Select Page

Super 7 Ultimates G.I. Joe – COBRA B.A.T. (Comic)

When Super 7 first announced the G.I. Joe Ultimates line, I was really excited. Most importantly, because as amazing as it sounds, in the 40 year history of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero they have never produced animation accurate versions of our favorite G.I. Joe characters. Sure, they tried throughout the 25th Anniversary line with mixed success, but still, it was mostly a tooling-safe deco rather than a full blown figure based on the Sunbow aesthetic. The approach we’ve seen (though so far, just in images) seems fascinating and from what we’ve seen so far, Super 7 could have a decent hit on their hands.

With my anticipation for the Ultimates line at a high, I jumped on the recent SDCC Exclusive COBRA B.A.T. 02 (which ended up coming out before the COBRA B.A.T. 01 go figure) though this version is built more from the comic than the cartoon. Overall, the figure is– decent.

One thing I will warn folks off the bat, however, do not buy this figure thinking you’re getting a larger version of a Classified figure. The Super 7 Ultimates line and the G.I. Joe: Classified line are two entirely separate things for an entirely separate market. I know people love the comparison game, measuring the greatness of one thing by how it compares to another. Don’t do that. Let Ultimates be its own thing while Classified is something else– they serve wholly different purposes and each one does its thing well.

I do find it interesting that Super 7 pitched the Ultimates line mostly as a companion to the Sunbow cartoon, yet this figure is clearly based on the comic version of the Battle Android Trooper that debuted in Marvel issue #44.

In digging into this figure and reviewing the initial release of the COBRA B.A.T. on the Super 7 website, I was pretty pleasantly surprised at just how different this version was.

DESIGN

Like with most releases in their various Ultimate lines, Super 7 eschews heavy detail work for a softer, more “animated” looking sculpt, which isn’t to say its inferior, it’s just different. I would argue it actually takes a very unique skill set to sculpt a figure in this way and Super 7 does a great job. The fabric of the B.A.T. uniform looks drawn rather than built, though the mixture with the heavy lines of metal panels within the artificial limbs gives the figure a very unique look and feel.

And when I say unique, I mean its unique, even compared to the regular release of the B.A.T. The more Sunbow themed version has totally different arms, built with the animated version in mind, where the Rod Whigham penciled Issue #44 features far more intricate metal and circuitry work.

The head of this version of the B.A.T. is also more narrow, while the faceplate is a bit more angular, mirroring that issue #44 appearance to great effect. It’s always interesting to see how comic book colors try and mimic real life colors, creating a blue color meant to resemble black– then to see Super 7 take that color and reproduce it to a more three dimensional figure. Pretty cool effect and it does make it look as though it stepped from the comic pages.

Unlike G.I. Joe: Classified, the Super 7 figures are seven inches tall, so they stand a good deal bigger than their Classified brethren, which doesn’t bother me, considering their aesthetic is so remarkably different they shouldn’t really be blended anyway.

I find myself really loving the color scheme of this figure a lot– the blue mixed with the orange/yellow and that vibrant almost “chrome” plated look of the metal arms and faceplate– it’s a great combination of colors that makes this figure exceptionally appealing. I really just love how the figure looks.

PACKAGING/BOX ART

Super 7 is also really well known for their excellent packaging and the Ultimates B.A.T. 02 is no different. The worn, metallic looking slip cover, the presentation of the figure itself within, combined with an awesome back of the package (including file card!) gives this a really unique look.

I’m not a package collector, but stuff like this makes it tempting!

ARTICULATION

So, I’ve made it clear throughout this review that Classified and Super 7 should not be compared. This could not be any more evident than it is when it comes to articulation.

I’m going to say it straight up – I’m not a big fan of Ultimates articulation. I know why they do it and from a display perspective, it makes sense, but I much prefer the range of motion of Classified figures.

First and foremost, there are no real double joints on the Ultimates figures, everything is single jointed, so as a result the limbs don’t move very deeply. I get why– primarily these are display pieces and the more joints you have the more it takes away from the aesthetics of what is, essentially, a three dimensional iteration of a two dimensional character.

There’s no mid-torso joint here, though I suspect that’s more due to the chest plate than anything, since other Ultimates figures seem to have one. Where there is articulation, it works well, joints move pretty freely and the figure poses effectively, though I will also say the joints feel a lot “looser” than I’m accustomed to as well. Things wiggle and wobble and while it’s not bad enough that the figure can’t maintain effective poses, it’s still enough that I feel it warrants mention.

