Comics: Snake Eyes #4

After a slightly disappointing third issue, Chuck Dixon and Robert Atkins come back strong with issue 4 of Snake Eyes. This is why I read G.I. Joe comics! Scratch that; this is why I read comics! This issue is awesome! For starters, you have Snake Eyes taking on ninjas Slice and Dice, which should be enough to sell you on this issue, in itself. You must read and see this fight sequence, for yourself, to believe it. I will go to my grave saying that Robert Atkins draws the best fight sequences in comics. It's like reading an action movie. If that's not enough, there's also a story line with Alpine and Iceberg that has a decent amount of action and resolves very nicely.

The part I'm most impressed with is that while the Cobra Civil War story is intertwined in this issue, it never feels like it overtakes the story at any point. It's subtle, keeping you up to date and giving you just what you need to know, but never taking focus off the ninja battling action. This is, without a doubt, my favorite issue in the Snake Eyes series so far.

Archive: Rock Viper - Infantry (Arctic Threat)

The Rock Viper 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.

The ski mask on Hasbro's modern rendition of the Rock Viper is a cruelly ironic addition in that it covers the often disputed mustache found on the character's original figure, released in 1990. The mustache is the topic of many discussions because it begs the question: is the 1990 Rock-Viper a unique character or do all Rock-Vipers have a mustache? With the ski mask, we may never know.

Comics: Snake Eyes #3

Snake Eyes #3 is my least favorite issue of the Snake Eyes series, thus far. Don't get me wrong, it's still a Snake Eyes comic, which makes it great, but this issue left me feeling like I was reading a Snake Eyes & his Amazing Friends comic.

Because Snake Eyes doesn't speak and moving the story forward requires speech, everyone else has to do the talking. As a result we're left with less Snake Eyes than we should have. Despite this, Chuck Dixon does a good job with the story--I can't imagine how difficult it is to write a character that doesn't speak-- by not falling into the "Lassie trap" where the other characters are constantly asking "What's that Snake Eyes? Cobra has put together a new Weather Dominator and we need to go Cobra Island?" The art, as always, is fantastic. At this point, if Robert Atkins put out an art book of blank pages I'd probably buy it. All-in-all, this is a good comic with a solid story, it's just not a great Snake Eyes issue.

Archive: Spirit Iron-Knife - Tracker (Jungle Assault)

Spirit was released in the summer of 2010 as part of an exclusive wave of figures--available through Toys R Us--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 team led by Duke discovers a heavily fortified Cobra fortress, the Terror Drome, in a remote jungle.

Some of the figures comprising the Jungle Assault mission theme are loosely stylized after characters from the 1987 science fiction / action film Predator. Spirit is the G.I. Joe team's equivalent to Billy Sole, a Native American tracker played by actor Sonny Landham.

Willis Confirmed For G.I. Joe: Retaliation

After weeks of rumors that he was in negotiations to play Gen. Joseph B. Colton--the original G.I. Joe--Bruce Willis has been officially confirmed to the cast of G.I. Joe 2. The confirmation came via a tweet from G.I. Joe: Retaliation co-star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson who tweeted "Welcome brother Bruce Willis to the cast of GI Joe! What an honor."

While the Rock was busy welcoming Willis, G.I. Joe director Jon M. Chu took to Twitter to drop a TwitPic hint with what is now assumed to be the G.I. Joe team's logo for the upcoming sequel. The logo, attached to the front of a green baseball cap, is the same logo used in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and was previously tweeted by Chu.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Round-Up Report

With principal filming of G.I. Joe: Retaliation underway, it was only a matter of time until a few photos from the set made their way onto the Internet. The first photo comes from an official capacity, of sorts, in the form of a tweet from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The Rock, who tweets "1st day of shooting. 110 degrees. Bring It." included a G.I. Joe hashtag with his message and a photo of himself in uniform as Roadblock. It's worth noting the costume matches the Christian Cordella illustration we reported seeing at Comic-Con, in July.

