Monday, June 3, 2024

Action Figure Review: Duke (Retro) from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 
   
   It's been almost four years since I wrote my first G.I. Joe Classified Series review and it was for the series 1 Duke figure, back when the line had a different, unique look that felt more futuristic (though some called it Fortnite inspired). I thought that was a darn good figure back then and I still think it's a pretty good Duke figure now, but Hasbro has found that there are lots of collectors who pretty much just want 6-inch rehashes of the vintage line. I'll admit that I do like the Retro figures, but they're rarely my first choice, especially for a regular military guy like Duke. Could Destro still be rocking the same outfit he wore in the 1980s? Yeah, he's an exaggerated super villain and arms dealer. It doesn't look or feel off. But it does feel off to me when we get a soldier from what is supposed to be the most elite special forces team in the world with antiquated gear. I've talked about it in the comments of a few reviews with some of y'all and I think it's just different expectations I have for G.I. Joe versus, say, Masters of the Universe, TMNT, superheroes, or Star Wars. Anyways, we do have a really good Classified Series Duke already along with a Tiger Force repaint, so now we get a retro version. Not a bad way to handle it, really, and don't take my bellyaching as my thinking this is a bad figure. Not at all. let's check Duke out after the break...








The Facts:

Height: 6 1/4ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, balljointed drop down hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, butterfly pecs, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck base, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: Rifle, submachine gun, magazine, pistol, holster, bandolier, backpack, knife, helmet, 4 swappable hands, display stand, and binoculars.

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars




Comparison:

* The Retro inspired Duke is on the left while the series 1 "modern" Duke is on the right. Other than a reused backpack, these are completely unique figures. They both look like Duke, though the retro one is more of a translation of the vintage figure while the modern one updates the characters look a bit more. I still prefer the series 1 figure, though the retro figure has way more accessories and definitely has some great updates.




The Positives:

* Duke is definitely your standard, good guy soldier archetype. He's blonde haired, blue eyed, and looks like he's just ready to do his job for his country. Duke was a mail away figure for series 2 in 1983 but wasn't available carded on shelves until 1984. Still, he ended up kind of becoming the face of the line alongside Snake Eyes. While collectors really got burnout from Duke in the 2000s and 2010s (there were forty-four 1/18th inch scaled Duke figures released between 2000 and 2016), Hasbro has been really restrained with Duke in the Classified Series thus far. This version has the tan shirt with green collar of the vintage line, rolled up sleeves, and classic green combat pants. There's nothing wildly out of date nor anything modern or futuristic; it feels a bit timeless, really. 





* Hasbro didn't reuse Duke's portrait from the previous figure, which does bug me a bit. I mean, they're not supposed to be two different guys. Well, actually, I could see this being a bit older take on Duke while the previous figure was a younger version of Duke. This is a good portrait and mostly matches what you probably have in mind from the vintage toyline, cartoon, and comic. 



* The removable bandolier sits nicely across Duke's chest and has lots of cool little pouches and a grenade. He's also sporting an American flag on his right shoulder (with the stars facing forward because the American flag doesn't retreat!).








* The line has largely kept the same articulation scheme over the past four years, though Duke does have some updates. He's sporting a balljointed mid-torso instead of a hinge and a barbell jointed head instead of a balljoint/ hinge combo. He moves great with everything feeling smooth and he interacts well with all of his included weapons. 

* Duke's backpack is the same mold as the 2020 figure, though it's now mostly tan. The canteens now get their caps painted while the shovel is OD green. Oh, and on the shovel? In teeny, tiny print it says "G.I. Joe/ A real American hero/ whenever there is trouble over land and sea and air/ G.I. Joe is there." That is an incredibly neat detail that shows the love for this property the current team has. 






* We haven't seen many Classified Series figures with removable hands in the past but they are popping up more frequently as of late. Duke comes with a pair of fists for punching out Cobras and a pair of pistol grips for wielding his included weapons. The extra pair of fists really is a nice touch.









* Duke's binoculars are new and are pretty much just an upscaled version of his vintage binoculars. They're still pretty modern looking and he can still wear them around his neck. 


* I still prefer the rifle that the first Duke figure came with but this weapon was used with the Tiger Force version of Duke and is a more faithful recreation of the weapon that the vintage figure had (which was reuse from the vintage Stalker figure). Hasbro called it an M-32 in the vintage line, but that's not a real weapon, though the submachine gun does look rather realistic. (There are some guns designated M32, but not this. There's a grenade launcher, for one). This is a nice SMG, though, and the vintage Duke looks great holding it.






* As is almost always the case with the Classified Series weapons, the magazine is removable. 



* Duke's pistol is pretty nice. A lot of people seem to be hating on it since it's not a classic 1911, but I like the sleek design with some modern detailing and upgrades. 





* The pistol fits perfectly in Duke's holster which sits firmly on his right thigh. 












* Duke's knife is very cool. It's quite a sleek blade with a rather fancy handle. I'm loving it. Very stylish.




* It fits nicely into the sheath on his left ankle. The sheath isn't really removable unless you disassemble the figure as it's on there pretty tight, but it stays in place and is quite functional.



* I do like the inclusion of the XMLR-3A rifle with this version of Duke. No the vintage toy didn't have this but it was prominent in the animated series (where pretty much everyone used one). It's a nice looking weapon, too, and upgrades Duke nicely. 


* Duke also comes with a helmet. It's a pretty basic helmet unlike the nicely upgraded helmets we've seen throughout the line. Usually I'd not be real thrilled with this but, since this is a retro themed release, I can respect it. I like the way it fits. 



* It also has a functional visor. Duke didn't come with one but many other figures did and it looks fine. 





