Jinx Revealed for Figure Subscription Service

The G.I. Joe Collectors' Club continues their busy week of headlines revealing the seventh figure in their figure subscription service, G.I. Joe ninja Agent Jinx.  The subscription service will ship a pair of exclusive figures over six months for a total of 12 figures, including a bonus 13th figure for those committing for the full six months. The subscription figures will ship double boxed with unique grain cross-patterns on the inner and outer cartons to reduce the potential of damage in freight. The price per figure is estimated between $20-$25.

Archive: Zarana - Sister to Zartan (Cold Slither)

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.

Zarana's Cold Slither band shirt features pantograph printing on the front and back. The front of the shirt reads "Cold Slither North American Tour 1985" while the back lists the stops along the band's tour schedule including Cleveland, OH; Cincinnati, OH; Toronto, ON; Great Woods, MA; Philadelphia, PA; Providence, RI; Seattle WA; Los Angeles, CA and finally closing out in San Diego, CA, where the figure was exclusively available for purchase.

G.I. JoeCon 2012 Confirmed for New Orleans

The G.I. Joe Collectors' Club has confirmed New Orleans as the location for it's G.I. JoeCon 2012 convention. The official dates run June 21-24 with hotel details to follow. New Orleans has been the primary filming location of the live-action G.I. Joe movie sequel titled G.I. Joe: Retaliation. G.I. Joe: Retaliation is scheduled for release on June 29, 2012.

Comics: G.I. Joe #6

Written by Chuck Dixon with art by Will Rosado, G.I. Joe #6 brings the Cobra Civil War to the homeland!  While Team Alpha, led by Flint, races to a secret Joe installation in Maine, the Baroness awaits their arrival. Reviewers Andy Bartlett and Jimmy PS Hayes take an in-depth look at IDW's latest offering in the Cobra Civil War storyline. How does this issue fit into the G.I. Joe series thus far? Is it worth picking up? Will our reviewers' opinions get as heated as this issue's battle between G.I. Joe and Cobra?

G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Reveals Iron Klaw, Gives Subscription Service Details

The G.I. Joe Collectors' Club revealed Iron Klaw, G.I. Joe Extreme nemesis and Leader of S.K.A.R., as the sixth figure in its figure subscription service. While a the Collectors' Club has made a number of big reveals for the figure subscription service over the last two weeks, details on the service's pricing has been tight-lipped. Interestingly, the club included the following stipulation with it's Iron Klaw reveal:

"The Figure Subscription Service (FSS) is only available to Officer Level (paid) members. Trooper Level members will need to upgrade to be eligible. The FSS is an optional feature and is not included in the cost of your annual GIJCC membership."

This means you'll have to buy a G.I. Joe Collectors' Club membership (minimum $42) to be eligible to for the figure subscription service. With an estimated price of between $20-$25 per figure, a subscription will cost somewhere between $302-$367. As a side note, a G.I. Joe Collector's Club membership will get you a 14th figure, the 2011 Fall membership figure, Footloose. So in all, you'll pay between $21.57-$26.21 per figure (pending any additional shipping costs).

Hasbro's G.I. Joe Q&A 2011 Round 5: The Answers

New York Comic Con has just wrapped up, the G.I. Joe Collectors' Club has been revealing subscription service figures all week, and now Hasbro replies with a new G.I. Joe Q&A! Our latest installment of questions to Hasbro is back and unlike last time, they answered them all. We've got some interesting news on articulation, enhancements, tooling and overstock. It's worth noting that the next batch of questions are due on October 31, so if you have a follow-up to one of our questions or a question of your own, let us know.

G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Reveals Grunt as Part of Subscription Service

Infantry Trooper Grunt is the latest figure to be revealed by the G.I. Joe Collectors' Club, for it's exclusive subscription service. Grunt joins Quarrel, the Nano B.A.T., Topside and Dice as the fifth of the subscription service's 13 figures. Despite revealing over a third of the figures, the collectors' club has not released any details on pricing.

Archive: Firely - Saboteur (Renegades)

Firefly was released in the summer of 2011 as part of the second 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.

Firefly makes his G.I. Joe: Renegades debut in episode 10, "Fire Fight." Cobra Industries is building a damn in the town of Green Ridge and its construction is ruining the resort town's local economy. The state of the town is of no concern to Cobra, however, as the damn is the power source for their secret Bio-Viper lab on the outskirts of town. When the town's mayor informs the Baroness that its citizens have voted to cease construction of the damn, unknowingly putting a wrench in Cobra's operations, Firefly is called upon to strong arm the town into submission by threatening to burn it to the ground.

