The DVD battle packs gave us some very popular characters that didn’t make the single-carded releases. Guys like Dusty and Alpine were welcome additions to the modern line, and their nostalgia factor was quite high with me, thanks to their original figures and memorable Sunbow appearances. The sets also produced more interesting accessories based on the cartoon series. In the
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I kind of kick myself in the butt over the Target exclusive Ultimate Battle Pack. I should have kept it sealed rather than opening it. The presentation and sheer size of the set is very impressive. Mine survived unopened for over a year, then I tore into it in an effort to save storage space. Oh well. The Cobra Vehicle
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I went a little nuts buying the Cobra Legions box set. Just a couple years earlier, the army builder bug had bit me. I have a couple gallon bags full of new sculpt Vipers (both red and blue), Ninja Vipers and Night Creepers to show for it. I also have a few of the legions sets unopened. Looking back, it
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The Cobra blueshirt specialists were one of the concepts I found most interesting during the 25th anniversary line. With air, bazooka and para-viper troopers, the Cobra army seemed like a throwback to its early Marvel comic days. Rather than specific troops with new gear, colors and nomenclature, these seemed to be the generic trooper given a bit of extra training
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I’ve always been a sucker for Cobra Commander variants. I think the fascination goes back to his hooded mail-in version as well as his battle armored suit. Both were favorites of mine as a kid. As a later adult collector, I picked up the Talking Battle Commanders release, immediately removing the huge backpack, and also quickly snapped up the Battle
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The 2009 con set has a reputation among some collectors as a weak remake of a previous set. I can understand that concern, but then again, it did serve to accomplish couple of things. First, it gave folks a second chance at a very popular theme that was quite difficult to obtain at the time. It also served as an
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I was stoked when I first found out about the DTC Cobra Viper Pit set. Here was an army builder pack of Vipers that not only gave us something close to the old color scheme, but also looked to have solved the problem of the funky leg molds that plagued the previous re-release versions. Well, sort of. While the thighs
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I’m a sucker for interesting repaints. The Walmart exclusive Valor vs Venom two packs paired some of the more mundane molds with a couple of the better figures of the era. The Cobra CLAWS I found to be an odd concept. The toy itself features a unique character design, but bears the mark of many new sculpt era figures–weird proportions.
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The 2002 relaunch of GI Joe afforded collectors with the opportunity to build their forces in two different scales. Among small scale Joe fans, the redesigned line often gets short shrift. I am still a fan of the period, not only due to the memories of collecting a new line at its beginning, but also for the interesting redesigns of
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So…um, it’s basically the last Crimson Guard figure cast in black. Any questions?
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