Not being one of those fans who was desperate for modern updates to all vintage Tiger Force figures, I don’t have a personal attachment to seeing those designs updated, but I know a lot of folks do. When Recondo was listed in the Convention brochure, I figured it was a slam dunk that he’d appear with his familiar blue hat and gray/green color scheme that we’d all seen as a kid, piloting the Tiger Fly helicopter. Instead, the Collectors Club threw a hanging curve ball and gave us an unreleased version of Recondo, originally seen in the same pre-sales catalog as Sabretooth.
It was an interesting choice. I can understand why it would upset some people, because many folks out there feel like they need all of those vintage versions updated. But on the flip side, going the unproduced route is a more intriguing move, because it’s something that hasn’t been done before. However, on the other hand, it just so happens that the unproduced Recondo is in a color scheme exceptionally similar to Tiger Force Flint, so in that way, Recondo seems somewhat uninspired.
At the end of the day, you can only really judge the figure by your own personal enjoyment of it, and Recondo excites me about as much as any Tiger Force figure does… which ain’t much.
That being said, there are elements to enjoy here. Granted, the 25th Anniversary era head sculpt is pretty soft and dated when compared to its peers, but it’s Recondo, that much is inarguable. I love that the Club improved the arms, going with Kwinn rather than the bulbous Flint arms of the 25th Anniversary version. Recondo desperately needs those new arms, and these work amazingly well. Even though the color scheme so lock step in line with Flint, it is still pretty nice, with great shades of green, brown, and black, looking almost more jungle-like than Recondo’s original tan and light green. Purely on his own merits, the figure is fun.
Accessories
I would imagine because of Wreckage’s weapon choice, this Recondo doesn’t come with his trademark shotgun, instead sporting the great wrapped sniper rifle that the Pursuit of Cobra version of the character came with. I approve. He also has his familiar backpack, removable boonie hat, and the truly bizarre jungle knife that Shadow Tracker originally came with. The knife was a really strange choice, but individually it doesn’t make or break the character. As we’ve seen since day one, the hat has some trouble staying on his head, but for display purposes, it works.
Recondo was an early favorite character of mine that remained somewhat under utilized in the comics and cartoons, but every time he did appear, he made an impact. This figure takes the spirit of the character and does some interesting things with it, and I like that the Club went unproduced with the deco, even though to many folks it will feel like a missed opportunity. In actual execution, the figure is nice, poses well, and has some crisp paint applications. A decent enough update.
Recondo
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
3.1
Summary
Utilizing mostly the 25th Anniversary parts, the figure succeeds by at least addressing the worst area of the original, which were the arms. There are still some limitation to the older parts, but as a whole, it’s not a bad update at all. The Club elected to use his unreleased paint scheme rather than duplicate the vintage version, which was a nice twist, though it may upset some vintage purists.
So it’s the day after Thanksgiving, and while many folks are braving the crowds for “Black Friday” shopping, I’m taking some time to gather the last few releases of IDW comic books and trying to play “catch up” on some reviews. I was surprised to find that I was actually a couple of months behind on some of these. How does that happen?
In recent months, I’ve been pretty hard on the main IDW G.I. Joe title, simply because I try and hold it to a higher standard. While G.I. Joe: Cobra, G.I. Joe: Origins, and even stuff like Hearts & Minds should all be considered fringe titles, the main run is the run that should continue to breath life into this new G.I. Joe mythology, and while there was a really good stretch going there for a bit, it’s starting dragging just a bit again.
Well, I may be one of the only ones, but I was really looking forward to seeing what IDW was going to do with Agent Helix…and they finally introduced her in the main title in issue #23. However, based on the 5-page preview I posted, I was immediately hesitant to buy in, simply because it was evident she was being designed as a new “super power”, even in her first appearance. We’ve spent thirty years establishing what a bad ass Snake Eyes is, and here comes Helix in her first mainstream appearance, and she hands him his ass? Well, I’m hesitant to base a character and an issue on only five pages, so I will review issue #23 and #24 below. Click the “read the rest of the story” link below to check out these reviews, but be warned, spoilers will be evident. (more…)
By and large, the Pursuit of Cobra has been a lovefest. Hasbro has been on a roll, and most of the figures released for this line to date have been home runs, or at the very least a solid double or triple.
Well, nobody’s perfect, I guess.
These two figures come from each side of the spectrum…one of them has pretty much nothing of merit, while the other one is just chock full of lost potential. The end result is still a couple of disappointments. Check out the Pursuit of Cobra Review Page, or hit the links below to go direct:
Thanks to SNAKE EYES of HissTank.com for revealing the release dates for Pursuit of Cobra Wave 2 as revealed by Diamond Distribution. But to me, the best news is this crazy high resolution images provided. Nice!
Good grief I’m in love with the Pursuit of Cobra. These are all exceedingly awesome looking figures. Every freaking one of them. I do hope Jungle-Viper looks okay without his monstrous backpack suit thing, because I’d love to use him as a more generic Cobra jungle operative…and yes, I understand Snake Eyes has “Tornado Action” and that figure looks pretty wonky, but I love it all, anyway.
Check out the mirrored images below.
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The release information is as follows: Pursuit Of Cobra WAVE 2: The evil schemes of Cobra are thwarted throughout the world by the noble soldiers of G.I. Joe, and their battles can be replayed time and again with the G.I. Joe action figures! Each figure stands 3 3/4″ tall and comes with accessories. Fans can choose from Zartan (Version 2)*, Recondo, Destro (Version 2), Jungle Viper, Snake Eyes (Version 2), Dusty, and many more. Blister card packaging.
Estimated ship date: 9/29/10 GI JOE BRAVO VEHICLES WAVE 2: Stage your own battles between the forces of G.I. Joe and Cobra with the all-new G.I. Joe Bravo Vehicles, scaled to the 3 3/4″ figure height! Choose from the Vamp 4×4 with Double Clutch, or the Cobra Fury with Alley Viper.
Estimated ship date: 9/29/10 GI JOE ALPHA VEHICLES WAVE 2: Take your Joe and Cobra forces into battle with these 1- and 2-man vehicles, scaled to the 3 3/4″ figure, each with its own exclusive pilot/driver! Collectors can choose from the A.W.E. Striker, which comes with Nightfox, or the Cobra Ice Cutter, which comes with Snow Serpent.
Estimated ship date: 9/29/10
So I got my new Droid yesterday…and I’m in love with it. It’s Friday. My boss bought coffee this morning. Could the day get any better?
Turns out, yes, yet it can. Thanks to The Terror Drome for passing along the word that ACToys forum member zartan扎坦 has posted some carded images of the upcoming second wave of Pursuit of Cobra single-packed figures, and of course, they’re freaking gorgeous. I love these toys.
Check out the mirrored images below.
