Thursday, October 29, 2020

Action Figure Review: Cobra Commander from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 


   I was quite surprised when Cobra Commander didn't appear in the first series of the G.I. Joe Classified Series line but he did make it into series 2, so I'm reviewing him today. Cobra Commander has three main looks that most people picture: His standard costume with the armored helmet, his standard costume with a hood, and his Battle Armor outfit from the vintage toyline and Marvel Comics (also known as the imposter Cobra Commander suit). Of course, being one of the pillars of G.I. Joe, Cobra Commander has had multiple variations over the years and for the Classified Series Hasbro has went with his standard costume with the armored helmet/ silver facemask. This is an excellent modern Cobra Commander, capturing both his military dictator vibe with his love for pageantry. With his dress uniform styling he reminds me of the Cobra Commander design used in the 2008 25th Anniversary Comic Pack with Tripwire as well as Cobra Commander from G.I. Joe Resolute and G.I. Joe Renegades. Hasbro has two variants of this costume already out or coming soon but this is kind of the standard one for the Classified Series. Let's take a look at Cobra Commander after the break...

 
The Facts:

Height: 6 3/8ths inches

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

Accessories: Pistol, dagger, and 4 interchangeable hands.

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars
 
 
 
 
 

The Positives:

* Cobra Commander looks fantastic. The dark blue is beautifully accented by gold, silver, and crimson to give off a very regal, very intimidating appearance. The sculpt is excellent and there are so many cool little details you might miss at a first glance. His cape, belt, and the bandolier across his chest are separate pieces but they're not removable. They stay in place perfectly, though, and really give Cobra Commander a very regal air to him. The paintwork is excellent, too, with hardly any slop. Everything looks seriously crisp and perfect.

* Cobra Commander is wearing his traditional chrome visor and battle helmet combo. It looks rather traditional but there are some nice design elements here such as the shape of the edges of the helmet around the visor. It really gives a snake-like appearance. There are also silver painted edges and a painted ridge along the top and some unusual details in the back to show that this is more than a standard helmet. Cobra Commander had a lot of tech built into his helmet in the Marvel Comics series, and I imagine he has even more now.


* Cobra Commander's gauntlets are wicked cool with raised Cobra emblems on them. He's also sporting snake skin patterned armored areas on his coat and shoulders and some seriously mean looking boots. His boots like like they come from a medieval suit of armor, only made to be more functional and comfortable. You know ol' Cobra Commander is definitely into over-the-top stuff like that.


 

* Here's a close-up of his chest area. His buttons look fantastic and you'll notice that the Cobra emblem isn't just painted on: It's a raised, sculpted element, too. The little gold chain is quite classy, as is the smaller gold Cobra emblem on strap holding his cape and shoulder pad in place. 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 


* Cobra Commander is a figure I certainly liked when I got him but it wasn't until I really started photographing him and posing him for the camera that I realized how exceptional he really is. His articulation is so smooth and every pose felt so natural. He's a wonderfully expressive figure and is as durable and well articulated as every other figure in the line.
  
 
 
 
 * Cobra Commander's primary weapon appears to be a very ornate laser pistol. It's very different from his classic "hairdryer" styled laser gun (which comes with the Snake Supreme Cobra Commander) but it's still a fantastic looking accessory. The detail on this great! I love the serpent designs down the sides of the pistol. In the videogame G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout this is a laser pistol (like nearly everything else in the line) so the resemblance to an antique flintlock pistol is just a design choice.





* Cobra Commander's second weapon is a dagger with a king cobra for the head. Well, maybe it's more of a short sword than a dagger as it's pretty long. I like the hand guard in the middle, as I imagine it allows Cobra Commander to use this two handed in close quarters. 












* Cobra Commander is sporting a sheathe for his sword that hangs down over his left hip. The sword fits inside quite nicely. Having it hang there really completes the look of the figure. 

 * Cobra Commander comes with 2 alternate hands, allowing you to give him some unique gestures when posing him. For his right hand you get a pointing finger and a pistol grip while for his left hand you get a fist and a wide, gesturing grip. 

The Negatives:

* While you can use the gesturing grip to hold the handguard of Cobra Commander's sword, a standard left grip would have been very welcome. He really needs a way to hold his sword better.  
 
  

    I knew I'd end up with Cobra Commander and I liked him once I got him but, as I was photographing him and trying out different combinations of weapons and alternate hands, I really became impressed by him. He's an amazing figure. Even though he doesn't come with as many weapons as most other figures in the line Cobra Commander absolutely shines with what he's got. He's an Epic figure and one of the best Cobra Commander toys ever made. While Hasbro has the "Regal" variant coming soon and the Snake Supreme variant shipping, I do hope to see a hooded Cobra Commander some day, too. It'd be interesting to give him a very different appearance. I'm not clamoring for many variant in this line but that's a pretty substantial look for for CC, you know? 






   The last time I was really buying G.I. Joe figures was prior to G.I. Joe Retaliation, which was before I started writing reviews, so this is the first Cobra Commander toy I've reviewed on the site. For more figures from the G.I. Joe Classified Series check out the following:
Destro   


 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


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