I suppose it was inevitable. Once Static Line was released with Sky Patrol last year, many folks suspected it was just a matter of time before Backstop got some modern era love. Turns out it happened just about exactly one year later.
As this year’s parachute figure, Backstop was a bit tough for fans to get their clutches on, though I have to admit, his connections to Canada were an interesting way to tie him to the story, even if him parachuting didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Like Static Line last year, Backstop’s new head sculpt does the figure no favors, with the colors and sculpt bleeding together into a somewhat amorphous, sorta head shaped thing with a helmet that is way too small to realistically fit a head inside. The figure build is the same as Static Line as well with Pursuit of COBRA Beachhead torso and Resolute Duke legs doing an okay job approximating what the vintage figure looked like back in the day.
The dark green and yellow combination, with the right hints of light gray are all reminiscent of the 1987 figure, and this sort of feels like another example of digging into G.I. Joe obscurity simply because the tooling exists. I know there are some very dedicated Backstop fans (or at least one of you… 😉 ) and for your sake I’m glad this figure made it out in some way, but it does seem to be stretching the limits of necessity.
In truth, I actually do like the figure’s build, the combination of armor and tactical uniform is blended really well and he’s got some great articulation, even if the head sculpt doesn’t help things much. I may talk a little crap about the need for a modern version of this particular character, but the figure itself isn’t a bad one.
Accessories
Being the parachute figure, Backstop comes with the parachute and webgear/backpack along with a revolver and knuckled knife. The knife is a nice homage to the sheathed blade that was sculpted onto Backstop’s chest back in the day, and the silver pistol he came with then was pretty slick as well.
Did we really need an updated Backstop? I’m going to catch flack from at least one person for saying this, but probably not. That being said, the figure is good. I like the build, he moves well, the paint apps work and overall it’s a fun figure, even if I’m not a big fan of the squishy head sculpt.
Backstop
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Character
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Sculpt
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Articulation
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Paint Deco
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Accessories
Summary
This year’s parachute figure, Backstop is an interesting addition to the modern era collection, and not one I necessarily would have thought we needed. That being said, like Static Line before him, the figure is pretty decent from the neck down, though suffers from recent sculpting techniques and the lack of a removable helmet. He’s got good accessories and vintage accurate paint applications and hey, comes with a working parachute. Not a bad figure at all.
[wpebayads]
Always prefer a removable helmet, but I’m okay with this one. MUCH better than Avalanche’s!
They should stop using that Resolute Duke legs.
nah their good like the design but I wish they used also those legs for Bullhorn instead of the shock viper
I miss the vintage/ME comparison shots from your older reviews.