I'm somewhat hoping 2009 isn't a repeat of 2008, with all the 25th Anniv, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars items I bought. So far, it doesn't seem like there's a lot coming out that I'll be looking for, but I'm wondering if that's because Hasbro is keeping most of its plans under wraps. If I remember correctly, usually by now there's been a bunch of announcements and rumors to give a good idea of what's coming all the way until May. So far, this is all I know (Joe-wise):

Singles:
The Blowtorch wave

Multipacks:
Cobra 5 pack
Joe 5 pack

Comics:
Shockwave/Destro
Tunnel Rat/StormShadow

Vehicles:
Sky Hawk
Water Moccasin
Stinger
Arctic HISS
Flak 2-pack

Have we heard of anything else besides these items? I'm sure there will be a ton on movie stuff, but that's not until August. Will the late Spring/early Summer be a lull to prep for the movie-related onslaught?

I'm honestly surprised it's taken them this long to get around to Blowtorch. Okay, not exactly a major player, but certainly a distinctive-looking character from the early years.

I'm glad to see a couple more comics packs if only because that'll mean a couple of cool new comics.

Vehiclewise, I'll almost certainly be interested in the Stinger (guess what I no longer have any of the original of...? ), and that Arctic Hiss sounds like it has some potential!

Toy Fair in February will show us what's in store for next year. I'd imagine the deluge of product we're seeing now is in anticipation of the holidays. We'll see a slowdown of releases until Toy Fair when the movie line will most likely debut and then things will start ramping up again for the movie.

But to answer your question, I think this is it as far as what's been "leaked" and announced. I know BBTS doesn't have anything beyond these for preorders and they are usually pretty on top of it. As soon as Hasbro releases details they have them up for preorder.

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Culled from Q&As, here's what we have left:

Confirmed:
Chuckles (!) - HissTank
Dr. Mindbender
Recondo
Alpine
Tunnel Rat
Alley Viper
Outback
Night Creeper
Zap
Shockwave
Flint w/gloves, classic outfit - Figures.com

Possible:
Dial-Tone - YoJoe
Low-Light - YoJoe
1 or 2 Tiger Force characters, but no full team - GIJCC)

Out:
Ninja Force Snake Eyes - Johio
Ninja Force Storm Shadow - Johio
Zandar
Zarana
Ripcord, Cover Girl and Heavy Duty won't be released before the movie, but may see classic version releases afterward...

Wait a second - didn't someone mention there is a rumored comic pack coming with Alpine? I may be losing it......

At least four of those figures I'm assuming won't be single-carded - Alpine (DVD pack), Tunnel Rat (comic pack), Outback (vehicles), and Flint (5-pack). Aside from that, there's possibly 9 figures - probably broken up over two waves. Yeah, that would cover until springtime. If that's true - good stuff. Only a few figures I would really want

Edited confirmed pre-order/leaked pic figures





Could be, but the above list is just a collection of unique characters coming soon. Info's so scattered, it seems like the rumors are overlapping one another.



Mindbender has been confirmed by Hasbro, but will *not* be a single pack release. He seems a no-brainer to come in a comic pack, maybe with a BAT repaint with those extras we saw at Toy Fair last year (the creeper bomb pack and spores).

That all said, Resolute seems like it might be taking up the majority of the pre-movie line in 2009. The Shockwave/Tunnel Rat packs may be a template we'll see: one Resolute figure and one classic redo matched up so the resolute figures sell even if the cartoon bombs. Similarly, single card Wave 1 has 3 Resolute figures, a brand new classic figure (Blowtorch) and a repaint (possibly two, we don't know what Firefly is yet).

In addition, we've seen comic pages for an Arctic Commander and Scarlett 2-pack, plus line art for a Scuba Duke (ostensibly to be released with a Cobra Lamprey). There's also been leaked art of a comic cover of Resolute Snake-Eyes and a Night Creeper, which fits the pattern of Resolute Destro and Storm Shadow above.

There's also those two Hall of Heroes waves that are supposed to contain repaints "as we've never seen them before!"™

And on a personal, speculative note, the Tunnel Rat/Storm Shadow art shows Shipwreck and Polly wearing the GvC/DDP sweater and knit cap outfit. I have a very strange gut feeling we're gonna see this figure before the movie. A new head on the Beachhead body wouldn't really be a stretch.

From a recent Walmart computer listing.......


Comic Packs
65356940047 GI Joe Hawk & Clear Zartan
65356940045 Snake Eyes V3 & ARMORE (It cut off before the end)
65356940044 Alpine Snow Job
65356939612 Crimson Trooper I ? (is this the Viper/IG pack?)



Single figures
65356937423 Dreanok Torch
65356937424 Firefly
65356937442 Scrap Iron
65356937440 Alley Viper
65356937443 Red Star

Considering neither the Iron Grenadier or the Viper has anything to do with Crimson... I sincerely doubt it.

Could this be the Armored Storm Shadow that was shown on another site?

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That's the list I saw Alpine on. Good, I'm not losing it.

No, the Storm Shadow thats currently making the rounds is from the Storm Shadow / Tunnel Rat comic pack.

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Dont forget:

GIJCC Question 3: How about making Cobra: Python Patrol vehicles?
Hasbro Answers: We have one on tap in spring 2009.

A PP Stun would be great! PP Stinger and a PP Hiss are possibilities. It could be a PP ASP with PP Trooper. That would be decent. We all know they have the Conquest mold too.

Yea it looks like there is still a lot of stuff being release between now and when the focus turns toward the movie stuff. Even when the movie stuff does hit the Q&A stuff has made it sound like we will still get a few non-movie releases sprinkled in.

Looks like the only place my wallet is getting a real rest is with Transformers.

Then of course we haven't seen the movie toys yet so for all we know they might fit right in with the stuff we have now and it would be like not getting any break at all if you don't mind renaming some characters or how guys like Snake Eyes have ton of different costumes.

Only bad part about being a Joe fan looks to being broke all the time.

YEAH!

Now, why does it figure that Python Viper would have the news about the Python Patrol vehicles.

I think a lot of people would like a Python STUN just FOR THE FLAGS! Although I certainly wouldn't say no to a Python HISS or Python Stinger. We know Hasbro has molds for all of these, so I guess we'll have to see.

Figurewise, I know I've seen a picture of a Ninja-Viper. Doesn't quite look like a 25th-style version of the original, though. It has the "looser hood" similar to the 1988 Storm Shadow.