So instead of getting the Target Exclusive Rattler and Conquest today like I had hoped I instead hit TRU and found the Firefly vs. Greenshirts and Crimson Guard 5-packs. I skipped the CGs and I have enough single-carded ones and the only difference that I could see is the 5-packs have silver masks instead of black. Not enough to warrant a $25 purchase when I hope to be spending double that on planes at Target tomorrow.
But I did snag the Firefly vs. Greenshirts pack and I'm glad I did. Even though they are all repaints I really like the way they came out. (apologies for the picture quality, my camera batteries died, no spares so I used the girl's SLR which I have no idea how to use)
Firefly in blue camo isn't going to stay that way for me at all. In fact he's got paint drying right now as I convert him into Shockwave. But the Firefly mold and look hasn't disappointed me yet. Sure he's a little tall and his arms don't bend to a perfect 90 degree angle but he's got nice sculpting and cool details and the paint is almost perfect (for a mass-produced figure). So I can't complain. Yes there are 2 other Firefly's out there and I'd suggest one of them if you don't have one already but for completists this will look nice to the other two.
He comes with all the same v.1 Firefly gear including the high riding webgear. The weapons are molded in lightish blue and the straps on the webgear are in brown. They compliment each other well and the blue guns I understand as they wanted to make this offering different from the other two in some way and other than new gear, different colored gear is the only way to go. Personally I'd have preferred the comic pack weapons but these work too.
The Greenshirts all share the same body, gear and paintjob so I'll cover them all at once. The Snake-eyes v.1 torso (now with Kung-fu Crotch!) and legs combined with the dreaded Duke arms make for a nice generic soldier. With the upper half in light green and the pants in a darker green they get enough of a contrast to make them unique (amongst themselves) while not sticking out too much among the crowd.
The accessories are a combination of v.1 Snake-eyes webgear, pistol, knife and Uzi and Snow Job's cartoon styled rifle. The helmets are the Hawk/Flash variety with the holes for the visors they don't come with and for the Breaker/Crankcase head the Breaker helmet is included.
Speaking of heads, we do get a nice variety here (even though new sculpts would be appreciated, for cost purposes repaints are understandable) Hawk, Flash, Breaker and Duke all get reused here. I've renamed them as follows...
Pilgrim has reddish hair and uses the Duke head
Driveshaft uses the Breaker head and comes with blonde hair and moustache
Crow gets the old grumpy Hawk head and black hair
And Bang uses the Flash head with light brown hair
The heads are all molded in flesh tone plastic even and don't quite match the flesh paint used on the bodies but its not enough to notice or make a big deal about. One thing you WILL notice is the lack of ethnic diversity amongst these trainees. This is something that Hasbro hasn't actually addressed directly even when questioned at cons. I'm not going to debate the right or wrong of it, just noting that at least one of these guys will be a different race by the time I get done with him.
All 5 figures come with battlestands, the new ones with 2 pegs. The Greenshirts stands have G.I. Joe Trooper printed on them which is much cooler than Greenshirt I think.
All in all for an exclusive 5-pack of figures for $25 this ain't half bad. I would have liked to see some new heads at least for the Greenshirts (and a little variation in skintone) and Firefly would be better served with different gear. But for your money you get a nice little army. Is it perfect? No. Does it suck? No. Its not a "gotta have it" set but I don't think you'll be disappointed if you grab it. If nothing else they make for good fodder (and cheaper than individual figures). Considering what I had intended to get today I'm not displeased with coming home with this instead. At least I got some new Joes.
Oh and here's a pic of the Greenshirts with the original greenshirt, Grunt. I call them Grunt's Greenshirts. Clever, no?
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