Honoring the Real American Heroes

In observance of Memorial Day, the aRealAmericanHero.com team wanted to take the opportunity to acknowledge the real American heroes--the fallen soldiers who fought valorously protecting their country. It's because of these patriots that we enjoy the freedoms we have today and we are grateful for their sacrifice. Yo Joe!

Archive: Storm Shadow - Cobra Ninja (Arctic Threat)

Storm Shadow was released in the fourth quarter of 2010 as part of the third wave of figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line. The Pursuit of Cobra line features environment-themed missions in which the G.I. Joe team pursues Cobra operatives to the ends of the earth. As part of the Arctic Threat mission theme, the G.I. Joe team breaks into a Cobra manufacturing plant--in Greenland--hiding a powerful new Cobra technology.

Storm Shadow features a button-activated whirlwind kick. The whirlwind kick is activated by twisting the figure clockwise 360 degrees at the waist. A click confirms the figure is in a locked position, ready to be released. Pressing a button at the figure's side quickly twists the figure back around, counterclockwise, performing the action feature. The action feature, surprisingly, does resemble a whirlwind kick because the speed of the rotation sends Storm Shadow's legs upward, giving the illusion of a spinning kick. Despite the kick feature, Storm Shadow's sculpt doesn't suffer from the abnormal bulk commonly associated with action features, since the button is relatively small and inconspicuous.

G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Corrects Subscription Service Details

The Official G.I. Joe Collectors' Club has issued a correction, via Twitter, on the duration of their upcoming subscription service. The subscription service will run for six months, not 12 months as originally stated. Subscribers will receive two, 25th anniversary-style figures mailed to them every month--including a bonus figure--for a total of 13 figures. The verbiage suggests that non-subscribers will have the opportunity to order  figures, so we've inquired for clarification. You can follow the Collectors' Club on Twitter at @The_GIJCC.

Comics: Cobra #1

Let's be honest, the G.I. Joe team always beats Cobra. In the comic book world, however, Cobra may have just won the battle. Released this week, Cobra #1 is, from start to finish, everything you could want in a comic book featuring almost exclusively all villains. It's very easy--and the norm now--for comics starring villains to portray them as misunderstood heroes to generate reader sympathy. That is not the case here. There's no mistaking that the Cobra agents are evil and will pull out all the stops to claim the ultimate prize; becoming the new Cobra Commander. Writer Mike Costa handles the story very well, while throwing in a ton of nice--OK not really nice--character moments. Antonio Fuso's art really hits it with this book. The only drawback? IDW's G.I. Joe series is required reading to get the full story of what's going on in this issue.

VERDICT: Buy it!

Archive: Dusty - Desert Combat Specialist (Desert Battle)

Dusty was released in the fall of 2010 as part of the second wave of figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line. The Pursuit of Cobra line features environment-themed missions in which the G.I. Joe team pursues Cobra operatives to the ends of the earth. As part of the Desert Battle mission theme, the G.I. Joe team battles Cobra's newest weapon, the H.I.S.S. Tank, through the heavy sandstorms and arid wastelands of the desert.

Helmets have been a staple of the G.I. Joe toy line since its inception in 1982, but advances in the 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe body have allowed Hasbro's design team to take advantage of easily removable heads to replace bulky looking helmets with alternate head sculpts. In the case of Dusty, Hasbro made use of both a helmet and alternate head. Dusty's signature helmet and goggles fit the character portrait snugly, but the head wrap, cap and visor combination would be difficult to achieve as a helmet--especially one to scale with the figure's body--making an alternate head sculpt an ideal solution. What's more, the alternate head lends well for use as a generic desert trooper.

Archive: Firefly - Cobra Saboteur (City Strike)

Firefly was released in the summer of 2010 as part of the first wave of figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line. The Pursuit of Cobra line features environment-themed missions in which the G.I. Joe team pursues Cobra operatives to the ends of the earth. As part of the City Strike mission theme, the G.I. Joe team stealthily infiltrates a Cobra warehouse, in an urban center, housing some of Destro's newest weaponry.

Firefly can be displayed as both an updated interpretation of the classic baklava-masked saboteur--as portrayed in the A Real American Hero canon--or as modern, urban, demolitions expert by using the included armored vest, arm shields, and alternate, armor-masked head.

G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Joins Twitter

The Official G.I. Joe Collectors' Club is now on Twitter and their first batch of tweets details the upcoming G.I. Joe figure subscription service. Subscribers to the service receive two, 25th anniversary-style figures mailed to them every other month--including a bonus figure--for a total of 13 figures. The Club included a detailed Twitpic of Quarrel, which was revealed earlier this year at G.I. JoeCon, along with the Cobra Nano-B.A.T.  You can follow the Collectors' Club @The_GIJCC.

