Wow.
It’s been a while since I bought a G.I. Joe.
I
think the last set I bought was the Motorcycle
Armor set, but I really haven’t been active since the
Sigma 6 days. After the Pursuit
of Cobra line died, I was pretty turned off by the switch back to the bright
colors of the original Joe line. It was great for the purists, but I loved the
re-imagining of the groups threads and gear.
Apparently,
I missed out on a lot since then.
G.I. Joe
Renegades was a cartoon series that aired on The Hub beginning in November
2010. As I don’t have cable (and even if I did, I’m not entirely sure any of
the providers actually provide their content), I never got around to watching
it. From what I gather, it was very much like the Pursuit of Cobra, modern
takes on the old characters, only now with a slightly more Japanese/Korean look
to the animation.
In 2011, Hasbro began their 30th Anniversary line of
toys that had both nods to the classic figures and toys based on the Renegades show, many of which were
awesome figures despite their cartoonish faces. They were released locally in
sets during Hasbro/Playkit’s distribution events and weren’t really shelved.
Some of the figures (ahem, Storm Shadow) now appear on the secondary market for
up to Php 1,500.00 (something like $33 or 34 US).
The only ones that appeared on Toy Kingdom shelves were ones that
were apparently packed two per case or were not particularly popular. Cobra
Commander, Hazard-Viper, Ripcord, etc. These guys warmed the pegs like Beachhead
before them.
Renegades Firefly
was one that popped up in Megamall while I was on a toy run. It wasn’t on my
list of things to buy (which has sadly seen drastic cuts these days), but after
dragging it all over the store trying to decide if it was worth the Php 500.00,
I decided to bring it home.
Firefly came out in Wave 2 of the figure line (released at the tail
end of last year), along with Cobra Commander, Duke and Snake Eyes. During the
distributions, he was usually packaged with figures from Wave 3 as well (Cobra
Trooper, Ripcord, Scarlett, Storm Shadow, Techno-Viper, and Tunnel Rat), but it
looks as if Playkit still had a few extra left over after the events due to the
assortments given them by Hasbro.
The package for the new line retains the simple construction of
the original toys: simple rectangular card, plastic bubble on the lower right
hand side, logo on top, portrait on the left. It’s an old set-up that works
well and is eye-catching on the racks, especially with the deep reds that the
cards are sporting.
The back of the card trades in the usual Hasbro product shots for Renegades animation character art.
Looking at it, it seems as if the sculptors did a top notch job matching the
toy’s features to the screen version while keeping its proportions close to the
norm for G.I. Joe figures.
In the show, Firefly is an arsonist who is an expert in sabotage.
Oddly, he was voiced by Peter MacNicol (Janosz Poha from Ghostbusters II) who it turns out is pretty experienced with voice
acting. I guess his facility shouldn’t surprise me since he was my favorite
thing about Ally McBeal (well except
for Lucy Liu), providing a lot of the comedy.
Traditionally, Firefly’s been dressed in a balaklava, sweater and
cargo pants. When I was a kid, I used to think he was just another ninja like
Storm Shadow. The Renegades version
takes him away from that by giving him what looks like a compact version of an
EOD specialist’s bomb suit. The sleeveless jacket covers his torso and neck, as
well has his man parts. ‘Cause you know, those are important.
While the jacket is removable, he looks incomplete without it,
though a lot more like the other Firefly versions. The jacket is nicely
detailed with various gadget storage pockets (non-functional) and a sheath for
his giant utility knife (functional).
The utility knife is the only one of his accessories that he can
carry on his person. It fits in a scabbard that hangs on the front of his
jacket. It’s odd looking, straight and angular, but it works and is detailed
and painted, more than I can say for many accessories in this line.
He also comes with 2 main weapons. As far as I can tell, they are
a modified M79 grenade launcher (the stock looks as if it’s been changed from
the original design to allow for the figure to hold it), and a customized AK-47
with scope and forward grip (with the stock removed this time). Both items look
very nice, detailed and actually fit in
his hands.
That last one is very important for me since so many GI Joe
figures get re-purposed accessories that weren’t made for them. Sometimes when
that happens, the figure ends up not being able to hold the item in their hand
properly. Pursuit
of Cobra Beachhead is a perfect example of this. However, Renegades Firefly’s weapons all fit
snuggly and securely in his hands.
There are two more weapons that are less useful than the three
above. The first is one that’s appeared with most of the Firefly iterations
over the years: a remote detonation device.
Well, it looks like that anyway. It could also be a cellphone. The
old clunky kind. With an antenna. I guess it could also be some kind of a
radio, but then he’s a saboteur, who I have to assume, works alone. Who’s he
going to be calling in the middle of a job? Cobra Commander? His mom? Pizza
Hut? Anyway, I’m sticking to “remote detonation device”.
What does it detonate? I’m guessing the big ass artillery shell
that he comes with. Why a big ass artillery shell? Why not a small package of
C4 with a detonator? Maybe because he couldn’t call Destro to go out and do
some shopping because his phone is obsolete. Still it’s an explosive, so I
guess it kind of works…
So accessories wise, he’s pretty good. He can carry his 3 main
pieces of gear, and the last two aren’t really that useful. Throw them in your
I’ll-find-a-use-for-them-someday box.
Let’s talk a little about his articulation. Now he’s a GI Joe so
that means he’s got the same basic points of articulation as most any other
figure since the 25th Anniversary line first started: ball-jointed
neck, swivel-hinge shoulders, swivel-hinge elbows, swivel-hinge wrists, the
standard Joe T-bar crotch, double hinge knees, and swivel-hinge ankles. The
only joint I really miss is some swivel thigh cuts. This set-up has worked great
for years, so I don’t expect it to change anytime soon.
The only real difference he’s got from that standard layout is
that the hinge of his right hand is oriented in a way that allows him to tilt
his hand up and down, rather than inward and outward. This is the same joint
that the Pursuit
of Cobra Snake Eyes had. It allows a figure to tilt its weapon down or
forward (as with a sword). This is perfect this Firefly because his grenade
launcher is that much more menacing if he can aim it properly. It also allows
those figures with rifles to actually shoulder their weapons. I’ve said it before,
but I still think that Hasbro should make this standard on every single GI Joe figure they field from here on out. It’s just
an awesome touch that adds so much more to the figure’s poseability.
Paint is pretty much close to the show’s model, and you can check
that yourself pretty easily with the portrait on the front. Quality control
hasn’t been much of a problem for GI Joe (relative to Marvel or Mattel’s DC
line at least), so it’s not hard to find a good figure (if it’s still on shelf
of course).
The sculpting is also well done. I mentioned that the aesthetic of
the show is close to Korean or Japanese animated shows, so the face is somewhat
anime-ish. Thanks to the mask though, it’s not as notable as it would be
otherwise. They’ve even included a hint of the burn scarring that is supposed
to cover his entire body. How’s that for detail?
This figure really is a great buy. He fits in with most of the
previous lines, has a great set of accessories that all fit, and has a great
design. The whole project feels as if all the Hasbro departments were firing on
all cylinders this time.
While Php 500.00 may seem steep for a small action figure to first
time toy enthusiasts, it is the standard price of a 4” figure in our region.
The great work that went into the figure does make it a good value for a
collector, though I’d hesitate to recommend it for a child’s gift.
I may not ever get the rest of the line, but I am definitely glad
I got this figure.
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