Review: GI Joe Combat Heroes Series 1
Duke/Cobra Trooper, Roadblock/Cobra Commander,
Snake Eyes (with Timber the Wolf)/Zartan, and
Sgt. Bazooka/Firefly
I've amassed a fairly substantial collection of Hasbro assorted "Hero" lines over the years. It all started with some Galactic Heroes I picked up my wife for Christmas (I pretended not to like them for two months so she'd be surprised I bought them). After that, I started buying up Superhero Squad figures, based on the Marvel characters. Those remain the highlights of these lines, in my humble opinion.
Unfortunately, Marvel couldn't leave well enough alone. What's a toy without a show? You can read my thoughts on that program here. Now, it seems that Lucas is starting to work on a Galactic Heroes show. I can only hope it's nothing like its cousin.
Snake Eyes (with Timber the Wolf)/Zartan, and
Sgt. Bazooka/Firefly
I've amassed a fairly substantial collection of Hasbro assorted "Hero" lines over the years. It all started with some Galactic Heroes I picked up my wife for Christmas (I pretended not to like them for two months so she'd be surprised I bought them). After that, I started buying up Superhero Squad figures, based on the Marvel characters. Those remain the highlights of these lines, in my humble opinion.
Unfortunately, Marvel couldn't leave well enough alone. What's a toy without a show? You can read my thoughts on that program here. Now, it seems that Lucas is starting to work on a Galactic Heroes show. I can only hope it's nothing like its cousin.
|
I'm not boycotting the toy lines over these shows, but they have dampened my enthusiasm. It hasn't helped that Hasbro's begun altering the style and designs of the figures to better match the show.
Well, as far as I know, no one's started work on a Combat Heroes cartoon show yet. There are actually a couple lines of these figures: one based on the 80's cartoon show and one that plays off the designs from the movie. This is the same strategy Hasbro took for Robot Heroes, the similar figures based on Transformers. |
 |
I don't have much interest in the movie figures, but, despite not having many memories of the show, I kind of love the more animated figures. I picked up the second wave at Jack's World a while back and reviewed them here and here. Of those figures, Storm Shadow was easily my favorite, and I found myself coveting a Snake Eyes for him to fight.
I actually spent some time considering turning to Ebay and paying whatever it would have cost. At any rate, I held out and was rewarded for my patience: Big Bad Toy Store recently had a massive sale. Among the numerous toys available, they were selling the entire set from series 1 for an amount I'd considered spending for the Snake Eyes set alone.
I actually spent some time considering turning to Ebay and paying whatever it would have cost. At any rate, I held out and was rewarded for my patience: Big Bad Toy Store recently had a massive sale. Among the numerous toys available, they were selling the entire set from series 1 for an amount I'd considered spending for the Snake Eyes set alone.
Appearance and Construction:
Roadblock/Cobra Commander: 9/10
The rest: 8/10
I almost gave the entire series an eight, but one pack does stand out here. It isn't that Roadblock or Cobra Commander are the best figure in the line; only that neither has any serious issues holding them back.
While everyone of these figures looks good, these aren't quite on par with the second series. In terms of quality, I'd say each pack - with the exception of Roadblock and Cobra Commander - has one very good figure and one that's only good. Both Cobra Commander and Roadblock are solid, though Roadblock stands out thanks to the ammo and camouflage shirt.
For Snake Eyes and Zartan, the weak link is - sadly - Snake Eyes. The unfortunate part is that he's almost a fantastic figure. The issue is the grenades strapped to his chest. The bright green really hurts the overall effect. A pity, as the gun, sword, and outfit look great.
Zartan is a bit better, though his bow really needs some kind of string. I should mention that Hasbro has sculpted his midsection in a translucent plastic, an effect which shouldn't have worked, but does. Thanks to his size, it looks like some kind of bright metal, which fits him well.
The rest: 8/10
I almost gave the entire series an eight, but one pack does stand out here. It isn't that Roadblock or Cobra Commander are the best figure in the line; only that neither has any serious issues holding them back.
While everyone of these figures looks good, these aren't quite on par with the second series. In terms of quality, I'd say each pack - with the exception of Roadblock and Cobra Commander - has one very good figure and one that's only good. Both Cobra Commander and Roadblock are solid, though Roadblock stands out thanks to the ammo and camouflage shirt.
For Snake Eyes and Zartan, the weak link is - sadly - Snake Eyes. The unfortunate part is that he's almost a fantastic figure. The issue is the grenades strapped to his chest. The bright green really hurts the overall effect. A pity, as the gun, sword, and outfit look great.
Zartan is a bit better, though his bow really needs some kind of string. I should mention that Hasbro has sculpted his midsection in a translucent plastic, an effect which shouldn't have worked, but does. Thanks to his size, it looks like some kind of bright metal, which fits him well.
|
The Duke/Cobra Trooper continues to theme of the less interesting character looking better: the trooper is excellent, while Duke's bright green pants and dull shirt make him less visually satisfying. Finally, despite his bright green gun, I like Firefly a lot more than I like Sgt. Bazooka, who again suffers from too much green with too little detail. There are no real construction issues: these seem well made and sturdy. |
 |
Packaging and Extras:
Snake Eyes (with Timber the Wolf)/Zartan: +2
The Rest: ----
The packaging is the same that came with the later series. I like it, but it's nothing spectacular. I didn't see any fold-out "posters" this time, which is actually something of a relief.
