So I’ve fallen a bit behind on the FSS 6.0 reveals and the Club has kept pushing them out fast and furious. Along with Sub Zero, we’ve now seen the following:
Night Stalker Commander
Based off of the Collectors’ Club’s own 2007 Night Stalker Commander from that year’s Convention Set, it’s a repaint and slight rebuild of their female COBRA Trooper.
Hardtop
Using Tollbooth’s head and a nice mix of somewhat recent parts (at least from the waist up, though honestly, those later generation Zap legs ain’t half bad). This is one of the better reveals so far!
Crosshair
I always love seeing some of the new blood from the 2002 – 2005 era getting some plastic love, but this one isn’t real pretty. That vest is too small and rides way too high. I can think of several alternatives that would have worked better. And what’s up with the black collar?
Skip
Yay, Z-Force! Any excuse to get some cool Z-Force figures are good ones, and Skip looks pretty sharp. I would have loved a head that allowed for a removable beret, but this is cool, too.
Dojo
The colors match up, and he’ll look really good next to TJBang. I don’t really get the use of the Storm Shadow torso underneath the webgear, and it feels like there’s a little too much going on there. I can think of a few different purposes for that wacky head sculpt, too…
So far we’re halfway through the reveals for the latest Figure Subscription Service… a pretty eclectic group of characters this time around, that’s for sure.
Leave it to the G.I. Joe Collectors Club to leave the Joe community with a pleasant surprise right before the weekend!
They have officially announced their sixth edition of the Figure Subscription Service, and they’ve announced every figure as well, even going as far as to show a surprise preview of Sub-Zero!
Check out the full details below.
Figure Previews will start today!
We are very excited to offer the sixth limited edition GIJCC Figure Subscription Service. This assortment contains a variety of fan requested characters from all eras of the 3 3/4-inch G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series. It includes classic 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, international, and many never previously released characters to add to your modern era action figure collection. Upon successful completion, you will also receive a BONUS mystery 13th carded action figure with the last shipment.
Each single carded action figure features the highly articulated modern era sculpts with weapons and accessories for them to accomplish any mission!
Here is the list of the twelve upcoming previews for this amazing line-up in random order:
G.I. JOE WINTER OPERATIONS SPECIALIST Code Name: MARK “SUB-ZERO” HABERSHAW
(Inspired by the 1990 action figure!)
Includes: removable hooded coat, harness, pistol, snow shoes,
machine gun with bi-pod, tranquilizer rifle, dart cartridges x 2,
backpack, mortar with bi-pod, and figure stand.
COBRA NIGHT STALKER COMMANDER Code Name: COBRA OFFICER
(Inspired by the 2007 GIJoeCon action figure!)
Includes: removable helmet, harness, sub machine gun,
suppressed pistol, knife, and figure stand.
G.I. JOE SPACE VEHICLE LAUNCH OPERATOR Code Name: HARDTOP
(Inspired by the 1987 action figure!)
Includes: removable harness, pistol, wrench, tool case,
and figure stand.
G.I. JOE DESIGNATED MARKSMAN Code Name: CROSS HAIR
(Inspired by the 2003 action figure!)
Includes: removable boonie hat, goggles, tactical vest, revolver,
knife, buildable sniper rifle with attachments,
sniper rifle case, and figure stand.
SPECIAL ACTION FORCE OFFICER Code Name: CAPTAIN SKIP
(Inspired by the 1983 International action figure!)
Includes: removable harness, sub machine gun, zip line handle,
Union Jack flag with flag pole, and figure stand.
G.I. JOE NINJA COMMANDO Code Name: DOJO
(Inspired by the 1992 Ninja Force action figure!)
Features NEW head sculpt. Includes: removable ninja vest & sash,
Kusarigama, crescent sword, katana sword, and figure stand.
G.I. JOE STEALTH FIGHTER PILOT Code Name: JONAS “#########” JEFFRIES
(Inspired by the 1988 action figure!)
Features NEW cloth scarf. Includes: removable scarf, goggles,
jacket, pistol, sub machine gun, and figure stand.
G.I. JOE HELICOPTER PILOT Code Name: WINDMILL
(Inspired by the 2004 India release!)
Includes: removable jacket, pistol, heli-backpack with control sticks,
and figure stand.
G.I. JOE SHORELINE DEFENDER Code Name: RAMPART
(Inspired by the 1987 action figure!)
Includes: removable harness, goggles, assault rifle,
rocket launcher, XM307 weapon with tri-pod,
and figure stand.
COBRA ARTILLERY COMMANDER Code Name: COBRA W.O.R.M.S. OFFICER
(Inspired by the 1987 Cobra vehicle driver!)
