FSS 3.0 - Muskrat & Slice

Time for some more quick reviews. Mine aren't the best in the world, but I thought I'd my opinions anyway. Again, like last time, two better reviews can be found on General's Joes and JoeBattlelines. 

The next two up for review are Slice and Muskrat.

If you don't know the history, Slice & Dice were a pair of Cobra Ninjas from the Ninja Force line back in 1992. I liked them both well enough back then and their newest incarnations are pretty decent as well. Dice was part of FSS 1.0 and looked decent enough, but I wasn't on board for FSS 1.0, so Slice is partner-less for now. I think I've got an idea for a custom Dice. 

The Club pretty much hit a home run in my opinion with Slice. There really wasn't much that they needed to do besides using a new head sculpt. Boss Fight Studios provided an excellent update that still remains very true to the original version.

There's really nothing new with the design of this new version and the original and I'm fine with that. There was a later version of Slice that was just hideous. I'm pleased that the Club stuck with the original design.

Slice comes well equipped with assorted edged weapons. There's two hooked swords which are a bit odd to me. He also comes equipped with climbing claws and a set of four swords that can connect with each other into two longer double bladed weapons. They are a bit loose in the backpack and easily slide out.

I've become more accepting of the ninjas in my collection. The original Ninja Force got weirder and weirder. I suppose that it is still a bit weird to have some ninjas clashing with modern soldiers, but that's always been the fun part of GI Joe.

Muskrat is an odd choice to pair with Slice - a ninja and a swamp specialist? Whatever. No big deal. Muskrat's original version was decent enough and usually found good rotation in my various displays. Even tagged as a "swamp fighter," he still has enough of a military look that he'd work well with most everyone else.

His boonie hat is well made, but doesn't stay on very well. I figure a little spot of rubber cement would help Muskrat to keep his hat on.

Great job on the head sculpt. I don't know the origin, but the head is well done. The body is a combination of various other bodies - I think maybe the Jungle Assault POC Duke for the torso and arms, while the legs have been used by Cobra Troopers, Snake Eyes, and numerous other figures. It's a good mix of parts. There's a decent amount of gear that comes with Muskrat including his wake board. Is that what that is? A mini surf board?

I'm not too sure how appropriate the wake board is for a swamp fighter. I don't recall ever seeing a situation where ride-able waves in a swamp. I suppose he could get pulled along, surfing behind a Killer Whale or a Devilfish?

I'm pleased with these two figures from the Club. I really don't get when other Collectors just slam on the Club because the figures aren't perfect or are too expensive based on how they were made or what gear they did or didn't come with. Somewhere, some collector's childhood has been raped because the Club didn't quite get it right with a particular figure.

Geeze... Lighten up. Nobody forced you to buy them, and damn, GI Joe isn't out there in the wilds right now. If you don't like them, don't buy them, and shut the hell up.

GI Joe Collectors Club - FSS-02

The GI Joe Collectors Club is wrapping up their first Figure Subscription Service with the mystery 13th figure now shipping with the last two figures.

Barely anyone reads this blog, so - SPOILER ALERT - the 13th figure is BlackOut. From the pictures that I have seen, the club did a decent job, but I'm not upset that I missed him. I made my own version well before this figure was revealed with a POC Snake Eyes body and BlackOut's head modded to fit on the neck peg. Works just fine for me.

Figure Subscription Service #2 is underway for sign-ups and time is rapidly running out. The deadline is two days away as I write this entry. If I'm going to get on board, I need to decide quickly.

I thought I would do a quick review of each of the proposed FSS02 figures and share my thoughts about them. (left to right, top row to bottom)

1. Dragonsky - the October Guard flame projection specialist. I don't have any other October Guard figures in my collection and I really don't see myself pursuing any other OG figures. Dragonsky would hit the secondary market pretty quickly.
2. Bombardier - based on an Action Force prototype that was an elusive figure to uncover. The story behind Bombardier is pretty cool. Possible keeper, not 100% sure.
3. Falcon - in his Night Force colors. Falcon has always been one of my favorite Joe characters. Yes, I even like him more than Snake Eyes! His transition to the new figure style started out horrifically, with redemption coming via the Slaughther's Marauders 7-pack from BBTS. The new color palette looks great! A definite keeper!
4. Ship-wreck - in Tiger Force colors, based on a South American design. I am so over Shipwreck and his silly sailor suit. Off to the secondary market.
5. Skull Buster - the unit commander of the Cobra Range Vipers, straight repaint, just like the original O-ring version. Not overly impressed. I like the mold, unsure if he would be a keeper.
6. Airtight - in Tiger Force colors, based on a South American design. The 30th upgrade to Airtight is nothing short of action figure excellence. No exceptions to this guy. The tiger stripes look pretty cool, too! Keeper!
7. Tollbooth - not only Yes, but Hell Yes! I sort of have an emotional attachment to Tollbooth. My wife bought me the Bridgelayer as a Christmas present the year before we were married, so I've always had a soft spot for Chuck X. Goren (X for nothing). Plus I really dig the character of a combat engineer. DEFINITE KEEPER!
8. Cesspool - the bad guy behind Cobra's daliance in eco-terrorism. he was always an interesting character and the club appears to be doing him justice. One can never have too many bad guys. Cesspool is a keeper!
9. Widescope - I'm really excited to see a new sculpt era figure in the FSS, but I'm not overly impressed. He's just a Cobra Shock trooper body with a reused sock-head. Nothing special about the gear. lamont looks like a straight remold of original. Maybe a keeper, maybe not.
10. Big Bear - another member of the October Guard. Don't have any others, as previously noted. Nice original o-ring version, but I would let him go to the secondary market.
11. Desert Scorpion - the original o-ring version kinda' sucked in my opinion, so I'm already biased by that suckiness. I'm not impressed. Somebody will want to troop build him. Off to the secondary market.
12. Admiral Keel Haul - another Hell Yes! Another sentimental favorite! I never had the Flagg and knew I would never really want the 7' long beast, so I resigned myself to possibly never having the figure. years and years and years ago, somehow I came across the information that Chuck E. Cheese had Admiral Keel Haul as a prize give-away. Well, off I went to the nearest Chuck E. Cheese and checked in and sure enough, they had him. Fortunately, I didn't have to play a million games of Skee-ball to earn tickets to get him. I think I paid less than $10.00 for him. Well worth it! Hasbro did a damn fine job with the original figure and it looks like the club did a great job as well. We'll never see another USS Flagg at retail, so this is a great way to add the Admiral to the collection. Another definite keeper!
13. unknown... Who knows? Wait and see...

Of the twelve known FSS02 figures, that puts the score at:

• Keepers - 5
• Maybes - 3
• Sell 'em - 4

My biggest concern is that these figures price out at $25.50 each prior to shipping costs. Damn, that's a lot of money! Yeah, I know, I'm a cheap-skate. Where else would I be able to get them? Hasbro apparently ok'd these guys for the Club, because they won't be doing them.

I suppose the question would be if I can resell the ones I don't want for enough extra to lower the overall cost of the ones I want to keep. I haven't done any research on the secondary market of the first FSS figures, but I think I wouldn't have any problems reselling them for at least what I paid for them. I hope...

Do I pull the trigger or not? The clock is ticking...