G.I. Joe vs. Cobra - Flint

Finally...Flint is back!

In spite of what people might think based upon my G.I. Joe stories, Flint is one of my all-time favorite characters and ever since his '85 original release, there has been something lacking about all versions between then and now. Flint has always been best known for his cocked beret and cocky grin...his attitude as well as his smarts. I think the original mold captured that perfectly, but the versions since then really have kind of missed the boat. Until now.

Yeah, this Flint is without his cocky grin, but he has his beret, he has his trademark look, he has some cool weapons, and I think this figure just plain rocks.

First of all, Hasbro really toned down the beefiness here, and it is much appreciated. His shoulders are much slimmer, his chest and waist are much more proportioned...but of course, then there are his legs. :)

Hasbro really seems to be injecting some new style into these figures...while the classic molds all seemed pretty standard...similar proportions, similar styles...it all really worked well for the classic stuff, but for this new stuff, I think adding a flair of exhaggerated style is an awesome idea. Snow Serpent has his over-sized hands and feet with sprawling fur. The Baroness is thin and wicked. I think these styles are very cool, and Flint definitely has his own style as well. The funny thing is, what most everyone I've talked to consider as the best figure in Wave 3, Snow Serpent, actually has BIGGER feet than Flint...again, it's all in the style.

Despite the exaggeration, though, Flint is a rock-solid, military figure. He's got his trademark black short sleeved jacket...they've replaced the twin shotgun shell straps with regular straps and a very cool looking chest holster. His legs have a really nice green shade to them with some cool tiger-stripe camo pattern. The feet...well, the feet are large, but again, this adds a really cool style to the figure, which I think is very important in this day and age. We all complain that they don't make G.I. Joe like they used to, but let's face it...kid's tastes have changed, bottom line. And kid's are Hasbro's main focus. If Hasbro catered to fans and fans only, they would have given up the boat long ago, because nothing they do makes everyone happy. The kids are the target, and these days, with the anime styles and exaggerated looks, these techniques carry impact, which sells toys. Masters of the Universe is a PERFECT example of this.

Everyone compares MOTU's re-release with G.I. Joe, with almost all of the RAH nay-sayers saying that at least Mattel did it right. Well, the He-Man figures I had were all constructed the same as each other (for the most part) with similarly shaped body-parts and they all maintained a similar overall style. Heck, half of the figures used the same torso! Well, the same could be said of the "glory days" of G.I. Joe.

Now, the new MOTU figures are patterned after the originals...only with larger muscles, crazier proportions and a definite more anime style. Hasbro's doing the same thing. The target demographic is different...Hasbro is learning from their mistakes, and every Wave gets better and better...

BUT...I digress... :)

The overall feel of this Flint figure is great! Just shooting these pics I couldn't fight the urge to make him run through the grass, fire his machine gun, or just kick someone for no reason. His joints move well, he is very poseable, and never once did I sit back and say "dang! Those legs are just TOO big!" You know why? Because as much as we'd like it to be, G.I. Joe is NOT the real world...there are some fantasy aspects, and I think Hasbro is doing a great job once again melding the two.

This Flint is reminiscent enough of his classic look, but enhanced enough to be a great new figure. He comes with a standard military backpack, and the always cool micro M-16...he looks like the sub-commander he should look like and I greatly look forward to trying to work him back into my Joe universe. Buy this figure! Ignore the legs and buy him...he is a very fun toy, which is what really matters.