by generalsjoes | Jul 1, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Comics, IDW
I figured a good return to the update pool would be a review of a very understated, yet fantastic read, G.I. Joe: Hearts & Minds #2. As with issue #1, written by Max Brooks with art chores shared by Howard Chaykin (Firefly half) and Antonio Fuso (Tripwire half), the lack of action and “snazz” is almost palpable. You can tell this was meant to be written from a strictly “prose” perspective, and it dives deeply into the characters that make up the G.I. Joe mythology.
Of course, it’s a bit of a double edged sword, because we’re focusing on these characters from the IDW universe, which doesn’t really tie in to the existing Real American Hero mythology, but it still provides some very cool insight “behind the mask” so to speak. To avoid spoilers, I’ve placed the actual review after the jump.
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by generalsjoes | Jun 24, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Toys, Pursuit of COBRA
Since JoeCon 2009 I’ve been looking at that AWE Striker w/ Night Fox and have been filled with an overwhelming sense of “meh”… nothing about it really resonated. We’ve gotten a Night Ops AWE Striker, we’ve gotten a desert AWE Striker, so why do we need this bizarre amalgamation of the two of them? I couldn’t really find a reason to be excited about it. Even Night Fox, a new character (which I normally love) seemed like a strange mish mash of parts and pieces that didn’t necessarily flow.
But then both Gyre-Viper and GeneralsJoes contributor cmderinchief dug up some new images from overseas specialist toyssir898. And these new images really struck a nerve with me. In these images, Night Fox is wearing a helmet, not his ill-fitting cap, and for whatever reason, it makes a world of difference. For the first time I noticed the great webgear…I love the fact that he uses Jungle Assault Ripcord’s baggy-sleeved arms. The whole figure looks very, very cool. I’m not sure why the helmet and close up picture suddenly made all of this difference, but it did. I find myself really looking forward to this now, even though I’ll likely discard the AWE Striker and just use Night Fox as a night ops specialist.
Also in the series of images was the Ice Cutter with the original version of the Snow Serpent slated to come with the vehicle originally (before it appeared to be changed to a paint scheme resembling the Toys “R” Us version from last year). I find myself liking that red, especially when looking at the cancelled Elite Ice-Viper and Arctic Destro figures. The red and white paint apps would have all blended very nicely together…
Check out the images mirrored below and let me know what you think.
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by generalsjoes | Jun 23, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Toys, Pursuit of COBRA
So last week I got a little bent out of shape because the mind-blowingly awesome Pursuit of Cobra Alley-Viper has come and gone through pre-order formats in numerous different e-tailer locations, and I never got a chance to get an order in.
Well…now Gyre-Viper rubs some salt in those wounds by posting another one of his infamous monster galleries over at HissTank.com. I’ve mirrored a bunch of the images below… most striking to me is that I absolutely LOVE the Resolute Alley-Viper head sculpt. I’m psyched they used it, along with the helmet and goggles. This is the Cobra Alley-Viper we’ve really been waiting for, in my mind.
Now excuse me while I go cry in the corner.
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by generalsjoes | Jun 22, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, G.I. Joe Collectors Club
Now that the 2010 JoeCon is over, lots of folks have been emailing and asking me what’s up with the 2009 Convention Set review…and honestly, I don’t own it. It’s not over some protest to the 25th Anniversary tooling or anything, it’s just the fact that I missed the Convention last year due to the birth of my child, and I just haven’t been able to scare up the funds to buy these items all at one whack yet. Normally, I make a concerted effort to save money aside for the Convention as it approaches, but this time around, I knew I wasn’t going, so stupidly I didn’t stick to my regiment of cash savings in preparation.
Eventually I’m certain I’ll get my hands on these, especially the International Team 3-Pack and the SAS Copter with Blades, as those two items in particular are impressive, to say the least.
Until I get my hands on them, though, regular GeneralsJoes contributor Mysterious Stranger has stepped up to the plate and delivered a great guest review of this set! I love having guest reviewers send their stuff in, but tackling a review of a massive convention set goes way above and beyond the call of duty. Thanks a lot, Chris!
You can find the review linked in the GI Joe Collectors’ Club Reviews section, or you can also find it right here.
by generalsjoes | Jun 22, 2010 | 5 Page Previews, Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Comics, IDW
Operation: HISS has been a pretty enjoyable read thus far, even being somewhat predictable along the way. The art is a bit hit or miss, and the characterization of Duke as a traitor has been a stretch. It was obvious he was going to get back on the good guys’ side again, it was just a matter of how long it took. However, I do enjoy the series as a whole, and find it pretty neat to get a continued look at the Rise of Cobra universe. Honestly, unlike a lot of fans, I think there is a place for the Rise of Cobra universe in the myriad of G.I. Joe continuities, and it’s cool to see this world continue along in the comic page. The latest issue is released this Wednesday.
Looking at the 5-page preview below, my only thought would be… I thought Neo-Vipers were nanomite enhanced super soldiers… how is Scarlett is whupping their asses?
G.I. Joe: Operation Hiss #5
Brian Reed (w) • Gianluca Gugliotta (a) • Joe Corroney, Augustin Padilla (c)
Major Bludd has convinced the United States government that G.I. Joe has gone rogue. One wrong move could spell disaster not just for the Joes, but for the whole world!
*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
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by generalsjoes | Jun 22, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Toys, G.I. Joe: The Movie
Wow. To say this article is eye-opening would be an understatement. Of course, it’s somewhat misleading as well… an Associated Press article posted on abc.com focuses on the merchandising behemoth that is Toy Story 3.
But also mentioned in the article were some of the top toy lines distributed from China over the past 18 months, and G.I. Joe Ranked #3. Toy Story 3 was first, Iron Man 2 came in behind, and G.I. Joe rounded off the top of the list.
This is stunning to me, and is a pretty loud wake-up call to just what the expectations were for G.I. Joe: the Rise of Cobra. In my mind, they were exceptionally unrealistic expectations. As popular as G.I. Joe has been over the past three decades, I think expecting a somewhat rushed film with an incomplete script to sell that many toys at retail was way beyond the scope of what G.I. Joe has been expected to do since the 80’s.
This is part of the reason why I say it’s not that G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra sold in terrible numbers, it was more that marketing expectations were so skewed that it was near impossible that The Rise of Cobra would meet those unrealistic goals.
Of course, I do find it quite curious that Transformers appears nowhere on this list…but again, I’m not entirely sure how their distribution works. Food for thought, at any rate. Thanks to Jeff Bohn for pointing me towards this article.
I figured a good return to the update pool would be a review of a very understated, yet fantastic read, G.I. Joe: Hearts & Minds #2. As with issue #1, written by Max Brooks with art chores shared by Howard Chaykin (Firefly half) and Antonio Fuso (Tripwire half), the lack of action and “snazz” is almost palpable. You can tell this was meant to be written from a strictly “prose” perspective, and it dives deeply into the characters that make up the G.I. Joe mythology.
