Okay, I think we’ve got ‘em all now!

As of this moment, we have posters for all mentioned G.I. Joe: Retaliation characters, to include:

• Joe Colton
• Roadblock
• Duke
• Lady Jaye
• Snake Eyes
• Jinx
• Cobra Commander
• Storm Shadow

Several different film sites around the web broadcasted these images, though I’ll be honest, it was a bit tough tracking them all.  They seem to kind of scatter like the wind and they weren’t all found where they were supposed to be found!  I know that there were sites that were supposed to debut these, which got trumped a bit by StarkIndustries.ru, which is a bit of a shame, but expect much better quality images as the day goes on.

For now, check out the full and complete gallery below.

[View with PicLens]

Special thanks to SamsAllSpark from the MS GIJoe Collectors Club for his assistance as well!

A while ago we reported on a rumor that Amazon.com was going to release a “Preview” pack of G.I. Joe: Retaliation figures prior to launch of the main retail figure line.  Well, ever since we have heard almost no new information whatsoever, so I think many fans are kind of assuming this has fallen by the wayside.

Well, not so much.

Images have emerged of the box for the rumored Amazon.com Preview 4-Pack, though they’re calling it a “Premiere Pack”.  The rumored figures of Roadblock, Cobra Commander, Snake Eyes, and Storm Shadow all appear to be intact.

The most interesting thing about the box art, though, is that Cobra Commander is distinctly movie-accurate (unlike the single pack figure).  Perhaps this is where the black Cobra Commander will appear?  Information is sparse, but for now, enjoy the (sort of small) box images below.

[View with PicLens]

The G.I. Joe: Retaliation theme week continues over at Carded Heroes, with the focus today turning to Cobra Commander!  A very cool new design aesthetic, even though it doesn’t appear to be entirely movie accurate.

Check out a few of the mirrored images below, but make sure to hit up Carded Heroes to check out the full review and all of the assorted images.

[View with PicLens]

So with big thanks to Gyre Viper and JoeDeClassified, we got a very nice look at some potential upcoming figures to be released this year.  With much of the focus being placed on the G.I. Joe: Retaliation movie line, this figure assortment (which contains some very old school classic deco’s) sort of came out of left field and has many fans scratching their heads.

Well, looking to find some answers, I asked around a little bit to see what I could find.

A reliable source tells me that these figures are themed as a low price-point assortment, mostly targeted for Dollar Stores.  The idea of the assortment was to take some of the well known core characters and get them into retail outlets, but to do it in interesting ways, and ways that existing tooling would allow.

With the idea of paint applications, apparently some decisions had to be made for cost purposes, and even though a figure like Cobra Commander looks to be somewhat bland, he has the same paint apps as anyone else, they’re just applied differently.  As far as paint applications go, too, each paint app adds cost to the overall product, so to keep pricing low, the number of different paint applications also had to be kept low. While the price has yet to be revealed, we can expect to see these priced lower than the mainline items.

Release dates are uncertain, but we should expect to see these hit Dollar Stores this summer.

Obviously at this point, these details could be subject to change, but I consider this information to be extremely reliable.  Again, to see some images of these figures, check out JoeDeClassified.com.

If nothing else this assortment brings a certain enlightenment to me.  Ever since its release, I’ve always hated the Ninja Force Storm Shadow.  I wasn’t entirely sure why, but it’s clear to me now.  I think the design and the limited articulation of the original figure significantly impacted my overall opinion of the uniform itself.  Seeing this similar design on a much better base figure really gives new light to the look of the figure in a way I didn’t appreciate back in the 90′s.  It’s amazing that after 15 or so years, taking old school deco’s and applying them to newer figures can still bring things to light after all this time.

A great looking assortment, and great news about them potentially hitting discount and dollar stores.  Hopefully there’s more still to come!

Thanks to GeneralsJoes Twitter buddy Twitziller who reports that a strange version of the G.I. Joe: Retaliation Cobra Commander has emerged on eBay.  This particular figure is in various shades of black instead of blue, but otherwise appears to be the same figure as the single packed version.

This could lead to some hypothesis that there are other G.I. Joe: Retaliation figures that we have yet to see…perhaps this is part of some store exclusive set or later release this year?  Check out the eBay auction here, and the mirrored image is below.

[View with PicLens]

At least in my neck of the woods, Sears isn’t a place you normally check to find toys.  Because of that, I’m thankful that skywarpped from HissTank.com was perusing Sears.com and stumbled upon some G.I. Joe: Retaliation listings.

Granted, none of the figures are actually in stock yet, but there are a trio of images and some information at the very least.  Possibly the coolest part of these listings is the Flash-based magnifying system which really lets you get some nice close up looks at these figures.  Definitely check out the listings themselves for all of those nice little details.

See the lack of ankle articulation and permanently affixed Battle Kata in crystal clear HD!

• Roadblock
• Cobra Commander
• Duke

[View with PicLens]

Along with the good news about the store software and membership deadline extension, the G.I. Joe Collectors Club also posted a nice little snippet on GIJoeClub.com!  While we did see some packaged mock ups at Toy Fair this year, this is the first time we’re seeing a packaged sample of Cobra Commander on the G.I. Joe: Retaliation card.

I’ve posted a small thumbnail below, but definitely hit up GIJoeClub.com for the full image!

Just wanted to post up a reminder…  Robert Atkins is still accepting votes for his Cobra Commander custom contest over on his Blogspot page!  There are a number of great suggestions there with something for everyone.

Modern era, o-ring, even 12″ formats are all represented, which is awesome.  Shame on you customizers for not bringing in a Sigma 6 version.  :shifty:

In all seriousness, the offerings are all great, Robert is an awesome guy (and an awesome artist) and even if you’re not going to vote, go check out the entries.

I’ve been talking about it for a little while now, and now you can vote in it!

A short while ago, Robert Atkins (artist extraordinaire for IDW’s G.I. Joe and Snake Eyes titles) decided to hold a contest for the best custom version of his updated Cobra Commander design…and the fans have come through!

With a very nice selection of several different figures in many different formats, there are some great choices for the best custom version of this new Cobra Commander!  You can view all of the entries on Robert Atkins page right here.

I’m torn.  A lot of beautiful work here…  but I gotta say I’m pretty partial to Troy’s version, which even included a mock up of the packaging and a Krake head that can be swapped out!  It’s really gorgeous.

Although I absolutely love that Chad and Matt went the o-ring route, and Sidewinder’s 12″ version is truly inspired as well.

Some tough choices here.  Go vote!

Over on his Ryalltime blog, IDW Editor Chris Ryall has taken three separate covers from Kelsey Shannon, which are on G.I. Joe #11, Snake Eyes #11, and Cobra #11, and combined them into one large image.

It is… stunning.  Seriously.  This is one heck of an awesome piece of artwork.  I love the new Cobra Commander design, I love the face off between the Joes and the Cobra’s.  This is just fantastic.

Check out Chris Ryall’s blog, and take a peek at the mirrored image below.  Try not to drool.