COMIC - File #65: "A Real American Teamup," Part 6

Captain America's team of Joes makes progress as they attack a Cobra tank depot.


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REVIEW - Dragonhawk XH1

Unfortunately, Wild Bill's 25th anniversary figure was a pegwarmer. Seeing as how there were no Joe aircraft for him to fly, this was understandable. I bought some True Heroes helicopters for him to fly, but it just wasn't the same. Thanks to the new Dragonhawk XH1 helicopter from the RoC line, ol' Bill doesn't have to grounded any longer.

The Dragonhawk is a remake/updating of the classic Dragonfly XH-1 assault chopper from 1983, beefing it up from a humble Fly to a predatory Hawk. It is definitely more angular and futuristic than the sleek, curvy Dragonfly of old. I feel like if you were to give it legs and arms, it'd make a good BattleMech. The futuristic AH-64 Apache look suits the movie line, but I still feel the chopper looks better suited to the Halo universe or a Ghost In The Shell episode.

Sorta like a futuristic AH-64 Apache.

The Dragonhawk is almost as wide as its box is tall, and longer than the box itself. Some assembly required; no tools needed. Once you apply the stickers [as the copter looks really naked without them], just snap on the tail [with rotating rotor, but static wheel], attach the 2 ailerons, and slide in the 4 main rotors and the 'Hawk is ready for dustoff. It can be easily taken apart to put back in the box, too.

Comes with everything you see here!

Unlike the Dragonfly, which had landing struts, the Dragonhawk has wheels as landing gear. The front two rotate, but the rear one does not. The chopper has a large wheelbase and needs two '83 Headquarters landing pads if you want to land it nicely!

Cleared for takeoff.

Visually, the 'Hawk has a lot going on. Plenty of sculpted details such as bolts, rivets, panel lines, vents, and the like. The stickers break up the monotonous green as well as add retro elements [who doesn't remember those "Not a Step" warning labels?]. The interior has details such as mesh on the floor, an instrument panel, and two horizontal joysticks for Wild Bill to use.

Detailed leather interior.

In terms of accuracy to the original, I would say the Dragonhawk has a lot of similar elements, such as the chin-mounted gatling cannon, the 4 AG-202 missiles, and the removable engine covers. However, I find the '83 Dragonfly to be more versatile than the modern Dragonhawk. The 'Fly had more weaponry: an M-34 grenade launcher/2mm Vulcan gatling cannon nose turret, a pair of Sidewinder HE missiles, 4 Sidewinder air-to-surface missiles, and a 160mm cannon attachment. The 'Hawk has a gatling gun and 4 missiles. The Dragonfly had a which and hook, a button for spinning the rotors, and could hold Doc's stretcher. The 'Hawk just has a handle underneath. But perhaps most disappointingly, the 'Fly could hold two figures, but the newfangled Dragonhawk can hold but a single one. If Doc need to be airlifted in via Dragonhawk, he'd need to grab onto that handle and hold on tight!

That being said, the Dragonhawk has a few fun features.

The cockpit holds a figure.

Room for one more, ladies.

The engine covers are removable, a throwback to the original Dragonfly, which had a similar feature.

"Hmm, forgot to install them intakes' sand filters again!"

The main gimmicks are the hidden side missile pods which slide out when the winged section at the front of the tail is pulled. The missile pods sit flush against the the sides of the body and aren't suspicious-looking at all, but tug on the deploy mechanism and they shoot open, making the 'Hawk look bulkier and more menacing. The firing buttons are hidden on the back of the missile pods, and the springs are surprisingly strong.

Come get some.

Other than that, the front wheels roll, the rotors spin manually, and the chin gun can rotate a bit.

The Dragonhawk comes with a new version of Wild Bill. This time, his colours are darker, he has no holsters, no weapons, and no stand. But, he has a snazzy new flight vest [which could really use some paint], and a new helicopter to boot. I think he also has some new lower legs and feet, too, but I'm not 100% sure. His filecard tries to tie him into the movie's story and mentions a weapon the figure doesn't come with. Plus, his mugshot sort of resembles Deputy Travis Junior from Reno 911! It's a tight fit, but the figure sits inside the cockpit with both hands on the joysticks, ready to rain down hell upon some Cobra grunts.

Built Joe tough.

