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

[ThunderDan19]

Good thing I am not all that interested in him. Still hoping for a main line Viper though. Still waiting for my Flint, LJ and Cobra Trooper that are pre-ordered too. I'd probably pick up a Firefly if I see one for something less than 2x retail. At least the exclusives/scalping/price gouging is keeping me from overbuying this time. My 25th Joes got a little out of hand...

 

[pcsguy88]

So glad I cut bait on this line almost immediately.

 

[nacho]

Well, just suffered through a 4 hour hasbro fan event, and there was no mention of Bludd, just SE Movie figs.

The Scarlett movie fig looks pretty good, probably better than her main release because the head sculpt is attractive. SE is just ok, as I still struggle with him being changed into a dark-haired asian dude. Baroness and SS look pretty meh, just typical movie figs that look too much like an actor, less like a character. Then there is a new asian girl ninja "Akiko" who is basically the Joe version of Last Skywalker's "Rose". No doubt she'll be revealed to be SS's cousin at some point, aka Jinx (whose file card name was never revealed in classic ARAH lore). Yawn.

Trying to morph these characters into real-world people just doesn't translate. I'm more disappointed than I expected to be.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I just got the notice of these from BBTS and EE, and, yeah, I‘m not ready to replace SE or Scarlett, or to add that (boring) SS, Baroness or whoever-that-Asian-girl-is. That Scarlett’s outfit looks more like movie LJ’s. She’s not bad, but the current Scarlett is a better tribute to the original IMO. Maybe I’ll change my mind when/if I see her in person. But overall, these are incredibly underwhelming, and I hope they didn’t make too many or supplant any better figs to release them.

 

[nacho]

Look what the mailman brought today...



while they're not perfect (Bludd's backpack is just as bad as all previous backpacks in the line), these guys are getting closer and closer to classic ARAH designs. Jaye is pretty cool, but I'm not 100% sold on the face sculpt, and I'd have preferred a more Sunbow deco, but that's just me. Overall, I'm rather pleased. Bludd has some amazing photo-real face printing, and whoever they modeled him after is one creepy dude.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I got Flint, LJ and the Trooper recently as well. I like all three pretty well. Like you said, fairly true to the originals, which is good and bad. I was never a fan of LJ's spears as her primary weapon. I'm not sure what they were going for with her weapon system on this. I just set her up cartoon style to throw her spears. I prefer the hat head, which looks pretty good. I'd like to pick up a rifle or two to supplement my new Joes with something besides shotguns and spears. I always gave Flint a spare Airborne rifle back in the day. Shotguns are only good for close quarters (I've always been opinionated like that with my Joes). And spears, well... they're spears...

The sculps for all are pretty good. Flint and the Trooper are solid, not as awesome as Beachhead, but solid. I'm hesitant to try to move one of LJ's legs much, because the hip joint is extremely tight and I don't want to break it. It's okay for me because I just set up poses and leave them all on my shelf at work, but I don't think she'll last long once I pass them along to my daughter. Her first version of Hela lasted about a week before breaking an arm. Dad to the rescue for a replacement, and I think she's learned to be particularly careful with the skinny lady figures, but this one is ripe for an unrepairable break.

I'm still looking for a reasonable option for a Firefly, but am not willing to spend more than double for an "ok" version of him. I've all but given up on getting a Cobra Island Viper. No matter how great the fig, I'm not paying $100+ for it. Scalpers can eat a bag on both of those. I'm holding out hope for (ideally an even better) general re-releases for both like they did with the Trooper, so I can have more than one Cobra to counter my 5 Joes.

As for the others, I have passed up normal or even a little below priced CCs, Destros, Zartans, RBs, Dukes, etc. Even though I had all those multiple times in the past, the new versions just don't wow me enough to add them to the mini-collection this time. I suppose it's for the best after what happened with my 25th collection...

 

[nacho]

I have a second LJ ordered so I could give her a better paintjob, much like I did with scarlett. And I've got a second flint that I'm going to use to mod the vest somehow. Not sure if I'm going to just paint it different or actually cut away the non-suspender parts of the vest to make it more ARAH accurate. All that green on Flint looks weird to me.
And I'll definitely be paining the kneepads to match the pants and doing something with those shin-guards. Why is hasbro obsessed with everyone having fucking shin-guards? Is Cobra employing a lot of frontal-only attacks that are a foot off the ground? Are they getting together to play soccer later? I don't understand, and I don't like it. But at least they aren't gold, which is a big improvement.

Speaking of improvements, I picked up the Duke and Scarlett redecos as well. Duke definitely looks better, but he's still "off" somehow. Scarlett... I don't really like the black & brown deco, but I like the printed face and darker hair much better. It's like you have to mix and match parts to make tolerable figures. I haven't picked up the toned down Roadblock, mostly because I don't care. I've got a half-finished custom of the CI version painted in ARAH colors that I'll be using in my display, so a muted redeco of the original release does nothing for me.

