Sideshow Collectibles Announces Crimson Guard 12-Inch Figure

Sideshow Collectibles' weekly newsletter is hitting inboxes and there's good news for G.I. Joe collectors. The next character in Sideshow's 12-inch figure line, the Crimson Guard, has been announced. We thought Sideshow's Zartan and Rock 'n' Roll 12-inch figures were going to be a tough act to follow, but the Crimson Guard's preview image has us thinking otherwise.

The full product reveal for the Crimson Guard is Tuesday, October 4, with pre-orders starting with the release of Sideshow's newsletter on Thursday, October 6. It's also worth noting that the Urban Threat – Condition RED 12-inch Figure Environment, which was announced in July at Comic-Con, will also be available for pre-order on October 6. Mark your calendars!

Comics: COBRA #5

Cobra #5 is another great issue in the Cobra series! Although it's not quite as fast-paced and action packed as the last issue, it's still a very good read. There are a lot of talking heads in this issue, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Writer Mike Costa keeps the dialogue sharp and to the point, with a sprinkle of character personality peppered in. It's a nice catch-up as to what's happened in the series thus far--from a certain point of view. We learn some new secrets and there are a couple of real jaw-dropping moments.

Archive: Cobra Trooper - The Enemy

Originally released in the Spring of 2011 as part of the fifth wave of figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line, the Cobra Trooper was repacked, in the summer of 2011, as part of the first wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

A heavy overstock of figures from early waves in the Pursuit of Cobra line made it finding figures from subsequent waves difficult. As Hasbro transitioned the Pursuit of Cobra line into the 30th Anniversary line, they took this into account and re-released several hard-to-find figures, such as the Cobra Trooper, in the 30th Anniversary collection. Besides the updated 30th Anniversary card art, there are no variations to the Cobra Trooper figure.

Comics: COBRA #4

The Cobra Civil War story is really getting good! This issue is primarily a Major Bludd story, and he's one of my favorite characters, so I was bound to like it from the start. I love how writer Mike Costa has turned every Cobra member into a credible threat for the G.I. Joes, as well as the other members of Cobra. There are some big things happening in this issue, so I'll try to dance around the spoilers as much as possible.

Archive: Hazard-Viper - Toxin Specialist

The Hazard-Viper was released in the summer of 2011 as part of the first wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

The Hazard-Viper is a great example of how existing tooling and a little creativity can go a long way. If the Hazard-Viper looks familiar, it's because you may recognize it from its previous incarnation as the Volcano-Viper. The Volcano-Viper was included as the driver of the Lava Pod, an alpha-class-sized vehicle from The Rise of Cobra movie line, which was available at discount retailer Ross. The Hazard-Viper also includes the chemical canisters and transport case originally included with the Rex "The Doctor" Lewis figure from The Rise of Cobra movie line. If you didn't pick up on either of those, you'll most likely recognize the recolored, water-squirting blaster and backpack originally included with Arctic Threat Destro. Despite not having any new tooling, the Hazard-Viper's hodgepodge of accessories, colorful paint applications and a clever back-story demonstrate how a little creativity can result in a well-executed new character.

Comics: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #169

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is one of the most under appreciated G.I. Joe titles currently being published. In 2002, Devil's Due approached Larry Hama to write G.I. Joe: Frontline, a four-issue arc set after the events of G.I. Joe #155, Marvel Comics' final G.I. Joe issue. The result was a bit underwhelming, unfortunately. However, in May of last year, IDW went back and let Hama do what he should have done eight years earlier--write a G.I. Joe comic that continues the adventure of  the original Marvel series. The result this time around is the well-received, true-to-origins G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero title.

Archive: Steel Brigade - G.I. Joe Trooper

Originally released in the Spring of 2011 as part of the fifth wave of figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line, Steel Brigade was repacked, in the summer of 2011, as part of the first wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

Heavy overstock of early waves of Pursuit of Cobra figures made it difficult to find figures from latter waves in the line. As Hasbro transitioned the Pursuit of Cobra line into the 30th Anniversary line, they took this into account and re-released several difficult to find figures, such as Steel Brigade, in the 30th Anniversary collection. Besides the updated 30th Anniversary card art, there are no variations to the Steel Brigade figure.

