There are times, it seems, where nearly every memory of my childhood is at least tangentially related to G.I. Joe, as foolish as that sounds. As I was prepping this review in my head, I recalled that at some point in 1984, my best friend at the time and I were preparing to exchange Christmas presents. It was with some great, barely concealed frustration that I was wrapping a brand new Spirit figure for him– not because he didn’t deserve it, but because, dangit, the figure looked awesome and I wanted it. But my mom had been adamant that we give it to my friend for Christmas, so it got sealed in a box, wrapped in paper and forever removed from my eager, ten year old hands.
Fast forward a few days and my friend and I exchanged our gifts, both of us eagerly opening them– and much to our pleasure (and surprise) we’d both bought each other Spirit action figures from that new G.I. Joe toy line we both loved so much.
For whatever reason I clearly remember Freedom’s claws breaking within three days of opening him, but I loved that Spirit figure and by the time it finally saw retirement there was a broken thumb, a broken crotch and a lost belt to go along with Freedom’s claws.
Now, here were are in 2022, way more years later than I’d care to admit, and I just expressed similar excitement in opening the package of another version of Spirit Iron-Knife, one whose design was overseen by a group of Native Americans who had agreed to work alongside Hasbro to ensure the update to the G.I. Joe tracker was as inclusive and sensitive to their heritage as it could be.
As a result, some changes were made from the vintage version, but all things considered, this Spirit update is a credit to the fantastic history of the character, who took up prominent roles in both the comic and the cartoon back in the 80s.
DESIGN
As with most Classified figures these days, Spirit Iron-Knife certainly seems to take a healthy amount of inspiration from his classic look from 1984, but, ends up with just the right amount of updates and tweaks to thrust him into the modern day.
Like the classic Spirit he’s got his powder blue shirt and tan khaki pants, though Hasbro removed the belt and the frills along the boots, mostly, I suspect, out of respect for Spirit’s Native American heritage and without leaning on some of the more prominent stereotypes of that heritage. The result is a figure that looks instantly like he did back in the day, but without some of those more egregious design elements that could take away from an otherwise fantastic looking figure.
The secondary strap and knife sheath on his chest, along with the belt and leg holster and sheath are all in the same olive green color and fit the figure perfectly without restricting his articulation, a delicate balance that Hasbro has achieved to perfection here. The sculpting on Spirit is as terrific as always, his face full with the familiar character that we’ve seen throughout both Sunbow and Marvel, the look of grim determination as well as the red headband and a thin strand of hair hanging over the fabric which only serves to further express the figure in three dimensions.
The gauntlet on his left arm has two holes in it for Freedom’s claw pegs and the sizing is just right, allowing the large eagle to perch, ready to strike.
Speaking of that eagle, he comes with folded wings or wings outstretched, and includes ball-joint articulation for both as well as hip and neck– so he can be perched in wait, or in mid-flight. Some fantastic added detail only possible in a larger scale.
ARTICULATION
As mentioned, the design of the chest strap and sheath is great in that it does nothing to restrict the movement of the figure’s torso joint or shoulders, so Spirit Iron-Knife retains a full range of motion in nearly any direction.
A pet peeve I’ve often had for G.I. Joe figures in other scales was that the soldiers could never really quite hold their weapons “right” there were always some limitations to the way the figures moved. Well, Spirit can capture an almost perfect pose with the sniper rifle, either on his feet or on a knee or anything in between and while it might be a little thing, it makes a big difference.
Spirit Iron-Knife’s articulation is pretty much everything you’d want it to be and it gets bonus points because even the eagle has it!
ACCESSORIES
At some point during Classified’s inception, it was decided by the design team that they wanted to do whatever they could to have a spot for all of the various figures’ accessories either on the figure or in an included bag or backpack. They haven’t always hit that mark (there have been spare hands and hair pieces, for instance) but they’ve regularly come pretty dang close.
Spirit Iron-Knife is a perfect example of how they’re achieving this feat.
Obviously there’s an exception here — Freedom comes with two sets of wings, so they’re not going to have a place to store the alternate set– but everything else has it’s place. A holster for the pistol, two separate sheaths for both knives, a backpack with a peg for the sniper rifle as well as a mount for Freedom.
You can pose Spirit Iron-Knife with every bit of gear he comes with and he both holds that pose well and looks dynamite at the same time. Obviously, Hasbro elected to eschew the spear gun from 1984 in favor of a more traditional sniper rifle, and that totally works for me– even as a kid I wasn’t especially sold on that weapon. His pistol looks like an old school combat pistol and both knives are just different enough, while very much looking their part.
