Barrel Roll was in the comic, and played a pretty major role...

I like getting new characters to keep the Joe-verse moving and developing -- and new characters can still be Joes or Cobras done in the spirit of the line (just look at the Plague, Barrel Roll, etc), new wouldn't have to mean real-world politics-style anti-terrorism.

But for a toy release to mark 25 years of RAH GI Joe, I think it makes perfect sense to focus on the characters that helped make it last that long. As much as we fervently hope for Joe toys to continue, by its very nature an anniversary is a time to reflect on something's history more than reinvigorating it for the future. That said, an all-new sculpting style is a pretty odd way to go!