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...

Action Figure Review: Patch & Joe Fixit from Marvel Legends Series: Wolverine by Hasbro

 

   Today I'm checking out the last of the four Wolverine 50th Anniversary 2-packs from Hasbro's Marvel Legends Series: Patch and Joe Fixit. When your significant other sees you grabbing this set and says "Do you really need another Wolverine and another Incredible Hulk?" you can just point to the fact that this 2-pack doesn't come with Wolverine or Hulk. That's Patch and Joe Fixit. Of all four Wolverine sets that have come out for the 50th, this set has the most desirable Wolverine variant and the least desirable non-Wolverine figure. I like the Hulk, don't get me wrong, but I already had the BAF Joe Fixit and another one just came out pretty recently. He does look cool chilling with Patch in a white tux, though, but he wasn't a character or variant I really felt I needed. Based on Wolverine #8 from 1988 and that great John Buscema cover, this set definitely makes sense, though, and I imagine it'll still be a brisk seller even though more people want Patch than Joe. Ready to check out these two tough guys in their snazziest dud? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Techno-Viper from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Ready for another review from the G.I. Joe: Classified Series? Then let's take a look at the Techno-Viper, one of Cobra's battlefield technicians. The first few G.I. Joe figures I had were from 1986 but I recall having most of the 1987 series as well, so it's possible I started getting into G.I. Joe in late 1986 or early 1987 and started getting whoever was around. By 1987 we were definitely seeing more unusual colors in the line and the Techno-Viper managed to look really cool and serious while still having a bright purple outfit. It works, doesn't it? For being one of the earlier Viper types in the vintage line, the Techno-Viper didn't really get much attention in the 2000s line: We didn't get a "modern" Techno-Viper until the 2011 30th Anniversary line. That was a great figure but this one ups the size and detail due to simply being larger. He's also got one or two new tricks, though I also have a couple few nits as well. ready to check out the Techno-Viper? Then let's get things rolling after the break...

Action Figure Review: Hallow's Eve from Marvel Legends Series: Spider-Man by Hasbro

 

 
 Today I'm looking at a figure from the newest series of Spider-Man Marvel Legends Series figures that are packaged like the Marvel Legends: Retro Collection figures, but which don't have retro styled card backs and aren't based on older characters. Really, that seems to be the packaging Hasbro uses now when they just don't want to include a Build-a-Figure in a series. The figure I'm checking out is Hallowe's Eve, a character who I knew nothing at all about when I picked her up. Nothing, nada, zip. I grabbed her because she's a crazy lady with a Halloween themed gimmick and little masks as accessories. I dig, I dig. It turns out her real name is Elizabeth Tyne (though she also went by Janine Godbe for a bit) and she's in a relationship with Ben Reilly and at some point gets turned by Madeline Pryor, aka Goblin Queen, into Hallow's Eve. Enchanted by magic from the finger of S'ym, Hallow's Eve has the power to create masks with different powers that she pulls out of her purple satchel. She can use the masks on herself to obtain different powers and appearances or use them on her enemies to weaken and curse them. That's pretty cool, actually. We're still about four months away from 31 Days of Toy Terror and I didn't want to put off reviewing her for that long, so let's check out Hallow's Eve after the break...

Action Figure Review: Quick Kick from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   For being one of the more recognizable G.I. Joe members who appeared in multiple forms of media, Quick Kick only showed up in the vintage line one time (1985) and didn't make a reappearance until 2008 as part of the 25th Anniversary line. My favorite version of Quick Kick is the 2010 Pursuit of Cobra version as outfitted the figure with shoes, a firearm, and a removable uwagi. Decked out in a black outfit with yellow trim, that version of Quick Kick felt like a great take on the character that modernized him, keeping the fun elements of the character while still making him seem like a legitimate part of a special ops team. For the Classified Series take on Quick Kick, Hasbro's Joe team has largely approached the figure as an updated take on the vintage toy. There are some great new features and he's quite cool, no surprise there, but it definitely doesn't try to reimagine the character at all. Let's take a look at Quick Kick, the G.I. Joe team's silent weapons expert, after the break...

Barbecue's Cache: Caching Gremlins from the Geocoin Club

 

   It's time for another visit to Barbecue's Cache! Today I'm showing off another Geocoin from my collection. It's another Chris Mackey design from Geocoin Club.com and was the coin for September 2020. This one is called "Caching Gremlins" and pays tribute (or perhaps offers a warning) to the ways that geocaches can end up damaged or missing. 99 percent of the time geocaches are placed outdoors (there are limited scenarios where they are allowed inside), so you're essentially having to find a way to shelter your cache from the elements and from muggles. Yeah, muggles. What's a muggle? Well, in the Wizarding World they're non-magical folk but in geocaching they're non-cachers. Caches are exposed to high and low temperatures, wild animals, environmental changes (floods, rockslides, forest fires), and, yes, folks who stumble upon it by accident. 
   The Caching Gremlins coin has an antique copper finish with a soft enamel for the colored details. The front of the coin has a crazy looking gremlin face in the middle with a very wicked intent. When something happens to your geocache that you can't explain, who can you blame? The gremlin! Gremlins came about in the 1920s as a excuse facetious excuse for malfunctions in aircraft and other machinery, especially in military settings. Surrounding the gremlin's face here are some icons reflecting the different issues that can effect geocaches: A snowflake for cold weather, an animal print for animals that sometimes disturb caches (or invade them), a landslide warning sign, what looks like an underwater ammo box cache leaking, and a flame for both high temperatures and forest fire. It's entirely possible to find an older metal ammo box cache in a heavily wooded area that has been through a forest fire. Sometimes the interior contents have melted but the metal boxes themselves are usually fine. If it's a plastic or Tupperware container, forget about it. I've seen photos where cachers have found melted hunks of plastic that were presumably the cache. 

   In between the icons hare images of different nature environments for hiding caches. Urban caches are very popular as well but they're far less adventurous (usually). Let's check out the other side of the coin after the break...

Action Figure Review: Metal-Head from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

   Oh my gosh! I hadn't realized it's been over a month since I last reviewed a G.I. Joe: Classified Series figure! Today I'm checking out Metal-Head, who I believe is the the most recent deluxe release in the line. From what I've picked up online, Metal-Head isn't the most popular release. I think some of that is because there does seem to be some ill will among collectors when it comes to deluxe releases; they just feel they're often overpriced for what you get. Another reason that Metal-Head seems unpopular is that there is a weird design decision when it comes to the missiles: They can't just go into the launchers without using the firing effects. That is a weird decision and I believe it's the first time that a missile has been designed that way in the Classified Series. Thirdly, Metal-Head was originally released in 1990, so there are a lot of collectors who were out of the line by that time and who just don't want anything but straight up vintage versions of the earliest characters in the line. I got into G.I. Joe a bit later as a kid so I absolutely was still collecting in 1990. In fact, I think it's one of the strongest years of the line. I had Metal-Head as a kid (in fact, I still own him) and I've always liked him as a upper level named Cobra characters, though he really is a member of the Iron Grenadiers. This is the first Iron Grenadiers release we've had in the line to date, right? Let's take a look and see how Metal-Head turned out, after the break...