Any day that I’m sitting down to review a G.I. Joe figure is a very good day. Heaven knows, those days feel pretty few and far between these days, and with rumors abound that the G.I. Joe Collectors Club may be losing the license after 2016, I shudder to think what the outlook will be next year at this time.
Regardless of the depressing part of this review, I was ecstatic to see my FSS 4.0 figures arrive today! That could be because I’ve been without new G.I. Joe figures for so long that this is like a cool glass of water in a desert, but actually, the figures themselves are pretty nice.
First one up is Law, a figure build that should be very familiar to anyone who collected the 30th Anniversary figures, because it uses the same parts, from head to toe. The main structural difference here is that he’s wearing the 25th Anniversary Wild Bill vest to better mirror his vintage ’87 look than the tactical vest the 30th Anniversary/Renegades version wore.
I love the use of modern parts. Renegades Duke was a tragically unsung figure during that same era, with some simple parts that looked relatively generic, yet had fantastic articulation and range of motion. Really happy to see those parts used here, giving this figure a great look and feel.
On top of those modern parts, Law has a much more vintage themed paint scheme with the olive green pants, red shirt, and blue vest, all topped off with the white helmet. The colors don’t perfectly match the vintage, but taking into account the modern construction, they do a pretty good job of approximating what an update would look like. The result is a modernized version of this character that looks much more in line with his ’87 look, and thus fits in better with his peers from that era.
Now, obviously the vest doesn’t have a sculpted badge, so the Club approximates it with a tempo to mixed success. Still, I suppose I have to admire their effort to get things as accurate as possible.
ACCESSORIES
Law comes with a relatively basic accessory load out, similar to what he came with in the 80s, including an Uzi, helmet, and the pistol that comes default any time these legs are used. He also comes with his trusty Order, a very nicely decoed version of his familiar German Shepard. It should be noted that Law does not come with the silencer that is typically seen alongside this pistol. According to the GIJCC there were some factory production issues and the silencer was omitted from every figure. Considering I have about 32 of these silencers kicking around, I don’t consider that a huge loss.
This figure isn’t ground breaking in any particular way, but it uses an extremely effective modern parts template with the right combination of vintage colors, giving folks a nice update to Law. Heck, the 30th Anniversary version isn’t all that easy/cheap to come across at this point either, so this kills two birds with one stone. Nicely done on this one.
FSS 4.0 Law & Order
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
3.4
Summary
Even without any new parts and only some minor alterations to his paint scheme, this version of Law & Order manages to pretty seamlessly blend into his ’87 counterpart. It’s remarkable what a new vest and some minor paint color changes will do to make a modern, more tactical figure and change it effectively into a more accurate vintage representation. Modern parts does wonders for sculpt and articulation. This is a pretty decent update.
I have also done a YouTube video review for this figure. You can check that out below:
As a kid in the late 80s, early 90s, ninjas were pretty much the be all, end all. My first ever exposure to the term “ninja” was with Storm Shadow, and that opened these doors for me into great films and stories throughout the next decade.
Ninja Force, first released in 91 felt like it kind of came on the tail end of the ninja craze, but it had some spectacular, somewhat outlandish designs that worked really well with the 90s era of G.I. Joe.
Unfortunately many of those figures were hampered by spring-loaded action features that either ruined the aesthetics, or wrecked the play value of the figure. Thankfully the G.I. Joe Collectors Club has been making an effort in recent years to fix some of those mistakes.
Slice, Dice, and TJBang are a few of their modern revisits, and each one has been a very successful take on these colorful characters. Nunchuk is much the same.
Using modern parts like Airtight’s legs, with 30th Anniversary Storm Shadow’s torso and arms, they’ve cobbled together a pretty effective Nunchuk update, who has the right ninja/martial arts elements, but also is more of a combat based figure, too. He’s got terrific articulation, and the use of modern parts means the sculpting and overall design of the figure is really great.
I will say I’m not real wild about the decision to just use the clunky mask from the Training Storm Shadow. I’m not sure what existing alternative could have been selected, but this doesn’t look a whole lot like Nunchuk from that perspective. Also, the singular Storm Shadow chest strap makes the figure look a little empty in the torso, too. Again, not sure what else could have been used, but this doesn’t feel like quite the right formula, and it’s not even vintage accurate.
The color scheme is good, using the familiar green uniform with black tiger stripe camouflage, with black wrists and boots. It’s a good look and a very nice update to the original.
