G.I. Joe: Classified – Lady Jaye

by generalsjoes | Jul 11, 2022 | G.I. Joe Classified 6" Line, review-no-frontpage

One of the strengths of the G.I. Joe mythology over the years was the prevalence of strong female characters, which was something you didn’t always see back in the bygone days of the 80’s. From the very first, many of the central, most important characters who drove the G.I. Joe world were female, and certainly within the confines of the Sunbow animated series, Lady Jaye was at the top of that list.

While she was paired with Flint throughout much of their time in animation, she was clearly her own character as well, often starring in episodes as more than just “Flint’s other half” and carving out her own identity and personality. All that being said, I was a little surprised to hear her mentioned as part of the G.I. Joe: Classified line so early in its life. That surprise, however, swiftly became anticipation, as Hasbro revealed a fantastic iteration of Lady Jaye.

While I’m thrilled to see Lady Jaye’s inclusion within G.I. Joe: Classified, I wasn’t sure how well her look would translate to a more modern aesthetic. She’s always had a pretty unique old-school appearance, and even as Hasbro gave her new tooling throughout several updated versions, she never really got a new “look”, always just the same vintage uniform with some minor alterations.

I’m pleased to say for the Classified version they managed to draw inspiration and spirit from her original ’85 appearance, but updated it in a few key ways that manage to make her look vintage inspired, but also mesh with the more modern Classified style pretty seamlessly.

DESIGN

Lady Jaye has her familiar green uniform that she’s been shown in since day one. The color is very much as its always been with a somewhat bright sheen, though not too bright. She’s got her familiar popped-up collar, though Hasbro did dial back the plunging neckline a bit, definitely for the better.

She’s got combat pants and boots and her rolled-up sleeves, all of which call back to her vintage appearance, but also give the modern designers some freedom to do a few interesting things.

As we’ve seen with several other Classified figures, the additional texture and sculpting detail allowed at a six-inch scale is put to very good use here. Several seams are sculpted into her uniform as well as a nice application of layered texture and padding, which adds some depth and dimension to the figure.

Pockets, pouches and straps sculpted on top of her base uniform adds some really cool detail and this Classified aesthetic and the secondary belt and straps are pretty terrific. I like the hip pouch and what’s become the trademark blue communications device that also helps tie her in to the rest of the team.

What’s perhaps my favorite aspect of this figure’s design, however, is how they handle her head.

As any G.I. Joe fan knows, the original Lady Jaye figure wore a baseball cap (as did several of her more recent releases as well) however in the animated series, she was featured without it. In fact, it wasn’t until the 25th Anniversary line a little over 10 years ago that we even got a Lady Jaye figure without her baseball cap.

With this Classified update, Hasbro finds a way to please both camps! The figure comes with the cap-less head, but the hair is removable with the ability to swap it out for a hat with hair attached. Honestly? It works perfectly.

ARTICULATION

As with most of the Classified figures, Lady Jaye features some impressive articulation, only this figure actually goes even further above and beyond.

Lady Jaye was actually one of the first Hasbro female figures to feature double-joint elbows, and she also has the latest state-of-the-art pinless joints so the aesthetic of the figure is not interrupted by the obvious round pins that keep the parts together. In spite of this new revolutionary construction, she manages to retain full range of motion and is just as highly articulated as any other figure in the line (and actually even better articulated than Scarlett and Baroness).

There have been some reports that the elbow joints do restrict motion a little bit, though mine has been fine with some careful moving and an application of some heat from a hair dryer.

ACCESSORIES

As great as the figure design itself is, Lady Jaye only shines further in the accessory department.

While the original ’85 release figure had a somewhat funky javelin/gun sort of combination, the Sunbow animation really leaned into the whole javelin idea and actually gave her spears to throw, many of them with unique tips that could provide all sorts of different functions– explosive, acid, even one that formed an airtight bubble to protect her and Flint from lava. Yes, you read that right.

The Classified version manages to meld both ideas, giving her a modular javelin gun that can be separated so she ends up with spare javelins for throwing, and they even have removable tips! Not only that, but the spare tips can fit within recesses in her backpack, which also has a fantastic modular surveillance camera system for some of those covert operations she is sent on. There’s also a removable knife that fits into a sheath, and as I mentioned before, the whole hat/hairpiece combination.

