The 50th Anniversary reviews continue! Ever since the early days of Sunbow, Spirit and Storm Shadow have gone head-to-head, and this year’s 50th Anniversary line celebrates that with their “Classic Clash” two-pack.
Featuring a cool new look at Spirit and an updated Storm Shadow in his classic ’88 battle togs this is one of the most looked forward to packs of this year’s release.
I have a very mixed feeling when it comes to the 1988 version of Storm Shadow. My first reaction is resistance, because I’ve always loved Storm Shadow as a foil for Snake Eyes, and it was disappointing to me when he shifted over to the G.I. Joe side. Between him, Zartan, and Destro, it feels like COBRA gets skinnier and skinnier with their credible threats to the Joe team.
That being said, I also have fond memories of this figure. Back in ‘88 I lived in (very) small town Vermont and rarely had the opportunity to buy new G.I. Joe figures. I was making my routine run down to the local General Store, just to get candy or something, and happened to take a perusal through the toy section. Much to my shock and surprise, there were new G.I. Joe figures that I had never even heard of before sitting on a peg there. Right out in front was the 1988 Storm Shadow!
Well, because this was a general store in small town Vermont, each figure was like eight dollars, a great deal more than the four bucks or so I was used to paying at the (semi local) department store. My eyes grew wide, and I immediately dropped the figure and RAN all the way home, desperately digging through every corner of the house for spare change. Half an hour later, I’d manage to cobble together the required money and travel back to the local store and was practically skipping home with the new Storm Shadow figure tucked under my arm. It was a good day.
Fast forward too many years and we saw a terrific looking update to this figure at the Concept Case display at JoeCon in 2013 (no he wasn’t in the first concept case, but he was in the second). With some key new tooling and lots of existing parts it was a pretty nice looking update to the ‘88 classic…actually forget “pretty nice” it looked damned perfect. But as we know, sometimes figures that look perfect in concept don’t always execute to that same perfection, and the retail release of Storm Shadow does have a few shortcomings.
The base figure uses most of the G.I. Joe: Renegades/30th Anniversary version of the character, and it’s pretty tough to go wrong there. As one of the best figures in G.I. Joe’s right history of great figures, that Storm Shadow stands on the mountain top as a shining example of what can be done in the 1:18th scale. Using the same upper arms, torso, and upper legs as that Storm Shadow, it was tough for this figure to go wrong, and thankfully the lower arms, lower legs, and new head only add to the awesomeness. I believe these parts were all sculpted and tooled for a retail release of this figure, but I may be wrong on that. Regardless, the new parts compliment the existing parts perfectly, and it ends up taking a fantastic base figure and making it fantastic-er. The separated fingers, a remarkable achievement the first time around, continue to be exceedingly useful here, allowing this updated Storm Shadow to really notch an arrow for his bow.
For the most part. The only issue I have is that for whatever reason the new head doesn’t sit real well on the existing torso neck peg. It gives the figure an unusually long neck, but honestly, that’s a pretty quick fix if you’re so inclined.
The other disappointment to me is that while the concept case Storm Shadow had his trademark belt of pouches, this version does not. I can only imagine they were costed out somehow, but that’s quite unfortunate because they are one of the defining traits of the figure. He looked pretty terrific with those pouches, and it’s a pretty glaring omission to look at the final figure and not see them. Hard decisions must often be made during the production process, I just wish perhaps they had found a way to cut somewhere else so the pouches could have been maintained.
Beyond those two disappointments, the figure is pretty stellar. Articulation is fantastic, he maintains the great separated finger hands of the original, and the ‘88 homage paint scheme is crisp, accurate, and aesthetically pleasing. From a plastic quality perspective, I feel like the figure is a shade or two below some previous years, but doesn’t feel quite as thin and cheap as last year’s 50th Anniversary run.
