New GI Joe in November!

New figures on the way! The Hasbro panel at this year's GI Joe Convention offered up a few treats for fans this year. It looks like five two-packs and two three-packs. No vehicles this year. As long as GI Joe is out there in the marketplace somewhere, that works for me.

Random thoughts ahead.

Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. This is a great two-pack that actually makes sense. These two have always been in conflict with each other, so why not? Hasbro pulled out two of the best versions of these iconic characters. The awesome PoC Snake Eyes (v54) and the Renegades Storm Shadow. 
While this is awesome, it would be one of my least desirable sets. I've got loads of this version of Snake Eyes and I've got this Storm Shadow as well. I can think of two reasons to get this two-pack; one to just keep unopened just because it's cool to have these two together and another just for the custom potential. This Snake Eyes, with a simple head swap, becomes a great GI Joe covert ops team member. I've got the "ultimate" Storm Shadow from late in the Retaliation line and he really is the best Stormy. With another "white" ninja, could they be two ninjas working directly with Storm Shadow?

A two-pack of zombie vipers! Hell yeah! I've currently got six zombies and wouldn't mind having a few more. Maybe two more sets?

Next up is Duke and a new Cobra character, Tombstone. The Duke build is interesting and looks like it has potential. I think I would switch out the vest for the more muted green vest from a Steel Brigade figure and switch out the head for a Renegades Duke (my favorite Duke head sculpt).
Tombstone is interesting. An unmasked Cobra operative and non-white.That's very bold of Hasbro to go with a black enemy soldier. That's been a rare occurrence in the history of GI Joe. I'm looking forward to this set.

Next up is basically a brand new set of figures; Heavy Duty and Stiletto. While Heavy Duty is not a new character and not really a new figure, I'm glad to see him get a modern update. Last seen, embarrassingly, during the Rise of Cobra line, this version is more in line with the character from the new sculpt era. Hasbro is using the larger "Rock" body for him and he looks pretty cool!
Stiletto is a fan-chosen figure from the GI Joe Kindle Worlds series of fan fiction. I don't recall her full story right now, but I believe she's a Cobra agent. Hasbro finally resurrected the Helix body and is using it for Stiletto; at least the torso. The arms and legs are from other female figures. Of course, she has a brand new head sculpt. Another great two-pack from Hasbro.

This last two-pack is a troop builder that includes an Iron Grenadier and a Cobra Viper. Excellent set, but do I really want it? I never really got into troop building Destro's soldiers. I do have quite o few of the IG heavy gunners that came with the Steel Brigade figure, but none of these particular versions of the Iron Grenadier soldiers. I do like them, even though Hasbro is using the more dated 25th anniversary figure. I just don't know if I'll actively pursue this two-pack, primarily because of the Viper.

"But, Tom, you frikkin' love the Viper!" True, very true, but I've got 14 of them! Seriously, how many more do I need? EVERY OTHER ONE I SEE! No, not really, 14 is more than enough. I've even got one still minty fresh on the card because the Viper is so awesome! I may just pass on this set.

Next up is one of the three-packs. This set looks like it includes a covert ops team, since they are all dressed in black gear. The first two, Falcon and Outback, look great and would be welcome additions to my collection. Outback seems a little off though. Hasbro is using the 25th anniversary head sculpt on a modern body. That combination makes his head look a little too small.

Another female character from Hasbro? And she's black? What? This is Shooter, the 14th original GI Joe character. Way, way back in the the very first issue of the Marvel GI Joe comic, there was a picture of a computer screen with the original 13 team members listed as well as one more character, Shooter. No picture of Shooter was shown at the time and the name came out as a nod to then Marvel editor Jim Shooter.

Many years later, Larry Hama revisits that origin story of GI Joe and fleshes out the Shooter character. She was an operative that was dropped in alongside, but unknown to, the original team in their mission to rescue Dr. Burkhart. It seemed like she was KIA at the end of the issue, but that doesn't matter that much in terms of making a figure of the character. I definitely want this set!

The last three-pack is another troop builder set and it is a winner! A SAW Viper, a Cobra Officer, and a BAT. The SAW Viper is great, and while similar to the Club version from last year's convention set, it is different enough to keep the Club version unique. 

The Cobra Officer is... female? What is going on at Hasbro? So many awesome changes with these figures! A female Cobra officer! How very cool! I'm ready for her to be a part of my collection and have her kick some Blueshirt trooper butt! Plus the Club is working with Hasbro on this set and is making their own three-pack of all female Cobra soldiers, each with a mask and different hair color. Excellent collaboration!

The third figure in this set is another BAT using the same exact mold from the 25th version. Who cares? That mold works so well and has held its own against any of the modern era of GI Joe figures. I can always use more BATs. I'll take at least three of these sets please!

That's the lineup for the new figures due at Toys R Us this November. Crap, I'll be up in Pickens County well before then. I'm going to need to find the nearest Toys R Us!

Blowtorch's Backpack

I'm sorry, but I really don't like any of the modern versions of Blowtorch. He's just kind of goofy looking. The head sculpt is odd, the figure doesn't really stand that well. The vest/chest piece just kind of sits there.

I even read Justin's review over on General's Joes before buying the figure. One star? Really? And I bought him anyway. I totally agree with the review as well.

But I do like the flame projection unit, despite the fact that the flamethrower has not been used since before 1978 because of the horrific nature of the injuries and casualties caused by the weapon. So why did Hasbro make Blowtorch in the first place? Because shooting a jet of flame as a weapon just sounds cool!

Besides, with Cobra's use of the undead as soldiers/weapons, some flame projection comes in handy for burning the infected. I've got a couple of the kick-ass Airtight figures from the 30th/PoC series of figures and figured that I would try out how Blowtorch's weapon would work on Airtight.

Looks pretty bad-ass. But I don't have a picture of Airtight wearing it right now! I'll add one later.

So this morning, I'm taking pictures of the new GI Joe Club FSS 02 figures - Lt. Falcon and Cesspool and I'm looking at the various figures that formed the base of Cesspool and I stumble across Blowtorch's gear.

And I accidentally knock it to the floor and a piece falls loose. What the hell? I broke it!

Nope, the piece that came off is removable! What the hell? Why? There's a little screen and some dials and gauges in there. That's a pretty damn cool bit of detailing that I only just discovered.

So I'm a little happier about Blowtorch, not much, but a little. And what about Cesspool and Lt. Falcon? Stay tuned, reviews coming shortly. Let's just say, the Club kicked ass on these guys!

**Pictures of Airtight w/ flame unit as promised. Not bad?

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...