Select Page

IDW rocks the G.I. Joe universe with Cobra Civil War

We’ve known for a while that the main IDW G.I. Joe title was wrapping up it’s first “season” after issue #24, and that a likely new “season” would be catapulted onto comic shelves early in 2011.  But what has remained a mystery was just how IDW was going to make this all happen.
Well, we now have a clear idea of how we’re moving from Season One to Season Two and it’s an event of monumental proportions, certainly to be felt throughout all IDW titles for months to come.
Warning!  There are SPOILERS abound in this post.  If you have not yet read G.I. Joe: COBRA #12, consider yourself WARNED.  The rest of this story will be posted after the jump to avoid spoiling upcoming story details.
(more…)

Support a great cause…and buy the cutest Cobra Commander ever while you're at it!

Now this is something you don’t see every day…  Compulsive Collector is a Twitter regular, and a friend of GeneralsJoes… and his support for Toys for Tots is almost legendary.  I see constant updates from him regarding purchasing items for Toys for Tots, donating items, and just supporting the cause in general.  For toy fans, this is a terrific cause.  I mean, we’re all where we are right now essentially because we either bought some really cool toys, or received them as gifts when we were kids.  Imagine if your family didn’t have the money for these items?  Imagine if you couldn’t buy that latest, greatest Snake Eyes figure because you simply couldn’t afford it?
Donating G.I. Joe figures to Toys for Tots not only ensures kids everywhere get some awesome toys, but it also spreads some brand awareness.  Nothing wrong with that.
Compulsive Collector is going one step further…he is auctioning off a one-of-a-kind plush Cobra Commander.  Yes, plush.  He’s cute and wants to rule the world!
Check out the mirrored images below, or check out the auction directly right here.

no images were found

Cobra Commander will don a battle helmet in G.I. Joe: Renegades

Many folks have been complaining about the look of Cobra Commander in the new G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series, and I can certainly understand why.  With that bizarre Phantom of the Opera half-mask thing going on, it’s a little confusing to tell exactly what attaches to what or why he’s wearing it.
At this point, my guess is that he’s got some sort of disfigurement, but who knows for sure?
However, thanks to Clem over on HissTank.com (who just happens to be Clement Sauve, the main designer for G.I. Joe: Renegades) we now know that Cobra Commander WILL wear a more armored “battle helmet” of sorts during the animated series.  The exact quote is as follows:

“There is indeed 2 masks, more precisely the one you’ve seen on the show and the helmet shown in the image from the game that everyone’s been posting.”

So, indeed, there is something to look forward to.  For folks wondering what mask he’s talking about, this would be it:

IDW Review Onslaught – G.I. Joe: Cobra #10

While I’ve fallen behind on some of the comics, I try to keep up to date on the G.I. Joe: Cobra title.  Far and away my favorite Joe themed series, I’m constantly amazed by simply how intelligent the writing is.  Mike Costa and Christos Gage manage to really delve into the idea of a shadowy terrorist organization like Cobra and really try to rationalize the concept and have it make sense.  In the old school days, Hama just sort of accepted some things and expected the readers to do the same.  Nothing wrong with that idea in the least, but I really like that this new generation of Cobra is trying to exist within a realistic world and the writing team is trying to breathe life and idealism into Cobra as a whole.
Issue #10 was refreshing.  I had no major issues with the last story arc in this series, but it’s like spending the weekend at your best friend’s house when you were a kid.  During that weekend, life was different, yet still fun, with some adventures.  But then you get back home and go back to your own bed, and suddenly, everything just falls into place.  The weekend was fun, sure, but there’s nothing like home, and getting thrust back into the Chuckles and Cobra Commander arc was like coming back home.
Click the “Read the Rest of the Story” link below to see the full review.
(more…)

IDW Review Onslaught – G.I. Joe #23 and #24

So it’s the day after Thanksgiving, and while many folks are braving the crowds for “Black Friday” shopping, I’m taking some time to gather the last few releases of IDW comic books and trying to play “catch up” on some reviews.  I was surprised to find that I was actually a couple of months behind on  some of these.  How does that happen?
In recent months, I’ve been pretty hard on the main IDW G.I. Joe title, simply because I try and hold it to a higher standard.  While G.I. Joe: Cobra, G.I. Joe: Origins, and even stuff like Hearts & Minds should all be considered fringe titles, the main run is the run that should continue to breath life into this new G.I. Joe mythology, and while there was a really good stretch going there for a bit, it’s starting dragging just a bit again.
Well, I may be one of the only ones, but I was really looking forward to seeing what IDW was going to do with Agent Helix…and they finally introduced her in the main title in issue #23.  However, based on the 5-page preview I posted, I was immediately hesitant to buy in, simply because it was evident she was being designed as a new “super power”, even in her first appearance.  We’ve spent thirty years establishing what a bad ass Snake Eyes is, and here comes Helix in her first mainstream appearance, and she hands him his ass?  Well, I’m hesitant to base a character and an issue on only five pages, so I will review issue #23 and #24 below.  Click the “read the rest of the story” link below to check out these reviews, but be warned, spoilers will be evident.
(more…)