G.I. Joe: Resolute G.I. Joe Boxed Set - A Recap

While I love G.I. Joe as much as the next guy, my real love is with Cobra. For some reason the bad guys have always been more enthralling to me, which is probably why it always annoyed me in the comics when they turned to the good side.

I prefer reading the adventures of Destro and Zartan over Duke or Snake Eyes, and I think that's a testimony to the strength of Larry Hama's writing. The villains aren't just cardboard cut outs who want to take over the world, they've got motivations, personalities and intrigue.

Because of this I figured the Cobra boxed set would be the real star of the show...but in reality, the opposite is true. Don't get me wrong, I love the Cobra set, too, but the G.I. Joe set is where these Resolute items really hit their full potential, but not just for the figures...for the customization aspect as well.

Simply said, the G.I. Joe: Resolute G.I. Joe boxed set is a customizers dream come true. Even at $45.00, you get some great body templates (at all different shapes and sizes), some awesome new head sculpts, a wide array of weaponry, and some fantastic webgear to use in building your own team of Resolute or other G.I. Joe operatives. That's the great thing about how Hasbro produces these figures now...even without a back screw or an o-ring, the options for customizing are incredible.

But somehow that makes it sound like I'm taking away from the actual product. No way. The absolute star of this set is definitely Flint, and this version re-establishes my definitive version of this character. The mean grimace, the insanely intricate webgear...the shotgun shells. This is the update to Flint the fandom has been screaming for since 1985.

Similarly, Roadblock also gets a fantastic re-imagination. He maintains the familiar vibe of the classic, but is a mountain of a man with an imposing physique, incredible gear and great articulation.

Then we have Stalker...another character who has been dying for a great update since 1982. Sure, the Anniversary version was nice, but it was more of an update to the existing look, not really anything new. This Stalker is a NEW Stalker...a character for the next generation, and one that I think could fit in well with your Pursuit of Cobra crew.

Beachhead unfortunately will get somewhat passed over simply because his Pursuit of Cobra version is so insane, but the Resolute figure has his own share of awesome qualities. Scarlett is a small bump in the road due to the size of her head sculpt, but the rest of the figure is simply amazing.

So what about Snake Eyes and Duke? Well, as unbelievable as it is, Hasbro manages to find ways to make these overexposed characters desirable again! Snake Eyes' color change, short-sword, and glidewing backpack all add value to the figure and make it stand apart from the original version. Duke's new arctic design is faithfully translated from the cartoon and is an essential component of this set.

I honestly cannot find a bad word to say about this. Great characters, great figures, awesome customization potential, and hitting retail at just under $7.00 per figure, it ends up being good value as well. A top notch item, and one of the best investments I've made in recent years. LOVE this set. What could have easily been a cast-off half-hearted nod to fans became an obvious labor of love that this fan really appreciates, and if we get no other Resolute items again (which would be a damn shame) I can at least be happy with this set and the understanding that we got a great core group of Joes to build upon.

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