ACCESSORIES
As one might suspect, Nunchuk comes with… nunchuks. As well as a pair of swords, sais, and the darts that Storm Shadow came with. He has the sheath on his back from the Storm Shadow strap, and that about covers is. Pretty straight forward accessories that work fine, though part of me would have loved for him to come with a crazy scimitar looking thing like the original did.
Simply from the new parts and modern construction, I consider this figure a win, even though there are some cosmetic changes I would have recommended. The head and webgear are two changes that could have made a big difference, but even as it stands, I’m excited about a Ninja Force update and Nunchuk is a cool addition to the FSS. Now I need me some Dojo, Snake Eyes, and Scarlett! At the very least!
FSS 4.0 Nunchuk
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
3.9
Summary
The latest addition to the modern era Ninja Force, Nunchuk does a great job approximating his vintage look, while taking advantage of the modern style. His paint scheme is relatively close, though muted compared to the vintage look. While he’s got a number of cool accessories, the simple Storm Shadow sash leaves me a bit dry, and I would have liked to have seen a little more ingenuity there.
I’ve also done a video review of this figure on YouTube! Check out that video review below:
Disclaimer – I feel it only appropriate to mention that the folks behind Boss Fight Studios are close friends of mine, and I work alongside them assisting with web development and technical support.
All that being said, I will try as hard as I can to frame this review with an unbiased tilt, looking at Vitruvian HACKS as they stand, and not as creations of my good friends.
Disclaimer over.
Now, I’ve got a dramatic confession to make.
I really don’t care a whole lot for Greek Mythology.
Sure, there was that semester stretch in elementary school where we covered the Oddysey and it sounded pretty awesome, and then I watched Clash of the Titans, and that was pretty neat, too. Sure, I saw 300 and watched until I intimidated by Gerard Butler’s abs, and it was pretty entertaining as well.
But really, I don’t feel especially devoted to the overarcing theology that drives Greek myths. As the basis for many a comic book super hero I can really appreciate the characters and the superhuman beings sprinkled throughout, and the stories themselves are pretty deeply embedded into normal every day life. But if you’d asked me two years ago if I’d invest heavily in an action figure line surrounding Greek Mythology, I would have immediately said “no way.”
Well, I would have lied to you.
Because, you see, as much as I have no affinity for Greek Myths, I DO have an affinity for great toys, and I can say without qualm or hesitation that the first run of Vitruvian HACKS action figures are truly, unequivocably GREAT toys. They are the kinds of toys that transcend their source material and manage to appeal to those of us who aren’t quite as invested in the characters and theories surrounding them. Take a modern/futuristic military fan like me and get me to care about vintage armor, bladed weapons, and a surprisingly intricate storyline that ties things all together.
I think most folks reading this are probably G.I. Joe fans, and I think most of you folks would agree that G.I. Joe as a toyline reached a nadir recently in 2011 – 2012 with the Pursuit of Cobra/30th Anniversary/Renegades line where sculpting, articulation, and aesthetics just came together into one short burst of near perfection. Well, those same elements are in play here, and the results are pretty revolutionary.
The folks developing HACKS aren’t just developing great action figures, but they’re developing a whole new action figure system, allowing for great customization, and they’re engineering a whole new style of design, with the Gorgon snake tails and the way the humans pose and display.
For fans of 1:18 scale toys, no matter what style you prefer, there are things to like here. Not just like, but things to love.
Yes, it’s taken a while to get here. Boss Fight Studio is a new company and they have learned a LOT over the past couple of years, and I’m sure the learning process was painful for all concerned. But the first run of toys are here, and dare I say, they were worth the wait.
Check out more individual reviews of the product below:
Medusa’s most identifiable trait throughout all renditions of the character was, no doubt, the slithering snakes she had for hair. While Boss Fight Studio certainly included fantastic looking aspects of that, they decided to go a step further and put her into full on Gorgon “snake” mode, engineering, from scratch, a fully articulated snake’s tail using ball joints to try and mimic the pose and movement of a real snake.
Throughout the entire concept and design process, how this new engineering would work was probably my biggest question, especially since they used it on so many different characters.
