Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars in “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” the sequel to 2009′s “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.” The film, directed by Jon M. Chu, is set for a June 29, 2012 release.

What do you think of the trailer? The star quotient has certainly been upped in the second film.

- Matt Price

Superman and Spider-Man both have big news this week, and Oklahoma writer Sterling Gates is tabbed to write “Captain Victory,” based on the Jack Kirby character, from Dynamite.

FIRST LOOK AT SUPERMAN

Warner Bros. has revealed a first look at Henry Cavill as Superman. He’ll play Clark Kent, aka Superman, in Zack Snyder’s film reboot of Superman, titled “Man of Steel.”
The costume has a beveled appearance and may not include the red shorts so familiar to Superman, also missing from the updated comics costume this fall. The costume appears to show some Jim Lee influence, as well as sort of a 1940s look. It also wouldn’t look out of place alongside Snyder’s “Watchmen” costumes.
The movie, set for a June 14, 2013 release, also will star Amy Adams as Lois Lane and Laurence Fishburne as Perry White. The evil General Zod will be played by Michael Shannon. Clark Kent’s adoptive parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent, will be played by Diane Lane and Kevin Costner.

NEW SPIDEY
Marvel Comics introduces a new Spider-Man in the pages of “Ultimate Fallout” No. 4, on sale now.
Miles Morales is a half-black, half-Hispanic American teenager inspired to do good after the death of Peter Parker at the hands of the Green Goblin.
A new “Ultimate Spider-Man” No. 1, starring Morales, will release in September.

GATES TO WRITE “CAPTAIN VICTORY”
University of Oklahoma graduate Sterling Gates, who was born in Tulsa, will take on the writing reins of “Kirby Genesis: Captain Victory.” “Captain Victory” was first published by Pacific Comics from 1981-1984.
“Captain Victory and His Galactic Rangers was one of the first books Jack Kirby wrote and drew outside of DC Comics and Marvel — making it one of the first creator-owned books in comic history — and I’m exceptionally proud to be continuing Victory’s story,” Gates said in a news release. “Fans of Kirby’s original Pacific Comics series will recognize these classic Kirby characters and concepts, but we’re going to be doing our best to present the Rangers in a bold and exciting way for today’s audience.”

REVIEW FILE: G.I. Joe #4, The Infinite #1, Severed #1, Ultimate Fallout #4
Comics read in 2011: 1,133 Still to go: 878

- Matt Price

IDW’s reprint series of “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” begins in “Classic G.I. Joe vol. 1″  with issues 1-10 from the original Marvel Comics run.

This introduces Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes and several others from the original Joe counter-terrorism military team.   Issue #2, which features the first appearance of the freelance operative Kwinn, became notable in collecting circles for its relative rarity — the “G.I. Joe effect” became a collecting term for a second issue becoming more collectible than the first.

The stories are enjoyable, if dated, especially for those who were young Joe fans at the time.  The foundation set by writer Larry Hama here kicked off one of the most successful comic-book tie-ins to a toy line ever created.

Doomwar 1-6
Collected this May, “Doomwar” features Doctor Doom going to all-out war with the Black Panther’s Wakanda, fomenting a revolution from malcontents inside the nation.   Doom has his eyes on the nation’s vibranium, a rare, indestructible metal that Doom also believes to have mystic properties.   The Panther escapes the country just in time, but must leave his wife, Storm of the X-Men, behind.   With help from the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, T’Challa must regain control of his country, ideally without killing his own countrymen, and thwart Doom’s plan.  A well-done, action-based story by Jonathan Maberry and Scot Eaton.

Resurrection: The Insurgent Edition
This value-priced collection includes issues 1-6, plus the 2008 Annual of Oni Press’ “Resurrection.” Marc Guggenheim and artists David Dumeer and Douglas Dabbs create an interesting tale that’s reminiscent in some ways of “The Walking Dead.”    Ten years after an alien invasion and subsequent domination of earth, the aliens have left.   With mankind taking tentative steps to reclaim the planet, how does society rebuild?  Definitely worth picking up, especially for the price (the collection is just $6).