Dice Revealed as Part of G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Subscription Service

Less than a week after revealing Topside, the third figure in their subscription service, the G.I. Joe Collectors' Club has confirmed Cobra Ninja Commando Dice as part the subscription lineup. Available exclusively from the collectors' club, two figures packaged individually on 25th Anniversary-style blister cards will ship each month, for six months. These figure pairs can be purchased individually on a month-by-month basis or cumulatively through a subscription. As a bonus, those commiting to all 12 figures as part of the subscription will receive an exclusive 13th figure. Dice is the fourth figure announced by the club, joining Quarrel, the Nano B.A.T. and Topside.

New York Comic Con 2011: It's A Wrap

New York Comic Con 2011 is a wrap. Our photo gallery from the show is now live and can also be seen on our Flickr photostream. Additionally, we've added a pair of videos to our YouTube channel and a number of informational tidbits on our Twitter stream. Hasbro's debut at New York Comic Con saw the announcement of two, seven-figure packs, gave us a look at Topside--the third figure in the G.I. Joe Collectors' Club subscription service--and revealed intel that Kwinn is scheduled to be New York Comic Con's G.I. Joe exclusive, next year. If this year's news wasn't exciting enough, Hasbro's promise of a return next year,with a G.I. Joe exclusive, is sure to make New York Comic Con a destination on a lot of G.I. Joe collectors' comic-convention calendar.

Archive: Cobra Commander - Cobra Leader (Renegades)

Cobra Commander was released in the summer of 2011 as part of the second 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.

In G.I. Joe: The Movie, it's revealed that Cobra Commander is a Cobra-La scientist disfigured in a laboratory accident and later entrusted, by Cobra-La leader Golobulus, to build an army capable of ruling the world. While The Rise of Cobra doesn't resonate well with many fans, its origin story for Cobra Commander loosely resembles its animated predecessor. Army scientist Rex Lewis, assumed killed in a friendly-fire attack on a biological weapons lab, emerges as a shadow of himself with a new identity and a obsession for world domination. Most recently, in G.I. Joe: Renegades, disfigured businessman Adam DeCobray uses a pharmaceutical company as a front to develop a human-hybrid army of bio-warriors, in hopes of conquering the world. The origins of Cobra Commander may have evolved over the years, but his hunger for world conquest remains intense, as ever.

New York Comic Con - G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Figures

Here's a closer look at the three figures announced as part of the G.I. Joe Collectors' Club subscription service. Quarrel, Topside and the Nano B.A.T. are on display at Hasbro's Booth and are listed as being available in the winter of 2011/2012.

New York Comic Con Coverage Continues

Our live streaming video coverage from New York Comic Con continues, with a quick look at Topside, who was added to the Hasbro booth today. For the latest from the showroom floor, be sure to follow our us on Twitter.

New York Comic Con Preview Night Photos

We've posted our first photo gallery from New York Comic Con. Unfortunately, we didn't spot any member of the Hasbro G.I. Joe team to gather intel, but we did get a lot of close-up shots of the new items on display at their booth, the highlight of which are the Slaughter's Marauders and Dreadnoks seven-packs. The two, seven-packs are exclusive to Big Bad Toy Store and now available for pre-order, priced $89.99 for the pair or $49.99 each. We also made sure to snap photos of the next few waves of 30th Anniversary figures, as a point of reference for any potential changes (or omissions) in accessories.

Streaming Live From New York Comic Con

Our live streaming video coverage from New York Comic Con starts today! Once again, follow our Tweets for updates on when we'll be going live and keep an eye on the video player above (or directly on our Qik page) to catch the latest from the show.

Our New York Comic Con Coverage Begins Tonight

New York Comic Con kicks off tonight with a special preview night sneak peek starting at 4 p.m. EDT. We'll be on the showroom floor covering all the G.I. Joe licensees and providing live video streams. Be sure to follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute coverage, photos, and notifications on when we'll be posting live video streams. If there's anything you'd like us to ask the Hasbro team or G.I. Joe Collectors' Club, let us know!

Archive: Snake Eyes - Ninja Commando (Renegades)

Snake Eyes was released in the summer of 2011 as part of the second 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.

