Now for the comic, do not read any further if you haven't read the comic and do plan on getting it. I give full descriptions and there are plenty of spoilers. The review is more for those who haven't bought the book and might not. Or those who have read it and are just interested in what someone else has to say about it! : )

The cover of course is what you see first on this one. I mean I have a pull list, but seeing it on the shelf, you see the really nice cover. It has a very McFarlane's Spawn look to it. I know there's fans out there of G.I.Joe that will see that as bad, but this is a cover that gets attention! It's nice. The story it's self is also nice. It's a rather simple one that obviously sets up another story arc. It has to do with a boy that we're shown does drawings that nobody can figure out. The kid ends up getting kidnapped and seems to even go willingly. We end up seeing G.I.Joe getting involved and they don't necessarily understanding why. As it progresses we find out another kid is taken. The rest is a chase scene and some running around. It's nothing else really to say there, but it ends up with Mindbender making a comment that we can be sure leads into the new story arc. At the end of the story we get to see a a "blueprint" of level 1 from the new Pit! We're sure to see each level with issues to come! Also worth a mention is a cool pin-up of Zanya. It's a pretty nice drawing showing her in a cool grey/blue Dreadnok logo shirt with flames on the sleeves. It'd be cool seeing her figure made like this! Also on the back is a really nice painting of Spirit done by David Michael Beck.

The nitpicky stuff - The characters read like they're right off the cartoon. While cartoon fanatics will be fine with that, the continuity is suppose to be comic with a mix of the cartoon thrown in. Snake Eyes is running around without his mask. While that's ok, he has a rather nice looking face. The only scar to be seen is the one he got from his battle with Storm Shadow a few issue back. Last we saw him in Marvel, he still had a scar on his left eye and a scar on the right side of his mouth. Snake Eyes seems to be somewhat weak when we see him in action.

Cool factor - Firewall, one of Mainframes assistances, is wearing a JEM t-shirt! That's one of those extra little things that just wasn't necessaory to do, but was really cool they did!

I'll recommend this comic to any G.I.Joe fan. It's an enjoyable story that you don't have to woory all that much about back stories and such things. You can just read and enjoy. It's also a cool jump in point for anyone who has thought about getting the comic but haven't done so yet. - Joe

This is Icebound Chapter Two: "Early Thaw", do not read any further if you haven't read the comic and do plan on getting it. I give full descriptions and there are plenty of spoilers. The review is more for those who haven't bought the book and might not. Or those who have read it and are just interested in what someone else has to say about it! : )

The cover is rather straight forward. You get and action shot of Snake Eyes and Duke doing their best in battle with an obvious threat very different than most enemies they've faced. The story opens up and continues where it last left off. This issue really just goes from point "A" to point "B". It reads as if the G.I.Joe team has come upon a base that's on the set of Alien. This isn't over with this issue, and through reading it, you kind of feel it could be. It does just stretch out. It's and explaination story where you read what events led up to this. Over all it's a decent read, but nothing spectacular.

The nitpicky stuff - I still say these monsters G.I.Joe is fighting would normally generate a lot of problems with fans. I'm really not understanding why most haven't ssaid they feel badly about the story direction. I can't say based on last issue what people will say, but I really feel that fans will see this "threat" no different than if the Manimals showed up.

Cool factor - Nothing really to say here. It was just a straight no frills issue.

This was a good read. I'm rather shocked by the amount of fans who did like last issue. I'd have thought it wouldn't have received as much good votes as it did. That said, anyone who liked last issue should pick up this issue for sure. I'm sure most already were going to though! Anyone who hasn't read it should go ahead and get last issue and this one. Give it a try. It is a different type of story, but it's not bad. - Joe

I had thought this project was going to be bad. When I first heard the announcement of this being greenlighted I rolled my eyes. Many fans did. It's been a lot of speculation about what the story would be. If handled in the way the original was, there was no way any fan was wanting to show any sign of support. Oh sure there are fans that will post on the Devils Due board saying they support anything and everything. Josh decides that Cobra Commander is now Daffy Duck, sure, there's some fans out there that will say that idea is the greatest, but when an issue in question comes out, the numbers really show who bought it. Now however we know more about it!

