Tag Archives: Snake Eyes

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – 1990’s style!

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G.I. Joe Ninja Force

Until the debut of G.I. Joe: Retaliation, our favorite Real American Heroes have had a dubious association with live action productions.  The Rise of Cobra didn’t exactly reignite the fires of the fandom and, aside from some fan films, the team really hadn’t dipped its toe in the pool any further.

However, there are a few near-forgotten gems from the 1990’s from when the line was in direct competition with toy lines such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  It was the age of “EXTREME” everything and Ninja Force was the headlining sub-team on the covers of the comics.  It was also when Hasbro attempted live-action portrayals of the Joes in television commercials.  (Frankly, I think the guys from the Cobra 1st Legion have better costumes!)

Check out this “Ninja Force” gem and feel free to leave your own thoughts below:

G.I. Joe Retaliation Wave 3.5 reviews are coming…

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“The best laid plans of mice and men”… it seems to be a mantra around JBL lately.

I had been planning on getting reviews posted of G.I. Joe Retaliation wave 3.5 shortly after Coil Con IV as I was able to procure a good supply from Kokomo Toys.  However, WordPress issues and work wackiness seemed to be facets of a multi-pronged attack by Cobra to prevent any new content from going live on the site.

Thankfully– the site seems to be functioning normally now and things at the office have died down a bit.  (What?  This ISN’T my day job?!)  So, it’s back to shooting images and getting the reviews ready.   So far wave 3.5 seems to be limited to online stores with limited sighting at retail.  In my area (Central Illinois) the line has been dropped by both Target and Kmart (yes, we still have a few) while Walmart has scaled it back to just a pair of pegs reserved for the figures.  Toys R Us has yet to restock and hopefully won’t just jump to wave 4.

It’s an interesting time to be a Joe collector as the movie’s delay until March seems to have thrown off Hasbro’s entire time frame for product.   The three new figures in wave 4 are going to prove particularly elusive as they’re packed in a case with figures that have been out for months now.  The sole troop builder the Cobra Night Viper is starting to command premium prices on Ebay and many online stores are already sold out.

However, all is not bleak on the western toy front– the GIJCC’s FSS 2 should be shipping before too long giving fans SOMETHING new to add to their collection and Hasbro’s Derryl DePriest promised that Toy Fair 2014 will hold a few surprises for fans.    It gives us all a chance to catch our breath after the onslaught that was G.I. Joe Retaliation– a line that was produced in far more conservative numbers than it’s cinematic predecessor.

So, reviews will continue here in the coming weeks.  I’ve got some back-end work to do on the review page templates to make them “less archaic” but there’s a ton of product sitting in my “to do” pile that is just begging for some attention.  (Plus now that I have Kwinn in hand I really want to review the Club’s Dr. Venom figure!  “The bear is angry with the weasel!”)

So, stay tuned to JBL.  More new content IS indeed coming!

g.i. joe retaliation wave 3.5

SDCC 2013: G.I. Joe vs. Transformers set revealed!

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G.I. Joe vs. Transformers SDCC 2013 exclusive set

The 2013 San Diego Comic Con exclusive G.I. Joe vs. Transformers set has been announced via USA Today and trust me, this SDCC set is a doozy!

Listing at only $99 and available at the HasbroToyShop.com booth, this year’s set includes the following:

  • Jetfire (modified Skystriker)
  • Hound (modified 25th Anniversary VAMP)
  • Snake Eyes
  • Baroness (new head sculpt!)
  • Ravage (with leash)
  • Blaster (with 3 cassettes)
  • Bludgeon (based on the forthcoming Budo body!)

Just looking at this list it’s easy to see that Hasbro is going for broke with what is billed as the “epic conclusion” to their series of G.I. Joe vs. Transformers exclusives.  With two larger vehicles, three figures, and a slew of new accessories it’s easily the most impressive piece in the series.  (Last year’s Shockwave HISS w/ Destro and Constructi-BAT was no slouch, however.) For the cost, this set is a STEAL!

For me, one of the high points of the entire set is the Baroness and Ravage which hearkens back to the cancelled statue that was based on early artwork from Dreamwave’s G.I. Joe vs. Transformers crossover comic series.   The new Baroness head is awesome and, well, Ravage has been one of my favorite Transformers since G1 debuted!  Plus, the VAMP has been and always will be my favorite G.I. Joe vehicle– throwing in Jetfire just makes this set PURE WIN to me.  The use of the forthcoming Budo body to produce Bludgeon is just the icing on the cake.  (Nice work by John Warden and the guys in Pawtucket on this one!)