Now, after seeing it born and evolved over the past couple of years, I’m ecstatic to say, it works GREAT. Like, really, really great. The sculpting and texture are amazing, Dave and Fred (the Boss Fight sculptors) put their usual 110% into the sculpting work of the scales and the contours of the under belly. What really puts me over the edge, though, is the material used. Over a solid plastic armature consisting of posts with ball and socket attachments, is a very soft, almost rubber snake skin, that allows for nice movement, but still bends and is contoured like you might expect an actual snake to be.
The weight and balance of the tail are both terrific, and it can twist and pose in many different ways, allowing the figure to be tightly coiled or slightly elevated, without risk of falling. It’s a terrific balance between aesthetics and functionality, and I’m ecstatic with how well the design team pulled it off.
Medusa’s torso and arms are the same as Coral and Black Racer Gorgons, tightly sculpted, but slender…however, even though they’re slender, they still remain very durable and highly articulated. I’m amazed at how thin the body is, yet how much movement it retains, as well as still feeling like it can take some punishment. In fact, I accidentally knocked Medusa off of a display shelf from about five feet up onto my concrete floor, and she remained fully intact afterwards.
Looking at paint applications, Medusa is fantastic, with a great shade of greek skin and a really nicely developed pattern on her snake body. The overall combinations of different shades of green really looks spectacular together. The head sculpt as well, is immaculately done with all of her separate snakes sprouting from her head and her hissing, angry mouth. Intricate paint details abound here as well, making her look nasty and about as realistic as a green, snake-haired reptile woman can look.
But her nastiness doesn’t stop with attacking humans. She comes with what look to be a dagger and whip made out of reptilian backbones, very nicely designed. They are a rubbery material, but don’t seem to be at all warped.
Her armor is different from the other two Gorgon releases, with a great shoulder pad and brushed metal armor on her right arm, a really nice looking breastplate (removable if you take her apart at the mid-section joint) and nice armor at her hips as well. This does a great job differentiating her from the more standard Gorgon “infantry” and gives her a sense of leadership. It would be pretty awesome so stockpile some other Gorgons and perhaps outfit some with this various of armor to make “Black Racer Leaders” or what have you.
No doubt I’ve been excited to finally get my hands on the Vitruvian HACKS figures, and I dare say that my expectations have actually been not just met, but beaten. The material of the snake tail is fantastic, and even though I know these designers well, I had my own doubts about how well they’d pull off the snake body. Well, they pulled it off in spades. The figure looks beautiful, and even better, is exceptionally playable, meaning you can pose it around and just have fun with it. In a time when retail offerings seem to just be continuously offering collectors more of the same, it’s a brisk breath of fresh air to get my hands on something like this, which is offering a completely new outlook on 1:18 scale action figures, and is a line I can see a long and rewarding future from.
Medusa
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
4.5
Summary
The queen of the Gorgons is certainly representative of her namesake, with her vicious, green, reptilian tail, horrific, stone-turning face, and the countless slithering snakes emerging from her scalp. She is the most sinister representation of Medusa that I’ve ever seen in plastic form and perfect in execution. Her highly articulated snake tail balances and poses well, is full of detail, and from head to toe…. errr… head to tail, she is one of the most fun action figures I’ve displayed in a very long time.
It’s pretty incredible how much mileage good designers can get out of a common base figure with some color and parts alterations. While Medusa received a pretty heavy overhaul with her armored bits, both Black Racer and the Coral Snake are exactly the same, minus different heads and different paint apps.
You know what? That’s okay.
As I mentioned, the snake body base female figure is good enough that it’s hard to complain about seeing it reused. Plus, considering there’s a Gorgon army out there, I see no reason not to embrace and appreciate the different various of these creatures based on real life snakes.
At first, I was really drawn to the Black Racer. For some reason I just loved the stark black paint apps, the screaming serpentine mouth, all complimented by really nice gold armor. As I get into these, though, I find myself really loving the Coral Gorgon with the very nicely done brown/red, black and yellow snake skin paint scheme. It looks very much like you’d expect a coral snake to look, and adds some great variation compared to the straight black Racer.
Both figures, like Medusa, are sculpted and articulated to perfection, retaining the perfect blend of slim design, durability, and range of motion. It’s great seeing the different color schemes together, and I really look forward to getting more of these.
The Coral Gorgon’s head is solemn, but malevolent, with wide, yellow eyes and a firm grimace. Where Black Racer looks like she’s about to bite your face off, the Coral is simply contemplating how your flesh tastes, not actually taking a sample.
