First of all, big thanks to AutobotC5 of COPS HQ and COBRA Command Online fame. He has become my new source and "dealer" for the new G.I. Joe stuff, hopefully resulting in much quicker reviews for these new items. Drop by his site and say thanks! You're the man, C5!
I will be the first one to say that I’m very tired of the Viper mold at this point. It has been used so much and for such strange things over the past few years that I’m looking forward to its retirement and hoping that Hasbro is able to dig up another great classic mold to use for the scores of re-released Real American Hero figures to come.
That being said, while Hasbro has used the Viper mold excessively since 1998, they still have yet to really capture the same essence…the same classic COBRA Trooper look that the original ’86 version did. From green camo and gray, to solid light blue…even a horrid brown/green combination, they just haven’t been able to properly get the right combination of colors together to bring the Viper to life as it was done back in the day. Instead, it would seem they are using these different colors to establish different divisions of the Viper corps, which is actually not a bad idea, except for the fact that in the 80’s/90’s, they did that with figures of different design and element, not just coloring the same mold differently. I’d rather have new molds for jungle troopers than just green Vipers…but that’s just me.
With that being said, it does appear that Hasbro has been listening to the fans and at least really made an attempt to make this newest Viper an homage to the old days. A deep, dark blue uniform starts it off, but then it just doesn’t really come together. The vest, instead of being a nice black/red hybrid is just a solid red, and a very bright red at that, which almost makes the figure stand out too much. Still, this blue/red combination is definitely a COBRA color combo, and it’s nice to see that Hasbro is at least attempting to get that essence down.
This Viper falls into the same trap as his new release partners, with the head-drooping neck joint and B.A.T. legs, which do not necessarily serve the figure as well as his original parts do. Also, Hasbro doesn’t seem to want to paint his facemask silver, which is too bad, because it would look pretty neat on this guy, but as it is, that funky metallic color is kind of neat, too. The overall mold is classic…the well-known helmet w/ goggles…the cool flak vest—it all comes together nicely as it has, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. Yet for some reason, I do like this figure. I really shouldn’t, and I haven’t liked a Viper figure much since the Wave 2 re-release and Crimson Strike Team, but this figure just is appealing to me. Maybe it’s my love of bright colors, but I really enjoy seeing this guy on the shelf, even if I’m not sure he’d fit in very well to a battlefield situation.
Overall, I’m not really against Hasbro releasing the Viper molds in all different colors to represent different factions of the COBRA corps, but I’d rather see new molds serving that purpose. Also, as a cost-cutting measure I’m sure, Hasbro has really pulled back on the paint apps on this figure specifically, and I’d say, wave 7.75 in general, which leaves a result of some plainly colored figures without much flash or flair. This Viper looks a little odd, but I like it, and I’m sure the army builders probably will, too. If you’re not an army builder, though, I don’t necessarily see any reason to recommend this guy, although the Alley-Viper in this pack is pretty neat.
That being said, while Hasbro has used the Viper mold excessively since 1998, they still have yet to really capture the same essence…the same classic COBRA Trooper look that the original ’86 version did. From green camo and gray, to solid light blue…even a horrid brown/green combination, they just haven’t been able to properly get the right combination of colors together to bring the Viper to life as it was done back in the day. Instead, it would seem they are using these different colors to establish different divisions of the Viper corps, which is actually not a bad idea, except for the fact that in the 80’s/90’s, they did that with figures of different design and element, not just coloring the same mold differently. I’d rather have new molds for jungle troopers than just green Vipers…but that’s just me.
