Tag Archives: Hasbro

JBL Review: G.I. Joe Retaliation wave 1 Storm Shadow

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G.I. Joe Retaliation Storm Shadow

I’m playing catch-up on my reviews of G.I. Joe Retaliation! (And Rise of Cobra, and 25th Anniversary, and every other line that dropped during my nearly 4 year hiatus…)  I was planning on jumping ahead and hitting the newer waves first but some figures are just so interesting that you can’t put them off for too long.  Such is the case with the wave 1 Storm Shadow figure.  I’ve had him sitting around since the figures dropped in 2012 but only recently sat down and spent some time really looking at the new design for Thomas Arashikage.

Do fans really NEED another Storm Shadow figure in their collections after having been inundated with them over the past few years?  Hit the G.I. Joe Retaliation Review Index and check out this Joe fan’s opinion.

More reviews are coming– soon!

Alexx Shorts: Why Not G.I. Joe Kre-O?

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G.I. Joe Kre-O Adventure Team Commander

Hey, Alexx should review some toys already!  WAIT NO NOT KRE-O AWWWWWW. 

JBL Review: G.I. Joe Retaliation wave 3 Lady Jaye

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G.I. Joe Retaliation Lady Jaye

G.I. Joe Retaliation reviews continue here at JBL with Lady Jaye!  Actress Adrianne Palicki brings Lady Jaye to life in the big budget film debuting March 29, 2012!  Based on the incredibly poseable G.I. Joe Resolute Scarlet body, Hasbro gives fans the first figure female figure from the new movie line.  Currently packed “one per case” she’s proving surprisingly elusive right now.  So, is she worth the effort to find at retail?  Read on and find out one Joe fan’s opinion!

Check her out in the G.I. Joe Retaliation Review Index!

Is it March 29th yet?

JBL Review: G.I. Joe Retaliation Firefly!

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G.I. Joe Retaliation Firefly

When G.I. Joe Retaliation hits theatres in just shy of two months, fans will see the return of Duke, Snake Eyes, as well as the introduction of several new faces for the Joes in the form of Flint, Lady Jaye, and Roadblock.  Cobra, on the other hand, only sees one familiar character make his cinematic debut: the mercenary Firefly!  A long time favorite of fans, the Cobra Saboteur is brought to life by actor Ray Stevenson– recently seen in other genre films like Thor and Punisher: War Zone.

The good folks at Hasbro included Firefly, complete with actor likeness, in Wave 2 of the G.I. Joe Retaliation toy line which is just now hitting toy shelves.  So, is this new incarnation of Firefly, complete with Blast Board, worth adding to any Joe collection?  Check out the review at the G.I. Joe Retaliation Review Index and find out one Joe fan’s opinion!

On a side note, I’ve finally got most of my photo set-up put back together post-move so expect more reviews of Retaliation figures in the coming days!

Toy Fair 2013: G.I. Joe Micro Force images…

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G.I. Joe Micro Force represents on of Hasbro’s more unusual merchandising forays for the G.I. Joe brand.  Similar to the gashapon figures from Japan, these tiny blind-package PVC figures are incredibly small stylized representations of our favorite Real American Heroes.

Here’s Hasbro’s official word on Micro Force:

G.I. JOE MICRO FORCE

(Approximate retail price: $2.99-$5.99; Ages: 4 & up; Available: Series 1: 2/11/13 & Series 2: 8/1/13)

Micro heroes, mega battles! Iconic G.I. JOE characters get a collectible new battle twist, as players use MICRO FORCE figures for extra small battling fun! 43 G.I. JOE MICRO FORCE figures will be available in 2013 and will feature a unique new style based on classic G.I. JOE vs. COBRA characters including SNAKE EYES, STORM SHADOW, COBRA COMMANDER, SCARLETT and more! Collect them, set them up on their included stands, and knock them down in head-to-head battling play! Each set sold separately.

G.I. JOE MICRO FORCE Series 1 Blind Bag

(Approximate retail price: $2.99; Ages: 4 & up; Available: 2/11/13)

The new G.I. JOE MICRO FORCE collectible battling experience offers fans a micro way to have big battles! For a surprise, pick up the Blind Bag, which offers two mini figures and two stands – just what kids need to start the battle! Series 1 includes 43 figures to collect!

G.I. JOE MICRO FORCE Series 1 Starter Pack

(Approximate retail price: $5.99; Ages: 4 & up; Available: 2/11/13)

The MICRO FORCE starter packs include five mini figures and five stands to help kids begin to build their MICRO FORCE collection. Series 1 includes 43 figures to collect!  Each sold separately.