Check out Brian Truitt’s article on USAToday.com for some great quotes from both John and Derryl DePriest about this set and start making plans now to snag this one– I have the feeling that Hasbro could never produce enough to meet the demand this time!

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4 minute clip from G.I. Joe Retaliation online!

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I’ve tried to stay spoiler-free when it comes to G.I. Joe Retaliation.  Really, I have.  I’ve only watched the shorter clips and have avoided asking those fortunate souls who’ve already seen the movie for details.  However, some times there are things so amazing that they prove that I’m really a weak weak Joe fan.

Remember that preview footage that was shown exclusively with the Hansel & Gretel film?  Well, the crew at ComicBookMovie.com have come through for the fandom and have been able to post the video on YouTube.

Seriously– be prepared for some pure AWESOME.

WOW! WOW!!  WOW!!!  From the pacing to the camera work to the scoring I was getting chills while watching this!  While it may be “just an action sequence” it’s the kind of amazing martial arts prowess that I’ve come to expect from the G.I. Joe comics.  Seriously– words are pretty much failing me right now.

Why is it not March 28th yet?!!!

JBL Review: G.I. Joe Retaliation Ninja Duel Snake Eyes

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ndsnakeeyesglory2

 

The G.I. Joe Retaliation reviews continue as we’re now 9 days away from the film’s debut on March 28, 2013!

There’s no shortage of Snake Eyes action figures in the G.I. Joe figure line so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the team’s ninja commando has already had three figures released for the movie.  However, only one of those figures is screen accurate– the Ninja Duel Snake Eyes from wave 2.  Featuring an entirely new sculpt and increased articulation, this figure brings our favorite silent warrior’s updated look to your action figure shelf.  Does this figure justify the purchase of yet “another” Snake Eyes or can you pass and save yourself some extra cash?

Check out the break down in the G.I. Joe Retaliation Review Index and find out one Joe fan’s opinion!

11 days to G.I. Joe Retaliation – Snake Eyes and a bit of catching up.

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Twitziller continues his countdown to G.I. Joe Retaliation with today’s reason to be excited for the film’s release – Snake Eyes.

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In some ways, the Marvel Comics series of G.I. Joe very much became the story of Snake Eyes.  Initially the silent member of the original 13, the black-clad commando found himself to be the subject of more and more of the series mythos until finally for a brief period the title was dubbed “G.I. Joe – Starring Snake Eyes & Ninja Force.”  That level of over-exposure, however, did nothing to hamper his appeal because Snake Eyes was written as a character with substance.  From his tragic background with the death of his family to his time in Japan to his horrific disfigurement Snake Eyes was the Joe who never gave up and never surrendered.  He fought on against endless odds when lesser men would have quit, sat down, and wallowed in a sense of self-pity.  For that very reason, Larry Hama took what could have been a gimmicked character and instead turned him into someone who could serve as an inspiration to anyone who has ever found themselves facing a seemingly impossible situation.

During the past few days, the countdown updates haven’t posted at JBL.  Without going into details, there was a bit of a medical emergency which kept me from updating the site as often as I would have liked.  So, to bring those folks who haven’t see the rest of the reason up to date they will be presented below without comment.  (Especially the “14 days” image which even Twitziller felt needed to explanation.

Reason #12 – London Attack

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Reason #13 – Costume Design

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Reason #14 – Cobra Commander

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You can view the entire countdown series below as March 28, 2013 draws closer and closer.

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day-37-flint
day-36-concept-design
day-35-hiss-tank
day-7-roadblock
day-5-motion
day-6-cobra-commander-battle-helmet
day-4-lady-jaye
day-34-zartan
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day-32-cobra-helicopter
day-31-rappelling-assault
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day-3-lighting
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15 days until G.I. Joe Retaliation – ninja duel!

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The ever creative Twitziller continues his countdown to the US premiere of G.I. Joe Retaliation with “the ninja duel!”