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011:  1,024.  Still to go:  987.

Fred Van Lente and Wellington Alves are the creative team for the “Power Man and Iron Fist” that teams Danny Rand with Victor Alvarez, a city kid with the ability to absorb chi.  In issues 2-5, There are a lot of neat touches, including “Twilight Idol,” a underground auction that sells off equipment and DNA of Golden Age heroes.  With characters the mystery of Crime-Buster, the character of Noir, and Iron Fist versus an entire prison, this is a fun miniseries. Despite the new Power Man, this remains a book that fans of the long-running 1980s series should enjoy.

Greg Pak and Stephen Segovia and other artists bring back the skyrider of the spaceways in this year’s “Silver Surfer” miniseries.  After getting the Surfer in a jam in issue 1, the team spends issues 2-5 resolving the situation and setting up the Surfer in a new but familiar place.  Pak has a good feel for Norrin Radd, and does a good job mixing cosmic adventure and personal touches.

Recent trade paperback collections read:

Larry Hama continued his long run on GI Joe: A Real American Hero with issues 81-90, collected in IDW’s Classic GI Joe vol 9.  The Joes meet a friend from long ago in the special anniversary issue, no 86.  More history of Cobra Commander, Zartan and Storm Shadow is revealed.  Destro reorganizes the Cobra organization.

The all-star team of Jim Starlin and Berni Wrightson created “Batman: The Cult,” originally released as a four-issue prestige miniseries. The mysterious Deacon Blackfire recruits an army of the homeless to overturn law and order in Gotham. Using hypnosis and brainwashing, he even brings the Batman over to his side.   Over the top and moody, this fits well in the Tim Burton era in which it first hit stands.  A dark tale of the Bat from two of comics’ masters.

In “Daredevil” 26-40 from Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, the team features a new challenge to Matt Murdock.  First, a new underboss moves into town and makes a move on the Kingpin, then the fallout from that event threatens Daredevil’s secret.   The issues are collected in the volumes “Underboss” and “Out,” appropriately, or also in “Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev Ultimate Collection.”

From the back issues:

New Mutants 1-2 (1983): Spinning off from “Uncanny X-Men,” Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod introduce a new team of students to Professor Xavier’s school.

Comics read in 2011:  976. Still to go: 1035

This week’s Planet 46 comics podcast features a Robot Chicken: Star Wars III giveaway! Just tell us your favorite Star Wars character for a chance to win.

CAPTAIN AMERICA MELTS

For Independence Day, Kyle created a cool stop-motion featuring Captain America, his shield, and a Bomb Pop.   Kyle talks about the making of the movie in the Planet 46 Comics Podcast.

SUPERHERO TOY COMEDY

Yuri Lowenthal, Tara Platt, Travis Willingham, and Bryan Enk are set to star in the new live-action web series “Shelf Life,” which stars four action figures on a young boy’s shelf.  The series will follow the action figures’ irreverent antics and was co-written and directed by Paul Jenkins (“Wolverine: Origin”).

The first season of Shelf Life introduces us to Hero Man (Travis Willingham: Thor, Transformers, Marvel Super Hero Squad), Hero Lass (Tara Platt), Bug Boy (Yuri Lowenthal) and Samurai Snake (Bryan Enk).

PALICKI TO PLAY LADY JAYE
Adrianne Palicki is set to play female lead Lady Jaye in “GI Joe: Cobra Strikes.”  According to

Adrianne Palicki (AP)

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has signed on to play the beefy soldier Roadblock in the Jon M. Chu-directed film.

REVIEW FILE: Flashpoint 3, Elric 1, Fear Itself 4.

Comics read in 2011: 914 Still to go: 1097.

Nerdage: So, the first GI Joe movie was, to put it kindly, a bit of a mess. Casting announcements for the sequel, thus far, have been a mix of “huh” and “hmmm”…. RZA may play the Blind Master. DJ Cotrona likely to play Flint. Channing Tatum and Ray Park set to return as Duke and Snake Eyes. Elodie Yung signed as Jinx. John Chu set to direct. The Rock expected to play Roadblock. Bruce Willis keeps being rumored. And this weekend, the news that may cause Staticblog’s George Lang to see a GI Joe movie: Adrianne Palicki, Deadline reports, will play Lady Jaye.

