Cobra Commander (2008 Comic Pack)

Since a new, and apparently improved, modern version of Cobra’s leader is coming out soon, I thought I’d spend a little time looking at one of the many previous versions. The 25th Cobra Commander isn’t one of my favorite versions of old bumper face. It has issues with proportion and the overall sculpt just leaves me a little cold. The best 25th anniversary version to appear came in a DVD battle pack, and though most of the body was the same, featured a different, more properly scaled chromed head and an open left hand. Until that point though, we were stuck with this mold.

This comic pack version goes for a literal interpretation of the colors based on the four color comic hues of old. I’ve often found it fascinating when a three dimensional toy literally interprets cues from a two dimensional source. The flatly painted and bright colors are so different from most other modern figures, it gives him a really bold and interesting look. As a result, the figure is unabashedly toylike in its simplicity. Though it doesn’t fit in with many figures other than some of its comic pack contemporaries, this version at least brought a bit of new life to a mold that had become overused.

9 comments

  • I’m hoping the Ultimate version will use most of the final and scarce DVD pack figure, especially his chromed head. This powder blue version is probably my least favorite for the mold, mostly due to the lack of paint on his gloves. The Sunbow black-gloved CC has always been the coolest of all looks for me.

  • I still need to get a new version of the Duke from that pack.

  • I stumbled across some of these comic packs [in a video game shop of all places] but chose not to pick them up as they were nearly $40.00 AU each.

    On the subject of comic packs. Check out the Star wars ones from 2006. Each figure had blue paint globbed on it to give the impression of the “lighting” Marvel used in the 70’s. Darth Vader looks more like a house painter than a space faring despot

  • Play-Doh Cobra Commander! What a pinhead! 🙂

  • This is one of the few 25th Anniversary figures I honestly can’t find anything redeeming about. I loved the comic pack stuff, but even this guy took their “comics colors are brighter” thing a bit too far…

  • He kinda looks like a knock-off.

  • Too much yellow here!

    😉

  • I thought the Star Wars comic packs were amusing, I just hated that they used less articulated molds. After all, 99% of Vader figures released were mostly-black movie versions, why not have some fun with the character?

  • @Nega
    From what i remember, the fans were generally supportive of the initial comic packs but the figure they all really wanted was early draft/concept Jabba the Hutt

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