I’ve been sitting on this vehicle for a while, really trying to figure out what I thought about it and where I’d take the review…should I overlook the size issues and just focus on the design and aesthetics?  That was my initial plan, but I finally decided that the size issues are just too…well… “big” to overlook.

So what’s the end result?  Check out the Rise of Cobra Review Page or simply hit up the link below to see what I think.

• Dragonhawk XH1 w/ Wild Bill

If there is any one grouping of G.I. Joe items that I’ve been lax in reviewing, it’s been the vehicles.  There are numerous reasons for that, but I don’t need to get into them all here…the important thing is, I’m trying to make up for that oversight.  And no, I’m not just talking about Rip Attack!

Posted up in the Rise of Cobra Review Page are some long overdue reviews for the Mantis Attack Craft w/ Aqua Viper Officer and the Snarler Motorcycle w/ Rollbar and Beachhead.

Check ‘em out!

So with the recent unfortunate news about G.I. Joe: Renegades, I thought I’d take a step back in time and explore some other recent unfortunate G.I. Joe events.  Of course, you say the word “unfortunate” to most G.I. Joe fans these days, and the first thing they think of is The Rise of Cobra.

Keep in mind I didn’t buy these things when they were $15 a pop, but when they started hitting clearance, I decided to check them out.   You can hit the Rise of Cobra reviews page, or just check out the links directly below:

• Rise of Cobra Jet Storm Cycle w/ Snake Eyes
• Rise of Cobra Tiger Snake w/ Street Viper

Yes, the trip in the way back machine continues as I look back and try to fill in some holes from the G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and 25th Anniversary era.  Today, the victim is Arctic Snake Eyes.  Check out the Rise of Cobra Review Page, or just hit up the review itself right here.

So, having a lull in product means I jump in my way back machine!  This time around, I’m reviewing the G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Skysweeper Jet w/ Air Raid.  A Firebat repaint and retool, this little plane packs a big punch.

Check out the review on my Rise of Cobra Review Page, or just click here.

Stay tuned, because I’ll be doing quite a few more “old school” reviews over the next little while as we wait for more new product to hit.

I know my reviews have slacked a bit, but only because I couldn’t find these items in stores!  Finally got my hands on what I wanted, though, and the most in depth reviews you’ll find anywhere have been posted to the Rise of COBRA Review Page!  Also, follow the links below.

• The Baroness (Paris Pursuit)
• Pit Commando

Two VERY cool figures.  Awesome additions to the already impressive Rise of COBRA library.

Good?  Great?  Somewhere in between?

I’ve gotta spend a few minutes setting up the scene.  Last night was an adventure and a half.  The three plus hour drive to Warwick, Rhode Island was mostly uneventful, though I did hit some Targets on the way down and got myself some Wave 3 troop builders…  but no Pit Commandos, dammit.  However, once the Charity Screening event started, it was just that…an event!  Mingling in the crowd with so many other folks from the general public as well as Hasbro people, Stephen Sommers, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, media folks, and yes, Rachel Nichols, was an amazing spectacle.  Something a small town boy like me doesn’t get to experience very often.

Perhaps it was the high from the event itself, or perhaps it was because I was in the front of the theater on a monster screen, but the film was..well…it was nuts.  Tons of action, lots of stuff happening all at once, yet not too much to keep track of.  My head was sorta swimming a bit, but now that I’ve had some time to mull it over, I’m ready to post my review(s).

Yeah, I did two of them.  How lame is that?  A lot of the info in the two is the same, but I’ve separated them into a “Spoiler Free” version and a “Spoiler Full” version.  You can choose which path you take.  A word of warning, the Spoiler Full one has a LOT more detail, because, obviously, being able to talk about character specifics and specific events helps me to flesh out the review a bit better.

I knew it was going to be a good night when Stephen Sommers stood in front of the crowd and said “If you have to use the rest room, use it now, because there won’t be time to do it when the film starts”.

He was right.

• G.I. Joe: The Rise of COBRA Review (Pick your poison)

GeneralsJoes guest reviewer Carlos chimes in again, this time with a review of the Wave 1 Neo-Viper.  You can also check out the review page here.

These four hour sleep nights are catching up to me, but I’ve got four more reviews done and posted on the Reviews Page.  The reviews are as follows:

• Agent Helix
• Anthony “Flash” Gambello
• General Hawk (Attack on the Pit)
• Storm Shadow (Arctic Assault)

I’ve still got a small pile of figures and a ton of vehicles to wade through, so they’ll keep coming, but don’t be surprised if the pace slows down, at least a little bit.  If folks are wondering why so many of these initial reviews are, for the most part, really positive, it’s because I’m doing my favorite stuff first.  You’ll see reviews with a bit more balance coming down the pipe…especially when I get to Snake Eyes v.1. 

I’ll warn you right up front…  the Rise of COBRA reviews are going to be pretty frenetic as I kind of scoop up figures here and there, but for better or worse, the first five figure reviews are uploaded now!  Check out the brand spanking new Rise of COBRA Reviews Page with links to all of the reviews I’ve posted so far:

• The Baroness
• Destro
• Shipwreck
• Scarlett (Reactive Armor)
• Sgt. Stone

Overall, I’m quite impressed.  There are plenty of kinks to still work out, but by and large, these figures have retained the increased mobility and articulation of the Anniversary figures, but are infinitely more “playable”, the feel more durable, and more interactive.  All the benefits of the Anniversary styling, with a fraction of the drawbacks from a “toy” perspective.  Yeah…I’m definitely impressed.

I think once Hasbro kinds of burns through the typical Reactive Armor look and the various shades of blacks and grays, the design aesthetic could get VERY cool, and I think the best is still to come.  I’ll be looking forward to it, and I’ll be looking forward to doing the reviews for it.