The Dragonhawk isn't that big of a chopper, and I was skeptical when buying it. It feels overpriced, but it does offer a lot of fun. I like the futuristic look, but the 'Hawk seriously looks out-of-proportion with 3.75" figures. The cockpit feels like it should hold 2 StarCom or M.A.S.K. figures instead of a single G.I. Joe. [It sort of looks like they took a Sigma 6 chopper, changed the cockpit piece, and boxed it up for the RoC line.] If it could hold 2 figures, was a bit larger, and had more weapons, I'd like it a lot more. At is stands, it is hard to recommend, especially for full price. It's a great addition to your Joe air fleet - if you can get it on sale and don't mind the size.

What was that about the Halo universe?

See you next mission!

SUMMARY:
G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra Dragonhawk XH1

INCLUDES:

• Wild Bill [w/vest & helmet]
• 4 rotors
• 1 rear tail assembly
• 4 missiles
• 2 stabilizer fins
• stickers & instructions

PROS:

• aesthetically pleasing futuristic design
• gimmicks do not get in way of playability
• gimmicks cleverly concealed
• missile launchers surprisingly powerful
• new version of a classic G.I. Joe vehicle
• good Wild Bill figure

CONS:

• expensive, even when on sale
• can only fit a single figure inside
• minimal paint apps
• few weapons
• out-of-proportion with figures
• rear wheel not functional

RATING:
4 ON 5
"SORT OF WIN"

Remembrance Day Once Again

Crowds of people.
Muddy fields.
A clear sky.
Smoke and thunder.
Little red flowers.

It is November 11th, Remembrance Day in Canada. I was speaking to one of my professors today and missed the minute of silence by accident. First time that's happened me as far as I can remember.

This year, Montreal's Remembrance Day ceremony was moved to the McGill University campus, which is pretty much a park in the middle of the downtown core. A perfect place to hold the ceremony.

As I exited the Arts Building (my home away from home last semester), I became part of the crowd of people gathered on the steps to watch the events unfold. I couldn't hear the speeches from where I was, but I had a perfect view of the cannons. Somewhere in the distance, bagpipes were playing. 4 105mm Howitzers were set up for the twenty-one gun salute and filled the campus air with thick white smoke. The deafening thunderous roars of the cannons made the ground tremble, windows rattle, and broke the monotony of what was an otherwise normal business day. After each shot, a car alarm went off. Not entirely unexpected, though it did take away from the gravity of the event. It was strange seeing and hearing the Howitzers in action. I grew up playing with green army men (among other toys), and their little plastic cannons were some of my favourite pieces.

Next year, I'll be sure to bring my camera with me.

I hope you all wore your poppies.

Fall of the Wall and Broken Glass

I know this isn't Joe-, comic-, or toy-related, but I feel it's important, so I'm posting it.

It's been 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall which tore Germany apart. I think it's worth mentioning as this was an important historic event. I'm sure you guys probably have some kind of personal connection to it, as well. For me, I have a few friends who own pieces of wall, a friends who was named after it, and it was torn down in the year of my birth.

Last night (night between November 9 and 10) marked the 71st anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, which, to many people, marked the beginning of the Holocaust. Shop windows were smashed, synagogues defaced, people were beaten and killed. And it only got worse. Let's make sure this sort of state-sponsored hate-fuelled travesty never occurs again.

With that in mind, I'm going to go play with toys and take photos of them for the Internet.

COMIC - File #64: "Q&Ages 25 & Up #10"

Time for taking a break from the current story arc. This comic is a celebration of the 10th Q&A session we've had here at Ages 25 & Up. sorry for the "WALLOFTEXT" feel. If you'd rather read the text-based Q&A with clickable links, check it out here.

Remember, if you have any questions, email me, post a comment on a comic's page, or if you're a member of HissTank.com, shoot me a PM or post in the Ages 25 & Up thread on the forums.

And if you're wondering, yes, I am an unshaven brown dude.

Next week, more hijinx with Captain America. See you in seven!


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Q & Ages 25 & Up #10: Questions from October 2009 [Text Version]

This is it! The 10th Q&A session we've had! I really wanted to have these answers up in October (the month they were asked), but since I was planning something very special to mark the event, it had to wait. Longer than I'd have liked. Sorry about that.

If you're wondering, the special thing I did was make a comic version of the Q&A as an exchange between HissTank.com member Monkeywrench (represented by a Monkeywrench figure from the two-pack) and myself (the unshaven brown Playmobil dude). You can read it by clicking here.

Here's the usual text-based Q&A page, with clickable links where appropriate! Enjoy, and once again, sorry for the delay.

