Thursday, February 16, 2023

Action Figure Review: Python Patrol Officer from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 



   The Target exclusive Tiger Force vs Python Patrol G.I. Joe: Classified Series figures have been a rather cool subset and the Python Patrol Officer is a nice surprise because he's not just a repaint of last year's Cobra Officer; he actually contains parts from the Cobra Officer and the Cobra Infantry/ Cobra Trooper to create a more unique aesthetic. The Classified Series Python Patrol Officer is an interesting figure as he's actually based on the vintage Python Trooper and not the Python Officer. In the vintage Python Patrol subset the Python Trooper was a repaint of the 1982 Cobra Officer while the Python Officer was a repaint of the 1982 Cobra (the basic trooper). This figure is based on the vintage Python Trooper but uses the torso and arms from the Classified Series Trooper/Infantry with the boots, head, and harness of the Officer. It's a nice bit of Franken-Joeing that creates a more unique and memorable figure. Let's check out this Pythnonized Cobra Officer after the break...

 


The Facts:

Height: 6 1/4ths 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, forearm swivels, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed neck base, hinged neck, and a ball jointed head.

Accessories: Rifle, carbine, 2 magazines, sight for rifle, pistol, knife, sheathe, helmet, and rifle case.

Non-Scalper Price: $23 dollars


Comparison:

* The Python Patrol Officer is on the left while the standard Cobra Officer is on the right. Besides the paint differences you can see that the arms and torsos are different. The basic Cobra Officer has a more traditional looking shirt while the Python Patrol Officer has the more armored looking outfit and gauntlets of the Cobra Infantry. Those details really look better for the Pythonized color scheme of the shirt. 

The Positives:




* The blend of the Cobra Officer and the Cobra Infantry/ Trooper really makes for a nice looking figure, especially with the cool black, grey, and green color scheme. There's a nice blend of black and grey highlights on the harness and various pads and such while the shirt looks excellent with the neat and clean yellow striping and that sharp red collar. He's also sporting a yellow Cobra emblem, a detail which nicely completes the look. 



* The balaclava the Python Patrol Officer is wearing is solid black this time around, though the little sculpted details are still all present. He's got the same hardened expression, too. Well, at least his eyes too. The Python Patrol Officer also has a darker skin tone than the previous Cobra Officer and Troopers.




* The helmet is the same as the standard Officer's helmet, but it's all black for more stealth. Python Patrol is designed to be a stealth unit, after all.










* Like the previous Cobra Officers and Troopers, there's nothing about the articulation on this figure to complain about. He moves really well and looks fantastic holding his weapons in a variety of poses. He's a really fun figure and you'll have lots of fun posing him in a variety of ways. 

*  Like the vintage figure and the previous Cobra Officer, the Python Patrol Officer comes with an AK styled rifle. It's a great sculpt and while I do kind of miss the more sci-fi/ futuristic weapons of the earlier figures in the line, I do like Hasbro's takes on more real world inspired weapons as well. The rifle has a banana magazine, a loop for a sling on the stock, a hollow barrel for a muzzle effect, and what I believe is a laser target designator on the right side of the handguard. 






* Both the magazine and the target designator are removable. 




* There's also a carrying case for the AK that fits on the Officer's back. It's grey, matching his webgear, and it has the Cobra sigil on it.



* If you want to remove the magazine you can store it on the pouch on the Officer's belt, along with the target designator. It fits right inside the pouch on the left. I absolutely love stuff like this. It's so cool how these figures can tote around all of their little extra pieces of gear. It's exactly the same as the standard Cobra Officer, but it's still a really neat feature.



* Interestingly, the Cobra Officer's second weapon is a side-fed AK carbine. It uses the same magazine as the AK but seems a bit more compact. It's an unusual design but still a very cool one.




* Not only is the magazine removable on this weapon as well but it's interchangeable with the magazine from the larger rifle. 



* I really love the broom handle Mauser styled pistol that the Python Patrol Officer totes around. Maybe the Cobra Officers are big Star Wars fans? It's interesting to think of Cobra getting M.A.R.S. to crank these things out just because they like the design. It's a nice, very classic design that somehow still looks very modern. The handle is rather ornate with a Cobra Sigil on it, too. 



* The Mauser inspired pistol fits securely in the holster on the belt. It's a good, tight fit, though to get it out you'll have to shift his web gear a bit. It works great, though. 




* The wicked dagger from the previous Cobra Officer is included here, too. It's a pretty cool looking blade. 





* It also fit securely into the removable sheath on the Python Patrol Officer's left hip. 