Comics: GI Joe: A Real American Hero #170

Wow! That's the best way to describe everything that's going on in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #170. But then, you have to remember your're reading a comic with almost 30 years of continuity and a limitless cast of characters and villains. The thing I love about this issue is that Larry Hama can still pull G.I. Joe mythology out of thin air and if anyone is allowed to do so, he is. The best thing about this story is that it's the Joes as we know and love them. In all these years, their personalities haven't changed, but neither have Cobras'.

Artist SL Gallant does a great job with the art and includes some Easter egg sight gags reminiscint of the original A Real American Hero series. In addition, there are a couple of laugh out loud moments in the story involving Cobra Commander that are pretty amusing. The one problem I had with this issue is that we only get about two pages at a time dedicated to each character or team. When you're dealing with this many people, it's not nearly enough. Despite this, you do get to see everyone you'd hope to see--even if for just a little bit--and it leaves you wanting more. This is another home run issue for this series!

Hasbro Announces New York Comic Con Debut

In addition to their regular stops at Toy Fair, G.I. JoeCon and San Diego Comic-Con, Hasbro's G.I. Joe team will be making their debut at this year's New York Comic Con. Held at the Javits Convention Center in New York City, the New York Comic Con kicks off Thursday, October 13--with a special preview night--and runs through Sunday, October 16. Hasbro will be the title sponsor of the con's "NYCC Kids!"events and will be located at booth 302 on the showroom floor. In addition, HasbroToyShop.com will be offering several yet-to-be-announced exclusives. For full details, see Hasbro's official press release and be sure to check back for our coverage of the event.

Sideshow Collectibles 12-Inch Desert Ops Trooper: Officer Up for Pre-Order

If you followed our San Diego Comic-Con coverage and could peel your eyes away from Sideshow's amazing Zartan and Rock 'n' Roll figures, you may have noticed an unreleased Desert Ops Officer figure displayed in the Desert Weapons Cache environment scene at Sideshow's booth. That figure, the Desert Ops Trooper: Officer is now available for pre-order on Sideshow's Web site. The Desert Ops Officer comes with Sideshow's usual arsenal of weapons and features a detailed fabric Desert Ops uniform with Cobra insignia and officer rank bars. The Desert Ops Officer is priced at $99.99.

If you're looking to recreate Sideshow's desert environment display from Comic-Con, a lot of the pieces you'll need to do so, including Dusty, the Desert Ops Sniper and the Desert Weapons Cache with Sandstorm are also still available.

Hasbro's G.I. Joe Q&A 2011 Round 4: The Answers

We're happy to report that replies to our questions for the second round of Hasbro's G.I. Joe Q&A are back! Unfortunately, only one of our questions was answered, but it provides some valuable insight on scheduling of the 30th Anniversary line and the earlier release date of G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

Happy Birthday G.I. Joe

It was the day after the worst terrorist attack in American history; September 12, 2001. On that day, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero from Devil's Due Publishing and Image Comics hit comic stores across the country to the resounding cheers of  G.I. Joe fans. To give you a little back story, in the years leading up to its release, it was obvious that fans were hungry for new G.I. Joe comics. As a comic retailer, G.I. Joe comics were our top selling back issues and key issues from the Marvel run were constantly on our special order list. Whenever publishers asked our recommendation for what licenses we'd like to see in the future, we always mentioned two properties: G.I. Joe and Transformers. Although we knew a demand existed for these properties, none of the publishers ever took us seriously; that is until Josh Blaylock entered into the picture.

Archive: Sgt. Stalker - Ranger

Sgt. Stalker was released in the summer of 2011 as part of the first wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

Stalker, being one of the original 16 A Real American Hero figures from 1982, is a fitting character with which to start the 30th Anniversary line. The character's physical appearance has evolved over the years with a mustache morphing into a more menacing goatee and the addition of some dreadlocks to lend him some "street cred," but his tough, yet cunning persona--as illustrated in his 1982 filecard--have withstood the test of time and are carried on in this modern homage.