What the what?

Okay, I realize it’s most likely because I’ve been in the process of packing and moving and being sheltered in my in-laws, but why am I not seeing or hearing more discussion about this?  Along with the Oktober Guard vs. Iron Grenadiers set from the 2012 G.I. Joe Convention, the collectors’ club also revealed their 12″ Adventure Team set in totality…

…and wow!

It certainly looks like the folks from the GIJCC are starting to make that final leap to tie in the Real American Hero continuity with the 12″ and Adventure Team continuity.  And I LOVES it.  Well, I would love it if I had the extra greenbacks to spend on it, but as it stands, I’ll simply love it from afar.

Many folks will remember that back in 2010, the Collectors’ Club added a 12″ Henchman to their convention set, which caused a mighty stir among both the Real American Hero and the 12″ crowd.  This Henchman was obviously an operative from MARS and represented the first “bad guy” to really be showcased in the old school 12″ scale.  Last year, the story was built upon a little bit more, and this year, the Collectors’ Club seems to be jumping in feet first, continuing their Adventure Team story, and once again showing off a MARS bad guy, with a distinctly familiar look to him!

Tell me that’s not Cobra.  Tell me the Collectors’ Club isn’t starting to connect even more dots between MARS and Cobra, and isn’t merging the 12″ universe with the Real American Hero one even further.  That is truly awesome stuff right there.

Another very cool aspect of the set is the whole mummy bandage “bio wrap” concept.  One of the great storylines from the old Adventure Team figure line involved a Mummy, and by making this interesting “Bio-Wrap” suit, the Collectors’ Club is paying great tribute to the old Mummy concept, yet still maintaining a somewhat realistic twist to it.  You can actually dress the MARS Trooper there in the Bio Wrap suit to simulate a mummy.

This set is pretty awesome.  So, obviously, as a Real American Hero fan, you can’t just check out the 3 3/4″ Convention Set on GIJoeCon.com, now you have to check out the 12″ set as well, as they ramp it up year after year, and now with Con Sets from 2010, 2011, and 2012, and with the Incentive Man of Evil figure, the Collectors’ Club has started establishing a terrific continuity that the 12″ universe hasn’t necessarily had.  I think it’s great.

New Orleans can’t get here soon enough!

Still showing no signs of slowing down, IDW has sent along the solicitations for August, 2012, including a slew of different G.I. Joe themed releases.  All titles seem to be continuing to go strong, including some reprints and the long awaited Field Manual.

Click the read the rest of the story link below to check out the full details.

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For G.I. Joe fans who have been following the property for only a few short years, this may come as a surprise, but believe it or not, there was a time, not very long ago, where Roadblock wasn’t a household name.  In fact, he wasn’t even on Hasbro’s radar.  A victim of lost trademarks, it seemed inevitable that Roadblock would simply fade from the consciousness of the G.I. Joe faithful and no longer be a major part of ongoing canon.

Sure didn’t turn out that way, huh?

I must give credit to long time Joe buddy Todd of Magnum 6 Delta for prompting me to put this post together, and considering the G.I. Joe: Retaliation motion picture on the horizon, and the potential for redefining the core characters of the Real American Hero brand, the timing couldn’t be better.  Click the “Read the Rest of this Story” link below to check out the full article.

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Running about a day late due to some work related craziness…  these books should both be hitting today.  Interesting to see G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #178 so shortly after issue #177 was released.

Check out the two previews below.

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G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #178

Larry Hama (w) • S L Gallant (a) • Herb Trimpe, Gallant (c)

Cobra is in trouble! The Blue Ninja clan has infiltrated COBRA’s american stronghold and, even with G.I. JOE’s help, they may not be able to stop the destruction. The leader of the Blue Ninjas, a mysterious cyborg that goes by the codename of BN-001, has arrived in Broca Beach as well. And when he goes after SNAKE EYES and BARONESS, his unmatched skills may finally be too much for the silent Arashikage warrior. Prepare for devastation in the newest issue of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Variant Covers:

• Larry Hama variant sketch cover!

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G.I. JOE 2: Retaliation Movie Prequel

John Barber (w) • Salvador Navarro & Atilio Rojo (a) • Salvador Navarro (c)

Snake Eyes and Roadblock. Perhaps the most dangerous of all the JOEs — their combination of stealth, cunning, power, and raw courage is nearly unmatched. Go figure, these two forces of might can’t always see eye-to-eye. But when Storm Shadow and his ninja enter the picture, these two JOEs will have to put aside their differences if they want to stop the enemy.

TPB • FC • $17.99 • 104 pages • ISBN 978-1-61377-203-4

Bullet points:

• Sets the stage for stars like Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson, Channing Tatum, Adrianne Palicki, and the RZA to explode into theaters this summer!