* Last up is one of the basic display stands that the retro series figures have come with. I don't know why only the retro guys get these, but it's a nice extra.


   I prefer my Classified Series figures to look updated. Still recognizable, yeah, but looking like a modern atypical soldier with the most cutting edge gear, some if it even a bit futuristic if needed. Duke is about as classic and retro as you can get when it comes to the an update of a vintage Joe figure, but there's no denying that Hasbro just knocked this one out of the part. He's incredible. Besides just being a really good figure with excellent articulation, they also loaded him down with goodies. You're not going to find many action figures under the $30 dollar mark that come with this many extras. He's an Epic figure and a nice option for those who want their Classified Series figures a bit more old school.




   If you're a fan of Duke then check out my review of the G.I. Joe: Classified Series standard Duke and the Tiger Force Duke & RAM.

For more G.I. Joe: Classified Series reviews check out the following:

























Posted by at

7 comments:

  1. Joe PantsJune 4, 2024 at 12:49 PM

    While I totally understand not liking them changing Duke's portrait (They did it to Roadblock too, the first one doesn't look much like Heavy Artillery or Cobra Island to me), this Duke portrait is so much better I don't care.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barbecue17June 6, 2024 at 1:40 PM

      It's definitely a good classic Duke portrait. I like this portrait better than the first series figure even though I prefer the uniform updates of the original.

      Delete
  2. GIJigsawJune 4, 2024 at 8:47 PM

    Awesome figure. Glad Hasbro has done a good mix of the modern uniforms and also the retros we all know and love.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barbecue17June 6, 2024 at 1:40 PM

      Exactly. I think Hasbro is doing a pretty good job of giving everyone some of what they want while still consistently delivering solid figures.

      Delete
  3. John HoodJune 5, 2024 at 10:57 AM

    As someone who collected Action Force (G.I. Joe), the retro collection is fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Plastic YankJune 5, 2024 at 3:14 PM

    It's been almost four years since I wrote my first G.I. Joe Classified Series review and it was for the series 1 Duke figure, back when the line had a different, unique look that felt more futuristic (though some called it Fortnite inspired).

    "Fortnite" is definitely the most popular descriptor, but I think a more accurate one would be "Gears of War" due to the surfeit of pointless blue LEDs sculpted all over the Joes from the first couple of waves.

    I thought that was a darn good figure back then and I still think it's a pretty good Duke figure now...

    I liked the headsculpt (more on that later), but the combination of the old-fashioned uniform shirt with the over-designed trousers and goofy, futuristic ankle-armour (complete with bullet-impact markings; apparently Cobra marksmen were not only specifically aiming at his shins for some reason but actually managed to score hits) and "phaser" AR was pretty horrible.

    Hasbro has found that there are lots of collectors who pretty much just want 6-inch rehashes of the vintage line.

    Well, yeah, I mean, why not? The original 3-3/4" figures often left a lot to be desired when compared to the card artwork, and the 25th Anniversary figures often fell flat with odd proportions and strange design choices despite the improvements in sculpting and articulation. For whatever reason, Hasbro seems to have a much better handle on the human form in 6" scale so it looks like we may at last be getting action figures that fulfill the potential of the original character artwork from the RAH line.

    But it does feel off to me when we get a soldier from what is supposed to be the most elite special forces team in the world with antiquated gear.

    Only if you assume that this is supposed to be a modern Duke and not a 1980s Duke (then again, we still don't have infantry laser weapons or combat helmets with integrated visors...).

    ReplyDelete
  5. Plastic YankJune 5, 2024 at 3:14 PM

    Hasbro didn't reuse Duke's portrait from the previous figure, which does bug me a bit. I mean, they're not supposed to be two different guys. Well, actually, I could see this being a bit older take on Duke while the previous figure was a younger version of Duke.

    I'd say "Classified 04" doesn't really look like "Duke" because Duke as we know him is supposed to be a veteran NCO with literal decades of experience under his belt (I think he may have been inspired by Terry McIntosh, who was apparently accepted into U.S. Army Special Forces aged 18, in 1968). 04 looks like a young recruit at the beginning of his career, while "Retro" looks more like the seasoned "first shirt" that we're all familiar with (though I do wish they would have retained his original crewcut instead of the "Ivy League" hairstyle the figure ended up sporting).

    We haven't seen many Classified Series figures with removable hands in the past but they are popping up more frequently as of late.

    The newly-revealed "Retro" Cobra Commander looks like he'll come with a nice assortment of various hands as well.

    Duke's pistol is pretty nice. A lot of people seem to be hating on it since it's not a classic 1911, but I like the sleek design with some modern detailing and upgrades.

    Kind of sticks out like a sore thumb amongst all the other period-accurate gear, though. I immediately replaced mine with a Vala M1911 (which fits quite snugly in the provided holster, serendipitously enough).

    I prefer my Classified Series figures to look updated. Still recognizable, yeah, but looking like a modern atypical soldier with the most cutting edge gear, some if it even a bit futuristic if needed.

    Problem is, that's not really what the "Classified" line does. Usually, when they stray away from straightforward reproductions of the original 3-3/4" figures, what you end up with is some awkward half-modern, half-retro mashup like Grunt or Rock 'n Roll, who have 21st century helmets combined with virtually archaic weapons like the M16 and M60 (which latter choice is particularly strange, as the origin RnR didn't even have an M60, but instead some strange and vaguely futuristic-looking Frankengun seemingly cobbled together from the receiver and cooling jacket of an M60 and the shoulder stock and barrel of an MG42).

    ReplyDelete

What'chu talkin' 'bout?

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)