Another 25th Review

[KamenDreda]

Hey guys. I just wanted to share my thoughts on the 25th anniversary 5 packs. I know there are a lot of reviews out there right now but for those of you that are still undecided, maybe a different perspective will be beneficial to you. But if not, oh well. I just like to hear myself talk!

 

So I got my two 5 packs from BBTS on Tuesday so I have had them for a couple of days now. I’m glad I waited a bit to post my review because my opinion has changed a bit since I first opened them. Well here we go.

 

JOES

 

Duke – Duke was one of those that I was not all that excited about from the pictures. Like others have said, he just seemed really plain. And also like others have stated, he definitely is much more appealing in hand than in the pictures. I was surprised by how much I liked him. My only major grip with him is his wrist articulation. The joints just do not blend well and they stick out like a sore thumb. I wish they had moved the swivel up to just below the shirt cuff to hid the articulation better. He does have a problem sitting but I guess that is something to be expected from these guys so I am not going to concentrate on that. Overall I think he is a nice figure. Not the best out of the bunch but certainly better than some of them. I’d give him an 7.5 out of 10.

 

Snake Eyes – I was also not very excited about SE. I am not a huge fan of the character to begin with and his V1 figure never did anything for me. The preview pics didn’t do much to get me going on him either. But I have to say that after getting him in hand, he is much cooler than I expected. There are no major complaints. He is one of the few that hand molding is just fine. He holds his weapons well (which is an exception in this line so far). His straps seem to fit on him pretty well (again also an exception). I am looking forward to finding the V2 single pack since I like that look better and it is essentially the same figure, it should be just as pleasing. I’d give him a 9 out of 10.

 

Gung Ho – This figure is quickly garnering a reputation as one of the least favorite from the line. I somewhat disagree. My major complaint about him is his hand. They absolutely suck and are pretty much worthless for holding anything, but again that is not anything out of the ordinary for this line. This problem seem to be rampant in this line. But other than his hands Gung Ho is not a bad figure at all. Ascetically, he is great. Leg articulation is nice. The vest looks good on him too. Over all? 7 out of 10

 

Scarlet – So this is the one I have been the most wishy washy on. From the pics online I was very excited about her. I am actually a big fan of the “cartoonyâ€? look on my toys. I mean come one… They are toys! Why shouldn’t they look like cartoons? So I was perfectly satisfied with that. But when I pulled her out of the box and started to pose her a bit I became pretty disappointed. She seemed to be slouched over all the time. Her torso joint doesn’t go back far enough. And her pony tail makes her head bow down a bit too much. Had I written this review 2 days ago, I would have writen her up as one of the biggest disappointments of the line. However for some reason, I can’t put her down! She is the one figure that I keep picking up and playing with! I even carted her to work with me today! I don’t know what it is about her but I just seem to absolutely love her! I can’t explain it. Despite all her flaws, she’s just cool. So based on logical thought I would give her a 6 out of 10 but based on my attitude about her, I’d give her a 9.5 out of 10.

 

Road Block – He’s always been a character that I liked but he was never a true favorite so I wasn’t feeling much about him either way from the pics on line. When I pulled him out of the box I still didn’t feel much and he was one of the last ones that I messed around with. When I did finally get around to playing with him, I discovered one major flaw… The hands SUCK! I understand he’s got that big gun and he needs to be able to hold it but um… HE CAN’T hold it! Major flaw! I guess the rest of the figure is fine. At least he can sit properly. He’s nothing special and probably my least favorite of the Joes. 6 out of 10.

 

 

 

COBRAS

 

Cobra Commander – This was another one I didn’t feel much about. Granted you can’t really have Cobra without Cobra Commander but I never really liked him. I only remember CC from the toon where he was a bumbling idiot so I never really thought much of him as a leader. But even so, no cobra team would be complete without him. So even though I really don’t care from him, he is a necessary figure to have. Unfortunately he kind of falls short of good. Mine has a really deformed helmet that really distracts. Combine that with the shrunken head and you get a pretty poor image of the good commander. However from the neck down he is pretty spot on. Nothing really to talk against there. I really don’t even mind the clenched fist. I am looking forward to the Hooded version in the single pack. Since the head is my only problem with this version, hopefully the new head with make me like him more than this version. 7 out of 10.

