Honoring the Real American Heroes

In observance of Memorial Day, the aRealAmericanHero.com team wanted to take the opportunity to acknowledge the real American heroes--the fallen soldiers who fought valorously protecting their country. It's because of these patriots that we enjoy the freedoms we have today and we are grateful for their sacrifice. Yo Joe!

Archive: Storm Shadow - Cobra Ninja (Arctic Threat)

Storm Shadow 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 Arctic Threat mission theme, the G.I. Joe team breaks into a Cobra manufacturing plant--in Greenland--hiding a powerful new Cobra technology.

Storm Shadow features a button-activated whirlwind kick. The whirlwind kick is activated by twisting the figure clockwise 360 degrees at the waist. A click confirms the figure is in a locked position, ready to be released. Pressing a button at the figure's side quickly twists the figure back around, counterclockwise, performing the action feature. The action feature, surprisingly, does resemble a whirlwind kick because the speed of the rotation sends Storm Shadow's legs upward, giving the illusion of a spinning kick. Despite the kick feature, Storm Shadow's sculpt doesn't suffer from the abnormal bulk commonly associated with action features, since the button is relatively small and inconspicuous.

G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Corrects Subscription Service Details

The Official G.I. Joe Collectors' Club has issued a correction, via Twitter, on the duration of their upcoming subscription service. The subscription service will run for six months, not 12 months as originally stated. Subscribers will receive two, 25th anniversary-style figures mailed to them every month--including a bonus figure--for a total of 13 figures. The verbiage suggests that non-subscribers will have the opportunity to order  figures, so we've inquired for clarification. You can follow the Collectors' Club on Twitter at @The_GIJCC.

Comics: Cobra #1

Let's be honest, the G.I. Joe team always beats Cobra. In the comic book world, however, Cobra may have just won the battle. Released this week, Cobra #1 is, from start to finish, everything you could want in a comic book featuring almost exclusively all villains. It's very easy--and the norm now--for comics starring villains to portray them as misunderstood heroes to generate reader sympathy. That is not the case here. There's no mistaking that the Cobra agents are evil and will pull out all the stops to claim the ultimate prize; becoming the new Cobra Commander. Writer Mike Costa handles the story very well, while throwing in a ton of nice--OK not really nice--character moments. Antonio Fuso's art really hits it with this book. The only drawback? IDW's G.I. Joe series is required reading to get the full story of what's going on in this issue.

VERDICT: Buy it!

Archive: Dusty - Desert Combat Specialist (Desert Battle)

Dusty was released in the fall of 2010 as part of the second 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.

Helmets have been a staple of the G.I. Joe toy line since its inception in 1982, but advances in the 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe body have allowed Hasbro's design team to take advantage of easily removable heads to replace bulky looking helmets with alternate head sculpts. In the case of Dusty, Hasbro made use of both a helmet and alternate head. Dusty's signature helmet and goggles fit the character portrait snugly, but the head wrap, cap and visor combination would be difficult to achieve as a helmet--especially one to scale with the figure's body--making an alternate head sculpt an ideal solution. What's more, the alternate head lends well for use as a generic desert trooper.

Archive: Firefly - Cobra Saboteur (City Strike)

Firefly was released in the summer of 2010 as part of the first 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.

Firefly can be displayed as both an updated interpretation of the classic baklava-masked saboteur--as portrayed in the A Real American Hero canon--or as modern, urban, demolitions expert by using the included armored vest, arm shields, and alternate, armor-masked head.

G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Joins Twitter

The Official G.I. Joe Collectors' Club is now on Twitter and their first batch of tweets details the upcoming G.I. Joe figure subscription service. Subscribers to the service receive two, 25th anniversary-style figures mailed to them every other month--including a bonus figure--for a total of 13 figures. The Club included a detailed Twitpic of Quarrel, which was revealed earlier this year at G.I. JoeCon, along with the Cobra Nano-B.A.T.  You can follow the Collectors' Club @The_GIJCC.