FSS 5.0 Raptor, Steel Raven and

You already know who the mysterious 13th figure is, right?

The final shipment for FSS 5.0 has arrived! This last shipment really was a good solid hit by the Club. Let's take a quick look at the three figures.
  

Raptor is up first and the Club kicked some serious ass with this figure. They took a goofy o-ring character and turned him into a goofy modern figure. Well, maybe not as goofy as that original figure, but c'mon, he's wearing a bird costume! The formula that the Club used was very similar to what customizers have done in the past. Mostly the PoC desert Zartan figure with the "wings" from the Jungle Viper. The feet/lower legs seem to be from a Destro figure from one of the 25th two-pack sets. Everything just works great together!

Raptor looks so cool now, I think he needs an upgrade to his character. He looks almost menacing right now.

But can he fly with these "wings"? Maybe, just take that 20 minutes into the future mindset and, sure, he can fly! Minor issues: unfortunate that the Club didn't include the top piece for the wings, so that leaves the open connecting ball at the top of the back pack. I suppose the back pack could be flipped, but it doesn't really look that great when it gets flipped. The wings rest too low against his back. I'm not really thrilled with the pistol and the way it just gets shoved into his belt. Knives would be better; easy fix.

 

Why not add the claw gloves from the RoC Doctor figure? Works for me! Gives Raptor a little more sense of "menace".

Next up is Steel Raven, a character from the GI Joe: Extreme sad moment in GI Joe history. Despite the dismal failure of GI Joe: Extreme, the Club did a good job with Steel Raven. She would go well alongside Iron Klaw, the leader of SKAR. The Club released him in FSS 1.0 and I wasn't on board then. Not that big of a deal to me, I don't really see the need for the forces of SKAR in my mental GI Joe world. She's just another agent of Cobra. Perhaps with the brown and black hues of her uniform, she can be an ally of Major Bludd?

The Club used one of the RoC Baroness bodies for Steel Raven and it works out great. Not very "playable", but these are generally considered to be adult collectibles. There was some initial concern about the hat, but it fits nice and snugly on her head.

I'm not too crazy about the pistols that she came with; they are the same pistols that came with Helix and I really didn't like them then either.

Speaking of Helix... Oh look, it's GI Jane! A bold move by the Club and I'm glad that the Helix head sculpt got some new use. Sort of... It's such a unique head sculpt having only been used for Helix and a female Dialtone from a RoC set. Not bad, but not great either.

The head sculpt works well enough, but not really thrilled with the choice. The larger issue is the lab coat. It was designed for a larger torso and doesn't fit very well on Jane. She looks better without it.

Once I saw the reuse of the Helix head sculpt, story ideas started swirling in my head. Jane is a scientist and Helix is a bit of a mystery as to her origin. Could Helix be a genetically enhanced clone of GI Jane? Would Jane abandon personal ethics to create an ultimate soldier? Perhaps... Interesting idea.

That wraps up the figures for FSS 5.0! I think I'll write another recap post of all of the FSS 5.0 figures in a few days. FSS 5.0 turned out to be a pretty strong set of figures, with few "issues" (at least to me).

Who was your favorite FSS 5.0 figure? Let me know in the comments!

GI Joe Club FSS 5.0 Reveals

All the shenanigans seem to have settled down about the reveals for the Club's FSS 5.0 set of figures. I've been it a bit of a funk lately, at least in relation to toys and stuff. Surgery, new job, moving... it's all piled up to make for an interesting summer. The toys and this silly blog got put to the side for a while.

I've signed up for FSS 5.0 and have previously been a part of FSS 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0. I figured that I might as well throw out my two cents about the troops for FSS 5.0. Nothing better than sharing your opinion on the internet, right?

I loaded the pictures as to how I had saved them, not in the sequence that they were released. So, what the hell? Let's get going.

First up is Ambush. I wasn't really a huge fan of the original figure and I think that the Club did a decent enough job in capturing the essence of the character. As has been pointed out elsewhere, his neck seems extra long with that head propped up on that collar. Maybe it's just a pre-production issue and hopefully it will be resolved. In general, I'm in favor of this figure.

