Figure Subscription Service 2.0 - Widescope

This is the wonder of the Figure Subscription Service. The fact that we have a kick ass modern update of Widescope before we get the same treatment for fan favorite Shockwave is amazing to me, but a testament to the G.I. Joe Collectors' Club's desire to maintain a level of obscurity.

I know we got a Shockwave update in the 25th Anniversary, but as with so many of those figures from a few years ago, the figure's articulation and detail is simply not in the same league as similar offerings from the past few years, and it would be terrific if he got a quality update similar to this.

I'm going to try to avoid too many rampant comparisons between this figure and Shockwave, though, because one of the things I like about this Widescope is the fact that he serves as a new character and a character that isn't exactly high on collector's lists, yet gets a terrific update regardless. When Hasbro developed the Cobra Shock Trooper a few years ago, I doubt even they realized just how prevalent the parts used to make that figure would be throughout the next few years. The fact is, at his core, Widescope is simply a repaint of that figure with a Beachhead head, and you know what? I don't think too many people would complain about that. After all, the Shock Trooper had a very authentic SWAT Breacher appearance, so it only makes sense to translate that to some G.I. Joe team offerings as well.

The articulation is terrific, with great range of motion in the elbows and knees, as well as the added wrist articulation that was present with the original figure.

Paint applications are good throughout the figure, and very evocative of the original Widescope, using different shades of blue to achieve an interesting "Law Enforcement" appearance. The black head and gloves offset the lighter blue colors nicely. Perhaps the coolest addition of paint on this figure is the change they made to his legs. Rather than the more typical splotchy camouflage that the original Spy Troops version had, the Collectors Club goes with their familiar "Urban Rain" camouflage pattern that we originally saw in the 2005 Convention Set Steel Brigade figures. It's a nice tie in and brings some cool detail to the figure.

ACCESSORIES

The accessories and specialty for Widescope has always thrown collectors for a bit of a loop. Here was a SWAT trooper who seemed to be a sniper, yet also came with a riot shield and a dog, which are generally three entirely different specialties within a SWAT unit. The Collectors Club continues that frame of mind here, using some nice gear to compliment the figure. All of these various pieces of equipment present an interesting allotment of gear, which certainly would seem odd all together, but it allows for some flexibility ihn Widescope's MOS. Going purely by his codename, a sniper certainly seems to be his main specialty, but I like the addition of the gask mask, and pretty cool modern submachine gun as well.

Like the original Shock Trooper, he has the SWAT vest with removable radio on the back.

Lamont, his dog, uses the same mold as we got back in 2003, with some added paint applications, specifically around the eyes. The paint job on the eyes are pretty outstanding at such a small scale.

While I might question the Collectors' Club's choice of Widescope, a character that seems non-existent on most fans' wish lists, the execution is great. Nice modern design, interesting paint applications, and a ton of good accessories. Out of the first four FSS figures, this one moves squarely to the top of my list.

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