GIJCC Exclusive Adventure Team Land Adventurer

Now I've been at this a long time...I've been collecting G.I. Joe now for 29 years, and the Adventure Team was even before MY time. Maybe that's why I don't have a special affinity for what the Adventure Team represented back in the 70's. In fact, part me has resented them, because the appearance of the Adventure Team pulled the military out of the Joe concept before the Real American Hero was able to get it back in.

But why should the Adventure Team be punished for this? The concept has nothing to do with the execution. While Hasbro execs decided that the Joes should be explorers and adventurers more than soldiers, that doesn't mean these characters have any less military training or experience. And this seems to be the exact component that the Club is trying to embrace. By taking the Adventure Team, and injecting a more military background into the characters, they're able to satisfy AT fans, and also appeal to the more military focused Real American Hero fans.

Now, over the years, I'd already gotten over a lot of my resentment and hesitation towards the Adventure Team, mostly because how they were explored in Sigma 6, which was done to complete awesomeness.

As a result, I was only too happy to get them a part of my G.I. Joe roster, and the Land Adventurer is by far the best of the bunch. Granted, if you're talking the overall package, I prefer the Adventure Team Commander Vs. Dr. Venom, but as far as single figures are concerned, I really think the Land Adventurer is a step ahead.

Of course, not from a tooling perspective, after all, he shares the same parts with his cohorts, but the paint apps are absolutely fantastic. The neck-to-ankle intricate, elaborate camouflage pattern is absolutely amazing. Dozens of different shapes, colors, and overlapping colors, this is one of the most nicely patterened camouflage uniforms I've seen in a 3 3/4" scale. It is pure quality.

Then you have the accessories. Sure, the Land Adventurer comes with the same backpack, pistol, rifle, and stand as anyone else. But buried within the 6WD ATV are a couple of nice looking AT themed crates. And inside those crates? Weapons cache!

In these crates you get sniper rifles, shotguns, machine guns, spear guns, machetes, and a pair of hatchets as well. I absolutely love these two crates, and love the huge onslaught of weapons that the Land Adventurer comes with, which actually helps equip his teammates nicely as well. It adds a great military element to the adventurer line and gives you a bunch of cool accessories to boot.

6WD All Terrain Vehicle

So... yeah.

Back in 2003 when the Battle Blitz was initially released, well...it was pretty universally hated. It's amazing what a new coat of paint and a specific vintage homage will do.

Most folks probably remember this particular vehicle from the Adventure Team age. Of course, something like that doesn't really have a 3 3/4" representation, and it would not be cost effective to tool up something new, so the Club hunts down whatever else they can find with 6 wheels, and really, from an Adventure Team perspective, the vehicle isn't all that bad.

As a traditional military vehicle, it's ridiculous. It offers no protection, no offensive weaponry, it's oversized, clunky, and pretty silly. But from the idea of a 70's era exploratory vehicle, it represents the Adventure Team nicely, and I love the yellow and the AT logo on the hood. All of the sound effects have been removed, the most powerful soldier on the planet, Battle Luge Guy has been removed, and instead we have a bare bones 6WD vehicle and a couple crates of weapons.

In this case, though, that's not a bad thing. I hated the Battle Blitz...this thing isn't so bad in this context, and the Land Adventurer himself is so well done, it makes up for it.

This set is the total package. The vehicle isn't perfect, but it's pretty nice from an Adventure Team angle, the two weapons crates are terrific, and the figure looks incredible. The best offering of the Adventure Team series, I believe (with the Commander a close second). This one is a must buy.

GRADE: