G.I. Joe Classified Series (1:12)

[nacho]

Yes, underwhelming is the right word. WTF, they didn't get to all the reveals, but they showed off the side-scrolling video game, the Hall of Fame inductees, and a lame wannbe PSA. It's almost as if this wasn't about the toys.

I'll be getting all the figures... especially Starduster. Even though he's an obscure mail-away nobody, he was a personal favorite as a kid. I never ate the cereal, but the figure was great.

I'll even be getting SAW Viper, because of all the rainbow of 90s vipers, he was the one that actually had a lasting impact with a notable SAW killing Doc, Quick Kick, Breaker, Crazylegs, Heavy Metal, Thunder, and Crankcase. Given that Cobra was unable to kill anyone in the preceding 108 issues, this was a watershed moment, and I need a scary evil SAW Viper in my collection. And this deco is a mish-mash of several SV iterations, but I like it because it's far less pink than his OG figure.

But as panels go, this was a huge dud. I actually miss Emily. Her noob enthusiasm and "I just learned about this character yesterday" vibe is entertaining. The last thing the joe team needed was a new neckbeard.

 

[nacho]

 

[nacho]

FYI, if you're ordering from Pulse, their system is shitting the bed. Nobody in the 4:00 Premium window could check out and kept getting a server busy error. Someone suggested using paypal, and it worked. And supposedly they don't charge you up front using paypal like some retailers. Fingers crossed. Not that it matters much, but I didn't want to shell out $300 months in advance, so hopefully they can do preorders with paypal now. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I managed to get my orders through, got confirmation emails... but my orders don't show up in my order history. I was hoping to go in and manually edit the payment method, but I guess I'll just leave it for now. HP's new website is a dumpster fire.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Law & Order look pretty good. I like my version of Heavy Duty (CI Roadblock) better. Still no retro renders?

 

[ThunderDan19]

I made my version of Jinx:

I said I wanted a “tactically useful“ version and Vala offered this base figure (they make really solid figs!), which is mighty close to what I was looking for and much better than Helix with a different head. I ninja’ed her up a little, but kept a couple of the kinetics as well, since she’s following the footsteps of her mentors, Snake Eyes and Scarlett - at least until SS finds his way to the right team! Green makes a lot more sense, but I kept the red arrow frets as the one nod to the original color.

I wouldn’t say I consider her an ”ultimate” version just yet, since technically those full length arrows aren’t a match for the compact crossbow, but I like her so far, way better than the original or new versions. I don’t think the compound bows we’ve gotten are a good fit so I’ve stayed away from those. I also looked at Night Creeper’s crossbow, but don’t like all the bolts on it. I wasn’t sure if I thought I could remove them without causing too much damage or being to obvious, so I fell back to the compact for now. If something better comes along, she’ll get a new primary weapon.

As a bonus, Shockwave inherited a tricked out MP7 from this figure’s loadout, and now I have another armor kit, helmet and M4 for the future Bombstrike I’m going to make from the 60th Action Marine. Also, my Grunt is looking the plainest of my Joes and should be getting a deco and kit upgrade on Monday when my (discounted!) 60th Action Soldier arrives. Huzzah!

 

[nacho]

Vala really does make awesome figures. They are easier to customize than Classified, and the females in particular are... beefier. not fat, but they feel substantial compared to the ultra skinny hasbro females. Put your jinx next to a hasbro girl and she'll look like she'd snap the official in half.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Is the new Jinx a little more meaty though? She looks that way from the pics. That was another reason I liked the Vala buck for mine. She looks like she‘s got the muscle of a lifelong martial arts trainee, while still remaining feminine enough to blend in if she needed to go incognito to get out of a hot zone without being noticed.

Hasbro could learn a little from the Valas if they haven’t already. It will be interesting to see if the 60th Marine is a little beefier or not. Doesn’t really look like it from the pics.