However, it would be cool if, perhaps in an upcoming accessory pack, we get some alternate heads for the existing Gorgons, so we could see a Coral with her mouth stretched open in the Black Racer scream.
The Coral Gorgon isn’t quite as well equipped as her darker scaled sister, only coming with the bone headress, a sword, and a shield (along with the battle stand and alternate hands, of course). I imagine the added paint applications on the tail might have pushed cost high enough that the sheath could not be included. Not a major deal at all, in my mind, though I do love that sheath.
Speaking of the hands, one set that has the up-down wrist joint, and a second set with back-and-forth wrist joints is included, so you can swap out to your heart’s desire. This appears to be standard release with each figure.
The sword is firm plastic, meaning no worry about warping, and as I mentioned in the Black Racer review, the shield has a clever way to attach to the arm. A thick, plastic clasp can be unfolded behind the shield, then closed around the arm, and it holds pretty tight. On the female figures, you can also wedge their fingers into the handle for that extra attachment.
As I also mentioned in the Black Racer review, the figures are incredibly customizable, with removable pieces nearly everywhere, and while fitting quite snug, the gauntlets and chest armor are pretty easily removable.
I find myself really loving the brown/red and black/yellow paint scheme running up and down the tail of the Coral Gorgon, and in spite of her calmer demeanor, she feels a bit more sinister with that tight grimace and glaring eyes. Even without the sheath, I think I enjoy this figure just a bit more than her darker compatriot, though they are both, obviously fantastic.
Coral Gorgon
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
4.1
Summary
I have grown immediately fond of the snake body used for the three Gorgons in our first Vitruvian HACKS shipment, and I believe the Coral Gorgon wears that suit the best. Her intricate paint scheme is vibrant and appealing, and I find her calm, serpentine face to be quite disturbing.
Looking at the three Gorgons, it’s obvious that Medusa received a pretty heavy overhaul with her armored bits, but Black Racer and the Coral Snake are exactly the same, minus different heads and different paint apps.
That’s cool with me.
The snake base body is fantastic, and as I slowly amass an army (or Gorgon horde if you will) I believe I’ll appreciate each and every little variation of this figure design.
During the initial Kickstarter campaign, I really grew fond of Black Racer (which is why I’ve got two of them), but getting her in hand, the lack of paint apps does drop her down a couple of notches in comparison to her more elaborately decoed “sisters”.
Comparing head sculpts, the Black Racer has a very elongated, serpent-like head, stretched open in an angry scream. Meanwhile, the Coral’s head is more serious and not nearly as aggressive, yet somehow oozes evil. The two compliment each other quite nicely.
It would be awesome if perhaps Boss Fight might consider some additional body parts, so maybe we could get a Black Racer paint scheme on the Coral head and vice versa. Having a closed mouth Racer would make for a very cool compliment to the screaming version, just like a screaming Coral Gorgon would be cool to mix in with the serious ones.
Now from a customizing perspective, I should note that Black Racer (as well as all the snake ladies) have several areas where they can be disassembled, as shown below. The unique “dumbbell” shape of the neck joint lets the head sit further down on the neck, yet it can also be used with other “socket” heads throughout other toy lines pretty effectively.
Both the Coral and Black Racer come with similar accessories, including the terrific looking snake skull and spine headdress, the gold chest plate armor and the gold gauntlets. However, while the Black Racer comes with a sword, shield, and sheath, the Coral Gorgon only comes with the sword and shield. It seems as if the reward for less paint applications on the Black Racer is the inclusion of a place to slide her sword.
Like every other figure in the assortment, Black Racer comes with an extra set of hands, with the jointed wrists for each direction.
The sword is firm plastic,and the shield has a great way to attach to the arm, just as it does with the other figures here. A thick, plastic clasp can be unfolded behind the shield, then closed around the arm, and it holds pretty tight. On the female figures, you can also wedge their fingers into the handle for that extra attachment.
With just a hint of variety, the Black Racer and Coral Gorgon look great individually, but are also fantastic compliments to each other, each one with a nice look and feature set that the other doesn’t have. The snake body continues to blow me away, even after three different figures, and I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on more of these things. Pure beauty.
Black Racer
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
4.2
Summary
This dark and foreboding Gorgon warrior captivated me right away, and I actually ended up buying a pair during the Kickstarter campaign. In hand, I find her not quite as impactful as both Medusa or the Coral Gorgon, but with her screaming head sculpt and foreboding blackness, she still has a nasty attitude that I love.