What do you think, Lang? Are you buying tickets for a Dwayne Johnson/Bruce Willis film based on 3 3/4 inch action figures?

StaticBlog: Actually, if it were based on the 12-inch Vietnam-era guy with the awesome bristle-cut hair and beard combo, I’d be in, because Kung-Fu Grip is freaking insurmountable in plastic hand-to-hand combat.

But because this is the “Real American Hero”-era Joe, I’m basically in for the reason you surmised — Palicki, Palicki, Palicki. They can have the guy who directed the last two “Step Up” time-wasters and “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” at the helm, and yet they have Palicki, so everything’s going to be just fine.

Adrianne Palicki was, without a doubt, one of the best things about the first three seasons of “Friday Night Lights,” and as NBC viewers will certainly enjoy this Friday, her character, Tyra Collette, returns for the final two episodes of the series. She got a ton of bad press this spring when early costume photos from David E. Kelley’s “Wonder Woman” were given a trial balloon treatment by NBC and failed miserably in Internet comments sections everywhere. My personal view is that Palicki, standing nearly 6 feet tall with a distinctive beauty, was perfect for the role, but Kelley wasn’t the right guy. Joss Whedon was always the best choice. Palicki also got seriously screwed over when “Lone Star,” the best reviewed pilot of the 2010 television season, got dropped by hair-trigger cancellation champion Fox after two episodes. Considering that “Friday Night Lights” is one of the best dramas of the past 10 years but never was a ratings success, Palicki could stand a break — even from a clankety-clank monstrosity. Having her involved suddenly makes the thing interesting.

Nerdage: Tangentally, the rumor mill has it that Bruce Willis may be intended to play the original “GI Joe,” though I don’t know if Bruce is likely to rock the bristle-cut and beard… The character made, I believe, only one appearance in the Larry Hama comics and didn’t, as far as I know, appear on the TV show.

I, of course, enjoyed the original Larry Hama comics as a kid, and heard he consulted on the first film. Still, I found that movie mostly a confusing mess, though it was filled with attractive people. Will John Chu have better luck than Stephen Sommers?

StaticBlog: OK, so I understand how Sommers got from the first two “Mummy” movies to “GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” but how does Jon Chu parlay the “Step Up” movies, which are essentially “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo” with electro-pop and slightly larger budgets, much less the Bieber hagiography, into “GI Joe 2: Cobra Strikes”? He must know how to follow a budget and make money or something.

Nerdage: Chu told The Deadbolt that he’s a big fan of GI Joe from back in the day, played with the toys, had the comic and everything, so maybe he’ll make a movie the fans of the property want to see. Here’s hoping, anyway.

StaticBlog: At least there’s Palicki.

Palicki, Palicki, Palicki.

With the July 4 weekend upon us, here are some patriotic comic-books to check out and celebrate the United States of America.

Captain America Comics 1 (1941)
This Joe Simon/Jack Kirby creation shows a ton of energy and excitement, as the origin of Captain America is revealed for the first time.   This issue also has the first appearance of the Red Skull, who in this issue is a traitorous American industrialist.

American Dream 1-5 (2008 Marvel)
American Dream is a young woman who takes on an adapted costume of Captain America in the “MC2″ universe, the Marvel Universe of a few years in the future.    This 5-issue miniseries by Tom DeFalco and Todd Nauck is reminiscent of Silver Age Marvel Comics, as Shannon Carter deals with balancing her personal and superheroic lives.  The five-issue miniseries was collected in the “American Dream: Beyond Courage” trade paperback.