Accessories
Like Spirit Iron-Knife, Storm Shadow comes with a number of great accessories. Ironically, he comes with the compound bow and arrow quiver that the Pursuit of Cobra Spirit Iron-Knife came with a few years back. He’s got what appears to be a newly tooled backpack faithful to the original that actually opens up with some great concealed details inside a re-release of a great backpack that came with a Comic Pack version of the character several years ago, and like Spirit, showcases how great some of those past accessories were, even if the figures themselves could have used some improvement. The backpack was so great, I completely forgot it was originally released a number of years ago!
He has two swords with red handles and a climbing claw, all of which are very nice call backs to the figure we received in 1988. Lastly, he has a removable rope harness to replicate the look of that figure, too, though it’s pretty big and doesn’t fit the torso especially well.
This figure is honestly pretty great. It has some unfortunate drawbacks compared to the Concept Case version, but as I said, I think we all know that things sometimes get cut in the production process. I feel pretty strongly that they should have tried to find a way to keep the pouches, and I wish the head sat a bit lower on the neck, but besides those minor complaints, this is one heck of a great looking update to the classic ninja character.
50th Anniversary Storm Shadow
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
3.8
Summary
Classic character in his classic 1988 G.I. Joe themed battle togs, this revamped modern rendition of Storm Shadow is excellent in many ways. It drifts just short of perfection with some cost cutting decisions, and part fit issues, resulting in an elongated neck.
Pros
1 – Base figure (30th Anniversary/Renegades Storm Shadow) is fantastic
2 – Nice selection of newly tooled parts which look great.
3 – Great backpack, which really opens and contains nicely detailed gear
4 – As with most of these ninja figures, articulation and figure balance are both stellar
Cons
1 – A little paint slop mixed within the gray camouflage
2 – Apparent cost cutting removed newly tooled pouch belt seen on the concept case figure
3 – Head and neck fit is off, making the figure’s neck look a bit too long
4 – Existing rope for torso doesn’t fit great
The 50th Anniversary line that came about in 2014 was what felt like kind of a last ditch olive branch to the fandom to celebrate our brand’s 50th anniversary, even if our 12” other brothers weren’t the focus as perhaps they should have been (at least partly). It was obviously greatly inspired by vintage designs, using a lot of existing tooling and characters that appeared just as they did back in the 80s.
For this second iteration of the 50th Anniversary line, we certainly get some of that as well, but part of it also feels a bit more new. The introduction of the Wolf Squad and some different vehicle elements separates this line at least a little bit and makes it seem to exist better as a continuation rather than just a revisiting. Spirit Iron-Knife is a good example of that.
Rather than just a re-release of a classic deco type figure, or the Pursuit of Cobra version released to Toys “R” Us, Hasbro goes in a slightly different direction, giving us a version of Spirit in a unique desert camouflage color pallet. His parts are all existing, from the aforementioned Pursuit of Cobra version for his head sculpt, with what looks to be Retaliation Flint for the torso and arms, with Resolute Snake Eyes legs. It’s a unique combination of parts that work pretty well giving us a figure that remains really well articulated throughout. The elbows and wrists are terrific, allowing him great flexibility to hold his various weapons, including the dart gun that’s normally a real pain. The handle and trigger guard combination on the dart gun still makes it a bit of a challenge for Spirit to grasp, but it can be made to work, which is more than can be said for previous versions of the character.
As mentioned, the camouflage and paint colors seem to focus on desert camouflage, with a basic tan shirt and sleeves, and a camouflage pattern on the legs. The leg design isn’t especially intricate or detailed, but works well enough, and maintains a style that G.I. Joe has used since the beginning. Darker brown boots and kneepads offset the lighter colors well, and Spirit’s skin is a nice variable shade of color as well.
Accessories
There are a number of neat accessories for Spirit Iron-Knife here, mostly refreshed from his 25th Anniversary version. He’s got the same great backpack and dart gun combination with removable cartridges that plug into the weapon. I had almost forgotten how great those accessories were when they came with that version of Spirit so many years ago. I really don’t like that figure much, so I tend to block out the entire release, but the accessories are really very nice, and work well in this new version as well. As I said, the thick handle and tight trigger guard make it a bit tough for him to hold, but not impossible.