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With the exception of the Sunbow animated series, nearly every incarnation of G.I. Joe has featured the Snake Eyes/Storm Shadow conflict.  This pair of characters evolved into a classic Yin-Yang pairing– right down to their color schemes!  From the epic battle in G.I. Joe Resolute to the famed encounter in the Silent Castle in G.I. Joe vol 1 #21, the inevitable duel of these characters is something that fans clamor for.  Their encounters in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra were lackluster at best but the clips revealed thus far promise some truly epic action from the ninja sword brothers.  (This time Snake Eyes won’t be stuck hanging onto the bottom of an SUV while Accelerator Suits hog the action.)  Regardless of the outcome, any conflict between these two is bound to be rife with tension– and that makes for good viewing!

Check out the rest of Twitziller’s countdown images below:

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day-39-minitank
day-38-desert-ambush
day-37-flint
day-36-concept-design
day-35-hiss-tank
day-7-roadblock
day-5-motion
day-6-cobra-commander-battle-helmet
day-4-lady-jaye
day-34-zartan
day-33-on-the-run
day-32-cobra-helicopter
day-31-rappelling-assault
day-30-practical-effects
day-29-assault-vtol
day-3-lighting
day-2-battle-kata-gear
day-1-gi-joe
day-28-storm-shadow

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Two weeks from today, many Joe fans should have already seen the film at midnight showings!  The 28th cannot get here soon enough!

Here’s a sneak peek at the battle, courtesy of Paramount International’s YouTube channel:

 

21 days until G.I. Joe Retaliation – mountain battle

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Twitziller continues the countdown as we are officially less than three weeks away from the debut of G.I. Joe Retaliation.  Today’s reason to be excited: the moutain battle!

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I have to admit– when I first saw a snippet of this I was a bit floored.  After all, how feasible is it to have ninjas fighting ninjas suspended by ropes on the side of a mountain? So I watched the first trailer again, and again, and then I watched subsequent trailers of the mountain top sequence and I saw it for what it was– an insane ballet of blades and bodies that could only be accomplished by the ninjas in the film.  This is one of those sequences that will play out like an insanely well-choreographed ballet routine and the end result could be closer to art than “just another action piece.”  Given director Jon M. Chu’s insane work in LXD we know that he’s got the chops to pull this off in a spectacular fashion.

Three weeks from now I’ll be basking in the fanboy glow of having already seen the film.  The passage of time, however, is a cruel mistress…

Check out the rest of the reasons to look forward to G.I. Joe Retaliation below and check back tomorrow as the countdown continues!

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day-39-minitank
day-38-desert-ambush
day-37-flint
day-36-concept-design
day-35-hiss-tank
day-7-roadblock
day-5-motion
day-6-cobra-commander-battle-helmet
day-4-lady-jaye
day-34-zartan
day-33-on-the-run
day-32-cobra-helicopter
day-31-rappelling-assault
day-30-practical-effects
day-29-assault-vtol
day-3-lighting
day-2-battle-kata-gear
day-1-gi-joe
day-28-storm-shadow

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Larry Hama sketch to benefit Wounded Warrior Project on Ebay

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Wounded Warrior ProjectLarry Hama is known as the “godfather of modern G.I. Joe”.  A former soldier himself, this extremely talented writer conveyed a soldier’s perspective in his writing like few others could.  No matter what the situation, readers of G.I. Joe always knew that Hama’s characters thought, felt, and acted like REAL people who were serving their country out of a sense of duty and honor– no matter what the cost.  His writing inspired countless fans around the globe and has been cited by many as the reason they enlisted in the US Armed Forces.  Mr. Hama didn’t glorify a soldier’s life– he presented it warts and all.

Now, Mr. Hama is doing something to “give back” to those who served but that bore the brunt of combat more than others.  He’s auctioning off an original “Snake Eyes Homecoming” sketch— an homage to the flashbacks in Issue #36 of the original Marvel run– on Ebay with all proceeds from the sale to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.   Not only is this a change to own a one-of-a-kind piece of original Larry Hama artwork but more importantly it’s a chance to give something back to those who sacrificed their own well-being to protect ours.

Seriously guys, this is one of those moments where I’ll encourage everyone to “dig deep and give what they can.”  If you can’t afford the sketch, make a donation to Wounded Warrior Project and help those who protect our freedoms and our liberties on a daily basis.

 Ebay Listing: Snake-Eyes Homcoming sketch by Larry Hama (original pencil drawing)

The auction ends on November 18, 2012 just after 5:00pm CST. 

Snake Eyes Homecoming Sketch by Larry Hama

Snake Eyes Homecoming Sketch by Larry Hama