Fighting American 1-7 (Prize); Harvey series 1-2

The new collection from Titan collects all the “Fighting American” stories by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, including the previously unpublished second Harvey issue.  “The Mad Inker” is published here for the first time, missing the splash page that has been lost to time.
The Fighting American started as a Communist-bashing All-American hero in 1954, but as the series went on, he became more of a precursor to Adam West’s Batman, with lots of goofy gags and camp elements.   But the series as a whole, despite the shift in tone, is worth seeking out, especially with Titan’s new collection.

Onslaught Reborn 1-5 (2006)
Jeph Loeb and Rob Liefeld celebrate the 10th anniversary of “Onslaught” in the Marvel Universe with “Onslaught Reborn,” a jam-packed action movie of a comic-book series.  Revived by the events of “House of M,” Onslaught seeks to destroy the earth’s heroes.  Trying to destroy Franklin Richards, he’s again cast into the Heroes Reborn world, where those heroes come face-to-face with the monster.  It’s intended as rock-em, sock-em comics action, and it succeeds at that, despite a lot of detractors at the time.  It heavily features the Avengers — including Thor, Iron Man and Captain America — and the Fantastic Four, among others.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Nos. 71-80 (Marvel, 1988)
Civil War comes to Cobra Island, as Serpentor and someone claiming to be Cobra Commander each vie for control of the organization.  Destro waits in the wings to make his move, as well.   Serpentor, through Doctor Mindbender, manages to get the Joes ordered to help his cause.  Written by Larry Hama, with artists including Ron Wagner and Marshall Rogers.  IDW has collected these issues as Classic G.I. Joe vol 8.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 911 Still to go:  1100

Titan Comics has announced the “Family Guy” clan will return to comics in a new series.  One of the artists announced for the series, S.L. Gallant, who has drawn “Torchwood” and “G.I. Joe,” was previously an Oklahoma resident.

The series is based on the “Family Guy” TV series created by Seth MacFarlane.  Titan Comics and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products says that Peter; his wife, Lois; kids Meg, Chris and Stewie; along with family dog and martini aficionado, Brian, will headline their own series, to be released on July 27.  Anthony Williams will also be an artist of the series.   T

Titan says the series also will feature other characters from its television counterpart, including Glen Quagmire, Cleveland Brown and Joe Swanson.

I talked to Gallant in 2008 about his Oklahoma past.

“Both wives (Current and EX) are natives of OK and graduates of the OU Vis Com program (which according to the professor I am officially banned from any more wives thru that program),” he said. “I also lived in OKC for several years and worked for Jordan Associates in Edmond, which is where I met my current wife. Silly girl.”

With the more realistic style he’s typically employed on G.I. Joe , Gallant might not be the first name you’d think of for “Family Guy,” though he revealed a long list of influences in an e-mail.

A page from "GI Joe: A Real American Hero" 164 by S.L. Gallant.

“If we’re only speaking of comic illustrators, then anyone known for their drafting skills,” he said.  “Some specific names would be Adam Hughes, Jackson Guice, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, Neal Adams, Alex Raymond, Gene Colan, Hal Foster, Milo Manara, Vittorio Giordanio, Park Jong Ki, Bryan Hitch, Alan Davis, Steve Rude, and the list never ends. Of course being a student of art history we’d also end up with a mile long list of fine artists and illustrators but there’s a character limit to this email and we’d violate that with a list for sure. I think Steve Rude once said I’ll steal from anyone who can teach me something.”

Gallant continues his association with “G.I. Joe.”   Issue No. 165 of “G.I. Joe:  A Real American Hero,” written by Larry Hama, is set for release on April 20.   Gallant said he had an appreciation for Hama’s original run on GI Joe from the 1980s.

“I was more a fan of the comic and the cartoon, more so than the toys,” he said.  “It came in at the end of my childhood, so I was more of a Star Wars kid; the empty box Christmas and all that. I loved the Snake Eyes origin story line because I was really into ninjas, so that pulled me in, but not the toys.”

He says his favorite thing about being a comics artist is “getting to draw all day, every day, and not be homeless because of it. So far anyway.”