Again — I believe this is a conscious decision and one that makes sense based on the aesthetic, but it does take away, at least a bit, from my enjoyment of the figure.

ACCESSORIES

Now here is where the Ultimates figure really excels. The COBRA B.A.T. 2.0 comes with a TON of great gear very much pulled from the pages of the Marvel Comic.

There are two different backpacks, the familiar B.A.T. version and a cannister backpack which is unique to this figure and to issue #44, which features Dr. Mindbender using these B.A.T.s to deploy spores in a COBRA experiment. Both the pack and the spores are included here and look pulled from the page.

As one has come to expect from various B.A.T. figures, he comes with three separate weapons attachments, the flame thrower, the laser gun and the claw. Another place I would have appreciated some more articulation is in the claw, though it’s just a static sculpt. There’s also a battle-damaged head sculpt and a spark effect that can plug into a small hole within the chest plate (you need to remove the transparent cover to get to it).

What I really love about this figure and wish Classified would do is the fact that he comes with several other hands that can get into various expressive poses. I really like that element and would love to see that become standard issue in the Classified line. He also comes with a laser pistol and a submachine gun to finish off the assortment. When talking about the removable hands and weapons attachments, I was very impressed by how easy it was to swap those parts out. They stay pegged in tightly, but are very easy to remove without a massive struggle or without feeling like you might break it.

Another item of note — instead of having a peg in the back for his backpacks, there is a hook mechanism that locks into some spots on the B.A.T.’s shoulders which I think is a really unique way to do that instead of just the simple peg and hole.

CONCLUSION

I said at the beginning of this review that you shouldn’t compare the Ultimates figure to a Classified figure, but I did it several times throughout the review. My bad.

This figure serves a particular purpose and I think it does that well. I do wish there was some slightly improved articulation and the joints managed to be a little bit more tightly fitted, but by and large, I enjoy this figure quite a bit and I’m greatly looking forward to an eventual Wave 1 release.

General Gallery

Super 7 Ultimates COBRA B.A.T. 02
  • Design
  • Originality
  • Articulation
  • Accessories
  • Value
3.8

Summary

For my first introduction to the G.I. Joe Ultimates line, this figure was great. Somewhat reduced articulation along with joints that were a little looser than I’d prefer tempered my excitement somewhat, though I think the line still has a lot of potential.

Pros

  • – Loving the color combo
  • – Lots of differences from the standard release
  • – Rod Whigham influence FTW
  • Cons

  • – A little pricey, though there’s a lot of value for the dollar
  • – Loose joints a bit of a bummer
  • G.I. Joe Convention 2017 COBRA B.A.T.

    AvalancheBlasterBlockerDodgerKnockdown
    MaverickB.A.T. Squad LeaderCobra B.A.T.BackstopDee Jay
    COBRA CorrosionLaser ViperSky Serpent w/ Laser Viper OfficerMarauder SnowmobilesBAT Rocket Packs
    Conquest X36Con Set Recap

    cobra-bat-01 cobra-bat-02

    Instead of “it’s Malibu Stacy with a new hat”…it’s Malibu Stacy with a new head.  It’s nine Malibu Stacies, with ten new heads, and it still doesn’t feel worth the cover price.

    Believe me, I don’t want to railroad the point of the repeated uses of the B.A.T., I do wish the Collectors Club hadn’t done it, especially now with only one more opportunity for a convention set before losing the license, but it’s said and done, I suppose I should move on.

    cobra-bat-08

    Plus I pretty much said everything I needed or wanted to say with the B.A.T. Squad Leader Review.  I was kind of a dick.

    Like the regular B.A.T. releases we’ve received over the years, this figure is good from an aesthetic and functional perspective, with some great accessories, fantastic sculpting and very impressive articulation.  They managed to capture the essence and energy of the original Battle Android Trooper and make all the right improvements to it, offering dual replaceable limbs and maintaining the backpack storage unit (though with only room for two attachments).  Later on in the line they came up with a battle damaged head sculpt and chest plate which added some fantastic variety to the figure, and the chest plate is carried forward here, though not the head, because they’ve evolved to the second generation B.A.T. head for this release.

    cobra-bat-11

    I might have appreciated this update a bit more if the Club had taken some steps to make it feel like more of an evolution, rather than just repainting it from the neck down and slapping a v2 head on top.  If you remember, the version 2 of the B.A.T. was pretty structurally different than its predecessor, more streamlined, a more rounded shape, and overall a pretty different look.  Calling this B.A.T. an “upgrade” when it’s basically just a new head feels kinda hollow.

    cobra-bat-16

    Even with the limitations on the sculpt, though, they did a good job trying to mirror the v2 paint deco at least.  The black, orange, and hints of florescent  green all call back to the vintage version and work surprisingly well even on this older body.  That being said, though, it’s still exceptionally difficult to view this as a proper version 2 B.A.T.