I’ve already expressed my pleasure with how Freedom came out as well, so in short — I cannot think of a single way they could improve the accessory compliment with this figure. It’s just fantastic.
CONCLUSION
Whether facing off against Storm Shadow in the Sunbow cartoon, or teaming up with Ripcord and Blowtorch alongside Bongo the Balloon Bear, Spirit has often played key roles, not just on the toy shelves but in various media as well — heck, he even made the shortlist for Sigma 6.
With this version of the character, Hasbro propels him into a slightly more modern look but with all of the great vintage throwbacks, and took great care to remain sensitive to his cultural history. All three figures in this assortment are spectacular and Spirit, I believe, stands atop that pile
General Gallery
G.I. Joe Classified Spirit Iron-Knife
Design
Originality
Articulation
Accessories
Value
4.7
Summary
It seems only fitting that Spirit Iron-Knife comes in the same assortment as Storm Shadow and although I always bristled at that conflict in the Sunbow cartoon, I find the giddy nostalgia satisfying nearly 40 years later. It certainly helps that Spirit is a hell of a great figure with some flawless sculpting, excellent articulation and great accessories.
Pros
– Amazingly detailed sculpt
– Poseable Freedom? Get outta here!
– Just the right touch of modernization
Cons
Knife handles are pretty small and his hand gets stretched out with the rifle so he can’t hold them all that well
Ever since I first sat down on my aunt’s corduroy couch in 1984 and read Storm Shadow’s file card, he has remained at the top of my favorites list. Even before I knew of his connections to Snake Eyes, even before I knew about the long and storied history of the Arashikage, the mysterious COBRA ninja was a permanent fixture in my adventures. This masked man who moved with “blinding speed” and could “scale walls with his bare hands and feet” had instantly elevated to near mythical status. While that was a long time ago (longer than I care to remember) I feel somewhat certain that Storm Shadow was my first introduction to the term “ninja” and I absolutely fell in love.
Ironic that these days I much prefer the near-future military stuff to the ninja stuff, but at 10 years old, ninjas were where it was at.
Fast forward nearly (cough cough) 40 years and G.I. Joe: Classified brings us a new 6″ version of Storm Shadow and in many ways he elicits most of the same emotions– but interestingly, that’s not necessarily a good thing.
DESIGN
Before I get too deep into this review, I need to make one thing crystal clear: from an execution standpoint this iteration of Storm Shadow is about as close to perfection as one can get. His stocky, muscular, somewhat oversized sculpting, yet maintaining an immaculate level of articulation– it’s a combination that Hasbro uses to absolute stellar success.
So why do I feel a bit mixed about the end result?
In two words: this guy.
Ever since the G.I. Joe: Classified line was launched and debuted on GIJoe.com, I have been losing my mind in anticipation of a figure from that image above. While I saw many fans scoffing at the metal mask and the Batman gauntlets, I absolutely fell in love with the modern-mixed-with-vintage aesthetic. The white base uniform, the ninja-themed mask– but enhanced with future tech and a nasty, sharp-edged flair (not to mention the amazing full-arm tattoos). Yeah… THAT was the Storm Shadow I wanted.
Instead, at some point shortly after the Classified kick-off, the design team shifted focus, moving from a futuristic tech-based aesthetic to one that adheres more faithfully to vintage looks. Initially, according to the designer, that was in celebration of the 40th Anniversary, but it seems to be how they’re approaching the line going forward. Don’t get me wrong — it’s agreeing with most of the fans out there (I’m a bit of an outlier when it comes to those things) but from my perspective… well, I was hoping for something a bit newer.
That being said– this figure is spectacular for what it is. To Hasbro’s credit, they do work in a few modern elements, including the great forearm gauntlets and gloves and a removable hood (which isn’t necessarily modern, but a different touch for this version). And while the source material for this figure doesn’t blow me away, the way they were able to capture the spirit of that vintage Storm Shadow in a 6″ scale is just– pretty much mind-blowing.
His secondary cross-chest strap has throwing stars that aren’t removable, but look like they could be, which is a great compromise, giving us that appearance without the risk of tiny accessories that would be all too easy to lose. Along with that strap, he has removable belt straps which allow you to pose him standing still, or in dramatic motion, with the belt waving in the wind.
If I did have one complaint about the execution– for reasons I can’t quite grasp this figure, more than others, has made me crave swappable hands. I want a Storm Shadow like this who has a flat “karate-chop” hand, multiple closed fists, all sorts of expressions that really bring the figures to life. All things considered, that’s a minor gripe, but one that would take a magnificent figure and make him– well– magnificenter.
