Jungle Assault Duke (2010)
From the Predator series of GI Joe–I mean the Pursuit of Cobra, comes Jungle Assault Duke. It’s the sort of look that the team’s top sergeant hadn’t really sported before. I suppose the Tiger Force version was a jungle theme, at least in theory. I have to say that this Duke has most others beat in the meanness department. There’s no smirking going on here.
The playability of the modern construction style lacks in comparison to the less articulate o-ring eras, but nevertheless these newer figures are very detailed and realistic. The PoC jungle series figures in particular were definitely a down and dirty looking bunch. By the way, this is the best way I’ve seen to utilize the movie figures’ reactive armor torso mold: cover it up. But seriously, I do think the harness placed over it is pretty cool.
Gear was a huge focus for the Pursuit of Cobra, and in Duke’s case, there’s some weapon storage too. The elastic band on backpack can hold the extra rifle. The flashlight clips inside the backpack itself. Gear storage is always a welcome bonus.
I was originally holding out for the Desert Battle Duke but when I saw this version on the shelves, I knew I had to have it. It wasn’t that impressive with a Channing Tatum head like originally planned, but man, they really brought it all together with that new head sculpt. This is a no-nonsense Duke and I like that, especially for the Jungle Assault stuff. For some reason, those Joes all had a down-and-dirty aesthetic and not only did their paint jobs make them look dirty, but the head sculpts made them look like Grade-A butt-kickers.
Sorry, that comment above was me…I guess I’ve gone so long without adding my two cents in the comments (even though I’ve been reading them) my computer purged the settings.
Habro did well to make those Predator homage figuers without any legal trouble. Lately they cant even make a skystriker without someone trying to sue them.
This Duke looks like he eats smirking Dukes for breakfast. The PoC figures was more hardcore than the two movie versions’ output combined.
I’ve begun a 2014 Joeverse and this guys a different character. As it should be. I’ve started doing Old Guy customs as the O13, but this Duke stands out. I can’t remember what I named him but Gijoe needs to move forward with all new characters in an all new world. Calling this guy Duke is simply saying “we’re stuck in the 80’s!” Time to move on people. The USSR is gone but 9/11 happened. What’s Gijoe like now?
@Vaughn Allan
I agree. Have the Joes still got that youth machine sauna seen in “Grey hairs and growing pains”? If not then why do they all still look like their in their early 30’s? We need more new characters and a retooled Joeverse: such as dealing with modern problems and terrorism and not just ninja clans.
I’m not saying Hasbro needs to drop completely what theyve done since ’82 it just needs to be adapted to fit into their current times. New characters dont need to be complete replacements, they could have similarities to older ones.
Vaughn Allan, I agree.
I kind of wish I had bought this figure, I think it was one of the last times I saw a series of GIJoe figures taking up more than one peg in a store. There was a Renegades Duke I wanted, but that never showed up around here, and well, no Duke purchases for me for a long time now. Oh well.
Tweaking the ’80’s premise of RAH and homage-ing really is a bit too standard buck these days. That’s big industry across the board, though, across many products.
Duke “Bad boy” version…finally!
Conrad “Solid Snake” Hauser is a pretty good figure. I think Hasbro might have greater success if they continued Joe along these lines (military but “futuristic”). Trying to tie too closely to the original vintages dates the characters and restricts what you might do with them. I can easily see this Duke climbing in a ‘Mech as much as drive a tank. Or fly a spaceship to LV-426…?
This remains one of my all time favorite Joes. I prefer the figures with the more military look as opposed to the more fanciful ones, and this one is one of the best.
Doc
Love this figure. Managed to find him and snapped him up, and didn’t regret it one bit. I’ll say now that yes, I am a Duke Fan (and yes, I like him a lot, lot more then Snake) but this guy is definitely the best of the Dukes I’ve owned over the years. hell, I’m gonna say now that he’s one of the best Joes I’ve ever owned full stop.
It’s one of those “complete package” things; everything about this figure works, and it comes together fantastically as one fantastic-looking complete deal. It’s front-and-center of my current display (a mix of PoC, Movie, 30th and Renegades figs) and really stands up there.
Plus, it looks fantastic next to the Sigma Suit Scarlett. Bonus!
@Deadborder
You found this figure!! Where?
My area hasnt stocked Joes since 2009. The R.O.C figures shelfwarmed so badly i was the only person who ever bought them. And i wasnt buying them because i’m a fan of the franchise, i was buiying them for custom fodder. The cloesest things i see to Joe’s now are C.O.R.P.S value packs which mostly contained unarticulated bricks.
And i too prefer Duke to snakeyes. And yes, i too think this one is one of the best mordern Duke’s.
@Skymate
Look on the bright side. You guys may not get any Joes, but you get tons of Wiggles merchandise that we can’t get here in the US. š
@Rob
My 2 and a half year old nephew is currently driving his Father [my brother] mad [in a big red car] with that stuff
Kings Comics got some purely random PoC figures a few years ago. From that I nabbed Duke, Cobra Commander, Iron Grenadier, Jungle BAT and Viper. It was a purely ‘blink and you miss ’em’ kind of a deal though.
@Deadborder
Last time i went to Sydney was on the day of the navy centenary. I combed Kings comics for Joe merchendise but couldnt find any. I was a bit irritated as their website lists the Skystriker as still in stock but they had none in the shop when i arrived.
Still, it wasnt a total lost, i found a comic pack Dragonski, Astroviper and Duke [early 00’s repaints] at comic Kingdom [amongst all the clutter]
I recently sighted a full run of Sgt Savage figs at Kingdom myself. It was a surprise, to say the least As I’d never heard of there being Savage figs in Australia before
@ Deadborder
Tell me i’m dreaming. I remember Battlecorpse and streetfighter stuff shelfwarming to the extent that the next items we got after were Spytroops in ’03.
I’m going to Sydney next week for the paramatta collectables fair. I might have to make a detour past comic Kingdom. š
@Deadborder
I’m in Sydney at the moment. Today i swung past comic kingdom and picked up the Arctic stormtrooper and P.O.C Destro [the one with the sevre case of frostbite]
For any other Australian readers. I’ll be at the Paramatta collectables fair this sunday. I’ll be wearing my ill fitting viper shirt and black retaliation cap