There's been a lot of mixed reaction over the character of Low Light over the past years, with changes in hair color and drastic differences in uniform styles. He started off with a basic gray uniform and a pretty straight-edge military look. Black knit cap, red goggles and a nicely detailed uniform gave him some respect back in the day. But I still personally like the '91/'01 version the best. People will probably lynch me for this, but I just find the mesh uniform, long pants, kneepads and face camouflage all look terrific, and it is one of my favorite figures of the line. Yeah, his hair wasn't blonde any more, but that was a minor issue to me, even as a younger lad, and I really loved that '91 version of the figure.
But I can appreciate the iconic look of the original '86 version, and I can see why Hasbro decided to design this version off of his classic look. Considering the majority of fans like that version better and he is the first figure that comes to mind when "Low Light" is mentioned, I can appreciate it.
Figure Mold
So how successful is this figure?
It works pretty well, I think, in spite of it being a complete repaint (head sculpt and all). It does have some minor "frankensteining" done with the Wave 7 Snake Eyes arms, and overall is successful despite the minor changes.
The main body sculpt itself works flawlessly, quite honestly. I've said often that I consider Spy Troops Wave 1 (or Wave 5 as it's also known) to be one of the best overall waves of the new sculpt era. It just so happens that Low Light is based on Chief Torpedo, which only worked moderately for Torpedo, in my mind, but it works perfectly as Low Light. The simply sculpted torso with wrinkles in the right spot, well-sculpted zipper and some nice details on the back (with straps and such) to really give you some cool detail on the figure. The legs follow up with these realistic sculpted cloth pants, kneepads and such. There isn't an overabundance of crazy intricate detail, but the basic look of the mold works for Low Light as he crawls through the jungle, and this mold works for that. The map on his leg makes sense from a sniper's point of view as well.
While the cloth and wrinkle pattern deviates quite a bit once you get to the arms, I still think the Snake Eyes arms were a great choice. The simple small elbow pads and swivel wrists are vitally important for a sniper figure, and even with a smooth texture, these were great part choices. I'm happy to see that even though the head was merely a reused Chief Torpedo head, it still looks different enough with blonde hair (and the goggles on) to work. The knit cap is an essential componant of this classic-based Low Light, so it all still comes together nicely.
Paint Applications/Color Choices
Doesn't get much simpler than this, but simple is effective in this case. Low Light has always had gray as his primarilly color scheme, and he does here, too. With a full gray uniform, the right touches of brown on his belt and straps, and the simple silver zipper, you don't have excessive paint apps, but enough to look realistic. The black gloves, black hat, blonde hair, map detailing and boot detailing adds some nice flash to what could have been a bland mold, and end up giving you a pretty statically colored figure that still works.
Accessories
The hits just keep on coming for the DTC line. Hasbro has really stepped it up in the accessory department, and they don't let up at all here. Low Light comes with a pair of Blackout's goggles that are simple re-releases, but work perfectly with this character. A tac vest compliments the figure perfectly, and even though it's merely a rehash of Wave 7 Gung Ho's, it still works, and with a little red paint on the shoulder gives you a nice homage to the original figure. He also comes with a small pistol, although a holster would have been nice at least somewhere.
What tops of the accessory compliment, though, is the beautiful .50 caliber sniper rifle with bipod that he comes with. Hasbro has really stepped it up a notch with their sniper rifles lately, and this one keeps up that trend. It is a terrific weapon and suits the Joe perfectly.
Final Comments
Well, I didn't really consider Low Light a character that needed an update all that badly, simply because I love most of the figures for him that we've gotten so far. But this version does a nice job updating the figure and making him fit in with the new sculpt line, while still retaining a lot of his classic feel. A simple, but effective paint scheme, pretty smart parts choices, and an awesome selection of accessories all add up to a pretty solid offering for this Wave 3 figure. Nothing amazing, but the right parts, the right paints, and the right gear to make a nice update. I'm usually up for something newer and greater, but I can appreciate a well made retool, too.
There's been a lot of mixed reaction over the character of Low Light over the past years, with changes in hair color and drastic differences in uniform styles. He started off with a basic gray uniform and a pretty straight-edge military look. Black knit cap, red goggles and a nicely detailed uniform gave him some respect back in the day. But I still personally like the '91/'01 version the best. People will probably lynch me for this, but I just find the mesh uniform, long pants, kneepads and face camouflage all look terrific, and it is one of my favorite figures of the line. Yeah, his hair wasn't blonde any more, but that was a minor issue to me, even as a younger lad, and I really loved that '91 version of the figure.