Unfortunatley, Snake Eyes is one of a number of figures in the 30th Anniversary line that didn't receive their full compliment of accessories. When the 30th Anniversary figures were unveiled, Snake Eyes was displayed with an Arashikage Sword Stand and Ninja Grappling Hook. Hasbro later decided not to include these accessories with the figure, despite still mentioning them on the figure's Character I.D. card.

Comics: Snake Eyes #5

Snake Eyes #5 is best summed up as lackluster. I think this series is starting to fall into the trap where because Snake Eyes can't speak, he's getting fewer and fewer panels--and that's a shame.  It's ironic that in my last review (G.I. Joe #5) I gave kudos to IDW for doing a great job of intertwining characters and stories from other G.I. Joe series without taking the focus off the feature characters in their title books. After reading this issue, I'm tempted to take that statement back. This issue focuses mainly on Duke, Vargas, and other characters who are not Snake Eyes, the title character.

Art wise, again, I'm disappointed. Alberto Muriel is a decent artist, but you don't want a decent artist on a series like Snake Eyes, you want a great artist. I'd love to have Robert Atkins come back aboard on this series. For what should be the G.I. Joe universe equivalent of Wolverine, this issue should have been a lot better than it is. Snake Eyes #5 is highly disappointing.

Archive: Duke - Squad Leader (Renegades)

Duke was released in the summer of 2011 as part of the second 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.

G.I. Joe: Renegades' initial reception was lukewarm, at best. Following the adult-targeted and well-received G.I. Joe: Resolute animated series was a tough task, but Renegades grew on people as the series progressed. Unfortunately, like G.I. Joe: Resolute, G.I. Joe: Renegades had a short series stint, leaving many fans frustrated. Despite being non-committal about the future of  the series, Hasbro still released a number of Renegades-based figures, including Duke, which hit retailers a few months after the series' final episode aired.

Comics: G.I. Joe #5

If you're waiting on the trade of IDW's G.I. Joe series, you're missing out. The Cobra Civil War story line is getting too good to wait; way too good!

G.I. Joe #5 offers a good deal of story advancement and since I generally try to stay spoiler-free in our reviews, I'm going to tip-toe my way around so I don't reveal anything important. One thing that I love about the way the G.I. Joe series is being edited is that even though it's one giant over-arcing plot the writers do a great job of keeping the focus on the characters they're assigned to. For example, this issue features a few Cobra characters running amok, but in no way do they overshadow the Joe team or their story. The issue is very entertaining and as always, writer Chuck Dixon throws in a last-page shocker.

Sideshow Collectibles Reveals Crimson Guard 12-Inch Figure

Sideshow Collectibles has revealed the product gallery photos for their Crimson Guard, 12-inch, G.I. Joe figure. The Crimson Guard features its instantly recognizable helmet along with bayonet clad assault rifle and working, v-shaped backpack. The exclusive version of the Crimson Guard includes an alternate unmasked Siegie portrait (Fred series). Both versions will sell for $139.99 with a $14 non-refundable deposit required for orders of two or more.

Pre-orders for the Crimson Guard will be taken this Thursday, October 6 through a link provided in Sideshow's weekly newsletter, typically published between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. EST.

Sideshow Collectibles Reveals Urban Threat Environment

Sideshow Collectibles has revealed the product gallery photos for their G.I. Joe Urban Threat - 'Condition RED' 12-inch figure environment. Pre-orders for the Urban Threat environment will be taken this Thursday, October 6 through a link provided in Sideshow's weekly newsletter, typically published between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. EST. The Urban Threat environment is priced at $179.99.

Sky Striker Replacement Stickers Correct Hasbro's Flub

Tired of looking at that creased nosecone sticker on your 30th Anniversary Sky Striker? Cobra Stickers is gearing up to offer a set of replacement stickers--created specifically for the newly-released Sky Striker--which address flaws in the factory stickers. This includes the creasing on the nosecone sticker as well as the visibility and size issues with some of the tail fin stickers. The Modern replacement set will come pre-cut so you just peel and apply. Although they're not cheap ($22), they are a good alternative to the disappointing stickers included with the Sky Striker.

If you haven't had your fix of applying "No Step" stickers or you're looking for an alternative to Hasbro's sticker designs, be sure to check out Cobra Stickers' custom Classic and Low Visibility sets, as well.