In short, her accessories are fantastic. It would have been cool if she could have come with some other sort of combat weapon that leaned a touch more realistic, but Hasbro was clearly leaning on the ’85 version for inspiration, which is what most fans want, so hard to blame them there.

CONCLUSION

Sort of like the upcoming Target exclusive Barbecue, Lady Jaye wasn’t a figure I realized I needed quite as badly as I did, but now that I’ve got her in hand, I’m really impressed and thrilled that Hasbro got her in collector hands so early in the line.

To anyone who fell in love with the Sunbow cartoon, Lady Jaye was clearly a central cog in that machine and it’s great to see Hasbro giving the character her due.

They did great work with this figure and I really don’t have any complaints, though the pinless elbow joints have been reported as issues either with their mobility or their durability. I feel fortunate that I haven’t experienced that myself, but it should be mentioned regardless.

As an aside, I’m hearing and seeing reports that both this figure and Flint have been relatively easy to locate at brick and mortar retail– a great and hopeful sign of things to come as the world continues its recovery from 2020 and looks ahead to a renewed explosion of G.I. Joe popularity.

General Gallery

G.I. Joe: Classified – Major Bludd

by generalsjoes | Jul 11, 2022 | G.I. Joe Classified 6" Line, review-no-frontpage

Yes, this figure, as it stands now, is about a year old and we’ve seen a couple dozen Classified figures emerge within that window of time, but Major Bludd, for my money, stands at the top of the list of favorite figures even as the roster has grown significantly since his release.

Major Bludd seemed to emerge right on the cusp of the shift from modern back to vintage aesthetic and I’m absolutely thrilled that he fell on the right side of that line. This figure, almost more than any other, truly benefitted from a more science fiction approach and it’s for that reason that he’s as successful as he is.

Major Bludd fever felt like a turning point in the G.I. Joe: Classified franchise. Frustration over the COBRA Island Target exclusives reached a fever pitch and it was with Bludd, Barbecue and Breaker that Hasbro seemed to find the right formula that mixed desirability and availability. While Bludd’s initial sell through sparked some of the familiar complaints, he eventually became more accessible with reports of collectors finding upwards of 30 of him on pegs throughout various regional Target locations.

At this point, an eBay search seems to bear that out with figures averaging around $30 – $40 on the secondary market. A bit of an uptick from MSRP but it doesn’t appear to be an indication that these figures are exceptionally scarce.

DESIGN

From a design perspective, Major Bludd ticks all the right boxes, especially for being a store exclusive. There was a time when an exclusive to a particular retail chain automatically meant repaint– but with the Classified line, we’ve seen a bevy of great new parts with almost every Target exclusive released and that certainly remained the case with Major Bludd.

The base body, it should be noted, is mostly a repaint of the COBRA Trooper, though you wouldn’t necessarily notice with the updated secondaries, the new right arm, shin armor and head. Beneath the covers, I’m totally cool with the Trooper body being used, as it represents a nicely updated, bulky looking figure that seems like a great template for Bludd.

Covering the torso is a thick plate of body armor, more reminiscent of the Sideshow Collectibles release of Major Bludd than the 1983 rendition, which is a huge win in my book. It’s a great design with several sculpted textural elements and great layers, looking protective and future sci-fi in all the right ways. A bulked up shoulder pad on his right shoulder adds to that bulk, which of course compliments the clearly cybernetic right arm included as well.

There has been a lot of debate over the years whether Bludd has a robotic arm or simply some armor to protect him from his missile-launching weapon, and there are plenty of arguments for both. Classified went hard into the “robotic” arm side of things and I absolutely love it. The sculpting, articulation and overall design of the limb is so great, it really adds a terrific cherry on top of this figure which provides even more separation from the standard COBRA Trooper underlay.

Perhaps just as great as the arm, however is the head sculpt. That grizzled, angry Mercenary look glowers out from beneath the domed helmet, his scarred left eye replaced by yet another cybernetic attachment once again calling back to a previous version of the figure. Sideshow Collectibles also took this element to heart and I remain ecstatic that Classified seemed to use that as a canvas.

