By KansasBrawler The two Resolute-branded comic packs were kind of interesting. The two Joes in the comic packs didn’t show up in Resolute at all (at least in a meaningful way, I can’t remember if either Shockwave or Tunnel Rat were in a group shot) and the Cobras included were in Resolute but looked nothing like the figures released. I’m
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The relaunch era vehicles for the most part don’t get much attention or respect. Only a few garner the kind of good will associated with the 80s and 90s toys. Much of the output doesn’t appeal to a collector’s sensibilities, and aspects like scale, realism and fit/finish skew toward a younger demographic than we’re accustomed to. Early 2000s vehicles like
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If I had to point to a single impressive element of the 25th anniversary series, it would be the detailed accessories. The small GI Joe scale certainly has a history of amazingly intricate weapons, backpacks and other gear, and the revamped figures continued the tradition. As the modern figures have evolved, Hasbro refined its approach to the layered style of
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Going back to the 25th anniversary well, Airborne was another figure I really wanted to see recreated for the new line. What we got was not without flaws, but a good looking if not entirely playable figure. If you’re into revisions that look good on a shelf and are able to achieve a few decent poses, it’s a figure for
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A Crimson Cobra Commander. Why not? After all, every good totalitarian madman needs to match not only his legions of jackbooted thugs, but also his elite, more stylishly dressed personal guard. The forces of evil, though they’re always wrong and ultimately vanquished by the forces of good, are nevertheless style mavens of the highest order. Cobra Commander, even from the
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By the time the 2008 assortments of the 25th anniversary series had been announced, I already had a list of must-have figures in my head. Among them was Torpedo, one of my favorite 1980s Joes, and also one of the earliest figures I recall seeing on the pegs in my local Montgomery Ward. Unfortunately the new figure was incredibly difficult
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Somebody at Funskool was either super high or prone to taking things way too literally. As the pilot of the Skystorm X-Wing Chopper, his original namesake was most likely chosen in relation to the vehicle’s design. It’s not all goofiness however, as Funskool gave his uniform a nice spruce up of color. The original was just an odd combo, and
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Black Major has long cornered the market for Cobra trooper variants. From basic infantry to the elite troops, his customs run the gamut from environmental specialists to Cobra sub-teams, and has even branched into 1984 Storm Shadow and Night Vipers. All look pretty cool in a rainbow of unique colors that Hasbro never made. Crimson Guards in a desert theater
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By 1985, Snake Eyes was equal parts commando and ninja. Just a couple of changes to uniform and weaponry transformed the Joe team’s mystery man/soldier into a mystical warrior. With the introduction of Storm Shadow, an entire ninja mythos was born. It continues to this day. In 2007, the anniversary series met with enough success that the pegs saw the
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By KansasBrawler When the Joe line reinvented itself in a smaller scale in 1982, they really managed to capture lightning in a bottle. Those first 13 figures were interesting characters and to me, one of the coolest was Rock ‘N’ Roll. KansasBrother and I were both too young to have started with the Joe line when it came back in
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