    Accessories

    cobra-bat-acc-01

    Like the Squad Leader, this B.A.T. includes a bunch of accessories.  All of the same attachments you’re accustomed to (as well as the newly tooled sword that came with the Inferno B.A.T.) and the busted chest plate.  He’s equipped for just about anything.

    cobra-bat-04

    Yes the B.A.T. is a good figure.  No I can’t rationalize including nine of them in this set, or the idea that simply dropping a new head on the existing body is a suitable upgrade.  This one ranks high on my list of Convention Set disappointments, hopefully next year the Club can go out on a high note.

    COBRA B.A.T.
    • Character
    • Sculpt
    • Articulation
    • Paint Deco
    • Accessories
    3.4

    Summary

    What else can I really say? A decent base figure that I’ve already got more than enough times in my collection, with a new head sculpt that doesn’t feel especially new. The B.A.T. concept feels tiring and this update does nothing to change that.


    [wpebayads]

    G.I. Joe Convention 2017 “Force of Battle” Review

    AvalancheBlasterBlockerDodgerKnockdown
    MaverickB.A.T. Squad LeaderCobra B.A.T.BackstopDee Jay
    COBRA CorrosionLaser ViperSky Serpent w/ Laser Viper OfficerMarauder SnowmobilesBAT Rocket Packs
    Conquest X36Con Set Recap

    bf-2000-group-03

    Two years in a row that I’ve been unable to attend JoeCon and I’m starting to question what my life has become… even though I missed hanging out with some of my best friends in the world down in Orlando, Florida, the immortal James Kavanaugh, Jr. has stepped up in a huge way and assisted me with product so I could still get this review done and out to folks.  I can’t thank him enough for his help and support, and to show him some love, check out his G.I. Joe guides at RAHCGuide.com.

    So… BattleForce:2000.  I’ll be honest, even in the vintage era the BattleForce:2000 concept never really grabbed me.  In general I love the idea of the near future soldier, and it was some of those elements that really drew me into the 1990’s era of G.I. Joe, but the execution of BattleForce:2000 back in 1987 didn’t really appeal to me.  I loved Dodger and Blocker was a fun figure, but many of the rest were just too far out there from a design perspective and ended up feeling a little chunky and not as fun.

    That being said, you can’t argue with their importance in G.I. Joe lore, and they represent a chunk of characters from 1987 – 89 that fans have been asking for.

    bf-2000-group-09

    The Collectors Club brings us BattleForce:2000 but also works in some new renditions of the COBRA  Battle Android Troopers to flesh out the set, an idea that was met with mixed reviews (myself included).  Hasbro has been relatively relentless releasing B.A.T.’s ever since their first retail release in 2008, it’s difficult to see a need for yet another edition of the COBRA android, even with a head more resembling the v2 version from 1991.  Not just the idea of the B.A.T. itself, but the huge amount of troopers in the box set generated some questions and concerns among the community, especially when you think about the cost of the set and the perceived collectible value of the figures within.

    So with a concept that I’m not wild with against a squad of COBRA’s that don’t bring a whole lot of new things to the table…what would my reaction be once I got these in hand?

    Let’s say I didn’t really have high hopes, but let’s dig into the set itself and see how it all shaped out.

    [wpebayads]

    New close up pics of the Resolute Boxed Set

    The gentlemen over at ToyNewsInternational have debuted close up press pictures of the new Resolute boxed set!  When this was first announced, just the listing of the name made me shake my head a bit.  Honestly?  Another Duke?  Another COBRA Commander and COBRA Trooper?  The idea of the COBRA Officer at least had me excited…

    When pictures were first shown, I was very disappointed.  Not much in the way of new tooling, and we weren’t even getting a standard Officer, just some red-garbed guy who looked a lot like the red-garbed Trooper in the same set.  What the heck was this?

    (more…)