While the COBRA Trooper left gauntlet is a direct recreation of the one that came with that Trooper, Hasbro gave Bludd new boots which dramatically help make him look a bit new and different. Add to the boots, the vest, the head and the arm, a simple addition like the belt with a low-slung holster just adds all the more appeal to this mercenary figure.

Then of course there are the colors– as one would expect from Major Bludd, the base body is brown, just like the vintage figure (and several of the ensuing releases since) but rather than a pure flat black to complement it, Hasbro goes with a deep, gunmetal gray, dark enough to look black, but with just the right sheen to it that it gives it added texture and detail.

Speaking of detail, there are various nicks, and dings taken out of the armor and the shins, which just show that Bludd has been through the ringer, giving the figure a life of its own.

ARTICULATION

Beneath the layered armor, Bludd’s articulation remains on point as it does with pretty much every single Classified figure released. Like several others (including the frequently mentioned COBRA Trooper) a full torso armored vest does hinder some of the torso movements which detracts a bit from the overall range of motion.

Even with that, the figure reaches and maintains all manner of great positions and it’s tough to be too upset because the vest adds so much detail to the look of the figure.

ACCESSORIES

Could we ask for anything better? As they’ve started doing more frequently, Hasbro clearly went to the vintage well when providing Bludd his backpack and missile launcher, and because of the larger scale of the figure, they could actually make the rockets removable from the backpack which is a really great detail.

Those rockets can then attach to the end of the launcher as well to mimic the gun the vintage version came with (though the Classified version looks a bit longer and ganglier than the vintage version did). Along with the backpack, missiles and launcher, Bludd comes with removable dog tags, his familiar helmet, and a really great looking revolver which, yet again, is a call back to Sideshow Collectibles in the best way. Bludd’s pistol remains one of my favorite weapons of the entire line to this day.

CONCLUSION

Absolute, utter perfection. An immaculate blend of vintage aesthetic and modern touches, Major Bludd is a spectacular addition to the G.I. Joe Rogue’s gallery. His availability caused some consternation at first, but has loosened up since, which is a good thing, because every fan deserves to have this figure in their collection.

Major Bludd is a picture perfect example for why I wish Hasbro would still allow for some unique modern aesthetics to creep through as I think he really showcases the potential for that rather than devoting all attention to recreating the old school look.

Time will tell if Hasbro eventually puts together a more faithful vintage version of Bludd, but I’ll just say up front — they don’t need to. This guy is perfect as it is.

General Gallery

G.I. Joe: Classified – Flint

by generalsjoes | Jul 11, 2022 | G.I. Joe Classified 6" Line, review-no-frontpage

Flint is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of my all time favorite G.I. Joe characters. He’s another one of those guys who first came to life via Larry Hama’s file cards, even before I saw one second of him in a G,.I. Joe cartoon or on the pages of a Marvel comic book. Coming to the rescue with that lopsided grin– his Rhodes Scholar background– it just exemplified the character of Flint in my eyes.

I was a bit worried about “going back in time” to review some of these earlier figures, wondering if perhaps the shine had come off. I’m happy to say, in Flint’s case, it really hasn’t, at least not purely from an action figure perspective.

Ever since the 25th Anniversary line back in 2007 (holy crap was that really 15 years ago?!?) Flint has sort of existed as an extension of Duke, at least from an action figure perspective. Selfishly, I’ve always loved Flint as a character more than Duke, so I’m not a huge fan of his base figure being a Duke clone all the time, but it’s tough to argue with the results, especially once you layer on the updated tactical vest, different leg armor and a new head sculpt.

DESIGN

For as much hate as the initial waves of G.I. Joe: Classified get, they still remain, in my mind, a great collection of figures which weren’t afraid to add some unique modern elements to the timeless designs we were all accustomed to. Flint is a perfect example of this.

The sculpted textures in his uniform’s break up what could have a somewhat bland sculpt and even though most of the figure is essentially a repainted Duke it doesn’t feel that way. Hasbro obviously took inspiration from the vintage figure here, but really modernized the tactical vest and added darker toned shin armor to tie in some of the more video game/future tech inspirations they were going for. The result is excellent in my mind though I acknowledge I’m in the minority on that.

One thing that I find that I really enjoy about the six inch scale is how the different layers balance off each other with texture, color, etc. Flint’s pants with the pseudo airbrush camouflage beneath the more static color of the holster and straps really draw the eye and make each material feel different and apart. Obviously that’s a credit not just to the scale but to the design choices as well.

