Storm Shadow - Dollar Store Exclusive

NOTE - I am in the midst of moving, so unfortunately most of my figures are packed away. As a result, comparison shots are not available. YoJoe.com has been kind enough to allow me to mirror some of their images to show some comparisons. Be sure to check out their very nicely revamped action figure archive for full G.I. Joe figure goodness!

It took Hasbro thirty years to get us a fantastic, nearly flawless update to the Cobra Ninja Storm Shadow, and now within the past few months we've seen that figure used twice more to great effect. The first time was with the G.I. Joe: Retaliation Red Ninja, and now we have the Ninja Force version of Storm Shadow, which takes the fantastic figure from the 30th Anniversary and adds a new paint job to very nicely replicate the Ninja Force deco for Storm Shadow.

Is it perfect? No, not at all. Back in the 90's, the Ninja Force Storm Shadow had elaborate shoulder pads and a much more intricate, detailed black and white paint job. However, for the reduced price of the Dollar Store exclusives, the missing shoulder pads are not exceedingly obvious, and the somewhat more generic paint work nicely translates the same pattern from the 90's era version. Underneath that paint job is where this Storm Shadow figure excels as always.

With perfect proportions and near flawless articulation, this Storm Shadow creates an excellent template for future figures. The nicely textured facemask, the multi-jointed wrists, and excellent detail throughout the baggy and wrinkled uniform all makes for an excellent ninja themed figure, and the paint alterations are good enough to represent the Ninja Force version the fans are soaking up.

Storm Shadow comes with a nice assortment of accessories, especially if you count the sash, the belt, and the hood. He has those three acoutrements as well as a sword and the same bow that came with Shadow Tracker and Spirit. All of these different accessories come together to compliment Storm Shadow nicely.

Some fans have been complaining that instead of the Cobra stand, Storm Shadow should have come with a G.I. Joe stand, since technically he served the Joe team for Ninja Force. I honestly don't care at all about that, and I can understand, with Storm Shadow clearly represented as a bad guy in the public's eye, that they want to maintain his allegiance even in these budget figures.

Back in the 90's I absolutely hated this uniform in the comics...I loved having media-accurate toys, and with the articulation limitations of the Ninja Force figure, I found very little to enjoy about this version of the character. However, with this excellent budget update, I find myself discovering a new love for this uniform. The fantastic pattern of black and white is a striking look, and even if this figure doesn't exactly match the 90's version, it's close enough to work, and has successfully reignited my love of the Ninja Force version of this character.

Well done on this one, Hasbro. A great update at a great price.

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