G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Season 2 - Shout! Factory

While the impact of this release might be lessened a bit by the fact that the entire library of the Sunbow episodes was released last year, that doesn't change the fact that this is a landmark occasion. A number of years ago, when G.I. joe was undergoing one of its many rejuvination periods, Rhino acquired the license to release DVD's based on the Sunbow cartoons.

They came so close, yet so far away, getting as far as Season 2.1, but never finishing the collection. Until now, there has been no outlet to get the entire Season Two assortment in one fell swoop, but thanks, in part, to the popularity of the 25th Anniversary and leading into G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, we now have a full second season of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. Now, I'll admit, as a 10 year old kid, this cartoon didn't do a whole lot for me. But, interestingly, as an adult, who can appreciate it from a different angle, I can't help but be entertained, at least a bit, at the quirkiness and the total outrageousness of the Sunbow cartoons.

Sure, it will never approach the realistic military angle of the Marvel Comic, and it will never be engaging or multi-faceted like some of Larry Hama's work was. But, at it's core, it's just damn fun, and if you can suspend some of your disbelief and enjoy it for the ridiculous entertainment that it is, you can have some fun with it, even without those rose-colored glasses. After all, like it or not, the Sunbow series shaped much of what the public knows about G.I. Joe, and it's important place in history simply cannot be ignored.

Four Discs make up the totality of Season Two, and the discs are laid out as follows:

Disc 1

Disc 2

Disc 3

Disc 4

Going by title alone, many of these episodes seem intriguing, but to be brutally honest, I felt like Season Two was a downward turn from Season One. Perhaps it's because I was older when I watched it, or maybe I just didn't find Leatherneck, Wet Suit, and Beachhead as engaging as Duke, Flint, or Lady Jaye, but for whatever reason, the second season never really resonated.

But an interesting thing happened as I watched some of this latest offering from Shout! Factory. I really started to lament the fact that Hasbro halted the 25th Anniversary prematurely. Anyone who reads my site knows that first and foremost I like new concepts with the G.I. Joe mythos...I'm not so much into re-exploring the old days. Well, watching these episodes started making me want to...well....re-explore those old days. I grew disappointed that there was no proper Leatherneck...no helmetless Wet Suit. No decent Lifeline or Dial Tone. Low Light? Please?

If even for display purposes only, I now start to relate a bit with the nostalgia fans who long to complete their 1986 rosters.

As for the DVD's themselves, they are presented in full frame, and for my uses, the sound is great, and quality is very nice as well. I am far from a DVD afficianado, but the picture looked crisp and clear on my 31" television set and sounded great. From a presentation standpoint, the slipcase cover had some very cool retro style artwork in the Sunbow style.

The extras were a bit underwhelming, just featuring many of the same PSA's we've already seen, the retro TV commercials, as well as Greenshirts: The G.I. Joe Legacy.

For folks who have the complete series already, you may not find much to draw you into this Second Season set. But for people who were holding out for just individual seasons, this is just the set you're waiting for. This is the first time collectors have had a chance to grab Sunbow's Second Season all on its own, and I know a lot of people have been waiting for it.

It hits retail today, April 27th, and is very affordible, so go pick it up! I don't think you'll be disappointed!

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