- Matt Price

G.I. Joe Civil War #0

The world of the Transformers, robotic aliens who can shape-shift into cars and planes, will expand this summer with a third Michael Bay-directed film. IDW Publishing plans to give fans additional tie-ins in comics to further explore the characters and storylines based on the Hasbro toys.

IDW also holds the rights to the G.I. Joe license from Hasbro, and the anti-terrorist team of military specialists will receive a revamp this year as Cobra Commander, the leader of the Cobra terrorist organization, has been killed.

The most lethal Cobra operatives must now compete to become the next leader of the organization. The battle begins in April with “G.I. Joe: Cobra Civil War” No. 0.

The issue will be written by Chuck Dixon and Mike Costa, with three separate 10-page stories. Artists Javier Saltares, Antonio Fuso and Agustin Padilla each illustrate one story.

In May, three new ongoing series begin: “Cobra,” “G.I. Joe” and “Snake Eyes.”

“With ‘G.I. Joe: Cobra Civil War’ No. 0, we’re giving readers a taste of what each of the three series will be,” IDW’s “G.I. Joe” editor Andy Schmidt said. “Each series will be self-contained enough to enjoy on its own, but I don’t think any reader or fan will be content with just one series. The books are getting more tightly interwoven because an event like this must impact all corners of the universe in a profound way.”

In April, the “Cobra Commander Tribute” ships, reprinting the death of Cobra Commander in “G.I. Joe: Cobra” No. 12, plus offering special features and additional stories.

The Transformers and the Joes are currently fighting off an infestation of zombies in IDW’s “Transformers: Infestation” series, but there will be no time to rest after.

The third “Transformers” film, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” is set for release this July. In the film, the Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the moon and race against the Decepticons to reach it first, according to imdb.com.

Two “Transformers 3” film prequels, “Foundation” and “Rising Storm,” are set to begin this month in comics, with the first issues of each released this week. “Rising Storm” introduces Shockwave into the movie continuity, and “Foundation” explores the past of Megatron and Optimus Prime.

Dirk Wood, IDW’s retail marketing director, talked about “Transformers” at the recent ComicsPRO annual membership meeting in Dallas. He said IDW would be announcing a “Transform Your Store” promotion for comic book retailers who wanted to promote “Transformers” comics.

“One thing we’re going to do is something called ‘Transformers Day,’” Wood said. “(On) May 25, a couple of weeks before the movie comes out, is when our adaptation comes out.”

Wood said direct-market comic-book stores had done well selling “Transformers” tie-in comics during each of the two previous movie release windows, and similar results are expected this year.

- by Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

From left, Amanda Arroyo, Brady Moran, and Kiley O'Brien, first-graders at Cumberland Hills Elementary School, wrap up G.I. Joe figures that were launched with parachutes from the rotunda of the Rhode Island Statehouse in Providence, R.I., to open the 2010 International G.I. Joe Collectors' Convention, Friday, April 30, 2010. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)

From Hasbro:

Providence, RI – April 30, 2010 – The world’s first action figure comes home to Rhode Island for the 17th annual G.I. JOE Convention, hosted by the G.I. JOE Collectors’ Club and Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS).  To celebrate the homegrown hero and its fans, Rhode Island Governor, Donald L. Carcieri, proclaimed today as “G.I. JOE Day” as Rhode Island schoolchildren were on hand for the celebration in the State House rotunda.  The Governor was also joined by Hasbro’s President and CEO, Brian Goldner, as well as 250 parachuting G.I. JOE action figures that descended from the upper level of the domed structure, kicking off the official and largest convention of G.I. JOE enthusiasts.

Thousands of G.I. JOE fans will converge on the Rhode Island Convention Center on May 1st and 2nd to participate in events and activities that surround the brand’s 45-plus year history that includes action figures, comic books, animated series and a blockbuster movie.

“We are excited to have the G.I. JOE brand and its many legions of fans come to Providence for its annual convention this year,” said Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri. “We are proud to have such an internationally iconic hero call Rhode Island home.”

This year’s convention will feature some of the original G.I. JOE vs. COBRA creators, industry guests, artists, and the Hasbro G.I. JOE brand and design team. The convention will celebrate G.I. JOE, the original action figure, and its journey through the decades from the 1960s, all the way through last summer’s blockbuster, G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra, and beyond.

