Nice concept, but some decidedly lazy execution. Two figures that are essentially the same, and a Zartan wearing Zubaz? Very strange. The transforming Zartan has been a cool concept since the days of the Ripcord/Zartan storyline in the original Marvel comic. This set however strikes me as too much of a lazy custom. It’s too bad the club didn’t decide
Read moreBeing the 50th anniversary of GI Joe, I thought I would contribute a little something to the informal fan celebrations that have been happening this year. To that end, I’ve recruited a valiant Midwestern special mission force. Its purpose: to pay tribute to the world’s first action figure as well as the brand we all love. Twitziller, Brian of Codename:
Read moreby Twitziller The Built to Rule Depth Ray, available as part of the first series of BTR sets released in 2003, is part of the tradition of small G.I. Joe submarines such as 1984’s SHARC, Barracuda from 1992, and the Polar Shark from the Rise of Cobra film of 2009. In its primary mode, the Depth Ray is a submarine
Read morePoor Pursuit of Cobra Recondo. Forever stuck staring at his boots. Well, at least he has a nifty mask to hide the shamed look on his face. By the way, what the heck is that thing, a disguise or an artifact he’s picked up during his missions? Whatever the case, it gives the figure an Adventure Team vibe. Say, wasn’t
Read moreIf you’re not a fan of repurposed and repainted action figures, you would do well to avoid the 1990s CORPS! figures. This version of Hiro Yamato popped up sometime in the 1990s, along with others, like his fellow martial artist teammate Dragon Han. There were several rounds of repeated camo and other uniform decos in the years following the line’s
Read moreby KansasBrawler I love seeing new characters in the Joe line. When I was growing up, I was always more excited to see new names listed on the back of the card than I was name of guys that I already had. For the most part, I liked my originals, so the newer version didn’t appeal to me (I mean,
Read moreNow this is one heavily armed Duke. Brandishing something that looks more akin to Heavy Duty or Salvo, the Joe team’s top sergeant is loaded for bear. Interestingly enough, if you take the gargantuan plasma cannon system off, there’s not much of an indication that it’s intended for this figure. Other than the chest armor, he’s not wearing protective gear
Read moreIn my childhood toy universe, Wild Weasel was the Boba Fett of GI Joe. He was a mysterious masked man of few words, and his reputation preceded him. Cobra Commander could always depend on him to accomplish his missions. As a figure, he was never far from the cockpit of his Rattler. Funny that an homage to the original Wild
Read moreLook, everybody needs a day off, alright. So, it’s a blast from the past. Check it here.
Read moreby Twitziller The Built to Rule Venom Striker, available as part of the second series of BTR sets in limited release in 2004, shares the name and a number of design cues with the Venom Striker from the Valor vs. Venom main toy line released in the same year. In its primary mode, the Venom Striker is a quad ATV
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