The story is an "elseworld" or alternate universe story. This alone made everyone's ear perk up. Fans decided to listen and see what it was going to be. Now we're hearing that the Transformers are being retro-fitted as Cobra weapons and that Optimus Prime is one of the key players that start to break free of the control Cobra has over them. It's an all out battle that really sounds like a fun read over all. I just hope this isn't a bait and switch in that once fans actually say they like it and all, I hope Josh doesn't change the alternate reality idea into a "true continuity". That part we'll just have to wait and see. But here's the images that were posted for you to check out: http://www.devilsdue.net/Joe_Transformers. - Joe

What does this mean? Well, wait and see is about the most we can do. Josh Blaylock has a direction he's going with this obviously. We know that issue #25 is his last issue on the ongoing series as the regular writer and he did say he wanted to stir up some stuff. These kids may very well be leading up to Serpentor's appearance. Christian suggests that maybe these are leftover clones when Serpentor was made. While I don't actually follow that idea exactly, I think they are some sort of key that Josh will be using in Serpentor's return. It's too early to really know where it's all going, but one thing's for sure, Mindbender's comment at the end of the story does hold more meaning when you do connect Serpentor into the over all picture! - Joe

I went down a way as some kids came up to the G.I.Joe section. I always watch what the kids say when they group around the 3 3/4" figures. Well they weren't looking at those. They were grabbing several 12" figures. Most of all they were grabbing the desert camo ones. But they were looking at others. They only looked at the ones that were traditional or near traditional dressed figures. They were liking the footlockers with several weapons in it too. These kids were obviously 2 different ages. One was around 10 - 12 and the other was around 6 - 8. You could hear a difference in the way they were seeing what was on the shelf.

Now I'm not saying this like I had a revelation in thought or that this is something new to discover. What I'm getting at is that the younger kid did eventually drift over looking at the 3 3/4" figures. He gave it glances and even started to pick up one. The older kid just kept looking at the 12" figures and ignored the younger one. What is odd is that the youger kid was looking at the Yu-Gi-Oh figures and seemed to classify the 3 3/4" G.I.Joe in the same basic category. Basically in a super hero type idea. Not as military or anything like that. It got me wondering, does kids see the Real American Hero line as nothing more than a super hero toy and the whole military aspect is just put aside? Or maybe the military side is just a gimmick to them put into a super hero toy? I don't know what was up, but I do know that G.I.Joe 3 3/4" is as popular to kids as can be expected of a line that doesn't have a cartoon. Maybe once the cartoon finally hits the air it'll show them how to play with the Real American Hero line line it seems is required these days. - Joe

Now I'm naturally summing up what was said and not giving exact quotes. I can't remember exact quotes. I just found it really stupid, but then again Inside Edition is getting to be nothing more than a National Enquire on tv. There's nothing but crazy stories mixed with a lot of mis-information. While just the idea of G.I.Joe being mentioned will boost some sales, it would have been nice if they got the facts straight and actually did a report like they should have when relating G.I.Joe and the war. I have no doubts that the war does cause kids to latch onto military themed toys somewhat, but also there could have been a more tasteful, more informational story that would have really sounded better and more important, sounded more educated from a suposed news information show. - Joe

I wanted to say that anyone going to Target looking for the advertised products, but finding none of it, email the main office of Target and complain. Yeah this might sound low to some, but in order to make a change, something has to be done rather than just complaining in general on various lists to other fans/friends with the same problem. It's getting really bad out there and I know there's even worse than I have it. You can send a complaint here.

I really hate to complain to corporate office because I really like the store. It's just that it isn't even the toy department suffering. I've seen cities that has run down Target stores and I'd hate to see the one in my town go there. I know there's many of you in the same situation as me.

On another note, the mini vehicles are also on sale for $7.88 is you can find something you're looking for. - Joe