 

[ThunderDan19]

As promised, I gave Grunt an upgrade to a more modern deco and a better rifle:

His original gear actually goes quite well with the deserty camo pattern so all that got moved over. I wanted to swap over his boots too, but Hasbro, in all its wisdom, apparently feels it necessary to vary the connector peg sizes there too, kind of like the neck balls I guess. So he gets to keep the lighter shaded boots from the 60th. Thankfully, I was able to bring over his head and neck and just used the 60th AS’s helmet for him. I think he looks great - in the vein of the original tan v.2 with a modern upgrade. Way more interesting than previously, and now deserving of a spot at the front! Only think he could maybe use is some eye pro, if I can come up with a good solution there. I’d also love it if there was a helmet like that which was actually clasped at the chin. He seems like he’d be a little more serious about making sure he was all secured and tight before going to combat (just my opinion ).

Not sure yet if I will ever make a dramatic change like that on Breaker or not. I’ve already given him some upgrades and he doesn’t look quite so plain in his ODs as Grunt did. Plus, I don’t think there’s as obvious an upgrade buck out there for him, at least not yet. He’s also not right at the front of my display where he would stand out for not standing out. And of course RnR already has some modernization and upgrades from my previous work on him so he’s all set, for me at least.

I did learn a lesson on the arms. Apparently those shoulder plates (I don’t know what else to call them) are impossible to reattach in their original spot once removed. Unfortunately, the youtube videos I watched to figure out how to disassemble CS figs for vest replacement did not emphasize making sure those don’t come out with the arms, so all four came out when I popped the arms out. I was able to jam them back in and twist them tight on the upgraded Grunt, though if you look closely enough, you can see the pegs are just holding them there now by friction, rotated from how they are supposed to be seated in holes. They work fine for display, but I doubt they’d stand up to significant play, or close inspection for that matter. Not really a problem for now, but something I will try to figure out for next time. And old grunt’s buck is armless, for now at least. From my estimation, they must glue the torso together with those shoulder plates already in place, unless there is a reinstallation trick I haven’t figured out.

 

[nacho]

Gridiron has eye protection:

GA0286D (R) 1:12 RED Tactical Shades great for G.I. Joe Classified, Cosmic Legions, Mythic, Outback, Gung Ho, Custom Action figures, Mezco, One12 Sunglasses Marvel (gridironprops.com)

Yeah, I've only taken the shoulders apart once. I managed to get it all back in the right place, but it wasn't something I wanted to do regularly. I typically just use a heat-gun and detach arms at the bicep, even if it means I have to sand/paint the shoulder joints... or I find a new torso with the right color shoulders.

You can get most webgear off by just removing the arms at the bicep, heating the gear to make it stretchy if necessary. The full vests are trickier. I typically just cut them off, but rather than doing a straight up cut that would be hard to glue back together as a butt-joint, I slice them on a rear/side around a kidney... but at a super-shallow angle so that you have a lot of overlapping surface area to reglue. Works like a charm, and it's invisible.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Ooh, those look cool! But I was actually thinking clear eye pro for him (I know, high maintenance). I already tried Mutt and Hawk’s tinted ones and didn’t like them very much. Edit: I knew I had seen clear ones somewhere, and just found them again. I will likely give him Leatherneck’s glasses when I get them.

That was the first time I tried changing out the full vests without them being cut. I saw a video from a vendor of replacement vests that made it look really easy to pop the arms off so I set about to doing that. I guess you have to make darn sure those plates stay in place and just get the actual arms from the shoulder and it works fine . Not 100% sure that’s possible because none of mine came out without it.

I used the hot water method this time over my usual hair dryer method. It did take a little toll on Grunt’s mini laptop, which is a little loose now compared to previously. I think I will go back to the hair dryer because it’s at least a little more targeted. It was fun to go a little deeper than I usually do with my customizations, but obviously opens up new complications. I’m just glad it worked out well enough for what I was looking to do for Grunt.

 

[nacho]

Just FYI... good checklist:

 

[Videoviper]

Not much to see here move along… move along


ClassifiEd scale USS Flagg.

