Holy cow, did the GI Joe world need forty seven Big Ben figures between 2002 and 2006? At least with this one, the old body was replaced with another. The only problem: it was General Hawk, whose Talking Battle Commander look is just too easily identified to be a good substitute. On the other hand, it is nice to get
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The Micro Force was a fun and unexpected concept during the second film’s short-lived merchandising blitz. I must confess to not initially understanding the appeal of the blind-bag phenomenon, but as I’ve picked up bits of a few lines (thanks to having a four year old son) I’ve seen what the draw is all about. I’m also reminded of some
Read moreDoes a team of night operatives really need a flamethrower trooper? Wouldn’t a huge spout of flame negate all those efforts toward dark camouflage? I know, I know, it’s only a toyline. I should relax and try not to think too much, but honestly, when you write about this crap every day, you kind of can’t help it. Charbroil has
Read moreby KansasBrawler If anything made the Joe line iconic to me as a kid, aside from their great articulation, it was the simple concept of the animal sidekick. I don’t know why, but for some reason, the idea of a Joe trooper working alongside an animal to accomplish their mission seemed really cool. I realize that they weren’t “pets” per
Read moreAnother Duke? Of course. Would you expect more than a couple weeks to go by without one? After all, we’re up to about 475 versions. If I continue the blog for another twenty five years, I might be able to cover them all. This one is another follow up to the infamous Action Attack version that was colloquially known as
Read moreThe small GI Joe figures have always been an easy ssubject for customization. Their very construction allows for a nearly endless combination of parts and an ease of assembly, if one has access to a precision screwdriver. Before I ever performed any parts swapping among GI Joes, I experimented on a couple of Star Wars figures. During the post-Jedi years,
Read moreThe comic packs were a great way for Hasbro to release figures that may not have been well known or popular enough to warrant a single carded release. As such, many heavily fan requested comic characters finally made appearances in the toy line. Along with those demanded figures were a share of what might best be described as fill-ins. The
Read moreby Twitziller Released as part of the first series of Built To Rule sets in 2003, the Cobra Raven is one of only two Cobra air vehicles in the BTR line. The Raven partially shares a name with one of the most iconic Cobra aircraft, the Cobra Night Raven from 1986. The primary mode is a one-person fighter jet, and
Read moreThere were a few figures in the relaunched o-ring era that hold up well when compared to their Real American Hero predecessors. Wild Bill’s initial figure release was one of my favorite Spy Troops molds. With an updated uniform design not too heavy on the cowboy aesthetic, more naturalistic proportions, and a removable hat, he was a welcome follow-up to
Read moreAnybody interested in a holographic Cobra Commander? At first, I thought maybe Hasbro had confused their GI Joe line with Star Wars, since back in the 2000s, you couldn’t swing a dead Jawa without hitting a hologram based figure. Alas, it was not a mix-up, but a legitimate variant based on a few panels of Marvel GI Joe issue #9.
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