Even if you’re not an IDW fan, I really hope you’re spending some time at Robert Atkin’s blog, because he has been knocking it out of the park recently with some great insight and preview artwork for his upcoming stint on Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow.  But as good as his posts have been, they almost pale in comparison to what he released today.

Again, this is all from a comic artist point of view, but this is an amazing look into the process of designing a G.I. Joe character and it’s pretty astounding just how much thought and behind the scenes detail work goes into it.   Atkins spends two fairly long blog posts going into pretty much every angle and every part of the inspiration for the updated uniform for Snake Eyes in the IDW comic.  Part G.I. Joe: Resolute, part G.I. Joe: Renegades, and part real world military, Atkins does some incredible documenting of the build up to this Snake Eyes design.

It is really, really awesome.  Even if you’re not big into comics, or big into IDW, this is the kind of thought process that most folks use when creating these figures, and I cannot thank Robert enough for spending some time outlining it.  Some great art, some great ideas, and it’s really terrific seeing the process fleshed out like this.

Check out the links below to get the whole lowdown on the updated IDW Snake Eyes design!

• Snake Eyes Design, Part 1
• Snake Eyes Design, Part 2

As great as the recent IDW Cobra Command story arc has been, and as well suited to the story Alex Cal’s artwork has been, a big part of me really misses Robert Atkins’ work on a G.I. Joe title.  Well, thankfully that problem gets rectified very shortly!

With Atkins slated to return to the art chores for Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow starting with issue #13 and I couldn’t be more excited.  And as if I wasn’t fired up enough already, Robert updated his blog with some art for the issue.  This includes the cover and interior art for one of the pages inside!  Oooh boy this looks awesome.

Check out the links below for the various blog posts:

• Snake Eyes #13 Cover B
• Snake Eyes vs….

Yes, I know I’m a bit behind the 8 ball on this one, time has been tight…  but I figured I couldn’t very well review Snake Eyes #11, covering Cobra Command Part 8 unless I covered Cobra Command Part 7 first!

That’s how much I’m enjoying this storyline…trying to make every effort to review every part of it.

Go ahead and click the Read the Rest of the Story link below to check out the full review.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tomorrow is Wednesday, which any self-respecting geek knows is “new comic day” and the new G.I. Joe comic hitting local comic shops tomorrow is Snake Eyes #11!  Part 8 of Cobra Command, we’re nearing the end of this great 9-part series, and things are heating up.

Check out the 5 page preview below.

[View with PicLens]

Snake Eyes Ongoing #11

Chuck Dixon (w) • Alex Cal (a) • Dave Wilkins, Robert Atkins (c)

The Commander demands satisfaction! COBRA’s war on a helpless sovereign nation roars toward its conclusion. Snake Eyes is alone against the Red Ninjas led by Storm Shadow in the Temple of the Bells as weapons of mass destruction fall over Nanzhao. The Joes are in jeopardy at a border crossing against a squadron of B.A.T.s. Storm Shadow offers Snake Eyes a devil’s deal; the key to the heart of COBRA. Will the most dangerous Joe accept?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Variant covers:

David Williams interconnected cover!

Bullet points:                                                                                             

• PART 8 of Cobra Command!

As we lead up to G.I. Joe: Retaliation, IDW isn’t letting up on their G.I. Joe themed releases!

They’ve just revealed their Soliciations for June, 2012, and you can check them out after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

Listeners to the What’s on Joe Mind podcast and readers of this site know that Robert Atkins, IDW artist extraordinaire, has been over in the UK as an official guest of Roll Out Roll Call 3, a G.I. Joe and Transformers Convention over the pond in Southampton.

Well, just because he’s been busy with convention duties doesn’t mean he hasn’t had time to update the blog…in fact, he’s posted some great commission pieces featuring everyone’s favorite Cobra saboteur!  The blog posts are below, with gorgeous Firefly commissions intact, as well as some Red Shadows goodies.

• Those Brits do love their Firefly…
• Still Across the pond…
• Robert Atkins Art…the UK Edition
• Red Shadows

Now I mention all of this keeping in mind that Robert it also in the midst of an exciting Kickstarter campaign for a project entitled Elders of the Runestone.  Any fans of his art will certainly appreciate this project!

