COBRA B.A.T.
Once again I'm faced with a challenge of how to review something. Do I let the figure stand as its own, or review in comparison with what's come before? Because there are only a couple of differences between this figure and ones that came previous, and if you count the Hall of Heroes release, there's even fewer differences.
On its own, this B.A.T. is just as good as any other out there, which is to say, it's pretty damn good. Flawless sculpting, awesome detailing, yet still intimately faithful to the original the B.A.T. was one of the major highlights of the 25th Anniversary line. Of course, unlike every other figure in this 7-pack, this B.A.T. is something we've seen several times before, which naturally tempers the enthusiasm somewhat.
Of course what makes this B.A.T. stand out amongst most of the others (except the Hall of Heroes version) is that this B.A.T. comes with a swappable head and chestplate to simulate battle damage. This is an awesome touch that really makes this figure even cooler. Whoever sculpted the head did an amazing job, actually putting the optical system in there, and connecting the hydrolic hose through the head, down into the "musculature" of the neck. It is astounding how awesome the detailing is here.
The paint apps are terrific, as well, opting for a "clean" paint scheme versus the first version, which had heavy dark wash over most of the silver. It seems like a somewhat odd choice, considering this B.A.T. has obviously seen its share of action, but that's a minor quibble.
Oddly, this version of the B.A.T. comes with non of the standard B.A.T. attachments, instead coming equipped with a combination of gear from a cartoon perspective, and from the Marvel Comics issue #44, where the B.A.T.s carried deadly plant spores in cannister backpacks. I guess I don't mind the attachments too much, since I've got so many extras, but it did seem like a strange thing to leave out. The B.A.T. is packaged with the battle damage with the "clean" versions of those parts in the box as accessories. A nice assortment of gear, all told, with some very nice detailing on the cannister itself.
Yeah, I've got a bunch of B.A.T.s already, and even a Battle Damaged one from the Hall of Heroes line, but there's nothing wrong with too much of a good thing. This figure is awesome in one piece, and even more awesome in pieces, so I have no problems adding another one to my growing android horde. Part of me does wish that we got a different unique trooper in here (Night-Viper perhaps) but understanding the budgeting process and tooling requirements, I can certainly understand why we got pretty much a "carry forward" figure here. At least it's a great one.
GRADE: 
