by KansasBrawler Ultimate Cobra Commander is one of the reasons I was glad I just bought the entire Retaliation super wave online. I’m not sure what I would have thought of him the first time I saw him in person. He was a bubble figure. I wound up with a lot of versions of “classic” Cobra Commander (both helmeted and
Read morePoor Pursuit of Cobra Recondo. Forever stuck staring at his boots. Well, at least he has a nifty mask to hide the shamed look on his face. By the way, what the heck is that thing, a disguise or an artifact he’s picked up during his missions? Whatever the case, it gives the figure an Adventure Team vibe. Say, wasn’t
Read moreby KansasBrawler I love seeing new characters in the Joe line. When I was growing up, I was always more excited to see new names listed on the back of the card than I was name of guys that I already had. For the most part, I liked my originals, so the newer version didn’t appeal to me (I mean,
Read moreNow this is one heavily armed Duke. Brandishing something that looks more akin to Heavy Duty or Salvo, the Joe team’s top sergeant is loaded for bear. Interestingly enough, if you take the gargantuan plasma cannon system off, there’s not much of an indication that it’s intended for this figure. Other than the chest armor, he’s not wearing protective gear
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by KansasBrawler Once again, I find three-packs to be the bane of my existence. They usually consist of one figure I desperately want, one that’s okay but one that I’d likely pass on if it were sold individually, and one that I have absolutely no interest whatsoever. When it came to the Ninja Showdown set, the Snake Eyes of the
Read moreGoing back again to the beginning of the Pursuit of Cobra line, I was very impressed that Hasbro was taking familiar characters in new design directions. Consider the original Firefly, one of the least fantastically attired and equipped Cobras of the 80s. As a saboteur, his look and his modus operandi were simple. Armed with explosives and other basic tools
Read moreSometimes I think I’ve been a little too harsh on the modern styled GI Joe figures. I think I’ve alternately called them less playable, and even gone as far as calling them statues. Granted, in many cases, I still stick with those assessments. But there was a time, at the beginning of the Pursuit of Cobra line, when I was
Read moreby KansasBrawler Destro has always been my favorite Joe villain. In the Sunbow series, Cobra Commander always came off as kind of a buffoon, but Destro managed to maintain at least a slight air of menace in his portrayal. It seems regardless of the medium, even if it’s panned by the Joe community, Destro seems to come off pretty well.
Read moreFrom the Predator series of GI Joe–I mean the Pursuit of Cobra, comes Jungle Assault Duke. It’s the sort of look that the team’s top sergeant hadn’t really sported before. I suppose the Tiger Force version was a jungle theme, at least in theory. I have to say that this Duke has most others beat in the meanness department. There’s
Read moreFinally, I found this figure at retail. It seems like I’ve been hunting for it forever. Ever since I saw the first images online of the repainted “discount store” wave, this Snake Eyes, along with Storm Shadow, were a must-buy. In lieu of the 1991 coloring, it was done up in green. It’s something of an homage to the Heavy
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