Question #1 - Monkeywrench asks:
Is it true that Duke is really dead? We all know that nobody really dies in the comics. Any plans on when he makes his glorious return?

1337W422102 answers:
He really got his ass handed to him in File #55 by the S.N.A.K.E. Eater... If anyone can fix him up, it's Doc (with a little help from Lifeline)!

There are no plans to reintroduce the character just yet, but anything's possible.


Question #2 - Monkeywrench asks:
Your portrayal of Captain America is awesome! Can we expect more of him after the A Real American Teamup story?

1337W422102 answers:
That will depend on the outcome of the story arc. Maybe he grows as a character and learns that--

Nah, just messing with you. That guy couldn't learn a thing if you locked him a library for a week. He'd probably accuse the books of being "paper-based terrorists," or something. But yes, he will most likely appear after the story arc as a guest from time to time.


Question #3 - Monkeywrench asks:
Have you ever considered a Special Missions series? I understand and respect the amount of work and effort you put into each strip every week. I was thinking maybe a quarterly series of Special Missions. That would be a 4-file arc that would be something special in the A25Universe. I realize that would be 4 weeks a year with 2 files. What do you think?

1337W422102 answers:
Marvel's G.I. Joe Special Missions comics are still some of the best Joe comics out there. Each book was usually a self-contained story which was more serious than the main book, and often quite dark.

I thought about a Special Missions series, but I figured what I would do was make a "Special Missions" comic when the story needed it, like a "Special Missions: Gotham City" featuring the Batman, or something.

The closest I came to a Special Missions story was the Black Ops arc which was first, if not the only, serious A25U arc. If I were to make a quarterly comic, I feel that it would have to be good enough to warrant such a long wait, and I'd also have to worry about continuity issues with the main A25Universe...

For now, I don't think I'll be making a separate Special Missions comic, but I do like the idea!


Question #4 - Monkeywrench asks:
Seeing Lt. Falcon in file #60 was a pleasant surprise. Can we expect more of him in the future?

1337W422102 answers:
Seeing the Lt. Falcon Comic Pack on the shelf for a great price was a bigger surprise! And yes, we will see more of him in the future. Right now, he's Captain America's second-in-command in the A Real American Teamup story. Surely, things can only go up from there!


Question #5 - Monkeywrench asks:
A Real American Teamup has been very interesting so far. How long will this story run?

1337W422102 answers:
To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure yet. I haven't finished writing all of it! It'll be at least 6 or 7 issues. Maybe more!


Question #6 - G.I.Eddie asks:
Is it possible that we might see Hitler join Cobra? I would love to see him in the series with Cap’n A$hole.

Captain America answers:
Hitler?! Him again? Didn't I kick his Aryan ass hard enough last time we met? Hey, did you see that comic cover where I'm strangling him with my elbow? If that's not freedom, I don't know what is!

1337W422102 answers:
I'll take it from here, Cap. I don't have a Hitler figure and I don't currently have plans to make one, but it probably wouldn't be too hard if I used a German body from the Indiana Jones line or even "movie" Destro, and maybe the head of 25th Original 13 Hawk with resculpted hair.


That's all for now, folks! A big thanks to Monkeywrench and G.I.Eddie for the great questions. If you want to check out the comic adaptation of this Q&A session, click here!

"Remember, remember the fifth of November..."

Hope you all have a happy Guy Fawkes Day. Blow up some fireworks or a House of Parliament!

Happy Halloween!

Remember I mentioned a friend and I were going to a Halloween party/fundraiser for the Children's Wish Foundation? Well, we couldn't make it, so we gave our tickets to some pals of ours: two guys named Remy and Wade. One of them sent me the following write-up and photos to tell us about what sounds like an incredible night for a great cause.

Without further ado, let's hear from from Wade Wilson. He's a rather talkative fellow who finds himself quite the comedian, so please humour him. Take it away, Wade!

CLICK ON IMAGES TO VIEW FULL-SIZED PHOTOS.
TO ACCESS THE FULL GALLERY, CLICK HERE.

If you don't want to read my enlightening banter and would rather just look at my pictures without my insightful commentary, CLICK HERE. Otherwise, keep reading, and you might learn something cool! Also, I wasn't able to (or simply decided not to - you know who you are) photograph ALL of the folks at the party, so if you feel your picture isn't in my gallery and it should be, catch me next year and we'll talk.
So my buddy Remy (you might know him as Gambit) asks me if I want to go to this party with him.
We decided to ditch the world of Cyberspace (at least for a night) and have some fun. Look out, Meatspace, here we come!

