When I read the news myself, I saw the usual mixed reactions at the figure choices, but the people who were negative were complaining that many of the figures in Series 3 are regular colored versions of figures that were included in the 2013 Night Force JoeCon set.
I don't understand their issues with this at all. All of those figures were ones that we hadn't received in their regular colors and were only made available as Night Force versions in that JoeCon set. So, don't we all want them in our collection in their regular release colors? I know I do, and I'm glad that I'm getting them!
I don't care that they are "just repainting" the Night Force figures that they "already made". Sorry complainers, but this announcement comes as good news to this Joe collector, not a reason to gripe and bitch.
So, with my opinion on the matter out of the way, let's take a look at who's coming later this year.
I can't say that this version of Alpine holds much appeal to me since I only collect the vintage figures and the newer ones based on the vintage figures, but I'm sure that many other collectors will enjoy this version of Valor vs Venom Alpine.
The original Big Ben was an awesome looking figure. For one that came out later in the line, it was great to see a character who seemed to hold fast to Joe's original military scheme. Hopefully he'll come with his demolitions bag and three, tiny grenades.
Again, I don't know jack about VvV, but I always thought that Bombstrike looked like a cool character. Especially considering how thin Joe is on female characters. I also liked the design of her wearing a t-shirt with the actual GI Joe logo on it. Even thought she's not a character from the original Joe line, I may still have to hold on to her and add her to my modern Joe display anyway.
The Crimson Guard Immortal was always a bad ass looking figure to me. Here's hoping that the Joe Club (and Boss Fight Studios) can come up with an equally bad ass rendition using the usual recycled parts. (I was kinda disappointed with their version of another cool figure, the Desert Scorpion.)
This version of Hit & Run will be the one that was on display at Hasbro's booth at past JoeCons. It was created as a prototype by the Hasbro Joe Team, but never produced-- until now.
Here's a better look at him.
(Fun Fact: many of the figures coming in Toys R Us' exclusive sets this year were also part of these unpronounced prototype figures.)
This release of Muskrat will come with an additional raft, something the Night Force version didn't have.
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| Night Force version |
I was never a fan of Psyche-Out as a kid. He just seemed too corny and sci-fi. But, I have to say that this is one of the few cases where his modern design actually comes across much cooler than his original.
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| Night Force version |
Repeater didn't really strike me one way or another when I was younger. He was okay, but not that great. I don't think I even bothered to get him when he was originally released.
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| Night Force version |
Slice should be an easy figure for the Joe Club to do. I imagine he'll just be a rec version of Storm Shadow with Boss Fight Studios' newly sculpted head on him.
Poor Speahead... Orange is not a good color to fight in, even if your a desert soldier. This was the beginning of the era where Hasbro was moving towards more brightly colored figures, which was right about the time I started to lose interest in Joe as a kid. Hopefully the Joe Club will time him down a bit.
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| Night Force Spearhaed |
Vypra was an oddly colored black and grey Ninja that was included with a Cobra Jeep during the Toys R Us exclusive "Lost Years" (in this case, 1998). I imagine that she'll just be a completely recolored version of [Comic-Con exclusive] Jinx since the original Vypra was also a recolored Jinx. This is figure and Alpine are probably the weakest figure of the bunch for me.
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| Original Vypra figure |
And finally, next years Joe Club exclusive figure will be.... Dr. Mindbender in Arctic Gear from the GI Joe movie?!?! Wow-- that is seriously weak!
And there will be another exclusive vehicle next year in the form of a repainted SHARK called the Cobra Wave Crusher which will come with an exclusive figure, the Sub-Viper.
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