Archive: Low-Light - Night Spotter (City Strike)

Low-Light was released in the first-quarter of 2011 as part of the fourth wave of figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line. The Pursuit of Cobra line features environment-themed missions in which the G.I. Joe team pursues Cobra operatives to the ends of the earth. As part of the City Strike mission theme, the G.I. Joe team stealthily infiltrates a Cobra warehouse, in an urban center, housing some of Destro's newest weaponry.

After undergoing a number of transformations--including changes in hair color, additions and substations of facial hair, and even reassignment of military specialties (as part of the 1993 Dino-Hunter Mission set, Low-Light was classified as a Dinosaur Night Spotter)--Low-Light has come full circle. The figure has a striking resemblance to its 1986 equivalent and even borrows biographical history from the original filecard, in the updated I.D. card. The similarities end there, however, as this version of Low-Light comes packed full of accessories and features the modernized update signature to the Pursuit of Cobra line.

Comics: Snake Eyes #1

Who's the most bad-ass character in comic book history? Right; Wolverine. Who would somebody send to kill Wolverine? Snake Eyes. Yes, that's how formidable Snake Eyes is. So, why is it we're just now getting a solo Snake Eyes series--in 2011--almost 30 years after his action figure debut? We can't answer that, but what we can tell you is that it's worth the wait.

You get exactly what you'd expect and what you'd want from a Snake Eyes comic-ninja moves and awesomeness. I'm not sure time-line wise where this book fits in. It flashes back to Cobra Civil War #0, but we're guessing it takes place before last week's G.I. Joe #1, due to "spoiler-ish" reasons that we won't get into. We join Snake Eyes, Helix, Alpine and Iceberg on a mission to find an enemy that is holed up in a remote arctic area and you get to see Snake Eyes being Snake Eyes. We don't know if it was writer Chuck Dixon or artist Robert Atkins that choreographed the action, but whoever did deserves a salute. It's never confusing and always entertaining. The only thing we didn't care for in this issue was the art in the flashback sequences. Yikes!

VERDICT: We give this issue 4 out of 4 (ninja throwing) stars!

Sideshow's Comic-Con Exclusive Ninja-Viper Pre-Order Info

San Diego Comic-Con is quickly approaching and Sideshow Collectibles is getting their con exclusive offerings prepped. Priority pre-orders for Sideshow's Comic-Con exclusive Ninja Viper 12-inch figure start this week. Like Sideshow's other G.I. Joe offerings, the Ninja Viper is loaded with some amazingly detailed accessories. For those of you attending Comic-Con, you can begin placing orders for the Cobra ninja starting at 1 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, May 19. Non-attendees may place their orders the following day, Friday, May 20. For complete details and additional figure images, visit Sideshow's pre-order info page.

More G.I. Joe Sequel Casting News

Filtering through the Justin Bieber tweets in Never Say Never director Jon Chu's Twitter-stream makes it particularly difficult to spot G.I. Joe news, but we found an interesting exchange directed at Chu from former WWE wrestler Shad Gaspard. Gaspard, who's Twitter username is @Shadbeast, sent two messages to Chu, @jonmchu, on May 14 introducing himself, linking to his IMDB demo reel, and noting he auditioned for a role in Chu's upcoming movie. The next day, when asked, by one of his followers, what movie the audition was for Gaspard replied "it's a military film, one I'm really excited about." Chu has yet to publicly respond to Gaspard, but we suspect the audition was for a role in G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes, which Chu is directing. There was no mention of the role for which the 30-year-old, six-foot, six-inch Gaspard was auditioning. Chu is in New Orleans preparing to start filming.

Comics: G.I. Joe Vol. 2 #1

On Wednesday, IDW Publishing released G.I. Joe Vol. 2 #1, the first in their new G.I. Joe line of comics and the second (kind of) part of the Cobra Civil War storyline.

First off, the book is awesome. IDW made a wise decision in keeping writer Chuck Dixon on this title. Javier Saltares joins the team as a penciler, and although he's no Robert Atkins, he does an admirable job. It'll be interesting to see how he tackles the rest of the characters as they're unveiled.

The story begins with Cobra's search for a new leader after Chuckles kills Cobra Commander. That's right, Chuckles. Without giving away any spoilers, this issue basically sets up the next chapter in the Joe vs. Cobra legend. From the look of things, it's going to be an exciting ride, and the bonus last page shocker is, well, shocking. The only complaint is that for a book sporting a G.I. Joe title, there weren't that many Joes in it, as most of the story revolved around Cobra. Hopefully the Joe team will have a more prominent presence in upcoming issues.

VERDICT: Buy it! You're going to have a good time with this comic. It's totally worth the money

Archive: Destro - Weapons Supplier (Arctic Threat)

Destro was released in the fall of 2010 as part of the second wave of figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line. The Pursuit of Cobra line features environment-themed missions in which the G.I. Joe team pursues Cobra operatives to the ends of the earth. As part of the Arctic Threat mission theme, the G.I. Joe team breaks into a Cobra manufacturing plant--in Greenland--hiding a powerful new Cobra technology.