Next up is the Viper based on version 4 from 1994. I really didn't like the original figure much. I'm sure I bought a few, but nowhere near the amount of regular Vipers that I would have bought back in '86. Now we have another troop builder from the Club. I can't really fault the Club, primarily because the Cobra figures were largely the troops, with the individual personalities being a smaller amount. I think the figure looks well made, but I just don't know yet if I'm going to keep him. The design doesn't really fit into the design of the current modern Vipers or Cobra soldiers. Right now, I'm thinking he's going to head to the secondary market. I'm thinking I should be able to turn him for a decent profit.

Next up is Charbroil, another figure that wasn't terribly exciting in his original form. I think the Club did a decent job with him. I like this design over the Hasbro Blowtorch design. Charbroil is a keeper.

Next up is Darklon. The Club used the character in one of the recent Convention sets and he looked pretty good. I don't recall the build and I'm too lazy to go look it up right now. I think the Club did a great job; I think the parts choices work. I've always liked the character and will be pleased to add him to my collection.

No, this isn't Gung Ho. This is his Action Force counterpart, Gaucho. The original Gaucho was just a repaint of the original Gung Ho, so... yeah... Easy figure for the Club. He's way too much like Gung Ho for him to fit into my GI Joe world. I don't know what I'm going to do with this figure. Keep or sell? Time will tell. 

Next up is General Flagg. I like the design from the Club. Not sure how well that hat is fitting on his head, but the build looks pretty decent. I'm looking forward to adding him to my team.

Raptor? The Club decided to tackle Raptor? They certainly did and they did a damn fine job. I've seen customs in which the jungle viper "wings" were used for Raptor customs and I'm pleased that the Club went the same direction. The "wings" work great for Raptor and I'm excited about adding this goofball to my Cobra lineup.

I have always liked the character of Scoop. A combat journalist always sounded like a cool part of the team. Those odd combat jobs, like the journalist or the combat engineer (Tollbooth) always appealed to me. I think the Club captured his look well enough, but I'm disappointed that the head sculpt has a non removeable helmet.

Sneak Peek in his more accurate colors is up next. I liked the FSS 4.0 Tiger Force version and this guy looks just fine as well. Lazy on the part of the Club? Yeah, maybe, but it makes sense. I'm not sure why Tiger Force came out before this regular version, but either way, this figure works. I'm pleased to add him to my team.

Next up is Steel Raven, from the Club's comic story. Loosely based on a SKAR character from GI Joe: Extreme. Wow! The Club dipped into the mutant cousin/line of GI Joe? Not bad! There's been some criticism about Steel Raven looking like a female Major Bludd. Yeah, maybe. Whatever. I think she looks pretty good and well designed. 

Next up is Xamot, from the "Shattered Glass" storyline from the Club's Adventure Team comic. Whatever the backstory, we have one of the twins in a business suit. I'm quite pleased with this choice. Does the Club have plans for Tomax? Maybe in the future? 

Next up is the biggest source of nerd rage of FSS 5.0 - Salvo. This is the first concept from the Club and the Joe fan community exploded in a fury of outrage! Personally, I didn't care too much at the time. I've always imagined that the Club has to use what Hasbro allows them to use. Apparently the fan base interpreted the somewhat bulky original figure with the idea that Salvo had to be a big dude. Nerd outrage ensued... But the fan base did a good thing. They politely went to the Club's forums and reacted in a positive fashion, which resulted in...

This new version of Salvo. The Club offered up a design using the Retaliation Roadblock torso which gives Salvo much more bulk to him, much more in line with the muscular original figure. I've got to admit, the fan base did a good thing and I'm really hoping that the Club can create this version of Salvo.

Finally, there will be the mystery 13th figure. The Club has revealed that the figure will be a female figure and a "highly requested GI Joe team member." So what does that mean? Sounds interesting, I'm looking forward to seeing who it will be.

I was pretty much sold on FSS 5.0 from just the original line up and the release of the preproduction designs further completed my buy in of the line up. Right now (only considering the 12 named figures), it looks like there are ten solid keepers, with the Viper being a probable sale and Gaucho being on the fence as to what his final fate will be in the end.

My only real complaint with the Club and the FSS figures is the lack of communication. I don't want to know all of their business, but keep the fans updated on production and expected shipping delivery times. Just give us something once in awhile. Please.

One last question - Will the last figures from FSS 5.0 be released before the 2017 Convention? I certainly hope so.