I'll try to get some better pics over the weekend, as I'm excited to get all the Cobras together for a group shot now that I have Bludd. He was the last of the major named guys I needed (I'm counting SS as done with my custom AI figure... b/c that mortal kombat looking SS on the Joe box art is a travesty). Sure, I'll take Scrap Iron, Wild Weasel, and some Dreadnoks, but with CC, Destro, Baroness, Firefly, Zartan, and Bludd, you've got the bulk of the brain-trust there. Might make a custom Dr Venom from a spare DCD Hugo Strange and a Tarkin head, but that's down the road.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Cool! Looking forward to seeing your improvements!

 

[nacho]

Whelp, no need now; Big-H just announced a new classified Roadblock in ARAH deco (amazon exclusive), along with Barbecue (another Target exclusive), a deluxe commando Snake-Eyes with articulated Timber (no word on how it'll be distributed), and a Target exclusive Breaker with RAM.

Thrilled with the product, seriously bummed about the ebay tax I'll have to pay to obtain most of it.

Hasbro G.I. Joe June Live-Stream Coverage - More Exclusives Revealed (toynewsi.com)

 

[Videoviper]

Is that Vamp an RC car?

 

[nacho]

Yep, does NOT hold figures.

 

[Videoviper]

I keep looking at RC cars/trucks to build my own compatible vehicle, but my give a shit is rarely there these days.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Well, that’s a surprise. That RB is the best yet. I’d buy him for retail if I ever see him (didn’t see him on Amazon). BBQ is an easy pass. That’s the kind of fig Target should be getting. As cool as the new one looks, I have no need for another SE. Breaker w/ RAM looks cool, but I’ll never pay what it would take to get one. Plus, he really needs more weapons. I guess I’ll wait to see what comes of the next reveal in July(?).

 

[nacho]

He's hidden on Amazon despite today being the preorder launch.

Amazon.com: Hasbro GIJ CS Mission Milky Way: Toys & Games

 

[ThunderDan19]

I figured it was something like that. The more I look at him and the other upcoming releases, the less I like them. They seem to have fewer details and accessories than the earlier batches.

 

[nacho]

That's funny. They look more ARAH to me and thus I like them substantially more. I mean, Breaker actually has boot laces, no kneepads or shin-guards, and no goofy gold accents. It's a festivus miracle!

 

[ThunderDan19]

Lol, I read you. I’m just much more about getting a modernized version of my favorites (with lots of cool accessories) over just a scaled up version of the original. To each their own.

 

[nacho]

Yeah, I get that. But they're using the same molds for all these figures, so it's not like there is actually any less detail in the bucks of these than the prior figures, just less gaudy paint, less cumbersome rubber armor. The guns for these look far more realistic than the wave 1 Starship Troopers nerf weaponry too.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Well, if you take a look at such weapons as the P90, F2000, and ARX, and a lot of the newer mag fed shotguns, they all look pretty nerfy. Polymer is the present and the future. But I do get what your saying as well. I guess I want the new hotness with just enough homage to the original to make it unmistakably that character. But I’m looking beyond the 80s fabulous look, weapons and gear.

 

[nacho]

Lest you forget, we're talking about a group of soldiers that fights a snake-themed terrorist group that includes a used car salesman with a lisp, a one-eyed poet, a swamp dweller with a skin condition, a deranged shirtless dentist-turned-geneticist, and a guy in a metal mask whose lips inexplicably still move when he describes his weather control device or the magic beans he invented. Yet you're worried that their weapons aren't "Halo" enough...

I might be out of touch on bleeding edge military gear, but when it comes to this franchise, I suspended my disbelief long ago. It helps, I promise.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Nah, haven’t you heard? That’s the old GI Joe! The new GI JOE is an international team of elite special operatives using their talents, training and the latest technology to fight a snake themed terrorist group/hostile island nation and anyone else who “disturbs the global peace.”

As for the weirdos of Cobra, it’s actually a lot easier to believe these days as many have been seen on reality tv and wandering the streets of NYC and SD, muttering their plans for world domination before they found their way to Cobra. Heck, some of the weirdest came out of the universities and the current administration .

 

[nacho]

Well this is a non-exclusive that hits all the right buttons for me. Classic ARAH SE with wolf. Screw that ninja shit, commando SE is the holy grail as far as I'm concerned. '82/'83 swivel arm SE and Stalker were the first carded Joes I ever bought (after having picked up Clutch and the VAMP the previous month), and I couldn't be happier about getting this guy... (well, I could complain about the shin-guards, but since he's all black, they don't stand out much).