 

Destro – This is one that I was really looking forward to from the pics. He seemed really cool. However having him in had is a little different. I really wish I was impressed with this figure. It has so many great things about it but unfortunately the overall result is nothing special. I hate to keep harping on the hands but one of his is completely useless. I can’t get him to hold his brief case at all. The brief case itself is really neat though. Also he doesn’t seem to be able to rest his arms at his sides. He’s a little muscle bound. The collar also really bothers me. I hate the separate piece. And mine was all warped from being in the package. Wish I could rank him higher but unfortunately he only gets a 5 out of 10.

 

Storm Shadow – This may be the one home run of the entire wave. What can I say that hasn’t been said already about this spectacular figure? Not much. 10 out of 10

 

Baroness – And here we have the exact opposite of Storm Shadow. She is by far the worst of the wave. Her face is goofy looking, her body is miss proportioned, her chest is way too small, she has a gimp leg. The only redeeming thing about this figure are her hands. Unlike most every other figure in this wave, she can actually hold her weapons. But that really doesn’t earn her much credit in my book. I love the character but this figure is pretty much an unredeemable disaster. Not sure how it could get much worse than this. 2 out of 10.

 

Cobra Soldier – I absolutely love the basic cobra troop. Crimson Guards, Vipers, Snow serpents, all the specialty vipers are great and all but it all starts with these guys. This is the true backbone of cobra. This was probably the most anticipated figure (for me) and he doesn’t disappoint in the least. He is my second favorite of the wave. My only complaint is that his elbow articulation doesn’t allow him to two hand his rifle. Which is sad. But maybe I can fix that up with an exacto knife. Now I just need to figure out how I am going to army build this sucker! 9.9 out of 10.

 

 

The 25th line in general

 

I have to say that this is a great start to a new era of Joes. I think once they work the kinks out, this line will be much better. My over all complaints are mostly about the articulation. Elbows mainly. And hips. They really should be able to sit better. And they REALLY need to work on the hands. I have to say that even though I am pretty split on the success of some of the figures, I am really looking forward to seeing what else we are going to get in this style. I'd love to see some newer characters in this style. Kamakura, The Stall family, Firewall, Zanya and many more. As well as some more modern looking interpretations of many of the characters. I would love to see the Sigma 6 uniforms make their way in to the 3 ¾" format.

 

While this wave was not perfect, it is a great launch pad for what I hope is to come. Here’s to the future!

[punishment-101]

I wish more of these would be able to sit properly but I still love how they look minus a few, of the head sculpts

[JFAK075]

Well, just got my "hero" set. And let me say . . .the pics I've seen online do NOT do these figures justice. I really dig 'em. They could have been more articulated. But they are sturdy and cool as hell. I highly recommend getting them.

[Riker]

Nice reviews Kamen Dreda!

 

I can't wait to find these figures... it's killing me!

[T-Rat]

Thanks for the review. I totally agree on Baroness and storm shadow. The only thing i hate of the figures is the hands and the hips

[pesatyel]

Roadblock always bugged me. It seems to me his left hand is molded to hold the part of the machine gun you probably shouldn't be holding.

[Darthmaul33]

I got my version 2 Snake Eyes today by accident. I walked into Sears Essentials looking for ML She-Hulk, and came across SE instead. He was the only one left btw. Anyhoo, the only thing that I am dissapointed about is that there is no place for his long sword to be stored. That and the sword is a bit plain, and not as cool as the original. But that's my two cents. Overall score: A solid 8 out of 10.

[Devilbat]

Great review KD! Y'know, it should be boring to see everyone and their brother do reviews of the 25th Anniversary figures, but I love it. I love seeing the opposing views on these things, even if I don't always agree with them. I could read them all day...

