What I thought of.....GI Joe #1!!!!!!

This week, IDW Publishing launches a brand-new GI Joe title! Written by Fred Van Lente with art by Steve Kurth, this is a VERY different take on the GI Joe franchise, and I gotta tell you, it's pretty damn awesome!! Let's get to it!
THE GOOD: Um, just about EVERYTHING!! In the first page, we're introduced to the Joe's new commanding officer, someone that both us and the GI Joe team know pretty well, and the man that holds a soft spot in everyone's heart. One of the things that I loved about this book is that it's just 6 members of the GI Joe team responding to a Cobra threat, not 15 or 20 of them. And they're all classic Joes that we now and love. Another thing that impressed me is the changes that Van Lente made to the book. This is NOT the 1980/s GI Joe. Not by a long shot. It's really TODAYS GI Joe, and in that, Van Lente gives me something that I never knew I wanted, a GI Joe operating and living in the present. Yes, the previous series did take place in the present as well, but this is the team taking advantage of today's technology and resources. And Van Lente has taken away one of GI Joes weaknesses-their "secret identities". Everything is out in the open and we get to see how the general public responds and interacts with them. Another thing that Van Lente drops into the book is actual PATRIOTISM! That's right! No one is ashamed to be an American, which is really unique given today's political climate. Well played!!!
-This is also, a HUGE love letter to the GI Joe franchise. There's tons of in-jokes and references to a lot of other incarnations of GI Joe. Mr. Van Lente totally did his homework before writing this issue. On the art side, artist Steve Kurth is barely recognizable from his days drawing Devil's Due's GI Joe title. His talent has grown by leaps and bounds. He's got a great style for this book, he's hyper detailed, but it never looks messy or gets in the way of his storytelling. It's just great and totally fits the book.
THE BAD: Oh man, this is tough. I'm trying to really be objective, but I love this book so much. I guess my one complaint is that they didn't use my favorite Joes for this issue, hopefully Barbecue & Trip Wire will turn up pretty soon.
THE VERDICT: Are you kidding me? BUY THIS COMIC RIGHT NOW!!!! It's a real breathe of fresh air in the GI Joe universe. It's got literally everything you want in a GI Joe comic and more. MUCH MUCH more. I'm looking very forward to this brand new era of America's daring, highly trained special missions force.

Welcome to the future!!!!!

....of 2013! Isn't all this technology awesome? I mean, you can watch TV on your TELEPHONE!!! Freaky, right?

-It's a new day, a new year, time to put the past behind you and look towards the future! What is exactly what this short little blurb is about. There's a bunch of stuff that I'm looking forward to this year, and the majority of things haven't even been announced yet! Here they are, in no random order:

GI Joe Relaunch!! In February, a brand new creative team take the reigns on IDW Publishing's GI Joe title. Not only that, but we get a new GI Joe: Special Missions book as well as a new volume of GI Joe: Cobra. But, the regular GI Joe title is what I'm looking forward to the most. Writer Fred Van Lente & artist Steve Kurth bring a WHOLE NEW take to America's Daring, Highly Trained Special Missions Force. YO JOE!!!

MOVIES!!! It's gonna an awesome year for movies. A Good Day to Die Hard, Iron Man 3, Thor 2, GI Joe: Retaliation, The Wolverine, The Hobbit 2, and about a dozen more that I'm forgetting. But, I'm thinking my AMC stubs card is going to get a work out this year. 

Wrestlemania! Don't know why, but I'm really looking forward to this years 'Mania. No idea what the card will be, but I know The Rock is wrestling, so I'll be watching!

The Lone Ranger!!! OK, this can technically fall into the "movie" catagory, but there's also toys, and comics and millions of other pieces of merchandise that I'll be buying. I've loved The Lone Ranger ever since I was a little kid, and I can't wait for all this stuff! YEE-HAW!!

I look forward to not looking like this anymore

Dinner! My goal for 2013 is to have dinner with all my friends that I didn't get to have dinner with in 2012.

Batman!!!!! Sometime this year(hopefully)Mattel will release a Adam West/Batman 60's TV Show line of action figures!!! YES!!!

July 12th-14th. Not telling, but it's gonna be AWESOME.

 ?????????? Hey, I'm not a fortune teller! I have no idea what's coming up in 2013. But, whatever it is, you can be SURE that I'll be excited about it! Have a great New Year everybody!!