Comics: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #175

Written by Larry Hama with art by SL Gallant, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #175 continues to explore who, or what, are the mysterious Blue Ninjas. In three separate, but parallel missions, the Arashikage ninjas, Cobra Commander, and the Baroness each pursue leads to enact vengeance against Billy's killers.

First In-Hand Look at G.I. Joe: Retaliation Figures

G.I. Joe news super-site GeneralsJoes is offering the first in-hand look at some of Hasbro's upcoming G.I. Joe: Retaliation figures. Starting today with Kamakura, the site will showcase several items they acquired--prior to this summer's retail release--over the next few days. Citing fan concerns over articulation and design in the Retaliation line as the motivation for posting the photo reviews early, GeneralsJoes hopes to inform collectors about what they can expect from the upcoming movie line. Be sure to keep an eye on GeneralsJoes.com throughout the week for updates.

G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Offers Mail-In Membership Option

The G.I. Joe Collectors' Club has pulled the plug on its e-commerce system, temporarily, after a security breach left dozens of victims dealing with the aftermath of credit card fraud. The timing is unfortunate because it leaves a number of the club's services--such as its Figure Subscription Service and G.I. JoeCon 2012 registration process--in limbo for the time being.  In addition, the March 16 deadline for membership sign ups / renewals to qualify for the 2012 member exclusive Footloose figure is quickly approaching. While the Collectors' Club works to resolve the e-commerce issues, it's offering a PDF mail-in option for those looking to sign up / renew their membership in time to qualify for the exclusive Footloose figure. The membership fee must be paid by check or money order and the club suggests having your letter postmarked by March 9, to ensure processing by the March 16 deadline.

Comics: G.I. Joe #9

Hot off the heels from the Cobra Civil War event, G.I. Joe #9 (written by Chuck Dixon with art by Alex Cal) begins the first chapter in the next stage of the Joe/Cobra conflict: Cobra Command.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Commercial Airs During Daytona 500

Rain may have postponed today's Daytona 500 to Monday, for the first time in history, but the weather didn't dampen Paramount's newest G.I. Joe: Retaliation television spot. The 30-second commercial is the second to air on television during a major sporting event following the studio's Super Bowl spot, earlier this month. While much of the footage in the new spot has been seen previously, there are a few new shots peppered into the cut.

Comics: Snake Eyes #9

In this second chapter of Cobra Command, Snake Eyes #9 follows the title character and his team as they infiltrate deep into Cobra territory. Meanwhile, Storm Shadow becomes aware of Snake Eye's presence.

Get Your What's On Joe Mind Fix

The guys behind G.I. Joe fancast What's on Joe Mind? have gone on a recording bender! Besides their usual weekly episode the team has put together two special edition episodes, this week, for your listening pleasure. Episode 42 covers the sights and sounds of Toy Fair, while Special Edition Episode 7 features an interview with the visionary behind G.I. Joe, Larry Hama. If that wasn't enough, Special Edition Episode 8 offers a look at G.I. Joe collecting from an different perspective--the perspective of the significant other. Be sure to give the newest episodes a listen by visiting What's on Joe Mind on podbean.

Comics: Cobra #9

In Costa and Cal's Cobra #9, the Joes continue their strike at Cobra forces inside Nanzhao. However, it may all be for nothing when Joe Intelligence comes to realize what the real purpose of the Cobra invasion was truly for.

Comics: G.I. Joe: Retaliation Movie Prequel #1

In anticipation to this summer's blockbuster, IDW gives us G.I. Joe: Retaliation Movie Prequel. Written by John Barber and art by Salvador Navarro, we learn that the upcoming movie won't be the first encounter the Joes have had with the Red Ninjas...

Archive: Quick Kick - Martial Arts Expert (City Strike)

Quick Kick 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 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 you think of adversaries in the G.I. Joe mythos the rivalry between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow ranks among the most intense. As well documented as their conflict is now, Snake Eyes' inability to speak made conveying that rivalry to kids watching the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero animated series a challenge. To remedy this, writers first pitted Spirit and later Quick Kick against Storm Shadow. Through in-battle dialog, Storm Shadow's character was developed and his honorable nature and inner strife were revealed, something that couldn't have be done easily with a silent Snake Eyes.