 

I keep seeing a common thread here though; Number one...people seem amazed, as was I, at how great these look in-hand as opposed to how they look in the online pics. I don't know if it's the flash making them look too bright, or the digital resolution picking up all the flaws that you couldn't normally see, but it is really suprising how great they look in person. You see them online and think, "Ah...pretty neat." (lol) And then you see them in person and think, "Wow...these look awesome!" At least that was my reaction.

 

Number two...there are mixed feelings concerning the articulation on these things. Ever since there were rumblings of an anniversary line, there were varying opinions as to what would be the ideal articulation for them. I was one of the camp of collectors that thought that they should have the same articulation as the Star Wars Vintage Collection figures, and that seems to be pretty-much what they were shooting for. But they've been somewhat inconsistent; some figures have the MS double-hinged knee joint, and some don't. Some hold their weapons very well, others don't. Some have wrist and elbow-joint issues, others don't. It's a mixed bag really, and it's incredible that after all of the changes and "experiments" Hasbro's gone through in terms of style and articulation in the past few years, we're STILL seeing issues like this. It's amazing. But at the same time, I don't necessarily care as long as the figure looks great and holds up well. But I like I said in another thread, I'm not one of those collectors who messes with 'em alot, so articulation's not a huge factor for me, but that's just me.

 

I'm still optimistic about these. Personally, I see more good than bad. It's kinda sad on one hand, that there are still "issues" with Joe figures, and it's also sad that it's something I've come to expect, but at the same time, anything I've seen past 1994 is bonus to me; I never expected G.I. Joe toys to last as long as they have, and I just kinda take it as it comes so to speak. The alternative is no Joe toys. And no, I'm not saying "Well, crappy Joe toys are better than NO Joe toys." (lol) That's not what I'm saying at all. I guess it's more that I feel fortunate that they're even entertaining the notion that there's some of us out here that still like G.I. Joe and they're acknowledging it in some way, that they're even still making this stuff. I just think the Joe collecting community holds the property to such a high standard, that naturally we're gonna analyze and nit-pick this stuff to death, and that's okay. I've read where people from other collecting communities complain about how picky we are. Heck, I enjoy it. It makes the hobby way more interesting than the "perfect world" other collecting communities seem to be at times.

 

Really though, in the end, when you get right down to it, we're getting modern updates of classic characters, complete with vintage-style packaging. You can't get much cooler than that. That's something I've wanted to see for years, and I was beginning to think that the DTC line was as close as we would ever get. Yes, as I've stated, there are still some issues, but surely Hasbro can only go up from here, and that's an exciting notion, that there's potential for these to get even better and better.

 

I really would like to be in a postion to buy a second set of these to open, just so I can see for myself what some of you are talking about. As for right now, I can't seem to bring myself to open my 5-packs. I just love looking at them in the package and pressing the star button over and over. (lol) It brings a smile to my face every time...

 

One thing continues to bug me though, no matter how much I love the 5-packs, is the flubs on the inside flap on the Joe set. Snake-Eyes listed as Infantry? Gung-Ho: RECONDO? These are huge mistakes that I can't fathom as to how they got past QC. Shouldn't Snake-Eyes be listed as "Commando", and Gung-Ho as "Marine"? Those are the only things that truly bug me. Otherwise, these sets are a blast from the past, from the figures themselves, to the awesome packaging that includes original card art and graphics from every facet of the RAH era of G.I. Joe. I'm personally very much satisfied, and my anticipation for the single-carded figures is at its peak. But guys, keep the reviews coming, no matter how mixed, positive, or negative. I love learning what everyone thinks. It makes for great reading and I enjoy it.

 

Okay, I'm done. Sorry I'm so talkative tonight. (lol)

[Toiletmonkey1]

These are huge mistakes that I can't fathom as to how they got past QC

 

QC at hasbro surely your joking? im pretty sure that title/person got downsized out to make room for more lawyers to send out C&D letters!!

 

TM

[toonces]

i still haven't seen the single packs' store packaging. do they come with outer clamshells? anyone have a pic?