I know I'm not wearing my usual duds, but hey, they told me to dress up!
Evening, Internet People. How's life on that data expressway? Probably not as good as the DeVan Brothers' Halloween Party. Which was awesome. Lend an ear (or if you're reading this, an eye or two) and I'll tell ya all about it! But first, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Wade Wilson, also known as Deadpool. Yeah, the guy from those comic books! I'm really popular and extremely hip.
Yet, somehow, most people didn't recognize me. They thought I was some kind of G.I. Joe, Iron Man [my teleporter doesn't look like a miniaturized ARC Reactor, does it?) or, you guessed it, "Ninja Spider-Man." Does no one know the Merc with a Mouth? This makes me a sad Deadpool.
We walked in and were greeted by that glorious Bold Go-er, Jim Kirk. You know him. He's that guy who flies through space macking on alien women, for exploration/scientific purposes or something. I hear he had a green chick once, and I don't mean She-Hulk.
Kirk introduced me to his loverly first mate (see what I did there?). If you ask me, her phaser is set to "stunning." Why a guy who's got a girl like that would willingly float aimlessly in a spaceship is beyond me!
They taught me how Tribbles reproduce. Fun fact: she's doing it with her finger in this picture.Things got off to a rocky start as Remy sold me out to a Ringwraith. He "volunteered" me to be the 'Wraith's personal slave. The Ringwraith was this towering man-like beast with a metal head. If I wasn't so excited by the thought of him exploiting me for everyone's pleasure, I might have actually been scared (just kidding). Using his cursed shackles, he bound me to a chair, which wasn't so bad. Normally, they make you pay for kinky stuff like that.
The 'Wraith then freed me, only to chain me up and drag me around for all to see. Some might call that 'humiliating,' but I call it 'free advertising.' Everyone got a good look at the Merc with a Mouth, and the next time they'll need someone to put a bullet in a third-world warlord's ass, they'll think of that red masked guy with the glowy chest thing.

Ringy and I patched things up by the end of the evening. He was a true gentleman and I won't soon forget him.
Gambit and I met some friends of ours from the world of comics. Among the familiar faces we ran into were Robin (I would KILL for his legs) and Supe-- er, I mean Clark Kent.
Y'know, Supes, it's not a SECRET IDENTITY if you keep telling us who you are. I couldn't go near him because I was wearing my Kryptonite Underoos.

Oh, and when I said "I'd kill for Robin's legs," I meant "I killed Robin for his legs."
Silk Spectre II was there as well. So was Rorschach, but he wouldn't let me a take his picture. I think it's because I'm the only one annoying enough to make him speak in full sentences.
There were plenty of other colourful characters to be found, including the striking nudist, who refused to believe us when we told her that the labour disputes had been settled.
Among the other folks at party: Captain Hook (I hear he moonlights as a tow truck), some dear I frankly did not give a damn about, the Red Baron (complete with wearable biplane), an Imperial Officer who did not find the droids he was looking for, a 1920s flapper (flapper? I hardly know her!), a man with a long white beard I thought was God but was actually a Harry Potter character, a Jewish ninja or "Ninjew" (I defeated him by rubbing ham on my katana), some Roman Sentries (wish I looked that good in fur!) and Jesus Christ (I honestly thought he was Alan Moore).

I met Little Bo Peep, who came off as a demanding, dominating kinda gal. I can sorta understand why her sheep all ran away. Remember, ladies, always give your farm animals plenty of space. Especially if you're just going to shave off all their hair and sell it.
The nurse we ran into was one smart cookie: she knew better than to be around Gambit without protective gloves and a face mask.
She gave me a checkup for free. Maybe I should've asked for a sponge bath, too. Let's hear it for Canadian health care! (This means a lot coming from its poster child. Thanks for curing my cancer, Weapon X project!)
Speaking of health care, the friendly zombie wedding couple really coulda used a booster shot or two. Kinda sucks they died before consummating their marriage.Maybe that's why they were so friendly. They tried to eat my brain, but I let 'em eat my boomstick instead.One of the best things about these parties is that you'll never know who's going to show up, such as THIS guy. Meeting him wasn't bad. It was a thriller, really. Totally rocked my world. I can't describe the way he made me feel. I totally gave into him until he got fed up with my puns and told me to beat it. I didn't want him to think that I wanna be startin' something, lest we end up spilling blood on the dancefloor. The man is dangerous, I tell you.FYI: He's alive. Like Elvis, disco, Tupac, and MC Hammer.