“Hasbro is thrilled to celebrate the G.I. JOE brand in Rhode Island” said Brian Goldner, President and CEO of Hasbro, Inc.  “G.I. JOE is a property that was created and developed here at Hasbro in Rhode Island over 45 years ago and is now known around the world. This year’s convention will showcase the full history of the G.I. JOE brand, with special emphasis on the future of the iconic action and adventure property.  We’re thrilled that Governor Carcieri has bestowed such an honor to the world’s first action figure hero and we’re excited to celebrate “G.I. JOE Day” with our employees, fans and fellow Rhode Island residents.”

The convention is being held at the Rhode Island Convention Center located at 1 Sabin Street in Providence, Rhode Island. General admission tickets are available at the door, $12 for adults and $8 for children ages 5-12 (free child’s admission with a paid adult). And, as always, admission is free for those 4 years old and under. General Admission tickets provide access to the showroom on Saturday, May 1st from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or on Sunday, May 2nd from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Additional details and pre-registration information can be found at gijoecon.com, or by calling (817) 448-9863.

Hasbro inaugurated the G.I. JOE Collectors’ Convention in 1994 to bring collectors, fans and the G.I. JOE team together to share in the history of the brand. The annual event attracts thousands of people for G.I. JOE-related presentations and activities, along with buying, selling and trading rare and vintage G.I. JOE action figures.

Click past the cut for more pictures from the GI Joe Day celebration.

CinemaBlend rounds up some quotes that makes it look like we may be subjected to more GI Joe.   Paramount’s Rob Mooore confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that a sequel will soon go into development.

Now, I’ve written my review and I’m not one to just constantly harp on things, but I thought “Joe” missed out on a lot of what made “G.I. Joe” cool.  With the so-called origins out of the way, might we see a better second film?  I’ve been watching the cartoons lately (look for a review soon), and while they are goofy, they work for me better than the film.   And I have the same opinion, or better, of the comics, which worked at a level far beyond what any toy-based comic-book had any business doing.

I understand “G.I. Joe” comic-book writer Larry Hama consulted on this film — and maybe the bits I liked were his — but maybe he’ll get a chance to do even more if a second film comes through.  I’ll hope so, because I like to be optimistic.  But a quote from Hero Complex doesn’t make me feel any better about it:

“You can never win with those guys,” Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, producer of both “Transformers” films and “G.I. Joe,” said of the San Diego convention. “They feel they’re the keepers of the fanboys flag and have a deep childhood association with many of these properties. And we know the hard-core fans are already coming to see the movie.”

However, from the same Hero Complex link, we do find out one thing Hama made happen in the film that’s out now: He was able to make sure that Snake Eyes doesn’t talk.

- Matt Price

GI Joe members Duke (Channing Tatum, left) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans, right) in “G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra.” (Paramount Pictures)

Director Stephen Sommers (“Van Helsing”) brings the military action heroes GI Joe to film with “GI Joe: Rise of Cobra.”
The movie is loosely based on the Real American Hero action figure line, introduced in 1983. Perhaps with worldwide box office in mind, the Joes no longer represent just the American military, but are a secret NATO organization headquartered in Egypt.
As the film begins, Army buddies Duke (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) are part of a team tasked to transport a new type of weapon created by the company Mars.  Mars is run by James McCullen (Christopher Eccleston), a Scottish weaponsmaker.   But the convoy is attacked by high-tech forces led by The Baroness (Sienna Miller), who also happens to be Duke’s ex-girlfriend.
Things look bad for the good guys, until they are bailed out by the Alpha team of the elite military unit GI Joe.  This group includes ninja Snake Eyes (Ray Park), science genius Scarlett (Rachel Nichols), heavily armed Heavy Duty (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and tech expert Breaker (Said Taghmaoui).  The Joes are led by General Hawk (Dennis Quaid), who OKs the addition of Duke and Ripcord to the team. But first they have to undergo training — which of course means a montage.
Then the Joes are off to recover the weapons, which feature nanomites, tiny metal-eating robots.  Along the way, flashbacks attempt to explain the connections between the characters, including Snake Eyes and McCullen crony Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee). But unfortunately, the characters never gain much depth.  Essentially, they appear to be action figures moving through the plot as more and more things explode.
The toy line GI Joe: A Real American Hero spawned an animated program and comic-book series in the 1980s.  Both made more sense than “Rise of Cobra.”
But for the first half, the pace moves quickly and the action is pretty good.  By the last hour, though, it’s started to wear thin, and the film’s undersea sequence goes on far too long.