 

[ThunderDan19]

That’s a little extreme, especially considering there isn’t even a Joe CS airplane yet…

 

[nacho]

Got retro Stalker today, and other than the camo beret, he's pretty damn perfect. I'm just going to swap lids with one of the multitude of v1 Stalkers I bought on the cheap for customs, and he'll be solid.

If I had a minor gripe, I have to say I wish he had a new head sculpt. There's nothing wrong with the original one, but he looks a little old and angry. I really like the younger, happier version on the S7 Ultimate figure that is super toony. But again, that's pretty minor, and I knew when I ordered that it wasn't going to be new.

 

[Videoviper]

He 3D printed 2 Skystrikers first.

 

[ThunderDan19]

1:12 scale?

 

[Videoviper]

1:12 scale?

From the video above

 

[nacho]

Got the 60th Pilot/HALO Jumper today... and he's a whole pile of meh. He's almost 100% Airborne repaint with a haslab ripcord backpack and helmet/mask. He does have a lot of camo paint, but it makes him look almost identical to the Valaverse Blowback sniper figure. There is absolutely nothing wrong with him, but there is absolutely nothing compelling about him either. If his base color were a light/brigher green, I could strip him for a regular ripcord custom (as if we're not going to get a retro version eventually anyway). But no, he's dark grayish green, like the first classified Stalker release. I just don't see why anyone would need this fig except for a generic trooper.

I canceled my order with amazon for a second one, and I canceled the 60th female sniper while I was at it. She appears to be just a Shooter repaint with some new gear, and I'm not inclined to waste $35+tax to find out if there's anything compelling about her. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[ThunderDan19]

I’ve got them PO’ed for versions of Ripcord and Bombstrike. They’ll do until something better comes along, if they do. Hardest thing looks to be how to display a HALO jumper, and definitely not with the cheesy parachute.

 

[nacho]

I think the best way to display is "pre-chute-deployment", probably hanging from fishing line or something.

Yeah, I wanted the second one for ripcord, but I'm getting the NF version with the dragonfly, and I'm confident he'll be an automatic candidate for a retro release. But if not, I'll probably just convert the one I have, as I can't imagine using him as-is. I like your Bombstrike idea, but I'm not sure what head I'd use, might try that if she goes on sale, might even get a second for a NF LadyJaye if they're cheap enough. At least she doesn't come wearing f#$%ing sneakers. WTF Mattel.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Lol, yeah. I was just planning to use the whitey head for Bombstrike and call it close enough, at least for a character I have little actual knowledge of anyway. My team just needs more cool gurlz.

As for the Ripcord, I was thinking that I might go the hanging route like you said. I have a couple helos overhead (1:18 scale as they might be) that I could probably drop some fishing line from to use as a hanger.

 

[ThunderDan19]

This looks pretty cool, and for a good cause:

Valaverse Action Force 1/12 Scale Female Steel Brigade Breast Cancer Charity Figure Now Available

Valaverse Action Force 1/12 Scale Female Steel Brigade Breast Cancer Charity Figure Now Available

toynewsi.com

I just wish that Vala would fix the whacky scaling issue on their mags. It takes away from what would otherwise be a pretty sweet looking rifle. (It's like that with all of their rifles).

 

[ThunderDan19]

G.I. Joe ReAction+ Snake Eyes (Comic) Action Figure Video Review And Images

G.I. Joe ReAction+ Snake Eyes (Comic) Action Figure Video Review And Images

toynewsi.com

I really don't see any appeal in these. I honestly think this version of SE is inferior to the 1980's figure in almost every way. It's proportions, deco and kit are all worse than the 40 year old version. I know there is a measure of forced nostalgia there in making them like that, but I like my figs to make me go, "Wow, that's cool!" or "Look how much better that works than the old one!". I just don't see anything to like about these ones.

I might actually be more annoyed with these than the 5 POA garbage. I guess I was hoping for a scaled down, somewhat more affordable version of the Super 7s, but this definitely ain't it. Super easy pass.

 

[nacho]

I like some more than others. SE is definitely the dud of the wave. I agree he offers nothing that the OG figure does not, save a mask without lips.

