For me, zombies just don’t hold the same sway that the classic monsters command. Guys like Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster, the Mummy, and Creature from the Black Lagoon are true personalities. Each has either a compelling backstory, or a driving purpose to them. Zombies work well as nameless horde type of threat, but there’s only so many times that stor
Read moreAs the GI Joe Kre-O series goes on, it seems that more and more of the blind bag figures get really interesting multi-part builds as an element of their accessory complement. The Tele-Viper’s backpack and scanner make good use of some small parts to suggest the original equipment fairly well. That’s some of the beauty of this line to me;
Read moreby KansasBrawler From the original SNAKE to the Joe Armor-Bot to the Deviant and Steel Marauader, battle mechs have always shown up in the Joe line, and I’m absolutely fine with that. I’ve always thought that they were a cool concept and it fit well with the Joe line’s slightly futuristic military vibe. Considering how long mechs have been in
Read moreI love clear plastic toys. I can’t really explain it, other than to say there’s some intrinsic coolness to the look. Along with chromed parts or a light-up feature, if I see a toy made of the wondrous material, I’ll probably buy it. My fascination with the stuff probably stems from a purchase of Remco’s Crystar back in 1983. Although
Read moreAccessories were absolutely insane during the Pursuit of Cobra line. I can’t recall getting as many interesting pieces of kit per figure since the multi-part figures of 1990. The Shock Trooper is all about options. There are different ways to display him in terms of both his defensive and offensive accoutrements. There’s a three part helmet, several traditional ranged weapons,
Read moreby KansasBrawler When the Pursuit of Cobra line was first revealed at Joe Con in 2009, I was stoked. First of all, I was getting the information first-hand at the panels. Usually I just had to read the after action reports from the various Joe sites out there. Secondly, what they were doing was a great way to keep the
Read moreThroughout his history, Cobra Commander has been a man unafraid to bring a little style into the world conquering game. From his debut in 1982, he was outfitted in a nicely tailored uniform, complete with a snappy, single-breasted waistcoat, cleanly lined epaulets, matching lapel and belt insignia, and spats (yes, spats!) Oh yeah, and if one belt wasn’t good enough,
Read moreIncluded in the same DVD Battle Pack that also contained the oft-requested Sunbow version of Motezuma’s Skeleton, Serpentor is at least interesting. The third modern construction style version of Cobra’s Emperor, he bears somewhat more of a resemblance to his old self than the previous two versions. The result is a bit of recombinant plastic that doesn’t really pay total
Read moreHasbro mail-aways were kind of a funny thing. Neither my brother nor I had the Night Raven, yet thanks to Hasbro’s mail-in offers, I have fond memories of the Strato-Viper from my brother’s collection. He saw a lot of use in my brother’s Cobra air force, manning the second seat of the Hurricane just about every time it was used.
Read moreSo, Major Bludd, did they ever get him exactly right in terms of his original toy appearance? I think the Extreme Conditions Desert set came the closest. This one is meant to resemble his portrayal in the Sunbow animated series. The mold still retains too many bits of Zartan to look exactly like the Major’s cartoon counterpart. With thigh pads
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