Here’s the most recent set of press images:

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Now, it’s been a while since I was a widely-followed presence in the Joe community but I’m still going to offer up some thoughts on this line.  I have the feeling that Hasbro here is targeting the same market segment that buys the Angry Birds toys, etc and not the action figure collecting community.  As such, I don’t know if they’re for me.  Part of this indifference comes from the fact that a large number of the characters in the line are unproduced ninjas shown at the 2012 G.I. Joe Collector’s convention.  As such, I don’t really have any attachment to these characters.  It’s good to see a nod to the Adventure Team Commander and I’ve seen images of Gung-Ho in some of the on-site coverage from Toy Fair but the blind-box aspect can be a bit frustrating.  (I tried to complete my girlfriends Avengers gashapon figure collection– and ended up with more Nick Fury figures than you can shake a stick at!)

Of course, this is just one Joe fan’s opinion.

 

 

Toy Fair 2013: GI Joe Kre-O figures take over your Lego collection!

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One of the more unusual G.I. Joe lines to debut this year is the Kre-O series featuring our favorite Real American Heroes.  Exclusive to Toys R Us, Kre-O looks Lego square in the eye and says “bring it!”  Featuring characters from both the classic Generation 1 ARAH era and the earlier Adventure Team, Kre-O is a bold new direction for G.I. Joe.

Here’s the official word from Hasbro:

KRE-O G.I. JOE 2013 PRODUCT INFORMATION

A new line of KRE-O G.I. JOE building sets will be available exclusively at Toys “R” Us retail locations and www.Toysrus.com beginning in February 2013.  The addition of KRE-O G.I. JOE sets to the brand’s portfolio will offer the opportunity to build environments and vehicles to play out the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA fantasy and will feature KREON figures based on popular characters from both the heroic G.I. JOE team like DUKE and SNAKE EYES as well as the villainous COBRA organization like FIREFLY and STORM SHADOW.

Beginning with the single packs:

KRE-O G.I. JOE KREON FIGURE PACKS
(Approximate retail price: $3.19; Ages: 6-12; Available: Spring 2013)
Start your KRE-O G.I. JOE collection with these iconic G.I. JOE and COBRA characters!  Each G.I. JOE KREON figure comes with a unique weapon and cool accessories, and is sold blind-bagged. The first wave of characters includes CRAIG “ROCK N’ ROLL” MCCONNEL, KIM ARASHIKAGE, COBRA TROOPER, CRIMSON GUARD, SCARLETT, COBRA AXE NINJA, COBRA NINJA VIPER, QUICK KICK, ALLEY VIPER, EDWARD “TORPEDO” LEILOHA, and ADVENTURE TEAM COMMANDER.  Each sold separately.

Wave 1:

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Wave 2:

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Also included in the line are the “action sets”:
Continue reading →

G.I. Joe Tomahawk reissued as Eaglehawk helicopter!

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At Toy Fair 2013 Hasbro managed to pull a rabbit out of its hat and surprise fans with a reissue of the classic cargo helicopter- the Tomahawk.

Here’s the official word from Hasbro:

G.I. JOE EAGLEHAWK ASSAULT CHOPPER

(Approximate retail price: $39.99; Ages: 4 & up; Available: 8/1/13)

Inspired by the live-action G.I. JOE movie, G. I. JOE: Retaliation, this EAGLEHAWK ASSAULT CHOPPER is the most dominating vehicle to transport your squadrons to battle. Each camouflaged chopper comes equipped with an action figure to pilot your most critical missions.

Hmm… interesting and unexpected.  Like last year’s Skystriker reissue, Hasbro continues to dip back into the ARAH Generation 1 well for inspiration.  It works, as perfect condition vintage Tomahawk’s are hard to find.  (The rotors were notorious for drooping and sagging over the years.)   I find the name a bit amusing as it is now essentially the “bird bird” helicopter but fans can rename it what they will.  Lift Ticket appears to have received a whole new deco and a new look.  At least there’s room in the cockpit for Lifeline as the Eaglehawk appears to be a two-seater.

Yeah, I’ll be snagging one!

Check out the official images below and more images over at YoJoe.com’s Toy Fair 2013 coverage.