   The Cobra Officer was one of my favorite figures of last year and this Python Patrol Officer is just as nice. I'm not sure I like the Python Patrol color scheme as much as the standard figure, but I do love the use of the Cobra Trooper's upper body and arms for a more armored look. This guy is still loaded with accessories and gives you someone to boss around your Python Patrol team. Or, heck, he's so uniquely colored you could make this into a unique character if you wanted to. This is an Epic figure and another very solid release in the best line Hasbro has going today. While the Tiger Force Vs. Python Patrol is filled with repaints and pre-paints, there still has clearly been a lot of thought and attention put into them. We've heard rumors and seen images of a Python Patrol Trooper as well, so it seems like a sure thing we'll see that variant as well. While I don't want to see this line filled with endless repaints and variants, I do have a fondness for the Tiger Force and Python Patrol Subsets. I'm also a fan of Night Force, which I imagine we'll see soon, too. 


   The only other Cobra Officer I've reviewed is the Classified Series Cobra Officer.

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

  1. I don't want to say that this figure is bad, but i never liked much the Python Patrol designs, only the Python Patrol Viper design is the exception to the rule, also making sense he lacks a bandana for the tropical climate of Cobra Island. Still, it's nice that Hasbro didn't used the entire Officer mold to do the Python Patrol version.

    About all this sub-variants, can you explain to me lore-wisely (because the actual reason is for money) which purpose a Crimson B.A.T. follows? A B.A.T. on the Python Patrol is quite rare for stealth reasons as the normal B.A.T. design relied on Stealth but the Python Patrol can work as a security enforcer or an "InternalAffairs-esque" enforcer for the troops, and the Jungle B.A.T. made sense as it had a tropical/jungle camo and i can see it too work for the Classified line, but a Crimson B.A.T. does what? Be cannon fodder to make the Siegies escape, or to be a bodyguard to Cobra Commander, which could not identify if he would be a friend or a foe?

    Because the B.A.T. versions we have resemble the Mk.1 B.A.T. and we are lacking the Mark.0 Robotroopers that Zartan hide in a swamp in the comics, then the lore of the B.A.T. in the Classified line is to have that mythical "Is organic? Shoot" issue in the programation...

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    Replies
    1. I'm hoping Cobra has improved the B.A.T.'s target acquisition programming in the past 30 years or so, allowing them to operate without killing their own troops. Most of the time, anyways.

      Since there's a long history of Crimson themed operatives to complement the Crimson Guard, I presume these B.A.T.S. are just repainted and maybe programmed slightly differently to support Tomax, Xamot, and the Crimson Guard. Maybe they're more skilled and able to function easier in secrecy in the homes of the Siegies, perhaps collecting information, serving as an alarm system, and doing day to day security for the Siegies secret home bases. I've also just been down with the idea that Cobra uses Crimson for their elite operations.

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    2. True, even we have Crimson Vipers and Crimson Tele-Vipers, which actually doesn't make any sense and are only recolors for money.

      I will hope one day we can get the Zartan's swamp-hidden Mk.0 B.A.T. and B.A.D. robotroopers. Because female Trooper/Officer figures IMO are idiotical.

      Okay, i know that the XXI century is more feminist friendly and we need more women in the ranks but, everytine i ser a company makes female rank figures, people doesn't tend to use them the correct way, i hope you understand what i mean...

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    3. Ifound out some sort of explanation to the new B.A.T. AI systems based on the Operation Blackout game.

      Lore-wisely seems that COBRA managed to improve the B.A.T. AI system up to the Mk.2 V.5 model, which can act as a standard infantryman. As this model wasn't quite popular and looked more like a Super Sentai/Kamen Rider/Ultraman character and thus Hasbro decided to go back to the traditional B.A.T. Mk.1 model, a plausible explanation is that COBRA managed to implement and improve the Mk.2 V.5 systems into the older Mk.1 model which became way cheaper than before, so cheap that even COBRA engineers managed to protect the front circuits with a plate instead of the "ridiculous" glass panel, improve the backpack in order to cover the back's piston weakpoints and managed to make the B.A.T. arm and disarm their own weapon attachments themselves (in the comics lore the B.A.T.s could never change their arm modules themselves unless they were radiocontrolled, and the Classified B.A.T.s seems to be able to change their modules autonomous and freely to their will) with the use of the Mk.2 V.5 AI system.

      Thus, as Operation Blackout's Cobra B.A.T.s and G.I. Joe BATallions don't attack their allies, maybe you are right and the Crimson B.A.T.s are even a further improvement to the standard model.

      Man, i want to really thank you for taking your time to read all the comments that people post and even give answers to us too and considering tips and feedbacks to you. Also you manage that your readers can get a nice explanation or even manage to find a logical answer too. Thanks for the hard job you make, really.

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    4. Hey, thanks I appreciate it. I actually have Operation: Blackout but I didn't spend a lot of time on the files and stuff. I'll have to check it out again. Makes sense that the B.A.T.S. would be upgraded. I'm hoping we get the Cobra SNAKE armor at some point, too. That would be a neat Classified Series reimagining and would look great with a team of B.A.T.S.

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