Features NEW cloth ascot. Includes: removable helmet, jacket, ascot,
pistol, computer pad, explosive projectile, and figure stand.
G.I. JOE COVERT OPERATIONS Code Name: VORONA
(Inspired by former Oktober Guard comic book character!)
Includes: removable harness, knives x 2, pistol, assault rifle,
sub machine gun, backpack, and figure stand.
COBRA EEL COMMANDER Code Name: GUILLOTINE
(Inspired by the 2006 action figure!)
Features NEW head sculpt. Includes: removable scuba mask,
harness, belt, pistol with silencer, knife, assault rifles x 2,
skull sword, scuba backpack, and figure stand.
NOTE: These modern era club exclusive action figures will not be exact replicas of their vintage counterparts.All images are Photoshop mock-up representations, final product, accessories and/or colors may vary!
The cost of the 12-figure subscription service is $375 (+ shipping for 6 shipments). You can pay all at once or in three installments of $125 (billed to your credit card). When you subscribe and choose pay by Installment, you will be billed for the first two month’s shipments. Then sometime during the second month of shipping you will be billed for the 3rd and 4th months’ shipments and sometime during the 4th month of shipping you will be billed for the final 2 months’ shipments.
Please note that for the installment payment option there is a $6 service charge per billing while the pay in full option has one $6 service charge. Please also note that for installment buyers, there is an additional charge each time a billing is attempted if your card is not approved. If your card has been declined and we have to rebill, we will only be able to retry your billing three (3) times before your subscription is cancelled. Each retry has an additional fee added to your total charge (please see the Terms and Conditions.)
This Figure Subscription Service is a “build to order process” so you can order as many as you like, until the order period closes. At that time, we will not process any more subscriptions and we may/may not have additional figures in the club store at a higher per figure price. Final figures colors/names/accessories may vary from the above descriptions and pictures.
Order now from the 2017 Figure Subscription Service 6.0 website
You can subscribe now through the June 2nd, 2017 deadline!
I ran a little late getting these posted last week, but here are the last two reviews I’ve been missing for the Figure Subscription Service figures to date. Reviews for General Flagg and Sneak Peek have now been posted to my G.I. Joe Collectors Club Review Page or you can also click the direct links below.
Isn’t it amazing how one little toss-in storyline in the comic can completely redefine a character for you?
Or is that just me? Am I just such a media fanatic that a simple mistake that turned into a plot takes a character to some different level in my mind? Ever since his initial release in 1987, I really didn’t give a crap about Sneak Peek. The figure was somewhat bland, his character wasn’t all that interesting, and while I generally love the concept of recon, the way his figure fit into that demographic (as compared to Recoil, a figure I loved) didn’t resonate with me.
He was just kind of there.
Then during the infamous Trucial Abysma story in the original Marvel Comic, he was given one last shot at being memorable, then sacrificed himself to save a child and permanently embedded himself in the minds of many G.I. Joe fans. Fast forward a couple of decades, and in the modern Real American Hero comic from IDW, Larry Hama apparently forgot this little twist and included Sneak Peek in a cast off comic panel. Well, the fandom went crazy, so Larry spun off that idea into the thought that Sneak Peek had faked his death way back when and gone deep undercover, ending up in a conflict with Darklon (who is also part of this FSS… go figure).
Many folks thought that was kind of a cop out, but I loved it. Ever since that moment transpired I’ve been wanting a modern version of Sneak Peek in a way that I never have from the beginning. Now the Club has given us one, and it’s… well, it’s okay.
Listen, I’m glad we got Sneak Peek. I’ve been wanting him. I think I just wanted him a little better than this. Looking back on the vintage version of the character, there are a few aspects that really stand out. He’s got those great knee-high metal boots, rolled up sleeves, a textured chest pad…these aspects are kind of what separates him from any other generic Joes out there, and the Collectors Club effectively included none of them.
Like the Tiger Force version from the last FSS, he’s got the regular Shock Trooper arms, and Shock Trooper legs, though the Club threw in the PoC Snake Eyes torso instead. Still, though, essentially he is just a repainted Shock Trooper as are so many other figures that have been released since 2011. I mean that’s not a drastic crime or anything, and he still very clearly looks like Sneak Peek, but I think this is a clear example of some of the intricate design aesthetics that have been missing in figures recently. It seems as if design falls to the lowest common denominator and whatever combination of parts is deemed “good enough” is what we get.
I understand it. I know the challenges the Club likely has to go through with overseas factories to sort out the parts, but still… it would be nice to look at a figure build and say “wow, that’s really creative” for once, instead of everything pretty much showing up as expected.