- Matthew Price

GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra
PG-13 /1:58 /2 stars
Starring: Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Christopher Eccleston, Sienna Miller, Dennis Quaid
(Strong sequences of action violence and mayhem throughout)

Rachel Nichols as Scarlett in GI Joe: Rise of Cobra

Ticket sales site Fandango.com reports that as of this morning, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra makes up 39 percent of the advance ticket sales on the site.

G.I. Joe may be spurred on Fandango by a promo that saves ticket buyers $5 on the tie-in Electronic Arts video game.

Julie and Julia, starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep, also opens Friday, and was selling the second-most tickets at Fandango as of 9 a.m. Pacific time.

- Matt Price

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra leads ticket sales at Fandango.com as of 9 a.m. Pacific time this morning with 24% of ticket sales at the site.  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is hanging on at second with 13 percent.   The top 5 is rounded out by Funny People (10 percent), Julie and Julia (7 percent) and the Ugly Truth (4 percent).

- Matt Price

The military display at Pauls Valley's Action Figure Museum, shown here, will get a companion in a display dedicated to GI Joe: A Real American Hero.

Check out this link to see Time magazine‘s write up as the Toy and Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley as a one of “50 Authentic American Experiences.”

Time writes: “The Toy & Action Figure Museum opened in 2005, and it has displays dedicated to all kinds of colorful plastic through history, including G.I. Joe, Transformers and other properties that Hollywood has unwisely decided to make into movies this year. Visitors will also find exhibits honoring local cartoonists, including Dick Tracy creator Chester Gould.”

If you have a chance, pop by the museum this weekend to see the debut of its latest exhibit, a room dedicated to the “GI Joe: Real American Hero” toy line.

The Toy & Action Figure Museum is located at 111 S. Chickasaw in Pauls Valley. General Admission is $6.

- Matt Price

New clip from G.I. Joe showing Baroness and company taking down the Eiffel Tower in order to … steal something, I guess. This movie still seems pretty aggressively goofy. I admit, at age 7 I was a pretty huge G.I. Joe fan. Not sure whether in 2009, it’s going to be able to do much for me. Then again, if there’s enough ninjas and explosions, I’ll at least have to give it a try.

- Matt Price

Kyle Roberts and Matt Price talk about the comic-book background of the Hasbro toy property, G.I. Joe, which comes to movie theaters this summer.

Game developer EA has announced the company is working on “G.I. Joe” games for all major console and handheld systems, tying into the release of this summer’s “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” film.

A sneak peek of the game will be shown at Toy Fair next week in New York City.

The G.I. JOE video game picks up where the live-action movie leaves off, according to the release, and will feature 12 Joe characters.

The full release is after the break.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., February 11, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that development is underway to bring Hasbro’s legendary G.I. JOE® brand to all major console and handheld gaming platforms in summer 2009 to coincide with the theatrical release of the G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA live-action movie from Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment, in association with Hasbro, which opens in theaters August 7, 2009. EA will unveil a “first look” of the G.I. JOE® video game at Hasbro’s Showroom at Toy Fair on February 15-17, 2009 in New York City.

“As Hasbro and Paramount Pictures reignite the G.I. JOE® property this year with an all-new toy line and film, EA is excited to play a major role in bringing this icon of pop culture history to a new generation of enthusiasts through interactive gaming,” said Chip Lange, General Manager and Vice President of EA Hasbro. “G.I. JOE® offers exceptionally rich storylines and a cast of characters that lends itself incredibly well to creating an over-the-top action adventure video game that will thrill gamers as well as G.I. JOE® fans.”