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Toy Fair 2013: G.I. Joe Retaliation Wave 3 gets a huge expansion

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At Hasbro’s media event yesterday during Toy Fair 2013, G.I. Joe: Retaliation Wave 3 has been given quite an overall!

Apparently the current wave 3 is merely a “filler wave” with the full slew of characters to hit in a May 2013 release.  With  more movie-accurate “ultimate” versions of Duke, Flint, and Roadblock as well as ton ARAH-inspired figures like Storm Shadow and Cobra Commander, this wave represents a DRAMATIC expansion of product offerings.  However, for many Joe fans, the true “coup de grace” is found in the inclusion of two figures: the highly anticipated Data-Viper and the INCREDIBLY sought-after KWINN!!  Finally, everyone’s favorite Inuit mercenary is given the Generation 3 update he so rightly deserves.

Here’s the compiled details, courtesy of Justin Bell of GeneralsJoes.com.

Wave “2.5″ Filler Wave – Due 02/11/2013

  • Joe Colton
  • Lady Jaye
  • Alley-Viper
  • Dark Ninja Warrior
  • Cyber Ninja

Wave 3 – Due May, 2013

  • Crimson Guard
  • “Ultimate” Duke (Movie)
  • “Ultimate” Firefly (Movie)
  • Cobra Combat Ninja
  • “Ultimate” Snake Eyes (Vintage)
  • “Ultimate” Flint (Movie)
  • “Ultimate” Roadblock (Movie)
  • Storm Shadow (Vintage)
  • Cobra Commander (Vintage)
  • Data-Viper
  • Kwinn
  • Budo

All-in-all, I’m impressed.  Yes, I already have a metric ton of Cobra Commander and Storm Shadow figures but the updates on these show a marked improvement over their earlier 25th Collection entries.  The new “Ultimate” Duke, Firefly, Flint, and Roadblock are the movie-accurate versions I really wanted right away.  Data-Viper was never on my personal “must have” list but a lot of fans were really looking forward to him and I won’t begrudge anyone the opportunity to snag an anticipated figure.  Lastly, we have KWINN who has left me salivating since I first saw him.  Yeah… that one is a must-purchase item.

The only figure that puzzles me is Budo.  He’s a marked departure from the unproduced Walmart RoC two pack version that has popped up on the web.  More ornate and sporting a Ken Watanabe-inspired head sculpt, he’s a marked departure from both what has come before and from the rest of the military-themed toy line.  Plus, he’s wearing elk antlers– which seems like something more out of Naruto than a traditional samurai would wear.  Of course, that’s just my opinion.

Check out the press images from Hasbro below and hit up YoJoe.com for more awesome coverage!

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G.I. Joe Retaliation Wave 3 Joe Colton reviewed!

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It’s been a while since any new G.I. Joe reviews have been posted at JBL and there is a good reason.  After a year long search, I finally bought and moved into a new house over the holidays. The good part is that there is a lot more room for Amanda, the cats, and I.  The bad news is that most of Joe stuff is still in boxes– and that includes the photo setup.  However, some quick jury rigging allowed me to shoot a few pics recently of my most anticipated figure from the entire G.I. Joe Retaliation line: Joe Colton!  Sure, the photos are quite up to my usual standards but they proved to be a lot of fun to shoot!

I won’t lie– I don’t see this figure as the bearded General that Larry Hama first introduced us to back in G.I. Joe vol 1 #86.  Instead, I picture him as a certain plucky New York cop who always seems to find himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when terrorists attack.  That’s right– I’m talking about Officer John McClane of the Die Hard franchise.

Regardless of how you use this Bruce Willis action figure in your collection, check out JBL’s first review of 2013 in the G.I. Joe Retaliation Review Index!

G.I. Joe Retaliation Snake Eyes Joe Colton Roadblock

Look who’s getting reviewed soon– Joe Colton! (Or more importantly JOHN McCLANE!)

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A very special G.I. Joe: Retaliation box arrived in the mail here at “JBL HQ” last week.  Normally I wouldn’t order a figure early like this nor would I pay significantly more than retail (as I’m cheap) but the subject matter was just too good to be ignored.

Some folks may call him Joe Colton from G.I. Joe Retaliation but for the majority of us he’ll always be Officer John McClane of the NYPD!

I wanted to toss up a quick headshot photo to alleviate folks concerns about the head likeness and the neck.  The head sculpt is SOLID and the dreaded “Recondo neck” has been fixed!  (Thanks John Warden!)

Expect a review coming this week!

G.I. Joe Retaliation Bruce Willis