When I first saw the Venom Cycle lo those many months ago (not the repaint, but the original...) I was thrilled. COBRA had never had a cycle, and this one looked like it would provide a near-perfect first attempt.G.I. Joe Spy Troops Vehicles - COBRA Venom Cycle (Crimson Repaint)
When I first saw the Venom Cycle lo those many months ago (not the repaint, but the original...) I was thrilled. COBRA had never had a cycle, and this one looked like it would provide a near-perfect first attempt.
It was a nicely designed bike, looking realistic enough, but with a modern COBRA-like edge and I thought that my COBRA forces would finally have the high speed attack bike they've been lacking for near twenty years.
Then I actually bought it.
While the design and implementation is very nicely done and almost well-executed, this vehicle is completely ruined by scale alone. This bike is HUGE. H. U. G. E. Way too big, in fact. I'm very willing to look past some scale issues ( I mean, c'mon, JvC has scale issues galore, and I'm still a fan) but any motorcycle that the driver needs a stepladder to climb onto is just too far out there for me to fall behind it.
Still, it seemed almost a cool vehicle...while large; too large for me to use; it had a lot going for it, including a very cool darker COBRA-like paint scheme and an awesome transforming sidecar.
Welllll...this version still has the transforming sidecar, but the color is just...kind of gross, really. The red is FAR too bright and the black lines just do not really work because of it. This no longer looks like a COBRA vehicle and just looks...well, like an orange motorcycle with black lines painted all over it. No good...no good at all.
Now, you'd think this sub-standard paint scheme could maybe be saved by a redeeming figure, especially being an army builder. Well, this is a perfect example of why the Viper mold should be retired. Figures like this just make Hasbro look bad. They took the original Venom Cycle Viper (who was pretty cruddy as it was) and threw a BRIGHT orange vest and gloves on him. I have NO idea what made the big "H" make this just plain odd change, but they did, and the Viper mold as a whole suffers for it.
It's really too bad, because I know Hasbro is capable of far better things than this, but I guess things happen. Better luck next time, Hasbro, and if you see this on the pegs, it is very safe to avoid.
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