Wave 1 reviews continue to stagger in, as I finally got my hands on a PoC Cobra Commander from both HasbroToyShop and my good buddy Mike last week. You can check out the review on the Pursuit of Cobra Review page or directly right here.
I also finally got Firefly as well, so that review should be going up this week, too, and then Wave 1 will be wrapped up! Just in time for Wave 2 to start showing up.
This is a great figure to be sure. I agree with you that it just does not give off a familiar COBRA Commander vibe. You really have to turn everything that you know about G.I. Joe on it’s head to get this figure to fill that role. Now, if they’d have stuck this action figure with the name “The Interrogator”, then we’d have a game everybody could understand a little better.
I like that new head and would love to get one to put on the RoC Cobra Commander. But I don’t want to track down a second figure just for the head. I’m happy with the one I’m keeping carded.
I may be in the minority here, but as far as I am concerned, this may be the best thing Hasbro has done with Cobra Commander since releasing the first hooded figure. He’s a brilliant contrast to the movie version and a far better concept than the 38 or so rehashes of the same 2 designs we’ve seen over the years.
My major gripe with the movie depiction and figure adaptation was that his humanity was too exposed, both from a story aspect and a visual one. There was no mystery to him. The POC version’s metallic crimson chest strikes me as a mockery of human flesh and tissue. Replacing the translucent life support mask with a vac metal one conceals the frail, scarred humanity with a death mask. He’s gone from wimpy human victim to technological grim reaper.
What’s more, I like that he is not explicitly stated as being the movie character. In fact, the packaging seems to imply a complete reboot to Cobra, not only in regards to the movie, but also to the idea of Cobra as an organization by referring to the HISS as something new and including an invitation to join a new organization called Cobra. Because Pursuit is not tied in to a comic or cartoon continuity and is no longer directly tied to the movie, and with the new cartoon toy line reboot around the corner, it makes this character a blank slate that may never be saddled with an official story.
It’s a radical departure all around, and will not please everyone. However, I started getting sick of the same basic figure getting released every 2-6 months during the 25th Anniversary line, and I think it has the potential to reinvigorate the idea of the character.
Gotta say I no longer believe the whole “Pursuit of Cobra is so awesome” line you keep throwing around.
If a simple repaint of one of the most hated figures from the RoC line scores higher than half of the other six figures in wave one of PoC, then the new PoC line must just absolutely suck be your calculations.
You can’t seperate the figure from what it’s supposed to be either. Not in a review of the actual release. What we (or you) do with the figure after it’s opened is a totally different thing, but the review should be of this figure being Cobra Commander.
Is this really what you believe? That this RoC repaint is better than half of the first wave of PoC? Or did all those people jumping on you for giving Snake Eyes a low score unnerve you?
I stand by the scores totally.
Jungle Duke – 5 Stars. Well deserved (in my opinion).
Alley – Viper – 5 Stars. Also well deserved in my opinion.
Snake Eyes – 2 Stars. Not really feeling this figure at all. Bulky coat, weird specialty, boring colors, and no real new accessories (for those of us who have the pre-production Storm Shadow).
Storm Shadow – 3 Stars. Yes, I stand by this one. Awesome accessories, decent figure design, nothing mind-blowing.
Beachhead – Haven’t reviewed yet, but would likely give it 4.5 – 5 stars.
Snow Job – 3 Stars. See Storm Shadow above.
Cobra Commander – 4 Stars. And yes, I stand by this. The newly tooled head is fantastic, it looks a lot more fearsome and has a great mirror chrome finish. The chrome red is very eye catching as well, and the packaging is excellent. Don’t forget I also gave the RoC Cobra Commander 4 stars, so I liked the toy then, too, and I like it now. Why do I HAVE to review the figure as Cobra Commander? Can’t I put my own spin on it as a cool toy? Regardless, I do like the figure as Cobra Commander anyway, and in fact, yes I do think PoC is awesome, and this Cobra Commander is part of the reason why.
So nyah. 😉
Justin
what matt said.
Complete sidenote, but Jungle Duke totally deserved the 5 stars that you gave it. Sculpt, accessories, paint, articulation, everything about it is just a fantastic figure. I’m actually happy it’s so abundant on the shelves, hopefully that’ll get some people to pick it up and try it out, it rocks.
Great Fig IMO.
His new gun fits in the hole in his back too.
I love this figure; the new head makes all the difference (though I liked the previous version as well.) I’m not using him as Cobra Commander, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t make a good CC to me. It’s too bad the mask doesn’t come off, though, ’cause if I remember correctly, there is a full face under there (from proto pics).