Then you have the updated head sculpt (which really feels like Flint) complete with removable beret, and his awesome updated vest. Rather than just the same old twin straps with shotgun shells we get a more armored, pouch laden “Resolute” style update which always gets bonus points in my book.

ARTICULATION

The base figure for Flint retains the same high level of articulation we’re all accustomed to throughout the entirety of the Classified line. Double joint elbows and knees, drop down hips, the nicely poseable ankles and neck all combine to give us a G.I. Joe figure with all the range of motion we expect as long time fans of the brand.

The only minor downside where Flint is concerned is due to his armored vest, which does end up restricting torso movement somewhat, but that’s a given. You can’t layer on an armored vest across an entire torso and expect the figure to move the same without carving some serious eyesore cuts into the armor. I think for what they tried to do, Hasbro found a great balance.

ACCESSORIES

But, of course, not everything is rosy when it comes to Flint. This figure was released during that window of time where Hasbro seemed unwilling to give their figures even somewhat realistic looking weapons. I think for what they had to work with, they did an okay job with Flint’s shotgun, managing to make it look somewhat future tech, but also with some hints of realistic undertones. Many folks have pointed out the inconsistencies with the pump-action and the break apart mechanism of the weapon, to which I say– this is G.I. Joe, not Call of Duty– a world where Trubble Bubbles, Air Chariots and clones of history’s greatest leaders exist. I’m sure why we can’t suspend our disbelief enough to not nitpick over a shotgun.

Where my complaints really come is with the number of accessories (or lack thereof) especially when compared to some of the newer releases. A single shotgun, pistol and removable beret feels like the bare minimum and while some might argue that Flint doesn’t really NEED more accessories, it does still feel a bit glaring.

CONCLUSION

For a repaint of Duke with a few added design elements, Flint does exactly what Flint’s meant to do. The new head sculpt, vest, weapons and lower leg armor go a long way toward separating this figure from Duke and make it stand on its own two feet.

While some might argue the futuristic elements were a draw back, I’d almost prefer to see a figure that looked like this rather than a bite-by-bite recreation of something initially released in 1985. From my POV, Flint is a pretty great balance between a throw back and a look forward.

General Gallery

G.I. Joe: Classified – Storm Shadow

by generalsjoes | Jul 3, 2022 | G.I. Joe Classified 6" Line, review-no-frontpage

Ever since I first sat down on my aunt’s corduroy couch in 1984 and read Storm Shadow’s file card, he has remained at the top of my favorites list. Even before I knew of his connections to Snake Eyes, even before I knew about the long and storied history of the Arashikage, the mysterious COBRA ninja was a permanent fixture in my adventures. This masked man who moved with “blinding speed” and could “scale walls with his bare hands and feet” had instantly elevated to near mythical status. While that was a long time ago (longer than I care to remember) I feel somewhat certain that Storm Shadow was my first introduction to the term “ninja” and I absolutely fell in love.

Ironic that these days I much prefer the near-future military stuff to the ninja stuff, but at 10 years old, ninjas were where it was at.

Fast forward nearly (cough cough) 40 years and G.I. Joe: Classified brings us a new 6″ version of Storm Shadow and in many ways he elicits most of the same emotions– but interestingly, that’s not necessarily a good thing.

DESIGN

Before I get too deep into this review, I need to make one thing crystal clear: from an execution standpoint this iteration of Storm Shadow is about as close to perfection as one can get. His stocky, muscular, somewhat oversized sculpting, yet maintaining an immaculate level of articulation– it’s a combination that Hasbro uses to absolute stellar success.

So why do I feel a bit mixed about the end result?

In two words: this guy.

Ever since the G.I. Joe: Classified line was launched and debuted on GIJoe.com, I have been losing my mind in anticipation of a figure from that image above. While I saw many fans scoffing at the metal mask and the Batman gauntlets, I absolutely fell in love with the modern-mixed-with-vintage aesthetic. The white base uniform, the ninja-themed mask– but enhanced with future tech and a nasty, sharp-edged flair (not to mention the amazing full-arm tattoos). Yeah… THAT was the Storm Shadow I wanted.

