G.I. Joe Convention 2017 reviews continue today! The boxed set is behind us, so now we’re moving on to some of the extra’s. Today we’re looking at the parachute figure Backstop, and both figures from the “Ultimate Enemies” two-pack Dee Jay and COBRA Corrosion.
You can check out the latest reviews at the links below.
I suppose it was inevitable. Once Static Line was released with Sky Patrol last year, many folks suspected it was just a matter of time before Backstop got some modern era love. Turns out it happened just about exactly one year later.
As this year’s parachute figure, Backstop was a bit tough for fans to get their clutches on, though I have to admit, his connections to Canada were an interesting way to tie him to the story, even if him parachuting didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Like Static Line last year, Backstop’s new head sculpt does the figure no favors, with the colors and sculpt bleeding together into a somewhat amorphous, sorta head shaped thing with a helmet that is way too small to realistically fit a head inside. The figure build is the same as Static Line as well with Pursuit of COBRA Beachhead torso and Resolute Duke legs doing an okay job approximating what the vintage figure looked like back in the day.
The dark green and yellow combination, with the right hints of light gray are all reminiscent of the 1987 figure, and this sort of feels like another example of digging into G.I. Joe obscurity simply because the tooling exists. I know there are some very dedicated Backstop fans (or at least one of you… 😉 ) and for your sake I’m glad this figure made it out in some way, but it does seem to be stretching the limits of necessity.
In truth, I actually do like the figure’s build, the combination of armor and tactical uniform is blended really well and he’s got some great articulation, even if the head sculpt doesn’t help things much. I may talk a little crap about the need for a modern version of this particular character, but the figure itself isn’t a bad one.
Accessories
Being the parachute figure, Backstop comes with the parachute and webgear/backpack along with a revolver and knuckled knife. The knife is a nice homage to the sheathed blade that was sculpted onto Backstop’s chest back in the day, and the silver pistol he came with then was pretty slick as well.
Did we really need an updated Backstop? I’m going to catch flack from at least one person for saying this, but probably not. That being said, the figure is good. I like the build, he moves well, the paint apps work and overall it’s a fun figure, even if I’m not a big fan of the squishy head sculpt.
Summary
This year’s parachute figure, Backstop is an interesting addition to the modern era collection, and not one I necessarily would have thought we needed. That being said, like Static Line before him, the figure is pretty decent from the neck down, though suffers from recent sculpting techniques and the lack of a removable helmet. He’s got good accessories and vintage accurate paint applications and hey, comes with a working parachute. Not a bad figure at all.
With the lead up to the 2009 Canadian Joe Con in full swing, the guys at JoeCanuck.com have posted the latest issue of their Collectors’ Newsletter. You can grab it here.
Measuring in at a whopping 22 pages, it showcases all of the different exclusives available this year at the Canadian JoeCon as well as an awesome preview of a 28-page comic that is slated to be released with the convention sets this year. This comic also features the Dio-Story I produced for the newsletter a while ago, which excites me to no end…it’ll be very cool seeing that work in actual comic book format.
It has all of the information about the latest convention that you could want (which, of course, is also available online at CanadianJoeCon.com). Simply put, there’s a bunch to read, and it’s a free download. How can you beat that? Anyway, grab the PDF here and enjoy!
Over at JoeCanuck.com, more images and items have been revealed for exclusives slated to hit with the Canadian JoeCon! Check out the thread on JoeCanuck here for all of the details on the 25th Anniversary exclusive Backstop with his personal tank the “Deadeye”! Custom paint jobs and custom stickers highlight these two great looking exclusives.
The Canadian JoeCon explodes May 2nd with a veritable all star of guests, including Hasbro Canada, Mark Bellomo, and David Willis. You can also check out the images below.