Destro's backpack has a button activated feature that shoots water through a hose connected to his ice blaster. Two ice particles, which fit over most G.I. Joe figures, are intended to replicate the weapon's capability to freeze enemies in their tracks. The condensation build up on Destro's chrome mask is a first for any Destro figure, but it comes at a price. If you leave the goggles on Destro's head for an extended period of time, the white paint easily chips off when you remove them.

Archive: Zartan - Master of Disguise (Desert Battle)

Zartan was released in the fall of 2010 as part of the second wave of figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line. The Pursuit of Cobra line features environment-themed missions in which the G.I. Joe team pursues Cobra operatives to the ends of the earth. As part of the Desert Battle mission theme, the G.I. Joe team battles Cobra's newest weapon, the H.I.S.S. Tank, through the heavy sandstorms and arid wastelands of the desert.

Zartan lived up to his moniker as a master of disguise undergoing several pre-production design changes. Early prototypes of the figure depict Zartan with a much darker cowl and face markings reminiscent of the original 1984 figure. The figure was also shown using the likeness of actor Arnold Vosloo, who portrayed Zartan in The Rise of Cobra movie. Hasbro finally opted on a generic head sculpt and a more realistic sand-worn color scheme, indicative of their direction for the Pursuit of Cobra line.

G.I. Joe Movie Sequel Casting for Jinx?

According to disney-channel-auditions.com, a casting call has been issued to place a 20-30 year old, athletic Asian female for a lead role as a ninja-in-training in G.I. Joe 2. The character's name is listed only as A.C. We did a little filecard sleuthing to see if we could verify the initials as being Jinx, but the name is classified on all filecards. There are some comic references linking Jinx to the name Kimi Arashikage, cousin to Storm Shadow, making here a member of the Arashikage Clan. Could A.C. be a veiled abbreviation for the Arashikage Clan in order to keep the character's identity a secret?

Image Credit: Joelist

Sideshow Collectibles Arashikage Temple Environment Pre-Order

Sideshow Collectibles' Arashikage Temple Environment is now available for pre-order. The temple environment features a 25.5-inch wide by 17-inch deep footprint, stands 26.5 inches tall, and is compatible with Sideshow's 12-inch G.I. Joe line. The environment is priced at $249.99, but payments can be made in installments using Sideshow's FLEXPay option. Shipping is estimated for the fourth quarter of 2011.

Archive: Skydive - HALO Jumper (Jungle Assault)

Skydive was released in the first quarter of 2011 as part of the fourth wave of figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line. The Pursuit of Cobra line features environment-themed missions in which the G.I. Joe team pursues Cobra operatives to the ends of the earth. As part of the Jungle Assault mission theme, a G.I. Joe team led by Duke discovers a heavily fortified Cobra fortress, the Terror Drome, in a remote jungle.

If you're familiar with the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy line from 1982-1994, the code-name Skydive might ring a bell. Skydive was introduced in 1990 as part of the Sky Patrol sub-line, as the Sky Patrol team leader. It's taken twenty years, but Skydive has finally received an update. The silver parachute pack--a staple of the Sky Patrol line--has been replaced with a modernized rocket pack and the plain jumpsuit is now a sleek armor-lined HALO suit. One thing that hasn't changed is Skydive's identity, as Hasbro has kept true to the biography from the original 1990 file card.

Pursuit of Cobra Wave 5 Figures on eBay

When the Pursuit of Cobra wave 6 figures started appearing on eBay and then arrived in retail in the U.S. it left many of us wondering what happened to wave 5. We now have an answer to that question: they're on eBay. Hong Kong seller thecrowgirl has the wave 5 figures listed for auction with some tempting instant army lots of Steel Brigade, Jungle B.A.T.S. and Cobra Troopers.

Sideshow Collectibles Reveals Arashikage Temple Environment

After showing us a teaser image last week, Sideshow Collectibles has revealed product photos of their Arashikage Temple Environment; a compliment their 12-inch G.I. Joe figure line. Pre-orders for the temple environment will be taken on May 5 with a link provided in Sideshow's weekly newsletter, which is typically published between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. EST. The Arashikage Temple Environment is priced at $249.99.

Archive: Snow Job - Arctic Survival Specialist (Arctic Threat)

Snow Job was released in the summer of 2010 as part of the first wave of figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line. The Pursuit of Cobra line features environment-themed missions in which the G.I. Joe team pursues Cobra operatives to the ends of the earth. As part of the Arctic Threat mission theme, the G.I. Joe team breaks into a Cobra manufacturing plant--in Greenland--hiding a powerful new Cobra  technology.

Snow Job's skis, ski polls and bedroll, can be used to construct a lean-to shelter/camouflaged sniper shroud. The shelter, when combined with Snow Job's stove, pan and sniper rifle, can make survival in frigid temperatures a bit more tolerable. Then again, with the vast amount of survival gear Snow Job is equipped with, it's hard to imagine he'd be anything less than comfortable.