Instead, at some point shortly after the Classified kick-off, the design team shifted focus, moving from a futuristic tech-based aesthetic to one that adheres more faithfully to vintage looks. Initially, according to the designer, that was in celebration of the 40th Anniversary, but it seems to be how they’re approaching the line going forward. Don’t get me wrong — it’s agreeing with most of the fans out there (I’m a bit of an outlier when it comes to those things) but from my perspective… well, I was hoping for something a bit newer.

That being said– this figure is spectacular for what it is. To Hasbro’s credit, they do work in a few modern elements, including the great forearm gauntlets and gloves and a removable hood (which isn’t necessarily modern, but a different touch for this version). And while the source material for this figure doesn’t blow me away, the way they were able to capture the spirit of that vintage Storm Shadow in a 6″ scale is just– pretty much mind-blowing.

His secondary cross-chest strap has throwing stars that aren’t removable, but look like they could be, which is a great compromise, giving us that appearance without the risk of tiny accessories that would be all too easy to lose. Along with that strap, he has removable belt straps which allow you to pose him standing still, or in dramatic motion, with the belt waving in the wind.

If I did have one complaint about the execution– for reasons I can’t quite grasp this figure, more than others, has made me crave swappable hands. I want a Storm Shadow like this who has a flat “karate-chop” hand, multiple closed fists, all sorts of expressions that really bring the figures to life. All things considered, that’s a minor gripe, but one that would take a magnificent figure and make him– well– magnificenter.

ARTICULATION

What can I say about Storm Shadow’s articulation? G.I. Joe: Classified in general has been truly living up to the “America’s Movable Fighting Man” mindset when it comes to G.I. Joe and Storm Shadow is no different. Even with the somewhat bulky sculpting, the figure is amazingly poseable and well-articulated, able to achieve a number of great, deep joint poses from ninja crouches, to sword-fighting combinations and almost anything in between.

Drop down hips, double joint knees and side ankle joints allow very expressive movements from the waist down, and his butterfly shoulders, torso cut and double elbows give him a wide array of movements throughout the upper body as well. There’s no secondary vests or cumbersome web gear or sculpting to get in the way of his movements, and from that perspective, I can’t really think of a single improvement.

ACCESSORIES

Just like the vintage figure, Hasbro takes a shockingly straight forward concept and executes it to perfection with the backpack, twin sword sheath, removable arrow and a spot on the back of the pack for his new compound bow (an upgrade from the ’84 version and more in line with the ’88 camouflage iteration).

The removable hood feels like another call back to 1988, but one that I welcome, as it does add a neat new flair to this pure white version of Storm Shadow that the ’84 classic didn’t have.

The swords are sculpted with really great dragon-themed hilts, and while I like the bow, you can’t really pose it in a firing post, even with the removable arrow. If I have any complaint — WHERE ARE THE NUMB CHUCKS?!? (Yes I know that’s not what they’re really called). Maybe we’ll have to wait for the inevitable Quick Kick release to recreate our Enter the Dragon battle scene…

CONCLUSION

Unlike many G.I. Joe fans out there, I truly enjoy seeing new and different takes on this universe, and don’t necessarily want to constantly revisit the past. I do recall hearing the outcry from a few of the vocal fans when Classified first launched, decrying the gold armor and the futuristic weapons and I think Hasbro deserves a lot of credit for recognizing that and retooling some of their go forward plans.

That being said, I do believe there should be some sort of middle ground– a mix of vintage purist and a healthy injection of new elements as well. Some would argue this Storm Shadow accomplished that with the great modern gauntlets and the hood, and perhaps they did, but I simply cannot get over that amazing artwork on the GIJoe.com site and lament what could have been.

With all that in mind, however, this Storm Shadow figure is spectacular. The design, while a bit overly faithful is still immaculate. The articulation continues to take things up a notch and the plethora of accessories only further exemplifies all of the great things the Classified design team is doing right now.

While the inspiration isn’t necessarily 100% aligned with my preference, the action figure itself is difficult to find fault with.

General Gallery

G.I. Joe: Classified – Zartan

by generalsjoes | Feb 19, 2021 | G.I. Joe Classified 6" Line, review-no-frontpage

Yes, I know, I’m pretty unabashed in my love for the G.I. Joe: Classified line and I’ll readily admit that I’ve enjoyed pretty much every figure they’ve released so far.

