Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Wrapping Up 2024: Storm Shadow from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   The 1988 Storm Shadow V2 was my first Storm Shadow as a kid. Actually, he might have been my only Storm Shadow until I got into G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 during my senior year of college (I was married by that point) and got back into G.I. Joe pretty heavily. I loved the version 2 Storm Shadow as he just looked incredibly cool and has an very impressive array of accessories. I'm impressed that Hasbro has managed to stay conservative with variants in the Classified Series and it's been a bit since the more classic Storm Shadow and the Retro Series Storm Shadow. During the 2000s Storm Shadow variants came in the 1/18th scaled lines quite often. This is a great update of the vintage figure with a few new details. Interestingly, this entire series seems to have a lot of reused accessories. The Iron Grenadier, Storm Shadow, Alpine, and the Iron Grenadier all have a lot of accessory reuse from other figures. That's not the end of the world or anything, but it does make me wonder if that was a way of offsetting some costs or something without doing a series full of repaints? Ready to check out Tommy Arashikage as part of the G.I. Joe team? Then join me 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, mid-torso hinge, butterfly pecs, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: 2 swords, backpack, bow, stabilizer, harness, rope, 2 claws, and 6 swappable hands.  

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars





The Positives:


* I love the look of Storm Shadow's outfit with the belt pouches (they are on the vintage figure, but are not as noticeable as here) and that amazing grey camo. It's just a great look that really makes this version of Storm Shadow stand out from all others, giving him more of a militaristique look. He has his sleeves rolled up and his Arashikage Clan tattoo exposed. He's also sporting lots of pouches and pockets on his gear, along with some armored waist pieces, like a kusazuri kind of deal.   




* You can really give Storm Shadow a pretty complex look by throwing on his combination harness to hold his backpack and chest armor and the rappelling rope around his chest. I like the heavily loaded look for him and both pieces are separate, so you can swap things up a bit if you want. Interesting thing to note: Storm Shadow's rope is different from Alpine's. 





* I've definitely seen some opinions from other collectors that Storm Shadow has too much stuff on him or is too busy, but I kind of like the geared up look, myself. The armored kusazuri has a pretty cool honeycomb pattern to it, making it look like something made from modern materials, but with ancient roots. There are also some extras ropes and some kunai on the side. They're not removable, but they're size probably prevents that. They do get paint applications, however, and they look neat and clean. 





* Storm Shadow is still wearing tabi shoes but they look kind of advanced. Like, a mixture of materials and textures. Probably a nice, thick sole, too. It always freaked me out that there were Joes who ran around barefooted (*cough* Quick Kick *cough*) or in just wrappings as it would seem that it would be very easy for Cobra to stop them just by scattering the ground with caltrops, jacks, or Lego bricks. The more armored shin guards also add more armor than just a plain ninja outfit. 





* The articulation is pretty good on Storm Shadow. No surprises there and not too many joints restricted by his various bits of armor and gear. The only place that feels restrictive is his waist due to the thicker belt and pouches. Otherwise he's sturdy, well articulated, and just a lot of fun. Ninjas are always fun to mess around with and I love Storm Shadow in this costume. 






* I was really surprised that Storm Shadow comes with six swappable hands. It's a nice set (the same that Quick Kick comes with), giving you some pistol grip hands (which work fine with the swords and bow), some flat striking hands, and a pair of fists. 



* Storm Shadow comes with two katanas, one slightly shorter and more curved than the other. They're not all red, like the vintage accessory, but they do have red handles. That surely should make folks happy enough, right? I think they're just fine. 









* Both swords fit in the sheaths on Storm Shadow's right hip. I assume that makes him a lefty, or maybe there's a very practical way to draw the swords with either hand due to the angle they're positioned at? They fit in there very well, however, and look really cool. I like the red added in to the figure for highlights.











* We've seen this compound bow a few times before, both with Shadow Tracker and Gnawgahyde. It's a nice piece and this mold of it feels much sturdier than previous molds. It also still has the removable stabilizer on the front. 








* Hasbro threw in the same backpack as the Night Creeper, which does look a lot like the vintage. They went with black and not red, which I think was probably a smart choice. They didn't include an extra arrow, though, which is odd but not a huge deal. It does have a coil of rope on the bottom, a bedroll on top, and two slits for holding extra gear. You can actually put the claws here, so that's pretty cool. 







* This isn't the bow that goes with this backpack but, oddly enough, it does fit on there. I'm not sure if this was an intentional design or a happy accident, but it works. Throw the claws in the side sheaths, too, and you can have Storm Shadow carry all of his gear with ease. 










* We've seen these claws quite a few times but they make a lot of sense coming with Storm Shadow since the vintage version 2 figure did come with one. They fit him really well and just look pretty intimidating. Claws, baby. That's where it's at. 







* Storm Shadow's hood looks good, as does his balaclava and visible eyes.

The Negatives:

* Unfortunately, the hood looks like it's pulled down way too far. The hood needs to be a bit higher so you can actually see his eyes. I imagine he'd get annoyed pretty quickly with that hood blocking his eyes all the time, don't you think?







* Also, what the heck is with this backpack? It's clearly not designed to actually fit this figure. I know Hasbro likes to reuse parts and accessories, and that's fine and usually works great. But here? Did no one make sure this backpack even fit Storm Shadow before they gave this the greenlight?



   I really like this figure. My only complaints are that I wish his hood sat a bit higher (Is this the way all of the figures are or did my Storm Shadow perhaps get his hood glued down a little to low?) and I wish the backpack were a bit more thought out.  His hood looks like it's supposed to be this way, so maybe it's just a design decision, and while I'm loving Tommy's wealth of gear and weapons, it's clear that Hasbro tried to reuse a lot of parts here, perhaps to make up for all of the new parts of his outfit. It's an outfit that's still ninja inspired but that also features lots of protective elements and modern details. He's a Great and a 1/2 figure and a great update to the vintage figure that feels like it offers up enough new ideas to still keep things fresh. I just wish the backpack were better executed. Maybe with a longer peg, perhaps it would have worked?



Looking for more of Storm Shadow/ Tommy Arashikage? I've also reviewed the Classified Series 
Arctic Mission Storm Shadow and the standard Cobra Storm Shadow.

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





2 comments:

  1. That was the Storm Shadow design I had too as a kid. The outfit he wore when he joined the Joes in the comic. I don't collect Classified and I sold off the few I had but I might get this one just for that extra nostalgia.

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  2. The claws made a memorable appearance in the comic when Storm Shadow scaled the side of the Cobra Consulate in NY to help Snake Eyes. After, I might add, leaping over a startled J.Jonah Jameson (the man at the newsstand demanding a copy of the Daily Bugle).

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