I also want to commend Hasbro for the tag line, "Collect your favorite G.I. Joe and Cobra heroes, villains, ninjas, and more!" appearing on the back. A lesser company wouldn't have mentioned "ninja" as a separate category, but I think it deserves distinction.
As always, none of the weapons are removable. Only one of the packs comes with an accessory... but it's a good one. Snake Eyes comes with Timber, his faithful companion. I suppose a case could be made that Timber's a touch too cartoony, even for this line, but I'm not complaining. I love the folded ear and the fact he's carrying Snake Eye's second blade.
Timber is adorable, but he's not articulated. If they had included a neck joint, I think I'd have gone to three points here. Even without it, he's easily worth two. He's not quite as good as getting a full third figure, but he's close. Who am I kidding? I'd rather have Timber than another Joe. Unless it was Sgt. Slaughter. I really want a Slaughter in this scale, but I assume the character rights are too complicated for that to ever happen.
The Rest: ----
The packaging is the same that came with the later series. I like it, but it's nothing spectacular. I didn't see any fold-out "posters" this time, which is actually something of a relief.
I also want to commend Hasbro for the tag line, "Collect your favorite G.I. Joe and Cobra heroes, villains, ninjas, and more!" appearing on the back. A lesser company wouldn't have mentioned "ninja" as a separate category, but I think it deserves distinction.
As always, none of the weapons are removable. Only one of the packs comes with an accessory... but it's a good one. Snake Eyes comes with Timber, his faithful companion. I suppose a case could be made that Timber's a touch too cartoony, even for this line, but I'm not complaining. I love the folded ear and the fact he's carrying Snake Eye's second blade.
Timber is adorable, but he's not articulated. If they had included a neck joint, I think I'd have gone to three points here. Even without it, he's easily worth two. He's not quite as good as getting a full third figure, but he's close. Who am I kidding? I'd rather have Timber than another Joe. Unless it was Sgt. Slaughter. I really want a Slaughter in this scale, but I assume the character rights are too complicated for that to ever happen.
Play and Display: ----
While these have some articulation, I can't justify giving any of these packs a bonus point. Snake Eyes fares the best, with cuts on both shoulders, his sword wrist, and his waist. His head looks like it should be articulated, but I can't get it to budge. Also, his waist is limited by his pack. If he came with a character with similar articulation, they'd easily get a point. Unfortunately, Zartan has very little usable articulation. Sure, he's got a few joints, but you can't do much with him. His shoulders, neck, and waist are all cut. The shoulders let you fine tune how he's holding the bow, but you're limited by the way the arrow's attached. His neck, meanwhile, barely budges thanks to the hood. The waist works fine, though.
Bazooka's on the edge of getting penalized: while the weapon bearing his name may look cool, it means he's perpetually on the verge of tipping over. Your best bet is to rest the end on the ground, which wouldn't be my first choice of poses. Both have the same shoulders/neck/waist joints.
Bazooka's on the edge of getting penalized: while the weapon bearing his name may look cool, it means he's perpetually on the verge of tipping over. Your best bet is to rest the end on the ground, which wouldn't be my first choice of poses. Both have the same shoulders/neck/waist joints.
 |
It's the same with Duke and the trooper, though you're not getting much movement out of the trooper's arms, thanks to that gun. The neck isn't going far, either.
Cobra Commander has the same issues with his helmet: his head can turn, but not far. His waist and shoulders work well enough, though. Roadblock doesn't even have a neck joint. His shoulders are cut, but they barely move. Other than his waist, he's more or less a miniature statue. Fortunately, he's a great statue. |
Price Tag and Final Analysis:
Duke/Cobra Trooper, Sgt. Bazooka/Firefly: 8/10
Roadblock/Cobra Commander: 9/10
Snake Eyes (with Timber the Wolf)/Zartan: 10/10
While none of these are as good as Storm Shadow, these are still great toys. I'm particularly happy with Cobra Commander, Roadblock, Snake Eyes, and Timber. Zartan's pretty nice, too.
I've seen some of these two-packs at comic stores, where - at least in New York - they seem to be charging about $8 - $12. If I had seen the Snake Eyes pack at that price, I'd have bought it. Fortunately, I didn't. Instead, I found the whole set going for $6.48 plus shipping during a sale at Big Bad Toy Store. All told, I wound up spending less than fifteen bucks for the whole series. That's less than I paid for the second series at Jack's.
Roadblock/Cobra Commander: 9/10
Snake Eyes (with Timber the Wolf)/Zartan: 10/10
While none of these are as good as Storm Shadow, these are still great toys. I'm particularly happy with Cobra Commander, Roadblock, Snake Eyes, and Timber. Zartan's pretty nice, too.
I've seen some of these two-packs at comic stores, where - at least in New York - they seem to be charging about $8 - $12. If I had seen the Snake Eyes pack at that price, I'd have bought it. Fortunately, I didn't. Instead, I found the whole set going for $6.48 plus shipping during a sale at Big Bad Toy Store. All told, I wound up spending less than fifteen bucks for the whole series. That's less than I paid for the second series at Jack's.
Why stop with toys? I review movies, as well: just swing by my blog and have a look. Or head over to my other site for some fiction.
