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After three decades in the company of some of the world’s greatest superheroes, veteran artist Paul Pelletier is signing up for a tour of duty with America’s finest soldiers as the guest artist on Skybound’s ongoing G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic book series, Popverse can exclusively reveal.

Pelletier — known for runs on Aquaman, Green Lantern, She-Hulk, and Crossgen’s Negation — will join the Real American Hero team of Larry Hama, inker Tony Kordos and colorist Francesco Segala with #306 of the legendary series, released in May and featuring a cover by regular G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero cover artist Andy Kubert, colored by Brad Anderson.

“Joining the G.I. Joe team sounded like a fun challenge,” Pelletier said in a statement provided by the publisher about his new gig. “Having spent most of my career in the superhero world, G.I. Joe provides a chance for me to push myself as an artist/storyteller on a slightly different kind of book. Working with an all-time pro like Larry Hama is a very nice bonus, along with getting to work again with my friend Tony on inks and seeing page after page of Francesco’s terrific colors.”

“I’m thrilled to be working with the great Paul Pelletier again,” added Alex Antone, editorial director at Skybound. “From Aquaman to Green Lantern, Paul’s been one of the best in the biz for years, and we can’t wait to share his G.I. Joe debut.”

The artist is coming aboard the long-running series — which continues the chronology of Joe stories from Marvel’s 1980s comic book title — at an intense time, with Destro and Zartan’s new partnership about to be destabilized by a secret from the latter’s past, while Snake-Eyes and Scarlett have to deal with tragedy striking someone very close to the couple. (To be fair, they’re ninjas; you’d hope they’d be used to this kind of emotional turbulence in unexpected manners by now.)

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #306 will be released May 15. Take a look at some unlettered previews of Pelletier’s interior art in the gallery below.

For those wondering, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is not part of Skybound’s larger Energon Universe of titles, because it takes place in its own continuity. That doesn’t mean that G.I. Joe isn’t in the Energon Universe, though, as Josh Williamson and Tom Reilly will tell you.