ARTICULATION
What can I say about Storm Shadow’s articulation? G.I. Joe: Classified in general has been truly living up to the “America’s Movable Fighting Man” mindset when it comes to G.I. Joe and Storm Shadow is no different. Even with the somewhat bulky sculpting, the figure is amazingly poseable and well-articulated, able to achieve a number of great, deep joint poses from ninja crouches, to sword-fighting combinations and almost anything in between.
Drop down hips, double joint knees and side ankle joints allow very expressive movements from the waist down, and his butterfly shoulders, torso cut and double elbows give him a wide array of movements throughout the upper body as well. There’s no secondary vests or cumbersome web gear or sculpting to get in the way of his movements, and from that perspective, I can’t really think of a single improvement.
ACCESSORIES
Just like the vintage figure, Hasbro takes a shockingly straight forward concept and executes it to perfection with the backpack, twin sword sheath, removable arrow and a spot on the back of the pack for his new compound bow (an upgrade from the ’84 version and more in line with the ’88 camouflage iteration).
The removable hood feels like another call back to 1988, but one that I welcome, as it does add a neat new flair to this pure white version of Storm Shadow that the ’84 classic didn’t have.
The swords are sculpted with really great dragon-themed hilts, and while I like the bow, you can’t really pose it in a firing post, even with the removable arrow. If I have any complaint — WHERE ARE THE NUMB CHUCKS?!? (Yes I know that’s not what they’re really called). Maybe we’ll have to wait for the inevitable Quick Kick release to recreate our Enter the Dragon battle scene…
CONCLUSION
Unlike many G.I. Joe fans out there, I truly enjoy seeing new and different takes on this universe, and don’t necessarily want to constantly revisit the past. I do recall hearing the outcry from a few of the vocal fans when Classified first launched, decrying the gold armor and the futuristic weapons and I think Hasbro deserves a lot of credit for recognizing that and retooling some of their go forward plans.
That being said, I do believe there should be some sort of middle ground– a mix of vintage purist and a healthy injection of new elements as well. Some would argue this Storm Shadow accomplished that with the great modern gauntlets and the hood, and perhaps they did, but I simply cannot get over that amazing artwork on the GIJoe.com site and lament what could have been.
With all that in mind, however, this Storm Shadow figure is spectacular. The design, while a bit overly faithful is still immaculate. The articulation continues to take things up a notch and the plethora of accessories only further exemplifies all of the great things the Classified design team is doing right now.
While the inspiration isn’t necessarily 100% aligned with my preference, the action figure itself is difficult to find fault with.
General Gallery
G.I. Joe Classified Storm Shadow
Design
Originality
Articulation
Accessories
Value
4.4
Summary
We live in an era of eternal conflict and at the center of my conflict is STORM SHADOW. I kid– how can I possibly be upset at a figure this damn good? The truth is, I can’t, even though I would have preferred a more modern take on the venerable COBRA Ninja. That being said, the execution of this figure is almost as flawless as you can get, in spite of a bit of a lack of originality and devotion to the vintage themes.
Pros
– Amazingly detailed sculpt
– Fantastic assortment character specific accessories– but where are the NUNCHUKS
– Love the addition of gauntlets and separate hood piece
Cons
– A little bit too devoted to the vintage aesthetic
It seems like lately my life has not allowed me the time to participate as heavily in the G.I. Joe community as I’d like. It’s been a long time since I could help out with the Full Force podcast (sorry, Chris and Pat!) and even longer since I produced regular content for GeneralsJoes.
For that reason I was pretty ecstatic that I actually had some free time that coincided with a Hasbro G.I. Joe Fan Roundtable and was able to dial in. As always, Emily, Lenny, Dustin and the others were incredibly gracious and accommodating to our litany of questions, most of which seemed to revolve around the HasLab HISS Tank (for good reason).
If you want to watch the video of the Roundtable in its entirety, Chris from The Full Force Podcast has it on his YouTube channel. I’ve also broken down some of the highlights below.
We started the conversation with Chris asking about the lack of a developmental update from the last live stream, in which Emily and Lenny typically reveal the names of a couple characters in the development pipeline. After some back and forth, Lenny revealed those two names: Ripper and Firefly!