[JoeRhyno]

no, just like the DTC figures.. and like the couple I got, they were all crushed and deformed, lol

[toonces]

no, just like the DTC figures.. and like the couple I got, they were all crushed and deformed, lol

 

that really sucks. have you figured out which type of clamshell fits them?

[Viper Hunter]

Really though, in the end, when you get right down to it, we're getting modern updates of classic characters, complete with vintage-style packaging. You can't get much cooler than that.

 

Well, they COULD be "cooler" if they weren't so hung up on killing the O-ring and farting around with a cheaper way of constructing them..so much! Did the crotchs have to made that way (V shaped) in order to accommodate the new waist design? Some have it worse than others.

 

 

That V shape naturally forces the leg OUT when raised forward, so the figure automatically goes into a crotch shot pose, like a Sgt. Savage figure would. That isn't exactly a technological ADVANCE in articulation design, it's just cheaper.

 

For nostalgia purposes alone, they could have made a large percentage of the RAH fans THRILLED with just releasing these same characters, in their original uniforms, from their first (and second) versions, in the same style as the Extreme line. Just a line of anniversary mini statues paying tribute to the "most popular" characters in the RAH line.

 

I guess I'm just a little peeved at the constant touting by Hasbro, that these were somehow "BETTER" than ever, or anything before, and MORE articulated, when in fact...they're not. They're pretty, but not a better "action" figure. The "looks" of them are right on, the packaging is awesome, the character selections are decent so far, but the final product is subpar when you throw out the nostalgia around it, and look at them as a new G.I.Joe action figure toy.

 

When G.I.Joes were made for kids, in a size that was MUCH smaller than Joes used to be, there seem to be more of an effort to really win the kids over, with functions, features, accessories, vehicles, individual characters with a history, plot and PLAY factor, in order to make amends for the change from 12" to 3 3/4". They did such a good job of it, I ended up being an adult collecting a kids toy MYSELF.

 

Now the toys are made with too much collector influence involved and it shows. Hands molded in just a way that they only look half decent in ONE particular pose, holding a gun. Kinda like the goofy finger/thumb deal on the original 12" Joes. Kung Fu grip was a welcomed change from that, "Eagle Eyes" not so much....too creepy! I don't want my toys looking at me sideways.

 

I was beginning to think that the DTC line was as close as we would ever get. Yes, as I've stated, there are still some issues, but surely Hasbro can only go up from here, and that's an exciting notion, that there's potential for these to get even better and better.

 

When you think about though, we've been hoping THAT for a long time now, and with each new style, we say the same things, about hoping they fix or correct some of these silly oversights and issues. So what we'll end up with, is just MORE figures that don't match up very well with the other figures we already have. Some least favorite version, of a favorite character, will end up being the perfect design just before they axe the line once again and go on another hiatus. We wait and wait and wait for joes to come back, better than ever before, and we get something like this......toys made with more nostalgia as a "selling point" than actual fun and function.

 

Achieving that POSE finally, the one we always wanted with them, having the capability to do THIS with them now, that we couldn't before, and seeing them in all this glory upon a display case, even though they're toys, they look like little mini soldiers up there, in all their cool ACTION poses, and you think to yourself, "MAN...the FUN I'd be having with these, if I was 8 years old again!"

 

Are these new ones totally worthless in that regard? Well, hell no, but they were sure bragged upon, before release and being touted as the ultimate modern upgrade of the ARAH line, and something to that affect.

 

I know it's a fine line between a subtle NEW articulation feature and just chopping up the figure too much with lines and creases and joint connections that make the things look like hell and un-natural. I don't like the torso on these new figures for that same reason. It's not very subtle, and it looks terrible.

 

One thing continues to bug me though, no matter how much I love the 5-packs, is the flubs on the inside flap on the Joe set. Snake-Eyes listed as Infantry? Gung-Ho: RECONDO? These are huge mistakes that I can't fathom as to how they got past QC. Shouldn't Snake-Eyes be listed as "Commando", and Gung-Ho as "Marine"? Those are the only things that truly bug me.