G.I. Joe Classified Series Snake Eyes & Timber: Alpha Commandos Action – Hasbro Pulse

 

[ThunderDan19]

Cool. I’m satisfied with the version I have and really have no use for Timber, especially for an extra $20. I do like Commando version the best, but feel like the single version has enough of it mixed in.

 

[pcsguy88]

Assholes. All I wanted was Commando SE and now the want to bend me over for it. So glad I skipped this line.

 

[nacho]

I get not wanting to pay 40+ for it, but getting an articulated wolf with mutable heads doesn't exactly feel like getting bent over, IMO. As an expensive accessory, I like the wolf a hell of a lot more than that stupid moto that came with Baroness.

I'm happy as can be. I ordered two, just to have a spare.

 

[pcsguy88]

Bent over because they want $40 for a head that they could have packed in with the original as an accessory. Hasbro is doing the same shit with TFs by packing Sideswipe and Mirage in with Beast War figures and charging $50 per 2 pack. Nobody born in the 70’s wants some repainted animal tranny, but they have you by the balls if you want that red Lambo or blue F1 car to complete your 84’ collection.

 

[nacho]

Eh, I think the wolf has value, and the figure body is substantially different than the original release. I was not a fan of the ninja look, especially the little footie pajamas with the camel toe feet (ugh). The visor head was the most redeeming feature of the 1st release, but the commando look is vastly superior, IMO. And knowing Hasbro, it will be re-released with slight tweaks 47 times in the next five years, so I wouldn't get too bent out of shape if you don't want to shell out for the wolf.

Not counting the G1 reissues, I don't recall the last time I bought a Hasbro TF for myself, probably Siege Sideswipe is the only one in the last decade. I would have bought the new Sideswipe (even though it looks really similar) just because I'm a sucker for Sideswipe figures (fav character), but I was not going to buy that horrid beast thing with it. Yet I'm not really fussed about it. I'll pick one up loose or not at all. Either way, Hasbro TFs are generally so lackluster that I have no f#$%s to give when they do stuff like that. I would have bought it on a lark, but it's no big loss to do without.

 

[pcsguy88]

At least with SE the wolf belongs if you want it. I’m more concerned with ever seeing Breaker than not replacing my perfectly fine ninja SE with the commando version. All I wanted when 6” Joes were announced were the original green shirts. Would be spectacular if they carded them like they do with Star Wars.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Lol, so I mentioned I had no need for Major Bludd. Well, that was until I happened upon a peg of 5 of them (nothing else, just him ) when I made a pit stop at a Target (they typically have clean bathrooms ) while coming home in 4 hours of stupid thick rainy Friday northern VA traffic yesterday. Wow, you were right about the sculpt, and the accessories seem suitable and close enough as modernized versions. So I got one, and am looking forward to opening the package and posing him with my Cobra Trooper on Monday.

 

[nacho]

At least with SE the wolf belongs if you want it. I’m more concerned with ever seeing Breaker than not replacing my perfectly fine ninja SE with the commando version. All I wanted when 6” Joes were announced were the original green shirts. Would be spectacular if they carded them like they do with Star Wars.

Yeah, now that we have commando SE, Breaker, Flint, and LJ ...my biggest wants are the rest of the original 13 greenies, plus Dusty, Ace, & Ripcord.

I would have to change my pants if they put them on retro '82-'85 cards.

Lol, so I mentioned I had no need for Major Bludd. Well, that was until I happened upon a peg of 5 of them (nothing else, just him ) when I made a pit stop at a Target (they typically have clean bathrooms ) while coming home in 4 hours of stupid thick rainy Friday northern VA traffic yesterday. Wow, you were right about the sculpt, and the accessories seem suitable and close enough as modernized versions. So I got one, and am looking forward to opening the package and posing him with my Cobra Trooper on Monday.

Excellent. It's a truly impressive sculpt. In reality, pretty much every cobra sculpt (minus ho-hum CC) have been astounding. They're definitely much more true to their classic roots than any of the Joes.

The only flaw with Bludd is that the missiles on mine would not stay attached to the backpack. Just looking at him would make them fall off. It needs more friction or a better snap/clip feature.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I may just leave them off as I have with anything that doesn’t cooperate or just doesn’t work (i.e. Beachhead’s beret). So, today I’m in Walmart, and wouldn’t you know it, Flints, LJs and CCs on pegs. I picked up the CC to bolster my Cobras. As you said, he ain’t great, but is obviously CC. So now I have 3 Cobras vs. my 5 Joes. And... I have been warming up to Zartan too. I’m afraid I might buy him if I saw him on a peg for a normal price. Not gonna pay the shipping unless he’s with a few others.

As for the other retro Joe stuff, no way I’m buying the knockoff looking $12 figs or the silly $25 vehicles. No way a Fang or Hiss is worth that, not even the AWE Striker. I think those will die on the vine.