While various media outlets are reporting that Bruce Willis is still in final negotiations to play General Joseph B. Colton, the original G.I. Joe, reports are also confirming the addition of Walton Goggins to the G.I. Joe 2 cast. Goggins will play Warden Nigel James, a newly created character to the G.I. Joe mythos. Goggins joins Joe Mazzello, who will play Mouse, as the second confirmed non-A Real American Hero G.I. Joe character.

Archive: Cobra Trooper - The Enemy (City Strike)

The Cobra Trooper 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.

Before Vipers, B.A.T.S. and Crimson Guards there were Cobra Troopers. Often clumsily portrayed in the animated series and not the most menacing of Cobra's paramilitary forces, Cobra Troopers were plentiful and always in the thick of battle; even if the results weren't typically in their favor. Their ability to pilot a Trouble Bubble, drive a Stinger or skipper a Water Moccasin makes Cobra Troopers versatile soldiers, thus a favorite figure among collectors to "army build."

Archive: Conrad "Duke" Hauser - Team Commander (Desert Battle)

Duke 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 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.

If the earlier released Jungle Assault Duke figure was Hasbro's way paying homage to the motion-picture industry, this version of Duke--with his form-fitting, lightweight armor and sci-fi-styled weaponry--is Hasbro's nod to popular modern-military video game franchises like Call of Duty and Gears of War. The similitude should come as no surprise because Hasbro intentionally used various pop culture references for design inspiration, in the Pursuit of Cobra line, hoping to broaden the G.I. Joe franchise's reach.

G.I. Joe Sequel Dubbed Retaliation by Director Chu

Almost a month after Rhett Reese's confirmation that the upcoming G.I. Joe sequel would not be titled G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes, director Jon M. Chu confirmed the new title, via Twitter, as G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

"Shooting film for GI JOE: RETALIATION. Yes film. Not video. I could smell the emulsion at today's test :) :)"
Besides confirmation of the title, the G.I. Joe 2 family has been buzzing on Twitter with posts that include training photos, personal messages and subtle hints about casting. To stay on top of the latest sequel news, check out our Twitter list, a comprehensive tweet steam of all the cast and crew of G.I. Joe 2.

Archive: Cobra Viper - Infantry (Desert Battle)

The Cobra Viper 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 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.

Vipers lend Cobra more credibility as a technologically menacing terror organization than the traditional blue-shirted Cobra Troopers. As soldiers, Vipers sit at the bottom of the Cobra pecking order, working to develop an expertise in hopes of moving up the ranks. As action figures, Vipers are the base infantrymen that inspired an army of uniquely specialized troopers donning the Viper designation, such as the Alley-Viper, Night-Viper and Techno-Viper.

Archive: Zarana - Sister to Zartan

Zarana was released in the summer of 2011 as a convention exclusive at San Diego Comic-Con. Two versions of Zarana were produced: a primary deco version matching the classic style of the original 1986 figure and a variant version with dark paint applications and t-shirt sporting the logo of Dreadnok rock band Cold Slither. Both figures were available at the Hasbro Toy Shop booth (limited to three for the primary version and one for the variant, per attendee badge) at Comic-Con and later online at HasbroToyShop.com, in limited quantities.

Like the original 1986 card art, the artwork for this modern update to Zarana features a digital explosion art pattern behind the character portrait. This digital pattern was introduced with series five figures in 1986 and carried forward until 1992, however, card art for figures from this era in the G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary line did not have this digital pattern and instead used the traditional explosion pattern.

G.I. Joe Fan Film Trailer Strikes Sequel Director's Facebook Wall

With rumors swirling about characters, cast, plot, release date and even the title, there is one constant when it comes to the follow-up to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra--die hard fans are hoping this big-screen adaptation of G.I. Joe stays true to the original canon. If the anticipated June 29, 2012 release date of Paramount's sequel has you itching for a dose of Joe in the meantime, check out the trailer for the upcoming fan film Operation: Red Retrieval, directed by Mark Cheng. The short trailer showcases an authenticity and action-style G.I. Joe enthusiasts have been yearning for since their disappointment with The Rise of Cobra. In fact, someone even posted the trailer's YouTube link on sequel director Jon M. Chu's Facebook wall. For additional footage and details on Cheng's promising endeavor, visit Operation: Red Retrieval's official site.