 

See, those are the kind of things that mean very little to me as an adult collector of these toys. I never really paid much attention to those details before, either in comics or cartoons, so I wouldn't pay any notice to it now. Those things don't affect the action figure design or ability to be posed and neat to play with. I never keep anything MOC usually anyway, and a toy that stays MOC isn't REALLY in need of any articulation points, just pretty colors and a coool nostalgic package to come in, and to remain in. In that regard, nobody is going to care about a minor detail like not being able to sit or raise their arms properly.

 

That's why I like to collect toys (action figures) made for a kid rather than an adult. The collector mentality is killing the stuff, at least I sometimes think so. Unfortunately, in these times, collectors seem to be about the ONLY ones buying this stuff anymore?

 

@loll@

[pesatyel]

I keep seeing a common thread here though; Number one...people seem amazed, as was I, at how great these look in-hand as opposed to how they look in the online pics. I don't know if it's the flash making them look too bright, or the digital resolution picking up all the flaws that you couldn't normally see, but it is really suprising how great they look in person. You see them online and think, "Ah...pretty neat." (lol) And then you see them in person and think, "Wow...these look awesome!" At least that was my reaction.

 

Perhaps. But there ARE a few that were "altered" between then and now. Kinda like what they did with the Night Force 6-pack. THOSE figures shown at the con looked great. What we got...not so great. In this instance it was the Cobra, for example. Or the whole Flint debacle.

 

 

Number two...there are mixed feelings concerning the articulation on these things. Ever since there were rumblings of an anniversary line, there were varying opinions as to what would be the ideal articulation for them. I was one of the camp of collectors that thought that they should have the same articulation as the Star Wars Vintage Collection figures, and that seems to be pretty-much what they were shooting for. But they've been somewhat inconsistent; some figures have the MS double-hinged knee joint, and some don't. Some hold their weapons very well, others don't. Some have wrist and elbow-joint issues, others don't. It's a mixed bag really, and it's incredible that after all of the changes and "experiments" Hasbro's gone through in terms of style and articulation in the past few years, we're STILL seeing issues like this. It's amazing. But at the same time, I don't necessarily care as long as the figure looks great and holds up well. But I like I said in another thread, I'm not one of those collectors who messes with 'em alot, so articulation's not a huge factor for me, but that's just me.

 

Can you give an example of the Star Wars figures you mentioned? I don't collect SW, and the one's I've looked at I'm NOT impressed (with the articulation). Part of the problem, though, is fundamentally false advertising. These are NOT the "most articulated ever" not compared to what we've seen before. Night Creeper has, roughly, the same articulation and is a lot more poseable than a lot of these guys.

 

I'm still optimistic about these. Personally, I see more good than bad. It's kinda sad on one hand, that there are still "issues" with Joe figures, and it's also sad that it's something I've come to expect, but at the same time, anything I've seen past 1994 is bonus to me; I never expected G.I. Joe toys to last as long as they have, and I just kinda take it as it comes so to speak. The alternative is no Joe toys. And no, I'm not saying "Well, crappy Joe toys are better than NO Joe toys." (lol) That's not what I'm saying at all. I guess it's more that I feel fortunate that they're even entertaining the notion that there's some of us out here that still like G.I. Joe and they're acknowledging it in some way, that they're even still making this stuff. I just think the Joe collecting community holds the property to such a high standard, that naturally we're gonna analyze and nit-pick this stuff to death, and that's okay. I've read where people from other collecting communities complain about how picky we are. Heck, I enjoy it. It makes the hobby way more interesting than the "perfect world" other collecting communities seem to be at times.

 

Well, I give them the latitude that because these are significantly different from the "tried and true" there are bound to be flaws and bugs in the system. That's the nature of trying something new. But the flaw, here, is primarily "form over function". For some, like you and Draven, form is fine because the function is unimportant. Not to offend, but I think people that think that way wouldn't mind having fully detailed 4" statues of our favorite characters. That's not what these are and THAT shouldn't be taken lightly.