Courtesy of 3DJoes.ComCourtesy of 3DJoes.com
In my mind, the inclusion of Firefly represents the Hasbro design team’s focus on vintage inspiration, as the COBRA Island Firefly was a pretty significant modern overhaul (and was somewhat limited by Target exclusivity). For the record, I did ask if Firefly would be neon green and was gently told no, though they were sure to elaborate saying that “nothing is off the table” and actually specifically identified Battle Corps Beachhead as a personal favorite. Never say never! To see my thoughts on the COBRA Island Firefly, check out my review!
Many of the questions throughout the conversations orbited around the hugely successful HISS Tank HasLab, talking about how HasLab has its own dedicated team, separate from the design team which makes things a bit more efficient (though Lenny did do the design work on the HISS Driver). From a design perspective they focused a lot of attention on the “real world aspect” of the vehicle, adding small details like the side mounted ladders and additional “greeble” to fill in some of the empty spaces. There was confirmation that (at this point anyway) there are no plans for tiers above the fourth stretch goal, though obviously the speed and level of funding might alter those plans. They also designed the HISS around a larger base figure to ensure that the vast majority of figures could fit. Lenny indicated that Roadblock, Gung Ho, figures of that sized “buck” should be able to fit, and that the HISS Driver was also one of those somewhat larger base figures. Speaking of size, Emily was sure to share a comparison photo–
Another interesting point of the conversation was the delicate balance between product and cost, finding the right middle ground where collectors feel like they’re getting a premium product while it still being at least moderately affordable. They also kept troop builders in mind, though admitted doing so might be cost prohibitive for some. It was interesting to hear also that their first iteration of the HISS was too elaborate and expensive to consider as the final product.
They were also quick to point out that it’s not just about price, but also about providing something that can comfortably exist in our homes. Emily jokingly made reference to a USS Flagg saying that it would be close to 20 feet long and 5 feet high which simply isn’t a realistic expectation for people own and display.
Lenny also mentioned that they’re not really focused on “budget items” they would rather build something right for a little extra money than push through substandard product just to meet a price point. G.I. Joe has always focused it’s attention on quality and ingenuity and Classified is taking up that mantle.
One thing that I specifically wanted to ask unrelated to the HasLab was about the Classified aesthetic and how it’s shifted since it’s inception from a more modern tech-based look to something more beholden to the vintage designs. Lenny confirmed that this was a conscious choice and while at first he indicated it was more related to the arrival of the 40th Anniversary of A Real American Hero in 2022, he did admit that we should be expecting a similar approach going forward. With each figure they plan on looking at their designs and making subtle modern updates where it makes sense, but by and large the beginning template will reflect a vintage inspiration. While I understand this approach and it seems to be working for them, I’ll be whining until I get my GIJoe.Com Storm Shadow I’ve been dying for since the line started.
I also prodded them a bit about an ongoing “narrative” for G.I. Joe: Classified and was told that’s not really in the works at the moment beyond some snippets on packaging as well as the diorama photos that they use to promote each release. Those are the only current plans for story elements based on this new Classified universe, which isn’t necessarily a surprise, though as a writer myself, story is very important to me so this was at least a bit disappointing to hear.
Last but not least there was (obviously) some conversations around the release cadence of figures this year and the fact that there was this huge gap in US distribution. Emily confirmed that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, though there are still pretty significant supply chain challenges. While she wasn’t sure if anything would get back to “normal” any time soon (what the heck is normal?) she did specify that going forward, we should not anticipate the large, six month gap we saw in 2022 from a release perspective. Already figures that were supposed to hit in April are slated to hit in the next few months and if anyone is like me, they just got a barrage of email notifications this past week about Spirit, Storm Shadow, Croc Master and COBRA Officer.
Now– about those Target exclusive Tiger Force and Python Patrol figures…
Once again, I want to give Emily, Lenny, Dustin and the whole Hasbro team a huge thanks for including myself and a plethora of other fans to participate in this roundtable. It’s been a while since I’ve been on one, but it was great to get a chance to participate again and to feel the emotion in the virtual room in the wake of the HasLab success and being on the precipice of a G.I. Joe: Classified resurgence! Yo Joe!
I’ve been a G.I. Joe fan for a very long time– in fact I’ve been a fan since day one of the Real American Hero brand launch four decades ago this year. And when I’m not reflecting on how damn old I am, I’m thinking about the ebbs and flows G.I. Joe has gone through within those forty years and I can’t help but think we may be on the cusp of the next thrilling resurgence of our favorite modern military army man.