Comics: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #174

In G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #174 (written by Larry Hama with art by S. L. Gallant), the Joes and the former Oktober Guard face overwhelming odds in Benzheen while the both the Joe ninjas and Cobra Commander investigate deeper into the secrets of the Blue Ninjas.

Comics: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #173

Larry Hama continues to mine classic stories from the Marvel run as he re-introduces the former Oktober Guard in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #173. Meanwhile, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, investigating the Blue Ninjas, recruits an unlikely ally in their quest.

G.I. Joe Renegades Follow Up In the Works

Great news Renegades fans! We've received word from a trusted source that a follow-up to the Hub's G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series is in the works. While we can't confirm if the season/series is in preliminary discussions or in development, we can verify aspirations to establish the new season/series as a continuation to the first season of Renegades and the plan to continue using Clément Sauvé's animation style. Despite some reports that Renegades underperformed, our source (who our twitter friend @twitziller is jokingly referring to as Deep-Six Throat) says Renegades actually did quite well.

Toy Fair 2012: It's A Wrap

Toy Fair 2012 is a wrap. Our photo gallery of Hasbro's showroom from their collector/media event 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 of the G.I. Joe: Retaliation line surprised those of us who expected a movie-centric line aimed solely at kids. Sure the figures do include giant projectile firing gimmicks, but the design and marketing teams at Hasbro continue to build on the collector-friendly aesthetics and characters that made the Pursuit of Cobra and 30th Anniversary lines popular among longtime collectors.

G.I Joe: Retaliation Cast Visits Hasbro's Toy Fair Gallery

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Adrianne Palicki and D.J. Cotrona, stars of this summer's G.I. Joe sequel, made a guest appearance at Hasbro's Toy Fair gallery over the weekend. Joined by G.I. Joe: Retaliation director Jon M. Chu, the trio got a first-hand look at their likenesses as immortalized in plastic by the Hasbro design team, as well as the other merchandise Hasbro has on display at their Toy Fair gallery. Notice Cotrona's badge on the last photo in the image gallery, which reads "Hasbro Movie Preview Night."

A No Kwinn Situation

What a difference a few months makes. During our New York Comic Con 2011 coverage, we uncovered Hasbro's plan to offer Inuit mercenary Kwinn as their G.I. Joe exclusive figure for New York Comic Con 2012. We've now learned that Hasbro will not be attending New York Comic Con 2012, leaving Kwinn unaccounted for, for the time being. We're hoping G.I. JoeCon 2012 brings some resolution to this "no Kwinn situation."

Toy Fair 2012 Hasbro Showroom Photos

Even though they revealed a majority of their 2012 G.I. Joe line leading up to Toy Fair, Hasbro still had plenty of surprises on hand at their annual collector/media event. With 50 figures (includes vehicle drivers) planned for 2012, the first wave of G.I. Joe: Retaliation figures was just an appetizer for Hasbro's main course, which comes in the form of subsequent waves of both movie accurate and "off screen" character-comprised waves.

Streaming Live From Toy Fair

Our live streaming video coverage from Toy Fair starts today at around 1 p.m. EDT! Once again, follow our Tweets for updates and keep an eye on the video player above (or directly on our Qik page) to catch the latest real-time video streams from the show (we'll tweet 5 minutes before we stream). In the meantime, you can enjoy some of our previous live streams from our 2010 coverage.

Our Toy Fair Coverage Begins Saturday Afternoon

Our Toy Fair coverage kicks off this Saturday with a first look at Hasbro's G.I. Joe lineup starting at around 1 p.m. EDT. We'll be tweeting, taking photos, recording video streams and asking your questions for Hasbro live  from the showroom floor. Be sure to follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute coverage and notifications on when we'll be "going live" with video streams and taking your questions for the Hasbro team.

Comics: Snake Eyes #8

Written by Chuck Dixon with art by Casey Maloney, Snake Eyes #8 concludes this series' chapter in the Cobra Civil War as Snake Eyes, Duke, Kwinn, and Lighthorse race to find a cure for the Madness Virus before Cobra Vipers can stop them.