The figure’s colors match the vintage version well enough, and looking at Sneak Peek as a whole, he is a servicable modern version for a somewhat forgettible classic character that Larry Hama helped make more important to the mythology.
Accessories
Taking a look at Sneak Peek’s accessories, one just has to go back to the Tiger Force version from the last FSS. We have the same helmet, radio pack, machine gun, binoculars and periscope. I do absolutely LOVE this new periscope, though, it’s head and shoulders better than the vintage version and was obviously expertly designed and crafted.
The one difference here is with his tactical vest. Instead of the Scrap Iron vest, we have Resolute Duke’s, and I’m fine with that. This one looks more modern and more military, and I dig it. I don’t mind that it’s drastically different from the vintage one, it looks better than the Tiger Force rendition in my opinion. The only issue I do have is that it’s a bit too small for the Snake Eyes torso, and unless you’re diligent about it, he constantly looks like he’s wearing a belly shirt.
Sneak Peek is a character I never cared for until recently, and I’m ecstatic that the Collectors Club found a way to work him into the Figure Subscription Service. I do wish there had been a bit more thought and consideration into making the figure build more unique, and this feels like it’s become a consistent, persistent issue, which is a pretty big deal when you consider how much we’re being expected to pay per figure.
If you’re going to be putting retail level effort into a product, but you’re expecting collectible level spending, I think that’s a big problem.
FSS 5.0 Sneak Peek
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
3.9
Summary
Thrilled to see Sneak Peek in modern format, though a bit less than thrilled with the end result. The great character (thanks to Hama’s recent exploration into him) goes a very long way to override some of the disappointment with the figure build, though I do wish we could get a bit more creativity with how some of these figures are being developed.
Back in the 1980s if you were a Marvel Comics reader like I was, you often wondered who some of these characters were and why you couldn’t have them in plastic form. One of the first characters I noticed that with was General Flagg, who was the initial organizer of the G.I. Joe team, leading Colonel “Hawk” Abernathy and his team of twelve operatives against the seemingly insurmountable COBRA forces.
Turns out those forces truly were insurmountable, and in issue #19, General Flagg was killed by Major Bludd.
While we wouldn’t get an action figure version of this General Flagg until the comic packs in 2005, his son, General Lawrence Flagg, Jr. made an appearance in the Battle Corps line, and the G.I. Joe Collectors Club elected to pay tribute to that version of the character here in the FSS. Interestingly, they opted to focus on the second version of General Flagg rather than the previous version, perhaps because the original Flagg looked quite a bit like General Hawk.
I’m glad to see the Club getting back into the Battle Corps arena, though I can think of a dozen or so characters I would have preferred to have been revisited before General Flagg. That being said, they did a decent job on the figure build itself. Using the Retaliation Firefly torso and arms is a good approximation of the leather bomber jacket and the thick pants work well for his legs as well. His head is a reuse that’s been seen countless times before (and somewhat obnoxiously is used for Sneak Peek, a figure released in the exact same month’s shipment of the FSS). The hat fits on this head relatively well, though not perfectly.
As mentioned above, the Club went with the second iteration Battle Corps color scheme (similar to what they did with Night Creeper Leader a time or two ago) which is a bit questionable, though it matches how I used Flagg in my dio-story, so honestly I’m pretty okay with it. His black jacket and lighter green pants look pretty cool, and offer a different aesthetic than General Hawk.
Accessories
Flagg comes with some pretty neat gear. He’s got his removable hat, submachine gun, pistol that slides into his holster, and a version of City Strike Destro’s briefcase. While I like the idea of the reused briefcase, the sculpted piles of money with “Top Secret”, etc… randomly tampoed in strange places doesn’t really do the idea justice in my opinion.
I’m surprised that the Club focused on General Flagg at this stage of the game, especially this version of Flagg. He’s a critical character in my dio-story and I’m glad to see him done in this modern format, but it seems like even within the realm of Battle Corps itself there are quite a few other, better alternatives.
Still, the execution is surprisingly well done, and I dig the accessories, even if the briefcase is a bit of a head scratcher.
FSS 5.0 General Flagg
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
3.6
Summary
I always love seeing more Battle Corps, though I can think of a number of subjects that would have been better served before General Flagg. That being said, they did a good job matching the vintage aesthetic with modern parts, maintaining the old school look with newer sculpting and articulation. The accessories are certainly creative, if the execution could have used a little more polish, specifically on the briefcase.
The reviews for this latest iteration of the G.I. Joe Collectors Club Figure Subscription Service have gone live on the G.I. Joe Collectors Club Review Page.
Darklon and Salvo reviews are now posted. You can also check the reviews directly below:
