In this review of Gatchaman: Joe – Bloodlines #1, Joe is on a mission to rescue a family member he didn’t know existed. Or is he?
Gatchaman: Joe – Bloodlines #1
Written by: Steve Orlando
Art and Main Cover: Nicola Scott
Variant Cover: Francesco Tomaselli
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: August 27, 2025
This review contains spoilers
Gatchaman: Joe – Bloodlines #1 is the fourth one-shot released in Mad Cave Studios’ Gatchaman Universe partnership with Tatsunoko Production. Of those that have released thus far, it is easily the best. That says a lot for someone who has long been a fan of Ken and Jun and, in turn, enjoyed both of their one-shots. After completing the four-issue Galactor series, writer Steve Orlando joins up with artist Nicola Scott to present an interesting tale of the Science Ninja Team’s second-in-command.
As was the case with the previous one-shots, and to an extent the Galactor miniseries, Gatchaman: Joe – Bloodlines #1 has Joe on a solo mission. But unlike the predecessors, this mision is personal to him. As someone who grew up without a family after the death of his parents, Joe surprisingly received a letter from someone claiming to be a cousin. This “relative,” a journalist fears Galactor is hunting him down and needs help. Joe feels it’s a trap. He sets out anyway.
Almost immediately after arriving in the town of Palermita, the action begins. But attention must first be given to the work in setting things up and the research Orlando had to have done in putting this story together. Fans of the old TV series would quickly identify the mountain from the episode “The Magma Giant, Emperor of Hell,” which depicted a version of Mount Rushmore with the fourth sculpture resembling Jesus (which would fall and become the infamous Magma monster resembling Jesus. It was a great throwback to the original series.
As mentioned before, action in Gatchaman: Joe – Bloodlines #1 was almost immediate. As soon as Joe arrives in Palermita, he finds Galactor waiting of him, disguised as shopkeepers, pedestrians, and his cousin. Joe quickly dispatches of the first line of Galactor’s Covert Commandos, but he also knows his job isn’t done. He has to know for certain if David Mattina is truly his cousin or even if he’s real.
In between the action, Orlando takes the time to present a different side of Joe Asakura than fans of Gatchaman has known. The member of the Science Ninja Team code name Condor (G-2) is typically portrayed as cocky and over-confident. Whether in the comics on in the original anime series of the 1970s, it wasn’t uncommon to find Joe questioning authority. In Cullen Bunn’s on-going Gatchaman series, Joe can to blows with Ken (to be fair, he was under the influence of a Galactor gas).
In Gatchaman: Joe – Bloodlines #1 however, Orlando presents a character with quite a different personality. Joe has grown up feeling he was the last in his family’s bloodline after witnessing his parents die at the hands of Galactor. The slightest chance of things being different — that he has a family member alive — gives him hope. Even after the second “David” teases Joe about the possibility of there really being a David Mattina — or not — Joe remains hopeful of the possibility. Orlando does a masterful job of presenting these inner thoughts from Joe.
Nicola Scott does a masterful job in drawing this one-shot. I have been used to her doing covers over the past few years. Seeing her work in an entire issue was a joy to see. Her depiction of Joe (and to an extent, Ken near the end of Gatchaman: Joe – Bloodlines #1) was beautiful. Even the illustration of “Mount Jesus” was exquisitely done. The colors from João Canola were perfect with tones matching the various moods of the issue.
Despite Gatchaman: Joe – Bloodlines #1 being a one-shot, Steve Orlando leaves the door open for there to be more to the story. Considering the mission — that Joe has family out there — is a compelling story deserving of a conclusion.