On the other hand, CoCo looks more sunbow than his original 82/83 figure, and Covergirl couldn't help but look better than her ARAH figure (woof).

The comic BAT is wholly dependent on whether or not you enjoy that one issue where BATs are introduced and chase Lady Jaye around a junkyard. But they're definitely skippable if that's not your bag.

I've come to the conclusion that I'm definitely not being a completist with this line... the artwork, while classically inspired, is not particularly nostalgic, so I'm not collecting them for MOC display purposes. But I do plan to buy the ones that offer an upgrade or different toon or comic inspired deco from the original ARAH counterparts. I'll get CoCo and CG for sure. I'll get the suited twins even though they have big ears and look kinda derpy. But I won't feel bad about skipping grape-stomping Snake-Eyes. (why does he have blue/purple boots? That's not a deco from any media...)

 

[ThunderDan19]

Got my 60th HALO and Marine. Not bad but not perfect either (particularly the Marine’s hair vs. backpack). Got them displayed as my Ripcord and Bombstrike, at least for now.

 

[nacho]

Step 1: Remove goofy stomach tattoo.
Step 2: Done.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Definitely better. What did it even say? I can’t read it from the promo pics. What do you think about the fig overall? Dude is a hoss, that’s for sure.

 

[nacho]

It is hard to read, but I think it just said "Roadpig" in a gothic font like you see Mexicans put their surname in the back window of their cars.

Overall the figure is huge, dwarfs Big Boa even. His accessories are fine but I think they're mostly unnecessary extras to pad out the "deluxe with pet" price point. I'll never use either of the masks or the axe or the riot shield. Even the dog feels like a waste, since he never had a pet before. It's all just padding. He comes with extra hands, but of course, they use yet another new peg size/style, so you're definitely only using those hands on him. Hasbro needs to stop the madness there. How hard is it to standardize wrist pegs?!

The biggest gripe I have is the face sculpt, as he looks less like an insane biker and more like a confused toddler. The baby-face is real. He doesn't look mean or aggressive in the least, just sad like someone stole his ice cream. You feel sorry for him rather than afraid of him. The alternate head is no better, as it's supposed to be a yelling face, but it looks more like a whining face, "Moooooooomm, Buzzer drank my grape soda!"

It sounds like I dislike the figure, but I don't. I'm glad I bought him on the cheap via the Target sale, but he's a solid release. I just have no use for most of the accessories, and I'd have preferred a more punchable face. The stomach tattoo had to go the second he came out of the box, but otherwise, I'm glad to have him to fill out the dreadnok ranks. I like him far more than Gnawgahyde, who was just a cheap repaint of w1 Gung-Ho.

 

[nacho]

And then there's Raptor. He's a fine figure of a laughable character with completely horrid accessories. Not sure how you categorize that. The figure itself is highly detailed and looks like I'd expect a bird-fettished accountant to look. I rather like him, far more than I expected to.

Then there's his stuff, which is an epic fail. His wings are a cheap knockoff of Marvel's Vulture's no-way-home look. But most importantly, they make no sense for the character. HE'S AN ACCOUNTANT with a bird-training hobby. But they gave him wings like he's a trained pilot supervillain. He does book-keeping, not flying around like a bird. His OG costume was just that, a halloween costume, not a functional flight suit.

Then they gave him wolverine ninja claws... not sure how those are supposed to do him any good hundreds of feet in the air unless we're to believe he's going to swipe his human arms at moving aircraft or swoop down to slash stationary troops on the ground? And did I mention that he's an ACCOUNTANT?

And lastly, they gave him a bird in a stationary position wearing a hood so it can't see. Oooooo, very scary. It might poop and miss his forearm and get on an enemy's shoes. BEWARE THE POOP JOE!

It's like Hasbro got so caught up in "modernizing" his look that they completely forgot who and what the character is. They don't understand the crazy bird man in the least, and they don't get that he's not a Spidey villain. At the deluxe price point, Raptor is a massive failure. If he goes on clearance, grab one and use it without the backpack for all your evil accounting needs, but otherwise, he's a hard pass.

