If you pay attention to what I review around here, it should be no surprise that G.I. Joe Classified is my favorite line going right now. I think I psyched myself up a bit and had my expectations for the number of reveals a little high and was somewhat disappointed in the showing, which is a little weird because I loved everything they showed. In retrospect, they almost showed as much as the other brands, so maybe my issue was with the smaller scale of Pulse Con overall.
While not really a reveal per se, I did get a kick out of the action photos for the Pulse Con Exclusive Starduster. The photo/commercial shoot idea turning into a face-kicking fight over cereal was really amusing. I heard a lot of people had problems with the website ordering this guy, so I feel little bad that I sailed right through with no issues.
Leatherneck was one of the figures revealed from the Joe side and he’s got a great, mostly classic feel to him and comes with what he had in his V1 figure with a little bit more. The removeable hat and shooting glasses are a nice touch and I really like that the watch face has a little detail tampo on there. It is interesting to me that his sleeves are rolled up to the bicep when they were 3/4 sleeves in the original. They’ve done that and the opposite a few times in this line and it usually makes my eye twitch a little, but I like the sleeves better this way for this Marine. I was wondering what that tech is in the background of his box shot. Is it the Cobra Mothership from one of the opening episodes? My first thought was back to the Joe’s Night Out episode with the flying restaurant.
Does this guy look like Channing Tatum with a mustache to anyone else? Dial-Tone has never been a standout character or figure for me, so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I like this guy. I think they put some fun detail in there with his sci-fi pack with the fold-out computer and moveable camera. I’m not sure if the military would use AR on a cell phone, but the fact that he comes with a cell that attaches to his belt and his gun is a neat play feature. I also like the inclusion of a listening device as it increases his utility in a team. I did think it was a little funny that they put the mic over his eye in one of the photos, but that also feels like something I totally would have done as a kid. Imagination. It’s okay to use it every once and a while.
The S.A.W. Viper takes the prize for most f’d up reference on his box art. In the comics a S.A.W. Viper actually kills Doc, so seeing his helmet and glasses on the ground there is pretty dark. In fact, my only real reference for the S.A.W. Viper is that string of issues of ARAH, so I kind of want a less generic and more sinister portrait for this guy. I don’t think of him as an army builder really, but that’s probably just a me thing and there does seem to be quite a few options to change this guy up if you want to.
My favorite reveal at the show was Zandar, which is probably not surprising to anyone who reads my Joe ramblings because I’m a Dreadnoks guy. Zandar was a figure I loved back in the day, so while I miss the vibrancy of some of the colors I do enjoy the design flourishes like the oni skulls, tactical vest, and tattoos. The scar on his neck is wicked and I like it as it suggests story that we haven’t seen. It also looks like maybe they attached the shoulder pads to a disc that inserts into the shoulder socket (think Black Series Stormtroopers), so he might be the first of his siblings to not have articulation impeded by that design. They did mention that his tattoos are on the chest underneath the vest, so with a little light customizing you can pop that off and another shoulder holster for a more classic look. I cannot wait to pair him up with Zarana and I love that his card back features the Dreadnok’s gas station lair as with the other recent releases. Hopefully when they get to Thrasher and the Thunder Machine, it can be blasting out of that rolling garage door behind Zandar.
There was one name-only reveal and it was “The Hunt for the M.A.S.S. Device”. I’m not sure what that means, but I’ve seen a lot of speculation that it might be related to the paw tease we got at SDCC as there was a Polar Bear that chased Snake Eyes in one of the episodes from that original series. I hope it’s the name of a new subline like Cobra Island where they do some releases related to the M.A.S.S. Device miniseries like the Polar Bear or the Joes and Cobras in their diving suits.
Due to a technical issue, they didn’t have render reveals ready for the show, but they were shared afterward. I have no connection to Heavy Duty, but I think what they’ve done here is astounding. His body looks like a nice update on the V1 figure, but the weapon they’ve taken to the next level with a 5 minutes into the future sci-fi feel to the armored weaponry. It’s almost like something Jake Rockwell would have in Centurions. This guy is loaded for bear and the only thing I think I might want to add is some sort of cyber leg support so he has an easier time carrying it all, though the shoulder mount makes it much more ergonomic than the vintage version. I also really like how they’ve incorporated the vintage neon green in a pleasing way and I love that they gave him ear protection since they placed gatling guns right next to his head.
I don’t think it’s a controversial opinion to say that the animal companions are a highlight in this line and Order seems to be continuing that tradition well. I do like the dog signaling hands and the good boy face, but I would love it if we could get a neutral portrait for the dogs too. I’m glad they included the loop on the belt for the nightstick and the flashlight looks great on there. I hope it’s removeable, but I don’t expect it to be since it’s not on the render. I’m not sure how I feel about the doggles, so I’m looking forward to seeing those on there.
One thing I did enjoy about Pulse Con was the fun interactive thing they did with the photographers allowing fans to vote on the set up of a shot. The final shot is above and is impactful to say the least! It’s nice to see Road Pig get a feature since we didn’t have the usual action shots with his reveal. I have to say, though as a Zandar stan, I’m a little sad he took the L there and isn’t featured more. Still, it’s an awesome shot. Overall with the late additions of the renders and the Dreadnoks, the showing improved for me quite a bit. I think I was just really looking forward to seeing more from Nemesis Enforcer, the retro Rock N Roll, and the rumored Legacy Series figures, so I was bummed that we didn’t see those. The upside of that is that they are going to be probably doing reveals in October in NYCC.