Yes, he is not a myth.  He is not a fairy tale.  Finally after almost 30 years, the engimatic Eskimo known only as Kwinn is finally on the precipice of release…and you can get your first look at in house pictures right now over on JoeDeclassified.com!

It seemed to take forever for Kwinn to finally get his plastic due in his most familiar jungle khaki look, but when he debuted a JoeCon last year it seemed to be worth the wait.  He was friggen perfect.  Then, suddenly he wasn’t.  Delays.  Nobody was entirely sure how or when the figure would see release.  There were rampant rumors of convention exclusives and even *gasp* cancellation.

Well, there is still no concrete word about the fate of Kwinn the Eskimo, but evidently the figure is in some stage of production, because Gyre-Viper has got some test shots, baby, and he’s posted them RIGHT HERE.  I am mirroring all of these images below because Kwinn deserves all the attention he gets.  A day like today I absolutely love the irony…on a day where we’re all waiting with baited breath to see the 21st Century iteration of G.I. Joe in trailer form, a dated 25 year old legend gets his time in the spotlight.

It is as it should be.  Hopefully we’ll all be able to get him at retail sooner rather than later, but until then, live vicariously through Gyre-Viper.

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Oh boy.  Gyre-Viper took the world by storm last week when he broke the news about the Dollar Store exclusive figures with a great vintage aesthetic.  Well, he’s about the blow the doors off again on JoeDeclassified.com.

Apparently these Dollar Store exclusive figures won’t just be appearing in one paint scheme…  check out this amazing new gallery below of fully repainted variant figures for the exclusive line!  We’ve got what almost looks like a T’Ginzu repaint Storm Shadow, a dark gray Duke, black Cobra Commander, comic deco Cobra Troopers, a green Shipwreck, and a pseudo Heavy Artillery Snake Eyes (from an old school Toys “R” Us Exclusive set).

Mind.  Blown.

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And hey…look at those last few pictures.  Looks like ole Gyre-Viper has something else in the wings for us.  And if it’s in that stage of completion, I’d say release is almost guaranteed.

Ohhhhh yeeeeeeaah.

It’s official.  This is the week of G.I. Joe.

Well look at that!  Over on HissTank.com Snakefox is reporting that he was able to score a case of the much sought after “Dollar Store” G.I. Joe figures at a local retailer in the  Philippines.

This is great news for Joe fans, as many of us have been drooling over these figures since they were first revealed just a week ago.  Snakefox reports that they are “3-4 dollars cheaper” than regular retail G.I. Joe figures.  Check out the discovery thread right here and look at the mirrored images below.

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Topping off the frenzy he started earlier this week with the revelation of the “Dollar Store” assortment of vintage themed figures, Gyre-Viper has now posted carded images for these figures!  Check them all out on JoeDeClassified.com.

Don’t forget to hit up the DeClass thread right here as well for the initial reveal, as well as some additional intel I was able to gather about these figures right here.  If you want to stay right on top of all of these reveals, make sure you’re following Gyre-Viper on Twitter.

Wow, this is a very pleasant surprise.  The G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club notified us all last week that the Footloose figures were now shipping, and HissTank user Blot has received his!  How did someone in England receive their figure before everyone in the US?  I have no idea, but the best news is that Blot took some nice pictures of Footloose, and I’ll be damned.  He’s got the ball joint wrists!

I don’t believe we’ve seen those in any previous image.  An awesome addition by the Club and the figure is looking even cooler now.  Check out a couple of mirrored images below, take a look at HissTank.com for the rest, but most importantly keep your eye on those mailboxes!  Footloose incoming!

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With the latest whirlwind of IDW news, many of us were pretty concerned about the potential fate of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic.  Well, thankfully, according to Larry Hama himself on Facebook, it seems like this comic will still be around for a while, which brings a huge smile to my face.

New comic day hits tomorrow, so we’ve got a 5-Page preview for you right here!

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G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #177

Larry Hama (w) • Ron Frenz and Sal Buscema (a) • Herb Trimpe, Frenz (c)

The stakes are higher than ever! Cobra Commander has discovered the danger in the midst of Broca Beach, and has begun his preparations to face off against the Blue Ninjas. Meanwhile, DUKE, SCARLETT and STALKER split off on their own from G.I. JOE in order to head to Broca Beach. And with SNAKE EYES and BARONESS en route as well, this could be the showdown to end all showdowns. Prepare for the final confrontation in G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #177!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Variant covers:

Larry Hama variant sketch cover cover!

Bullet points:                                                                                             

• Featuring stunning art from industry legends Ron Frenz and Sal Buscema!