Robert also sends along the following words:

“Im not taking commissions until the summer, but this is the loop hole. If people pledge for a commission as a reward they can sneak in on the list and get a full cover like commission of any character they choose. “

So, yes, he has closed commissions until summer, but if you pledge for a commission, you’re good to go.  Check the Kickstarter page right here, and let’s all do our part to support one not only the best IDW artists out there, but a big Joe fan and a hell of a nice guy to boot.  I’ve also linked the Kickstarter page below.

• Kickstarter – Elders of the Runestone

I was pretty vocal last year about the first go-round with Infestation…I really wasn’t sure how IDW would make it work.  Sure, infusing Zombies from an alternate universe into their more supernatural tales could potentially work, but how would you do that with G.I. Joe?

Turns out they did it pretty darn well, and I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed the issue.  Now, by this point, Zombies are practically an embraced part of G.I. Joe lore, with the Zombie-Vipers being one of the more popular figures in recent 30th Anniversary assortments, so it would seem they could even tie in more easily than they did previously.  IDW continues to branch out in their Infestation stories, though, and this time around seems to go even further over the deep end, jumping head first into Lovecraft and Cthulu territory.

Now, they managed to integrate Zombies pretty well last year…but demons?  Supernatural entities out of fantasy movies and nightmares?  How is that even possible in the G.I. Joe world?

Click the Read the Rest of this Entry link below…you just might be surprised.

Read the rest of this entry »

The original Infestation series surprised me with how much I enjoyed it, especially considering the somewhat supernatural twist to the story.  Based on what I’m seeing so far with this preview, I think I may end up feeling the same way here.  How can you not love the Cobra Insane Asylum being nicknamed “Cobra La” and featuring characters like Gristle, Raptor, and Cesspool?  I mean come ON.

So far looking pretty fun and pretty “out there”.  Can’t wait to check it out on Wednesday, but for now, here’s the 5 Page Preview below.

[View with PicLens]

Infestation 2: G.I. Joe #1 (of 2)

Mike Raicht (w) • Valentine De Landro (a) De Landro, Livio Ramondelli (c)

Cobra has always had a penchant for dark experiments. This time they’ve gone too far and opened a portal to a realm of violence and madness. As squadron after squadron of Cobra Vipers falls under the thrall of the Elder Gods there seems no way to stop the hideous transformations that are taking place. The only hope lies in a group of already-insane Cobra agents… and a Joe named Snake Eyes!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Variant covers:

Inter-connected “Tentacle Attack” cover! Connecting every Infestation 2 tie-in book!

Bullet points:

• The return of Infestation G.I. Joe scribe Mike Raicht (also of STUFF OF LEGEND).

I’ve heard word that many comic shops didn’t get these issues in this week, so if that’s the case, you may want to turn away, lest have some spoilers heaped upon you.  Larry Hama has been exploring this somewhat strange “Blue Ninja” storyline for a while now, and yes, it continues here…but something strange happened.  It’s kind of grown on me.

Kind of.

To check out the full review click the Read the Rest of the Story link below.

Read the rest of this entry »

One thing IDW has done a fantastic job of with their G.I. Joe titles is making sure we have a G.I. Joe presence almost every week at the comic store, and this week is no exception!  The always impressive G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero hits on Wednesday as well as the second “season” of G.I. Joe.

Cobra Command and the Blue Ninja saga both rage on, and you can see 5-Page previews for both titles from IDW below.

[View with PicLens]

G.I. Joe: Ongoing Vol. 2 #11

Chuck Dixon (w) • Alex Cal (a) • Dave Wilkins, Will Rosado (c)

The Commander demands annihilation! COBRA’s horrific war escalates and the Joes are fighting for their lives in the killing fields. The new Cobra Commander unleashes weapons of unimaginable horror in a scorched earth strategy that will turn the Southeast Asian country of Nanzhao into a lifeless wasteland. Will the Joes stand or run? You already know the answer to that one, don’t you?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Variant covers:

Variant David Williams interconnected cover!

Bullet points:

• PART 7 of Cobra Command!

[View with PicLens]

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #176

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

It’s pure pandemonium, as three sides rush to track down the leader of the Blue Ninja menace. Can Cobra Commander, Snake Eyes and Baroness find a way to aid each other in their quest for vengeance? Or will their animosity toward each other give their common enemy the upper hand? Tension runs high as the Blue Ninja threat escalates in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #176!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Variant covers:

Larry Hama variant sketch cover cover!