GI Joe Retaliation Cobra Trooper

The first wave of Retaliation product was shown via USA Today last year to much fanfare, with disappointment following shortly afterwords with closer examination of the pictures. It was to be learned that the new figures would have reduced articulation, in addition to some really funky accessories. That, along with the return of the dreaded missile launcher proved to make the first wave of figures very much unpopular. Which was good for a cheapo like myself. The first wave retaliation product had a small rise in value due to panic over the movie's delay. That would not last though, as most of the first wave figures dropped far below retail on eBay in Fall 2012 and early Winter 2013. Among others, I managed to snag this guy for only $3 shipped. Was he worth it?

In fact, he was. Had this figure been released at $7.99, he would have been a great figure despite the reduced articulation. The design itself is quite under-appreciated among modern fans, mainly due to the fact that he is nowhere near movie accurate. However, with the price hike to $9.99 to accommodate the included play-gimmick piece (mostly missile launchers, though this particular one included a spectacular parachute which works even with O-ring Joes) feels like it's asking too much, especially when the figure has less articulation than others.

Again, the figure itself is nice. He makes for a great Cobra Para-Trooper! His place in the ranks could be in a subordinate role for the Para-Vipers. Maybe he's just a normal Trooper in specialized landing gear? One of the nice things is that he can fill many different roles, and is practically a blank slate.

I highly recommend these guys if you can get them on a discount. They are not the best figure ever, but they certainly aren't the worst.

2013 GI Joe Toy Fair Predictions

Guess we'll have to push the movie line back a little more...

When it comes to predictions on Toy Fair stuff, I'm almost assuredly 99% wrong most of the time. So you should probably trust my predictions.

Firstly, my "Crystal Ball" says that we will probably see lots of snow. Hasbro will lose the JIFF Peanut butter box that held the Vault toys in a snow dune and thus they will never see the light of day. Inside sources tell me that this is what happened to the molds for various G1 Transformers and the Tomahawk.

Guess who didn't get his Night Viper...

Okay, for serious predictions, I think we'll see the Night Viper and Crimson Guard moved into another post-movie line. These may actually be some sort of Hasbro in-joke, where representatives get to sadistically tease fans with, only to push them back into another line. We may actually see them in 2019's G.I. Joe - The Future of Cobra toy line, where they will shelf-warm since two better versions of these figures were already released since then...

99% chance we'll get a new version of this guy! I'm sure of it!

I also think we will see some of the "Vault" figures released into a new, post movie line. I also figure that none of what actually interested me from the "Vault" will actually ever be released.

Figures I predict that we will see in some way at the show:

• Vault Hit & Run
• Vault "Zombie" Commander
• Crystal Ball
• A new Destro
• 2 Storm Shadows
• 3 Snake Eyes'
• A new Rock & Roll using the PoC Trooper body
• Ghost Ninja Henchman
• A better Dice than the Club made
• ...and the fan favorite Gold Ninja Warrior! 

I expect these will be announced and then summarily cancelled 5 minutes later. 

Let's see what happens Saturday!

2012 Slaughter's Marauder's Spirit

The Slaghter's Marauders 7 pack from 2012 was a mixed bag (er, box). All of the figures were nice, but the whole Slaughter's Marauders sub group wasn't included. Either way, the figure that is the subject of this post is a very love hate figure.

SM Spirit deviates from his original figure a great deal. Using a mix of PoC tooling instead of the lackluster 25th Anniversary mold, he is now shirtless. For me, I appriciate this as if I wanted the original, I would buy the original.There is no need for a perfect "update". In many ways, the new style Modern Error figues have been the most boring for me when they try to do the same thing that was done 30 years ago, except with a new construction. Sometimes new stuff doesn't work, as was the case for some of the RoC designs, but in all it's far more exciting to get new figures.

As for the figure himself, Spirit is a mixed bag. This particular incarnation fits well with the rougher team that comprises the Slaughter's Marauders. The tattoo on his chest adds some personality and story to the figure. Perhaps during his time on the team, Spirit became a tougher, rougher person who felt that a tattoo would commemorate his time on the team? Maybe it was some sort of rite of passage that all the members of the SLaghter's Marauders went through? Maybe him a Falcon were drunk/high and hit the town getting some regretable tat's that the Sarge mocked them for the next morning and forced Spirit to go shirtless as long as he was on the team?