He comes with the same tactical vest that the Pursuit of Cobra version did (carried forward from the Rise of Cobra Pit Commando I believe) and that works quite nicely, too. He also has a knife and machete, though unfortunately no place to store either one. I also can’t help but wonder why a desert version of the figure needs a machete in the first place. A secondary weapon would have been nice, I’d think a dart gun could only carry you so far.
I’m surprised at how much I like this version of G.I. Joe’s first tracker. It’s a very straight forward combination of parts and deco, but it’s an effective combination and the end result is pretty fun. Good accessories and an aesthetically pleasing paint job. Pretty nice job on this one.
50th Anniversary Spirit Iron-Knife
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
3.6
Summary
A fixture on the G.I. Joe team since 1984, this version of Spirit relies on some familiar themes, but also goes in some different, appreciated directions.
Pros
1 – Good use of modern parts, resulting in great articulation and sculpting
2 – Color scheme on the skin shows some ethnic variety
3 – Love the 25th Anniversary dart gun and backpack
Cons
1 – Some paint slop in certain places
2 – The collar looks odd when he’s not wearing the vest
3 – Would have liked additional more modern and functional weaponry
We started down this road on Monday and we keep plowing ahead. Today I offer FOUR new reviews of recently released 50th Anniversary figures!
The Troop Build Up pack with Steel Brigade Trooper and Iron Grenadier, as well as the Hunt for COBRA Commander with Shipwreck and the big kahuna himself.
One of the best, if not the best, version of Cobra Commander ever released, the G.I. Joe: Retaliation Ultimate Cobra Commander did pretty much everything right. I think the only complaint I really have is the shallow holes in the feet and rocker ankles that don’t allow him to stand on display very well.
Beyond that, the figure was perfectly sculpted, excellently detailed, and amazingly well articulated, giving us quite simply the best classic version of the Cobra Commander we’ve seen. Pretty exceptional.
For this 50th Anniversary re-release, they chose that figure as a base, and who can fault them for that? It’s pretty much the perfect choice, and ever since the mid 90’s, repainting Cobra Commander in black has been a staple deco choice. For this particular release, they went to black and red, and it’s an aesthetic I actually really enjoy. I loved the colors of the repaint G.I. Joe vs. Cobra Cobra Commander, even if the t-crotch figure itself was lacking a little in execution. Black and red is a great color scheme for him, in my opinion. The only real question I have is with the red boots. I’m not sure what the thought process for that choice was, to be honest. I love the red hood, the red gloves, and the red shoulder cape, but I’m not too sure about the red boots, mostly because they kind of look like red spats with the pants and shoes combination.
The look I enjoy most is probably the red cape with the battle helmet, it’s got a great split of black and red and looks good, plus it pays a neat homage to the Spy Troops era, in which a Shipwreck figure came with a Cobra Commander disguise.
Accessories
Cobra Commander doesn’t come with a whole lot. He’s got the two heads (black helmet and red hood), shoulder cape, two canisters of a mysterious red liquid, his pistol, and a Rise of Cobra pulse rifle. It’s an interesting combination of weaponry, but is pretty fun and actually brings some new stuff to the table here.
I could see the red liquid being some kind of power source for his futuristic rifle…that’s the thought process I’m going with.
Cobra Commander is a decent enough update to the more familiar blue suited original from the G.I. Joe: Retaliation line. I’m not sure it was a figure that folks were clamoring for, but it’s a nice update and I find myself liking the black and red paint scheme (minus the weird color breaks for the boots). He’s got some fun gear, and the whole “battle in a box” concept works well here, too.
50th Anniversary COBRA Commander
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
3.2
Summary
Not sure if we really need yet another COBRA Commander figure, but he’s been sporting black ever since the 90’s, and it’s tough to turn down any uses of the excellent G.I. Joe: Retaliation Ultimate COBRA Commander tooling. It’s a great base figure, and the black is striking, though the red trim is a little hit or miss in its placement and application.