 

Really though, in the end, when you get right down to it, we're getting modern updates of classic characters, complete with vintage-style packaging. You can't get much cooler than that. That's something I've wanted to see for years, and I was beginning to think that the DTC line was as close as we would ever get. Yes, as I've stated, there are still some issues, but surely Hasbro can only go up from here, and that's an exciting notion, that there's potential for these to get even better and better.

 

Actually there SHOULD be more to it than that. See my "statues" comment above.

 

They key to the line's success, I think, is how Hasbro handles the flaws in the designs. They need to go to a "standard buck" design. It worked with RAH. It can work here. And, no, I'm not saying go back to the RAH styling. I'm saying use the 25th styling but standardize it. Either give ALL the figures the double knee hinge or the ball hinge. Give ALL the figures the full range of elbow motion (which is one of the weirder "problems". I mean they've had 25 years of figures and the arms are, essentially, exactly as they have been since the "swivel arm battle grip" was introduced back in 1983. Even when swivel wrist was added in 2002, they didn't change the arm. It still had the same range of movement. Same for the non-rivets in 2005. So why'd they screw it up here?

 

As I tried to get a discussion going and VH mentioned above, the waist piece design is the same for both O-ring and 25th. The only difference in the part is instead of a hook at the top, there is a ball, but the PIECE itself is the same. So why go to the diaper waist look? It doesn't really improve "form". Look at the pic of Cobra Commander in VH's post. Humans don't have THAT MUCH space! Basically, they could have used the same basic design of the RAH crotch here since all the internal parts are the same.

 

 

In the JBL reviews, these figures were described as reaching for the "brass ring" but just falling short of grabbing it. And they are, from what I"ve read and seen (still can't FIND the damn things, friggin' lame "Christmas test"). And I think the flaws are easy enough fixes.

 

1) Give the waist a more "RAH" look to narrow the crotch and bring the legs closer together.

2) Fix the elbows to give them the FULL range of motion that any RAH figure has.

3) Give them ALL the double hinge knee OR the ball knee.

4) Cartoony look being irrelevant, IMO, CENTER the heads better on the necks. Yeah, some guys have big chins, but DAMN!

 

5) Give them "equal" hands. I never understood the point of the weird hand designs used on the Neo-Viper and Coils (the Hydro-Viper, yeah, I undestand that one). Destro can hold his briefcase JUST as well in a "normal" hand then in one specificially (and rather pointlessly) designed to do that. Roadblock can just as easily "hold" the barrel of a gun using a swivel wrist than that useless "one pose" hand he has. Hell, if I recall in an early review of Scarlett, the reviewer said the hands could come off easily (for customizing) so why not add in interchangeable hands?

 

6) Get rid of the "hinged ankle" and use a swivel one. Even for people that don't "play" those figures don't stand too well.

 

 

The last two aren't so necessary.

[Devilbat]

When you think about though, we've been hoping THAT for a long time now, and with each new style, we say the same things, about hoping they fix or correct some of these silly oversights and issues. So what we'll end up with, is just MORE figures that don't match up very well with the other figures we already have. Some least favorite version, of a favorite character, will end up being the perfect design just before they axe the line once again and go on another hiatus. We wait and wait and wait for joes to come back, better than ever before, and we get something like this......toys made with more nostalgia as a "selling point" than actual fun and function.

 

Achieving that POSE finally, the one we always wanted with them, having the capability to do THIS with them now, that we couldn't before, and seeing them in all this glory upon a display case, even though they're toys, they look like little mini soldiers up there, in all their cool ACTION poses, and you think to yourself, "MAN...the FUN I'd be having with these, if I was 8 years old again!"

 

Are these new ones totally worthless in that regard? Well, hell no, but they were sure bragged upon, before release and being touted as the ultimate modern upgrade of the ARAH line, and something to that affect.

 

That was one of the points I was trying to make, that after all this time, you'd think all the kinks would have been worked by now, but unfortunately that's not the case.

