Links: G.I. Joe - Resolute

Remember G.I. Joe? Whether from the comic books, toys, or TV series, Hasbro's G.I. Joe has had a big place in pop culture since the '60s. And just when it seemed interest might wane in the new millenium, September 11th and the Iraq War stirred up interest in toys depicting the U.S. military.

But we haven't had a proper animated G.I. Joe cartoon in awhile. Until now:



Created by English comics author Warren Ellis, "G.I. Joe: Resolute" infuses the old-school Joe vs. Cobra battle with new school production values and sensibilities. The notion of a well-funded, worldwide terrorist network isn't very far-fetched any more, so Cobra has become more frightening than ever to compensate. In the first five minutes of "Resolute," Cobra kills over ten million people and cripples the Joe command center. In other words, this ain't the "G.I. Joe" of your childhood.

And yet it is. Everyone still has ridiculous codenames, there are a ton of disposable vehicles, the generic Cobra soldiers still can't hit the broadside of a barn, the Baroness is still hot, and Snake Eyes never says a word. As a starting point for an animated series, "Resolute" is incredibly promising, though they'd have to tone down the violence if this ever made it to Saturday morning (as is, it'd work great for "Adult Swim").