC 6.0 none in existence

CGC 5.5 none in existence

CGC 5.0 · 1 in census $65*

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History

Written by Larry Hama and penciled by Tony Salmons — with a cover by Andy Kubert — the issue was published by Marvel Comics with a cover date of October 1989 (on sale September 30, 1989), edited by Bobbie Chase under editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco. Salmons was a relatively infrequent penciler on the main ARAH series, making his interiors here a departure from the book's more typical art style, while Kubert's cover depicting Snake-Eyes in his redesigned 1989 action-figure uniform created a continuity curiosity, as the story itself does not have Snake-Eyes adopt that uniform until issue #95. The issue is a direct continuation of storylines running through the preceding arc in San Francisco and the High Sierras.

Trivia · 9 facts

Credits: Written by Larry Hama; pencils by Tony Salmons; inks by Randy Emberlin; colors by Bob Sharen; letters by Rick Parker; cover art by Andy Kubert; edited by Bobbie Chase.
The Blind Master is killed in this issue — stabbed by Zartan after sparing him at Tyrone's urging — making this the character's death issue in the Marvel continuity.
Zartan assumes the Blind Master's identity at the issue's end, disguising himself to mentor Tyrone, marking a pivotal moral turn for the character away from Cobra's orbit.
The Blind Master discloses that Zartan's intended target was always Snake-Eyes, not the Hard Master — confirming that the Hard Master's death years earlier was a case of mistaken identity — and that Zartan's own master Onihashi forgave him before dying.
Storm Shadow faces off against the last surviving Red Ninjas of the Arashikage clan at Snake-Eyes' burnt-out Sierra cabin, while Jinx and Scarlett fight a separate faction of Red Ninjas; Storm Shadow and the Red Ninja leader both fall into the river, and Storm Shadow is later pulled ashore alive.
A simultaneous subplot shows Baroness and the Dreadnoks (including Zarana, Buzzer, Ripper, Road Pig, and Torch) using the Brainwave Scanner to implant false memories in Clutch's mind at Broca Beach, laying groundwork for subsequent issues.
The issue was hand-selected by IDW Publishing for reprinting in the hardcover anthology 'G.I. Joe: The Best of Larry Hama,' alongside only nine other issues from the entire Marvel run — including the celebrated wordless issue #21 — underscoring its reputation as a standout chapter of the series.
The cover depicts Snake-Eyes in his 1989 action-figure redesign, but within the story he does not actually wear that uniform until issue #95 — a noted continuity discrepancy documented by fan sources.
Two background bully characters are named Vladimir and Estragon, a literary Easter egg referencing the protagonists of Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot.'