 

See, those are the kind of things that mean very little to me as an adult collector of these toys. I never really paid much attention to those details before, either in comics or cartoons, so I wouldn't pay any notice to it now. Those things don't affect the action figure design or ability to be posed and neat to play with. I never keep anything MOC usually anyway, and a toy that stays MOC isn't REALLY in need of any articulation points, just pretty colors and a coool nostalgic package to come in, and to remain in. In that regard, nobody is going to care about a minor detail like not being able to sit or raise their arms properly.

 

That was also my point, although I'd like the figures to have nice articulation, it's not necessary for me that they have fifty-plus points of articulation. I don't like tons of articulation, but at the same time, I don't want Joe statues either.

[Devilbat]

Can you give an example of the Star Wars figures you mentioned? I don't collect SW, and the one's I've looked at I'm NOT impressed (with the articulation). Part of the problem, though, is fundamentally false advertising. These are NOT the "most articulated ever" not compared to what we've seen before. Night Creeper has, roughly, the same articulation and is a lot more poseable than a lot of these guys.

 

Actually, I can't. (lol) I guess it leans towards the Vintage Collection articulation, but not completely. I wish the ball-and-socket knee and elbow joints were emulated though. Scarlett and Baroness have those joints, but aparrently no one else.

 

Well, I give them the latitude that because these are significantly different from the "tried and true" there are bound to be flaws and bugs in the system. That's the nature of trying something new. But the flaw, here, is primarily "form over function". For some, like you and Draven, form is fine because the function is unimportant. Not to offend, but I think people that think that way wouldn't mind having fully detailed 4" statues of our favorite characters.

 

No no no, it's just like I said above; I don't think they have to have tons of articulation, but at the same time, I don't want statues. Great articulation is what made G.I. Joe toys awesome in the first place. I still want to be able to put them in great poses.

 

That's not what these are and THAT shouldn't be taken lightly.

 

Actually there SHOULD be more to it than that. See my "statues" comment above.

 

Pesatyel, am I being reprimanded? (lol)

 

They key to the line's success, I think, is how Hasbro handles the flaws in the designs. They need to go to a "standard buck" design. It worked with RAH. It can work here. And, no, I'm not saying go back to the RAH styling. I'm saying use the 25th styling but standardize it. Either give ALL the figures the double knee hinge or the ball hinge. Give ALL the figures the full range of elbow motion (which is one of the weirder "problems". I mean they've had 25 years of figures and the arms are, essentially, exactly as they have been since the "swivel arm battle grip" was introduced back in 1983. Even when swivel wrist was added in 2002, they didn't change the arm. It still had the same range of movement. Same for the non-rivets in 2005. So why'd they screw it up here?

 

In the JBL reviews, these figures were described as reaching for the "brass ring" but just falling short of grabbing it. And they are, from what I"ve read and seen (still can't FIND the damn things, friggin' lame "Christmas test"). And I think the flaws are easy enough fixes.

 

1) Give the waist a more "RAH" look to narrow the crotch and bring the legs closer together.

2) Fix the elbows to give them the FULL range of motion that any RAH figure has.

3) Give them ALL the double hinge knee OR the ball knee.

4) Cartoony look being irrelevant, IMO, CENTER the heads better on the necks. Yeah, some guys have big chins, but DAMN!

 

5) Give them "equal" hands. I never understood the point of the weird hand designs used on the Neo-Viper and Coils (the Hydro-Viper, yeah, I undestand that one). Destro can hold his briefcase JUST as well in a "normal" hand then in one specificially (and rather pointlessly) designed to do that. Roadblock can just as easily "hold" the barrel of a gun using a swivel wrist than that useless "one pose" hand he has. Hell, if I recall in an early review of Scarlett, the reviewer said the hands could come off easily (for customizing) so why not add in interchangeable hands?

 

6) Get rid of the "hinged ankle" and use a swivel one. Even for people that don't "play" those figures don't stand too well.

 

I agree 100% my friend.