His articulation is great too. He can get some nice poses and overall is up to the standard of what a GI Joe figure should be. The colors are nice, and the blue gloves and elbow bands work the trademark color onto the figure in a nice, realistic manner. The web gear helps to cover him up, and his rifle and machete are his essential weapons that establish who he is.

All around, I liked this guy. There really isn't much to say about him really, other than he is a good stand alone figure or a nice part of an updated SM team.

1988 Storm Shadow

For me, this Storm Shadow was not a figure I had in my childhood, nor was he one that I recognized as being from any of the animation that I had seen at the time. Yet I still really appreciate what this figure is. The move of having Stormy go from a villain to a hero was a interesting move that changed the dynamics of the character for a time. Since then, in the various media and the toylines that have come since the end of ARAH, Stormy has been retconed back into the role of a Snake Eyes rival.

The figure itself is actually one of the nicer figures from the late 80’s. His camo scheme helps to give him a spiced up appearance that makes him distinct from his first figure. Likewise, lot’s of sculpted details help to really give life what might otherwise be a somewhat generic looking ninja.

 In the pictures I’ve taken of him, I haven’t used his original accessories with the exception of his backpack. This is because a) I don’t have them, and b) I just didn’t like them enough to track down a complete figure. The sword and backpack were cast in bright red, which somewhat detracts from the whole ninja aspect. His bow and claw are cast in black, but are actually pieces that I have in some color or another from various releases over the years. I prefer to give him the Uzi from Snake-Eyes, since I feel that some modern equipment would probably be fitting for Stormy in his capacity as a GI Joe team member.

Skull Buster and the Rock Vipers

The Rock Vipers and Skullbuster are both repaints of the classic Range Viper. The Range Viper, who will get his own entry later, was a pretty nice figure. Despite this, having multiple color schemes for a grunt helps to diversify a collection. I think of it in a similar way to the old beat ’em up video games from the 90’s where the same thug/bad guy sprite would be re-colored and renamed in various stages. It helps to break up the monotony. 

The Rock Vipers are in a nice grey and navy color pattern with red highlights. It’s a nice, neutral look for the mold. It also allows you to fit them into a lot of scenarios. Maybe they’re operatives who carry out assaults for the V.1 Rock Vipers? Perhaps they are urban Range Vipers who hide in trash dumpsters and scare bums? Maybe they’re just some higher ranking Range Viper? Yes, I know that they have filecards, but A) early 2000’s file cards from ARAHC were amusing for all of the wrong reasons, and B) its no fun to always adhere to what some packaging says.Also, why these guys reuse the Rock Viper name is a mystery to me that I don’t really care to figure out. Probably copyright mumbojumbo. Either way, I usually just see them as some sort of Range Viper.

As for Skullbuster, he’s an interesting figure. He’s supposed to be an individual character who leads the Range Vipers. While I said above, the filecards are something you can ignore if you wish, but I actually really like the idea. It also helps that he has practically the same colors as the V.2 Techno Viper, which is used as a Techno Viper Commander by some folks. 

Anyway, Skullbuster has a nice palate of purple with copper and baby blue highlights. He might stick out in any environment outside of an eggplant farm, but he is nice to look at. Essentially, I use him as a leader for the Range Vipers, while the Rock Vipers are just a semi-promotion for the Range Vipers. Something like that. 

 

Anyway, they are definitely nice figures and I feel that they’re a decent addition to any collection. Both can be had for cheapo on eBay if you have patience, look hard enough, and hold your mouth the right way. Chinese sellers offer them (Rock Vipers mainly, but the sell the odd Skullbuster every now and then) and since some folks are seemingly scared of buying from China, the competition isn’t there usually. Either way, don’t shell out any more than $10 for either figure; and that’s if their complete with filecard (and maybe a Major Bludd thrown in for good measure). Some people act like these were some Funpub scam…er, I mean a convention figure. But they’re not. Both were not ever hard to find at one time, and despite their age, most people are more interested in their 90’s ancestor. 

 

Anyway, most of the one’s I have are incomplete. The Rock Vipers came with some nice gear, but it’s mostly the same stuff from the first Range Viper. Honestly, I just prefer to throw some Marauders gear at them.