For fans of all ages, 2009 is gearing up to become another watershed milestone in the timeless franchise by introducing even more new ways to engage, immerse and play within the G.I. JOE® universe. The G.I. JOE® video game will feature an exclusive storyline that picks up where the live-action movie leaves off, allowing players to re-create and re-live the greatest moments from the film, cartoon series and action figure toy line. The game will feature 12 G.I. JOE® characters, each with unique abilities and weapons. Adding to the adrenaline rush will be an intense single-screen co-op mode allowing two players to easily unite as a team in a classic struggle between good and evil as they work together to defeat the powers of the COBRA organization. The G.I. JOE® video game is under development for Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Wii^TM, PlayStation®2, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), Nintendo DS^TM, and mobile devices.

“G.I. JOE® has been an icon of action for 45 years,” said Mark Blecher, General Manager of Digital Gaming and Media at Hasbro. “EA has tapped the legacy of the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA saga to create an amazing interactive experience inspired by the movie, comic books, animated series and iconography that we hope will resonate with millions of fans.”

For more than four decades, G.I. JOE® has been one of the premiere brands in the history of boys’ toys. Originating the term “action figure” in 1964, Hasbro’s G.I. JOE® brand ushered in a new play pattern that forever changed the scope of the toy industry. The G.I. JOE® brand made another revolutionary introduction in 1984 with the release of the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA toy line, which introduced a generation of boys to the heroic G.I. JOE® forces, led by Duke, and their epic struggle to defeat the evil COBRA organization. The G.I. JOE vs. COBRA saga featured a diverse cast of characters – both good and evil – that became a part of pop culture through Hasbro’s toy line, an animated television series and best-selling comic book franchise.

For more information about the G.I. JOE® video game and to sign up for updates, visit gijoe.ea.com

update: Here it is embeddable from YouTube:

– Matt Price

From the release:

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (May 29, 2008) ” Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) has reached an agreement with IDW Publishing, creators of the best-selling TRANSFORMERS comic book series, to launch an all-new line of G.I. JOE vs. COBRA comic books. As part of the agreement, IDW will produce a new monthly comic series, as well as deluxe reprints of the G.I. JOE property’s vast comic library, which helped catapult the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA phenomenon more than 25 years ago. IDW also has the rights for trade paperbacks and graphic novels.

The first products from this deal, a new monthly comic book series based on classic G.I. JOE vs. COBRA lore, will be launched with an introductory debut issue in October 2008. Featuring all-new storylines, the comics will portray the epic struggle of the G.I. JOE team against the evil forces of COBRA, while highlighting the brand’s favorite heroes and villains that made kids of the ‘80s today’s fans.

What does this mean? Well, probably a hit in market share for Devil’s Due, who revived the G.I. Joe series in 2001.  Possibly/probably a change in continuity in the official Joe stories.  IDW does really nice work on licensed comics, but “Joe” was always clearly a labor of love for the Devil’s Due guys.  I hope that Larry Hama can get involved in the property in some way, as he has off and on for Devil’s Due.

– Matt Price

The previously announced G.I. Joe exclusive for San Diego is Cobra Commander in a suit and tie, standing behind a podium.

– Matt Price

In addition to this picture of The Baroness, Comics2Film has pictures of Duke, Hawk, Snake Eyes, Scarlett, Storm Shadow, Breaker, Destro and Heavy Duty. “G.I. Joe” is scheduled for an August 2009 release.

– Matt Price

– Matt Price

You should be big time excited. I’m excited and I’m on set. The sets are unbelievable! The costumes, the wardrobe, the look is unbelievable and it’s such a nice, fun set to be on. I mean, I’m lucky – I’m playing Snake Eyes! I get to live out [the character] that I’ve been playing since I was a kid and now I get to actually be Snake Eyes! It’s just bizarre. I feel very lucky.