G.I. Joe 2 Producer Talks Plot

G.I. Joe 2 producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura revealed some details about the upcoming sequel's plot to MTV News, at the New York City premier of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, on Tuesday. According to di Bonaventura, the film will center heavily around ninjas and the story of Snake-Eyes. "The ninja fans are going to love it," he said. Di Bonaventura also confirmed that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's character Roadblock will have a prominent presence in the film, qualifying the part as a "full-on lead role." Despite rumors of friction between di Bonaventura and Paramount Pictures caused by the studio's handling of the next installment of the franchise, di Bonaventura appears to be pleased with the direction of the sequel.

Archive: Destro - Weapons Supplier (City Strike)

Destro 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.

Stripped of his armor, City Strike Destro shares the same base body as Arctic Threat Destro, who was released as part of the second wave of figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line. The ability to re-deco a figure, almost unrecognizably, is a testament to the success of Hasbro's strategy of layering figures with jackets, flak vests and armor instead of creating entirely new sculpts. The strategy gives figures more depth and dimension, and allows Hasbro's design team to explore characters, which, otherwise would not have been considered.

Two More Actors Join G.I. Joe Sequel

Rapper-turned-actor RZA, of Wu Tang Clan fame, and D.J. Cotrona are reported to be the newest additions to director Jon Chu's G.I. Joe sequel, according to HollywodReporter.com. RZA will play ninja trainer Blind Master, who made a brief appearance in Marvel Comics' A Real American Hero series and who's protege is Jinx, while Cotrona will dawn the special forces beret of warrant office Flint. Earlier today, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson confirmed, via Twitter, that he has officially signed on to play the role of heavy machine gunner and cook Roadblock. We smell what's cookin'!

Archive: Croc Master - Cobra Reptile Trainer (Jungle Assault)

Croc Master was released in the Spring of 2011 as part of the sixth wave--which arrived at retail before wave five--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.

Gator Master might be a more fitting name for Cobra's reptile trainer since the crocodilian included with the figure is an alligator. Alligators are native to the Southeastern United States and can be distinguished from crocodiles by their wider, U-shaped snouts. Like the alligator, the small red, black and yellow snake included with Croc Master also calls North America home. The Eastern coral snake has a potent, poisonous bite, despite its small size. In fact, the scarlet kingsnake mimics the coral snakes color bands as a defense mechanism, thought the pattern is differs slightly. If you ever encounter one of these snake and can't identify whether its a coral snake or kingsnake, remember: red on yellow, kill a fellow; red on black, venom lacks.

Sideshow Collectibles Reveals Snake Eyes and Timber Statue

After teasing subscribers in last weeks newsletter, Sideshow Collectibles unveiled its Snake Eyes and Timber statue, this week, in its production blog. The statue will have two editions; an exclusive--limited to 500 pieces--with a switch-out right hand holding a Falchion Sword and a regular edition without the switch-out accessory. Both versions are priced at $324.99 and can be pre-ordered on Sideshow's site beginning July 23. For additional details and photos, visit Sideshow's production blog.

Archive: Blowtorch - Flamethrower (Jungle Assault)

Blowtorch was released in the Spring of 2011 as part of the fifth wave--which arrived at retail after wave six--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.

A subtle variation in paint color shades differentiates this version of Blowtorch from its 25th Anniversary counterpart. In fact, both the Pursuit of Cobra and 25th Anniversary figures are based heavily on the 1984 release of Blowtorch. With most other figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line executed as modern interpretations, Blowtorch leaves a lot to be desired. Although the fire axe and detailed fire extinguisher are nice additions, in the end, Blowtorch is a bit underwhelming.

Archive: Jungle B.A.T. - Cobra Android Trooper (Jungle Assault)

The Jungle B.A.T. was released in the Spring of 2011 as part of the fifth wave--which arrived at retail after wave six--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.

Hasbro packed Pursuit of Cobra waves 5 and 6 with a heavy ratio of army builder type figures. What’s more, the Hasbro team loaded these figures with scores of extra accessories. The additional accessories turn what would otherwise be a mundane army of clones--equipped with the same weapons--into an army with personality. Figures like the Jungle B.A.T. can be displayed in a variety of ways; be that wielding a machete to cut through the dense jungle brush, defending their position in the Terror Drome with an assault rifle or lying in a pile of rubble, destroyed by a precise shot to the chest. It should be noted that some pre-production photos depict the Jungle B.A.T. as including a swappable, undamaged chest piece. This accessory was not included with the figure.

Archive: Crazy Legs - Assault Trooper (Jungle Assault)

Crazy Legs was released in the Spring of 2011 as part of the sixth wave--which arrived at retail before wave five--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.