The four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were there. I was surprised by their mutation. They look more like Young Human Adults than Teenage Turtles these days. And they've even grown a fifth finger!
The Turtles totally made my day. They brought their friend April with them. She's the ONLY reason I still watch Channel 6's sub-par "news," which severely lacks any kind of journalistic integrity and has degenerated into biased propaganda. But I don't blame April for that. And even if I did, I can't stay mad at her. Cowabunga!
Eventually, I started feeling a little rumbly in they ol' tumbly. I decided, like many before me, to find solace in a bowl of pretzels.
Alas, my attempts were in vain. I had been thwarted by saggy red spandex. Wouldn't be the first time.
I wandered aimlessly, defeated, until ultimately crossing paths with this Grimm maiden. My heart (among other things) raced.
We were like kindred spirits: our love of bladed weapons, portable storage, red and black costumes... Oh, and we're both excessively hot.

She gave me the instrument of my salvation: a delicious cookie!
Cookie in hand, I proceeded to explore the building and rediscovered an obscure bit of Canadiana lodged somewhere in my brain, under a couch or something - Camp Cariboo counsellors were at the party! Basically, unless you're a Canadian who happens to be older than 20, their rad costumes went way over your head. Thanks, Camp Cariboo. If only Uncle Wes could've given me some tips on picking up women...
It didn't occur to me that I had gone to the party with king of picking up women: Gambit! (He's also the ace of picking up women, the jack, and the 10 of clubs.) A flashy smile and some Cajun charm was all it took to win (and then break) the heart of the Mushroom Kingdom's peachy princess. (Remy, you bastard! I trekked through eight whole Worlds to try to win her heart!)
I figured I would try my luck. "Hey Sweetcheeks, I know this real classy place where you put quarters in the bed and--" It didn't help that Mario was right behind her. (He looks much more feminine in real life.)
No dice. Peach shot me down. I couldn't reach her coveted Warp Zone. I didn't even light up the first triangle of her P-Meter. No way she'd even think of going anywhere near my Whistle. Instead, she gave me a Mushroom and said, "Thank you Deadpool! But the Princess is in another castle!" Hey, you take what you get, right?
Much of the night was spent watching Remy do what he does best - chase anything with two X chromosomes. Dude really needs to learn some respect. I watched him whisper sweet nothings to Little Bo Peep... Not cool, man. She's already lost her sheep. Playing with her emotions is just cruel (and not the fun kind of cruel).
He tried to sweep April off her feet. Hey, spoiler for ya, Bayou Boy: she digs Heroes in a Half Shell, not Gumbo-Eating Card-Throwers with Half-Sized Junk.
There's a reason Redshirts die young: they catch STDs from Gambit.
I'm not trying to sound racist, but I seriously don't like the idea of that swamp boy anywhere near the forest girl. It'd break my heart if she gave HIM a cookie, and not the kind of "broken heart" my healing factor can fix.
"You must be this pimp to enter."
Careful, Remy - she's married! When her husband finds out, he'll swallow your soul.
Despite all the love for Gambit, there seemed to be few few (if any) feminine Deadpool fans. Here I am trying to decide which I should use on him.
Some people go to parties to try to score. I go to parties to try to slay. And for the record, I ain' 'fraid a no ghosts.
Anyway, it was a rock'n party with music, beer, prizes (I won a poker set, but Gambit stole the cards), and dames in fancy clothes, with all the money helping sick kids. How can you go wrong?
There you have it, folks: what I did at the 2009 DeVan Brothers Halloween Fundraiser. Join us next year for more fun and to try to meet women. Do it for the kids!


Thanks for the lenghty post-party report, Wade. A bigger thanks to the organizers and volunteers who ran the DeVan Brothers' fundraiser, and to everyone who showed up!

COMIC - File #63: "A Real American Teamup," Part 5

Hope you all have a great Halloween! I'm going to a fundraiser party for the Children's Wish Foundation with a friend. We're dressing up as A25U characters, but I'm not telling which just yet!

Enjoy the new comic, gang!


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Q & Ages 25 & Up #10: Questions from October 2009

In celebration of the tenth Ages 25 & Up Q&A session, session #10 is available not only in standard text form but also as a comic.

Click here to view Q&A #10 in text form.

Click here to view Q&A #10 in comic form.