 

[Videoviper]

Hasbro 1988 - I don't understand the crazy bird man in the least, and I don't get that he's not a Spidey villain.

You are not alone…, (or as alone as Raptor?)

 

[ThunderDan19]

My takeaway: Hasbro should never have made Raptor in 1988, as an accountant in a suit or not. I think they tried to make him more "threatening" or relevant when they decided to make him for the CS line (their second mistake). I'm not sure if the new version is supposed to be the same accountant bird man or not. No matter how they envisioned him this go 'round, he was a crap character then and still is. Same for Crystal Ball.

The sooner they delve back into the weird and get away from Joe as the special military unit assigned to stop the militarized terrorist force of Cobra, the sooner they will drive the line into the ground, just like they did back in the day. Hasbro just can't seem to help but dip their toes into the weird though, so yeah, the only question is when they will jump that shark. I'm afraid we may be getting close.

 

[nacho]

Well, rumor is that Nemesis Enforcer PO is due before the end of the month. We've got one on 10/22 and potentially another on 10/29 (with the fake 10/27 "hasbro holiday" falling on a sunday). But yeah, too much weird is going to kill things for a huge chunk of fans. This isn't MOTU, but then again, a lot of fans like the sci-fi aspects of Joe. I'm just not one of them.

1987 had a three-way battle for pegwarmer of the year between Raptor, Crystal Ball, and Sneek-Peek. I recall countless trips to the toy store, finding nothing but pegs of one or more of those three and nothing else. Raptor was dumb, Sneek-Peek looks straight out of Spaceballs, but I think Crystal Ball would win the pegwarmer prize. It would be close though.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Yeah, between NE, Raptor and OAM CC (and zombies too I suppose), we've definitely diverted toward the weird, and that's not a good thing. I feel like this line is always teetering on the edge of losing favor as it is, then they go and roll the dice on the same characters that set off the popularity dropoff last time.

It doesn't help that (speaking of peg warmers) I still see the same retro Dukes, Scarletts and Recondos at WM every time/where I go. It's the same thing as last time: WM gets stock well behind other retailers, it sits on the pegs and holds up any newer retro or CS figs from getting stocked, then they don't sell and have to be clearanced out months or years too late.

I suppose I shouldn't complain. Maybe the next set of retros or CS will eventually end up at Ollie's again for $5. Somehow the line apparently thrived despite that last time, so who knows what constitutes success? Better recent sales than SWBS or ML?

 

[nacho]

I saw several retro Beachheads today, so not all is lost. And the Dukes and Scarletts will sell eventually, as they're popular characters AND very well done this time around. I don't worry about those the way I would lesser waves.

And to remind me that it's not all "weird", I'll be getting a nostalgia kick when Starduster arrives later this week. He was one of my favorites as a kid despite appearing in zero media. I never had a JUMP back in the day, so he was my jetpack guy for years. And because he wasn't in anything for reference, I could give him any personality I wanted, which was usually akin to my own. Funny how those things stick with you for decades.

 

[nacho]

I like him! My only beef so far is that you can't get him in the pose on the cereal box. His head WILL NOT look up or even tilt that direction in the slightest. You can push it back, but you're just going to make the head pop off the neckball or the entire neck to dislodge from the torso. Maybe I got a dud or the new Duke mold just wasn't meant for that. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ So that's kind of a bummer, but otherwise, he's fun.

 

[nacho]

Starduster wasn't the only thing I opened today...

I'm not sure about their terror plots or multi-level marketing schemes, but it feels like these guys are trying to take over the world using color saturation.

 

[ThunderDan19]

If you can't be better, be brighter...

Unfortunately it still looks like bendy weapons are a problem.

 

[nacho]

The entire retro trooper is VERY rubbery, not just the weapons. CoCo not so much, but the troopers are hella-bendy.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I feel like maybe some of the repaints are more that way. My Crimson Alley Viper has bow legs because he was made a little softer and I think got a little compressed in the package. I don't know if that is actually a quality issue or a conscious choice to make them less brittle.