Crazy Legs debuted in the A Real American Hero action figure line in 1987. At that time, the character's name was spelled Crazylegs. Variations in character names such as spelling changes or inclusion of rank are usually an indication of Hasbro's failure to renew their trademark claim to the name. In the case of Crazy Legs, the name change didn't alter any of the character's biographical information as the character I.D. card follows the integrity of the original filecard almost word for word.

Jinx Cast for G.I. Joe Sequel

Several media outlets are reporting that 30-year-old French actress Élodie Yung has been tapped to join the cast of G.I. Joe 2. According to the sources, Yung will play Arashikage Clan ninja Jinx, in the Jon M. Chu directed sequel. We speculated on the role, last month, after a cryptic casting call for a female named A.C. began appearing on a number of talent agency Web sites. Yung fits the casting call's requirements, but if that isn't enough evidence, Chu, himself, took the the social networks re-tweeting several messages mentioning Yung's hiring via his twitter account.

Archive: Cobra Commander - Cobra Leader (City Strike)

Cobra Commander was released in the Spring of 2011 as part of the fifth wave--which arrived at retail after wave six--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.

When Hasbro unveiled its plans for the Pursuit of Cobra line, it envisioned the line as an off-screen extension to The Rise of Cobra movie. Initial prototypes of Cobra Commander were developed as part of the Jungle Assault theme and revealed with the often controversial film-style mask. When Hasbro abandoned the Pursuit of Cobra line's tie-in to The Rise of Cobra, Cobra Commander was put on hold. Then, as the Pursuit of Cobra line grew in popularity and subsequent waves of figures were developed, Hasbro salvaged the Jungle Assault Cobra Commander body and replaced the film-style mask with the classic and more recognizable animated/comic-style battle mask, re-branding the figure as City Strike Cobra Commander.

Archive: General Clayton "Hawk" Abernathy - Commander (City Strike)

General Clayton "Hawk" Abernathy was released in the Spring of 2011 as part of the fifth wave--which arrived at retail after wave six--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.

General Hawk's weapons and accessories are a hodgepodge of previously used gear. In fact, most of the figure's body parts are recycled, as well. Despite this, the design takes the classic bomber-jacket, helmet with field goggles look and modernizes it without compromising Hawk's leader-on-the-battlefield persona.

Even More G.I. Joe Movie Casting News

Multiple sources are reporting that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is in discussions to appear in the G.I. Joe movie sequel, Cobra Strikes. According to Deadline.com, Johnson would be cast as heavy machine gunner Roadblock. While Paramount and Johnson negotiate the details of his services, ComicBookMovie.com is reporting that IMDB is confirming (you'll have to pony up for a subscription if you want to verify the information) Stephen Martines for the role of Cross. It's widely assumed that Cross--as noted in the casting call--is Cross-Counrty, the country music loving driver of the H.A.V.O.C.

Archive: Steel Brigade - Special Forces (Desert Battle)

Steel Brigade was released in the Spring of 2011 as part of the fifth wave--which arrived at retail after wave six--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.

When you think of army building figures, Cobra Troopers, Vipers, and B.A.T.S. tend to come to mind. You usually don't think of G.I. Joe team figures as army builders because the G.I. Joe team features well-developed characters with unique personalities and deep back stories. There aren't many nameless, faceless G.I. Joes. Steel Brigade, however, is the quintessential army builder and part of the G.I. Joe team. In order to recreate the various specialist types introduced by the 1987 release of Steel Brigade, Hasbro included a mixture of accessories capable of a number of unique figure configurations.

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

It's only two issues in, but G.I. Joe keeps getting better with each issue! This one is a straight-out, hit the ground running action-mystery that delivers. We've got the Joes under siege in the PITT looking for...we're not exactly sure; we've got Gen. Hawk and Dial Tone on the run in Washington D.C. and there's Storm Shadow waiting to assault the G.I. Joe team. Author Chuck Dixon must have read our review of G.I. Joe #1 because there are more G.I. Joe team members in this issue. Dixon's portrayal of Cobra soldiers as modern day terrorists--not the rank and file troops in standard military garb we're accustomed to--also had us concerned, but it's really working with this story. There isn't much in this issue that moves the Cobra Civil War storyline forward, but that's OK, the Cobra book should cover that.

Verdict: Even better than the previous issue! Buy it!

Archive: Snake Eyes - Ninja Commando (Arctic Threat)

Snake Eyes was released in the Spring of 2011 as part of the sixth wave--which arrived at retail before wave five--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.

Based entirely off the sculpt of the 2009 G.I. Joe Resolute comic pack version of Storm Shadow, Snake Eyes is testament to an old dog being capable of performing new tricks. With an ornately, tampo-printed design on the shoulder, forearm and chest armor, a generous offering of swappable masks, helmets and heads, and a variety of historically-accurate ninja weapons, the re-used sculpt is nearly unrecognizable.