Ignoring the fact that the latest mass media launch was a mixed bag, everything surrounding G.I. Joe from a collector perspective appears to be coming up Millhouse. The launch of G.I. Joe: Classified, by all accounts, has drawn the attention of an entirely new generation of fans, who grew up or matured alongside Marvel Legends and have an affinity for the 6″ scale. In spite of some rampant distribution and supply chain issues, I see far more excitement throughout social media for G.I. Joe at large than I’ve seen in a very long time, most of it centered around a renewed focus on classic aesthetics for the latest six inch figures.
While there are times I’d prefer to see something new and different, it’s tough to argue with a successful formula and based on collector reaction to each and every announcement, I’d say the Hasbro design team has their finger on the pulse of what the collectors want.
That’s not to say things are perfect– the constant stream of supply chain and logistical issues has impacted release schedules and has forced Hasbro into a slightly different mechanism for character reveals and announcements. Mixing in some digital renders alongside actual product shots and pre-orders has gone a long way toward increasing the frequency of fan interactions and keeping engagement going, even with dramatic, extended lull between product releases. We can only hope things get better as time goes on, though there seems to be little concrete evidence that things will actually improve any time soon.
In the midst of all this resurgence in G.I. Joe attention, we have the latest HasLab product– a G.I. Joe: Classified COBRA HISS, which looks at the classic, venerable COBRA vehicle and reimagines it at the Classified six inch scale. The cat was released from the bag on this one a little early, and I’ll admit, I was a bit concerned that perhaps that might deflate the balloon a little bit. As it turned out, my fears were wholly invalid because not only did the G.I. Joe: Classified HISS sprint out of the gate, and not only did it fund in less than twelve hours, but it was the fastest HasLab project to reach its funding goal ever.
By all accounts, even this early in the process, the G.I. Joe: Classified HISS has to be considered a resounding success and that success may, quite possibly, set a standard for future G.I. Joe items, both at retail and through the HasLab crowd funding system.
Although I’ve been a fan of the brand for forty years, it’s tough to argue that throughout a lot of that time, G.I. Joe played a bit of a second fiddle to its compatriots like Star Wars and Marvel Legends. But it seems like, with each passing moment, thanks in part to G.I. Joe: Classified, the brand is once again establishing itself as a cornerstone of the collector market and is poised to reignite fan fever not just now, but in the years to come.
Yes, I know technically it started yesterday, but as G.I. Joe fans we all know the good stuff is coming today! At 11:00am eastern this morning, you’re going to want to scream over to the Hasbro PulseCon page and check out the livestream– who knows you might even see some familiar faces.
Just this past week, I actually received a fantastic surprise in the mail as Hasbro sent along a great PulseCon fan package, which was, no doubt, the absolute highlight of my week! Any time I get toys in the mail I’m happy– but FREE toys? Dopamine-city…
Yeah… fan-freaking-tastic!
This box was chock-full of all sorts of fantastic Hasbro goodies– from Star Wars to Marvel Legends to Ghostbusters and Power Rangers– it was a great reminder of just how many fun collector-geared toy lines Hasbro is working on right now. I gotta tell you, the new Fortnite stuff looks really, really fun!
Of course, there were a couple of highlights in this box… first, as a huge Beast Wars fan, getting the PulseCon exclusive Ravage absolutely blew my mind! This is a figure I’ve been waiting for for nearly 25 years. I still remember watching this sequence on television when it first aired, my mouth hanging open as I realized Beast Wars actually took place in the G1 continuity… mind– blown.
But I think we all know what I was REALLY waiting for in this box– I wasn’t sure he’d be in there, but imagine how ecstatic I was to see him. That’s right — Master of Disguise ZARTAN.
Based on the spectacular Classified Zartan tooling, the Master of Disguise version is like Zartan on steroids. Spare Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow heads, plus masks for Gung Ho, Soft Master, Hard Master and a fun Skull– very, very cool. But of course, I think we’ll agree the neatest touch is the actual COLOR CHANGE SKIN. This requires exposure to cold temperatures to work instead of sunlight, but the effect is the same. Purely awesome.
The packaging is amazing as well.
Once again, I cannot thank Hasbro enough for this amazing gift box. As I write this, we are in countdown mode, with a little more than an hour left until the G.I. Joe stream on PulseCon 2021— I hope I’ll see you there!
It seems only appropriate that on a week where we saw the release of two new trailers and a behind-the-scenes featurette that I’d also get my hands on two G.I. Joe: Classified figures straight from the Snake Eyes movie!
I know folks have been waiting on a few other reviews, too… I should have more coming of Flint, Lady Jaye, Major Bludd and my first ever review of G.I. Joe Retro figures! Keep posted!
