The second Hasbro seminar was today and we got a special treat... the announcement of a new series of animated "shorts".
Similar to "Clone Wars", G.I. Joe: Resolute will feature 10 5-minute animated shorts leading up to a 10 minute finale, all adding up to a one hour feature. It will either be a web-based property, or Hasbro is also still shopping around potential broadcast partners.
This is the cartoon that Joe fans have wanted to see. Trust me on this. We got a few minute "sizzle" (featuring a scene that will not appear in the actual series) and it was simply amazing.
Animated by J & M Studios (the guys behind Avatar: The Last Airbender) and written by Warren Ellis, it is an adult, serious storyline with a fantastic animated style.
No lasers, no parachutes.
The scene starts out in the jungle.... machine gun fire breaks out, and birds go flying into the sky. We see Duke and Roadblock running frantically through the trees as they're pursued by well equipped COBRA Troopers. Machine gun fire is frantically flying everywhere, and the two Joes break down a door and take cover in a small COBRA bunker.
The COBRA Troops advance...but Snake Eyes is squatting in the trees above. He leaps down and takes down a Trooper with his sword. Other COBRA's flank him, but he's too quick. He takes one down with a flurry of punches, rebounds off of a tree and kicks another in the face. In the same fluid motion he whips a throwing blade from his uniform and whips it striking a COBRA Trooper in the forehead. Yes, he takes out a COBRA Trooper with extreme prejudice.
He smacks around a few others, and the battle ends with him flipping a Trooper over his shoulder onto the ground, then taking out his sword thrusting it into the Trooper and twisting it, finishing him off.
As the gunfire stops, Duke and Roadblock emerge out into the woods, seeing Snake Eyes standing there victorious, with COBRA Troopers littering the ground around him. The Commando snaps off a quick salute.
This was... incredible. It gave me goosebumps, seriously. Animation was fluid and fantastic, the voice actors were good, the action was amazing, and there were no punches pulled. We are going to get an animated series that does what we've wanted it to do for twenty-five years.
There is a futuristic bend to the series, with the characters using very technological weapons (though they are all bullet-fed!), jetpacks, advanced aircraft, reconaissance equipment, etc...
Character designs have a strong influence from the classic versions. Duke wore a khaki shirt and green pants (though he wore a flak vest/backpack over it). COBRA Troopers had the familiar blue uniform, mask, and helmet with a black flak vest.
We saw artwork for the USS Flagg as it appears in the series, for an advanced jet fighter (based off of the YF 23 Fighter), transport planes, stealth planes, jetpacks, etc...
Saw character art for Lady Jaye, Tunnel Rat, Scarlett, Gung Ho, Duke, and Storm Shadow.
The Joe headquarters had a prominent American Flag.
This will be launched in the 1st Quarter of 2009, and there will be an accompanying toyline, though we didn't see any details on that.
Expect LOTS of cameos.
Lady Jaye was conceived as a character match for Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica.
Tons of action, no punches pulled, but don't expect a lot of actual blood.
Possibly "love triangle" between Duke, Scarlett, and Snake Eyes.
The Snake Eyes/Storm Shadow ninja angle will play a big role.
COBRA Commander is ruthless. There is no holdover from the classic cartoon, this is COBRA Commander as he always should have been.
I know I'm a big Hasbro fanboy, but trust me when I say this was the single coolest G.I. Joe related anything I have seen in a long, long, loooong time. It got repeated standing ovations from everyone in attendance (they showed it 3 times) and this will BLOW YOU AWAY.
Raise your expectations, and wait for 1st Quarter '09. This will be very cool.
Justin
No spoilers there, just info about the series.