Pros
1 – COBRA Commander in his most immaculately sculpted figure ever
2 – Great inclusion of both the battle helmet and hooded heads
3 – “Battle in a Box” concept works well here, and I like the red liquid canister bombs
Cons
1 – Red boots don’t work especially well and look more like bright red shoes
2 – As with the previous figure, the rocker ankles hurt the depth of the peg holes in the feet and make the figure hard to stand
3 – The red trim in general would work better as a compliment rather than a predominant color on the hood, cape, and gloves. The color breaks don’t look especially natural
To be honest, out of all the concept case figures this Shipwreck repaint was one that I couldn’t quite get my head around. I really loved the two variations of the discount store Shipwreck, and while the “Navy” shirted version was interesting, it didn’t bring a whole lot new to the table compared to some of the other concept case figures. Considering the figure is pretty much a 30th Anniversary/Renegades Law from the neck down with the Shock Trooper vest and Rise of Cobra Shipwreck head, I had trouble figuring out the appeal. Don’t get me wrong, there certainly seemed to be a strong segment of the fandom who were clamoring for it, I just wasn’t one of them. Give me that awesome looking Pursuit of Cobra Clutch or HISS Driver any day.
Regardless, getting this figure in hand, he’s not bad. Not bad at all. I’m a fan of the version of Law that was the template for this figure, he’s greatly detailed and extremely well articulated, so it’s tough to go wrong there. The Navy on his chest is a neat touch, though with the vest on, you can’t see it much. A white t-shirt and khaki pants is a good combination, even if it feels a bit segregated from Shipwreck’s classic look. Perhaps my favorite thing about this version is that it seems to walk a good line for Shipwreck. Previous versions were either a straight-up sailor, a wet-suited Navy SEAL, or a commando soldier hardcore military guy. Shipwreck has always been a casual lay about who also happened to be a highly trained special ops soldier. This combination of parts strays more towards the “lay about” side with his t-shirt and pants, but it’s fairly easy to slap the vest on him and put him more in a military commando role.
If I have any complaints about the deco work it’s that the differences in the green shades throughout his legs are pretty evident, as well as the white on the torso and white on the sleeves. Not sure if that’s a plastic type/quality issue or more of a paint vs. production color issue. It’s a little bit distracting, though, I have to admit.
It’s a figure that didn’t especially appeal to me in the concept case, and doesn’t use any new parts, but the final execution ends up being a bit more fun than I anticipated.
Accessories
The G.I. Joe sailor is equipped with pretty basic accessories. A machine gun and submachine gun, as well as the tactical vest, two knives, pistol, and silencer. Of course he also has his trusty parrot Polly. None of the accessories are exceptionally different, but they compliment the figure nicely, which is all I can really ask for. He can hold the weapons really nicely with those great Law arms, and is just a fun figure to sit and mess with. The Shock Trooper vest has that handle on the back that can double as a mount for Polly as well, which is a neat touch. I don’t know if that was planned (he fits, though the rubbery material of the vest doesn’t keep him there very sturdily).
I should also say that I assume both knives are his. There isn’t an especially clear indication, but that seems to be the case, at least in my mind.
This is one of those few Concept Case figures that I just looked past and was never really captured by. I didn’t see much of a reason to push him through to retail release, but getting him in hand, the figure has a lot of promise, and walks that great line between Shipwreck’s familiar slacker personality and more military edge. I like it more than I thought I would.
50th Anniversary Shipwreck
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
3.4
Summary
A figure I wasn’t expecting to really love, but one that took me by pleasant surprise. A great balance between Shipwreck’s slacker sailor look and his more true-to-life military roots. Nice figure build and a fun compliment of great accessories adds to the positive feel of this figure.
Pros
1 – The 30th Anniversary Law build is a great template
2 – I really like the NAVY deco t-shirt
3 – Lots of great accessories
Cons
1 – Some strange color differentiation with the legs, depending on the material used it seems. Could be a difference between production plastic and painted plastic as well.
2 – Paint on Polly looks like it’s supposed to be detail paint wipes, but looks somewhat messy