But, from time to time, one figure rises above the others, and evven in a line full of great toys, there is a new one that stands above the crowd. The G.I. Joe: Classified Zartan is just about as close to a perfect G.I. Joe toy as you can get.

Zartan has always been one of my favorite characters in the G.I. Joe lore. The way he walked a narrow line between good and evil (he was always better evil, however) his near-supernatural shape shifting abilities, his twisted sense of honor and loyalty, as well as the way Larry Hama interwove his backstory into Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow.

Zartan was the epitome of everything I loved about G.I. Joe. Just the right hint of supernatural, just the right hint of futuristic sci-fi–a mix of weaponry and martial arts skills. I love Zartan and I really, really love the G.I. Joe: Classified representation of him.

DESIGN

Very much like Destro, the design for Zartan leans heavily into his vintage look, giving him the familiar brown hood, eye make up, layered chest armor, etc… But also like Desro, they’ve gone an extra step in adding some really interesting modern flair throughout a pretty familiar looking design.

In some cases, the changes are subtle, like the layered texture throughout his hood that really gives it a third dimension. Other changes are more obvious, like the reinforced armor on his forearms and the spectacular snakeskin texture on his gloves.

The figure is a nice, solid size, though not as big and bulky as Gung Ho or Roadblock. I thought at first he might be built on their buck, but in fact it appears as though his bare torso and arms beneath the armor are completely new tooling. Paint applications are very familiar, with brown pants, black armor (though some of that armor has a great, understated metal “sheen” to it).

Again, the benefits of the larger scale really show through with the vast amount of sculpted texture that really bring the figure to life. You can see where there’s metal, where there’s fabric, and even the different changes in fabric texture. Though the figure is mostly two colors – brown and black, the variant shades and sculpts beneath those textures tells a really great story.

Like most Classified figures as well, Zartan can carry every single accessory he comes with, between a great sheath on his belt and a peg on his backpack (more on that awesome backpack later), not to mention the snake’s head and monkey’s paw that adorn his belt as well.

From a design perspective, Zartan is an absolute home run.

ARTICULATION

As with the other Classified figures, Zartan’s articulation is pretty much perfect. The armor is sculpted in a way to not hinder the way he moves and he’s capable of achieving almost any pose you’d want. His large shoulder pouldrons are een designed in a way to move with his arm movements so he can look imposing standing still, but also stretch his arms out in nearly any fashion.

ACCESSORIES

My goodness, the accessories Zartan comes with a pretty close to perfect. No, he doesn’t come with a ton of gear, but he comes with just enough, and you get a fantastic combination of warm nostalgia and cool new touches to go along with it.

The backpack is, just as it should be. Very evocative of his original 1984 version, it even holds the mask just like that previous figure did. The mask fits perfectly and while of course it won’t fool anyone, it really leans heavily into that classic toy functionality and I love it. Zartan comes with a pistol that’s very much like his original version as well, plus the bad ass knife that slips into his holster.

New additions are both the monkey’s paw and the snake head, which are elements that tie him into his swamp background and give him a bit of a cool “voodoo” edge. Such a neat touch. He comes with the same scarf as the COBRA Viper, only in brown instead of gray, which is removable if you don’t like it. The hood also comes off, yet it stays on his head perfectly well, too, for some added variability.

CONCLUSION

How much praise can I heap on this figure? It ticks every single box you’d want it to tick. You like the vintage look? We got it. You like the modern “G.I. Joe: Classified aesthetic”? Got those bases covered, too.

I honestly cannot think of a single complaint about this figure. In a line that has already impressed me with nearly every single offering, somehow they just managed to one-up themselves. Not only that, but this is a standard release figure, which should make it easier to acquire. I know when first announced there were pre-orders across the board at Pulse, BBTS, Entertainment Earth, Gamestop and others. Word is that the figure can already be found at Walgreens as well.

Hopefully this is a sign of things to come as far as avaialability goes.

Meanwhile, I am thrilled to add this figure to my growing roster of COBRA agents. Classified is once again gaining ground as perhaps my favorite iteration of G.I. Joe since the classic days. Watch out, Sigma 6, it might be gaining on you!

General Gallery