Hasbro G.I. Joe Retaliation Figures - A Closer Look

When Hasbro pulled the curtain on their G.I. Joe: Retaliation lineup, today, it surprised many collectors who expected they'd have to wait until Toy Fair, next week, for a full reveal. While the news was exciting, the small photo sizes on Hasbro's Web site left much to be desired. The big guns came out this afternoon (literally and figuratively), however, with large, hi-resolution photos, courtesy of Hasbro's PR firm.

Hasbro Reveals G.I. Joe: Retaliation Lineup

The cat's out of the bag! Hasbro has updated the G.I. Joe section of their Web site revealing a majority of their 2012 G.I. Joe: Retaliation lineup, including figures, battle packs, vehicles and role-play items. Also shown are Hasbro's San Diego Comic-Con 2012 exclusive figures--Kim Arashikage (Jinx) clad in both an updated classically-inspired, red shinobi shozoko and an un-masked variant wearing a white--and vehicle--a Transformers cross-over Shockwave / Hiss Tank v5. Hasbro teases that 14 items are yet to be revealed, one of which can be deduced to be a Joe Colron figure based on the on-page description that reads "...including an all-new, super-heroic take on ROADBLOCK, as well as JOE COLTON, the original founder of the G.I. JOE team."

Comics: Snake Eyes #7

Written by Chuck Dixon with art by Casey Maloney, Snake Eyes #7 tracks Snake Eyes, Duke, Kwinn, and Lighthorse to Albania pursuing an antidote for a biological weapon that is killing millions in Africa...and one Joe.

Archive: Law & Order - Police K-9 Unit (G.I. Joe: Renegades)

Law & Order were released in the winter of 2011 as part of the fourth 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 retail version of Law has some noticable differences when compared to the prototype revealed at G.I. JoeCon 2011. These differences give us some insight on how design changes impact the figure production process and are quite fascinating when analyzed. If you look closely at the prototype, you'll notice that while  the upper half of Law's design remains the same, the lower half differs. Not only are the legs a different color, but they use an entirely different tooling, which includes a holster. This may explain why the flashlight and walkie-talkie (that would have presumably fit into the hole a on the back, lower, left side of Law's vest) were omiitted in favor of the additional pistol with suppressor. While it's safe to assume that cost-cutting played a role in the omission of the alternate balaclava-masked head, it's also a good bet that the "MP" designation first shown printed on Law's face shield was moved to his helmet to keep the aesthetic closer in appearance to the 1987 figure.

USA Today Offers First Look at Hasbro's G.I. Joe Retaliation Figures

With Toy Fair quickly approaching, USA Today gives us a first look at some of the G.I. Joe: Retaliation figures Hasbro will have on display in New York, in a little over a week. The sneak peek includes a slideshow with figures of Roadblock, Cobra Commander, Cobra Trooper, Duke, G.I. Joe Trooper, Red Ninja, Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow and Zartan. The aesthetic is similar to the direction we've seen Hasbro take with the final two waves of the 30th Anniversary line. The figures have realistic qualities to them with lots of natural drapes and folds in the fabric sculpt, as well as nods to pop culture reference like the G.I. Joe Trooper, who could easily serve as Spartan alongside Halo's Master Chief. Toy Fair runs February 12-15, with our coverage beginning on February 11.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Super Bowl Spot Premiers Before the Big Game

It might be one of the most expensive G.I. Joe advertisements ever, despite running only 30 seconds, but the G.I. Joe: Retaliation television spot that will appear during the Super Bowl, this Sunday, will be seen by millions of eyes worldwide. If you can't wait until Sunday to see it, you can catch it now on the iTunes Movie Trailers site or mirrored on YouTube. It's worth noting that at the six second mark, you can see what appears to be our first glimpse of Firefly wearing his balaclava.

Comics: Snake Eyes #6

Written by Chuck Dixon and art by Casey Maloney, Snake Eyes #6 follows Snake Eyes and Duke in a race against time to find an antidote for a lethal biological weapon developed by Dr. Vargas, a candidate for the Cobra Commander position. This issue introduces a much-beloved character from the Marvel run into the IDW universe.