No Joe! Traditionally at Comic-Con, Hasbro holds a panel on G.I. Joe, after which they put out additional new toys in their display cases. This year, they did neither. The brand has been suffering since the 2009 movie tanked, it's also entirely possible the currently American political narrative isn't doing much good to help war and terrorism-related toys on the market. Factor in stores dropping (or reducing) the line left and right, and it's not unthinkable that Joe is on another slide out the door.
The single most impressive display was a cabinet holding an original U.S.S. FLAGG toy which a sign indicated was not for sale and not coming any time soon. (The line's health isn't hint enough, apparently.) The bulk of the figures shown, including G.I. Joe Renegades toys and swell original designs like a new Storm Shadow, Sci-Fi, and another new Cobra Trooper, were previously seen at this year's G.I. Joe convention. Unless Hasbro is holding back for New York Comic-Con in October, it's entirely possible we may not be seeing all that much more new before the next movie line hits next summer.
A notable change is the new Cobra HISS tank. At Toy Fair 2011, Hasbro showed a candy-like metallic red paint covering this toy. The one on display at Comic-Con, which seems to be a production piece, was molded in unpainted red plastic. The quality wasn't as sharp, but it still looks pretty nice. It was joined by the Cobra Black Dragon VTOL, the only all-new vehicle other than the just-released Skystriker Jet, and a redeco of the G.I. Joe Vamp.
In short, this doesn't seem to be a big year for Joes-- no new exclusives, no new army-builder sets, and no real surprises were available for the viewing public.
--Adam Pawlus
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