Valor
vs. Venom (Wave 3)
A Review by goblin22
To start off I should say that I think these figures have really hit their stride with this wave. I like this batch much more than any other that has been released. I don't know if that is just because I've gotten more use to the new sculpts and designs or if they have truly been improving. The bottom three for me would probably be Zartan, Firefly and the new B.A.T. The top three would be Agent Jinx, Coil Crusher and Tunnel Rat. Best Gimmick is Electric E.E.L and Worst Gimmick would be Slice. Overall a nice assortment of 5 Joes and 7 Cobras.
I like this guy, normally I’m not a fan of gimmicked figs but his makes sense, although I believe he would have been a better figure with standard arms these arms are workable. I really like the head sculpt for this guy, Coil Crusher has one of the more original and noteworthy head sculpts to come out of the Joe line. His costume colors and his overall design also work for me. Coil Crusher had his DNA spliced with "Snakes" allowing him to contort his body and slither around in silence as well as arming him with venom pouches in his throat. Its cool to think this hulking guy is a stealth agent. I don’t see this guy using a gun, but I can see him always traveling with his snake (pity they didn’t give it a name).
Electric E.E.L.
This is one of those cases where I dig the feature almost more than the figure, Although I find the figure to be very well done. This guy is is a Cobra mutant who has had his DNA spliced with an electric eel. His body is translucent chartreuse in color and when you press a button on his backpack he lights up simulating an electric charge. He also comes with detachable claws and to my mind any of the other included gear is a waste.
This is Zartan? That was my original thought and it still is. The figure itself is serviceable yet uninspired and really doesn’t capture the feel of Zartan at all. He would be a much better figure if he was going to be a new Dreadnok, but as Zartan it is a disappointment. I gave him a handgun and no other accessories. For display purposes I imagine him as a new Dreadnok.
This is a great sculpt made even better by it’s back story. Originally when this sculpt was used I thought it looked good, but made the man look to lanky and gave him a weird scale, but with the new Venom story that works. The Ice Wolf is a man crossed with a wolf. Now his lankiness is forgivable and can be seen as a design choice. Colors are great for an arctic troop. I would love a “Pack” of these guys. I have him set up with his cape and bayoneted rifle.
Another example of the people in charge being afraid of creating some new guys. Nothing about this figure says Firefly to me. He is Purple and Gray and has a good yet plain sculpt. They should do a Firefly that looks like the original. Also, he is a saboteur, he needs a pack and he needs explosives. I have him set up with his holstered gun and a compact rifle.
Cobra B.A.T.
I like the new B.A.T. I think the head looks very menacing and the scale and detailing is well done. The colors are good as it is supposed to represent a flame thrower version. Technically the figure is lacking though. The first thing I noticed about these guys is there is no swivel arm battle grip. Why? There is no good reason for not having it, except to show that these robots are not as dexterous as real people. Secondly, the attachments for the arms have tiny pins and seem to hang on very loosely. I think as a display piece these are all right, but as a toy they are poorly done. I gave him one normal hand and his flamethrower and backpack.
A non-Venomed Cobra. He is one of Storm Shadows Ninjas, he is more a martial artist than a ninja. Action Feature once again hampers what could have been a really good figure. As it stands this guy aint bad. He has a great scale and looks like a capable Cobra martial artist with a larger build than other figures, tying in nicely to his pro wrestling past hinted at in the file card. His legs and the button on his back are my main complaints. Thankfully the Action feature spared his upper body. Why is it the martial artist are the ones that have to sacrifice their articulation all the time? I gave him the two Cobra daggers, as I don’t like the big sword.
This is a well-done female figure, the scale looks correct and she fits in with other female figures, they did really good work on her face and hair and her accessories are typically well done. My only complain about this figure is that she has two swords and only one sheath. Agent Jinx may be the best female figure in the line to date, although I do still think Zarana holds up well. I have her blindfolded with both swords in hand and her dagger and sheath attached.
Finally a good Tunnel Rat, vastly improved from the previous "Spy Troops" version. This time around they got both the size and skin color correct. I like his compact pack/lamps. I like the darker colors they used this time around. The goggles look goofy and don’t really work, but they do fit. I display him with his pack and the sniper rifle.
I like the regular guy look, the look of a normal man who just picked up a gun and is going to do battle. I also dig the hat, one of the better hats in the line. The head looks a bit small on this figure and his face looks a bit mashed and almost anime-ish. His holsters look good when the guns are in them, but look big and silly when empty. This is another figure I don’t get. Why is this Wild Bill? They have a great Wild Bill figure. Couldn’t they have made this guy a new character instead of calling him Wild Bill? I gave him his incredibly cool hat, pulled down Eastwood-style and a rifle with his silver six shooters holstered.
Great head sculpt on this figure and good clothing and armor colors and design. He looks like a high tech desert commando. His helmet leaves a bit to be desired, he looks like he is going undercover as a penis. Looking at Dusty makes me realize that most of these guys no longer come with backpacks. Duty looks like he is missing a backpack. I have him set up with his helmet a bandolier of grenades and a large high tech gun.
Finally I have a Stalker. I missed out on him originally and have been waiting for him to get a second version. I am quite pleased with this one. I really dig the jacket, it looks good on him and sets a tone for the character, I also like the chosen design for the pants, it gives him the perfect combo of street vs. army. His head sculpt works for me and the colors are good. He could do without the bright yellow bracers though. I have Stalker set up with a rifle.