2005 Comic Pack Zarana

The Comic Packs were an inspired idea.  The offered promise of spectacular new figures, long desired repaints and new characters who had been missing from the Joe line for its 22 year run.  But, in the three years the concept was produced, very little of these promises came to be.  Instead, the Comic Packs became a home of overused parts, repetitive characters and releases that were barely different from the original figure releases.  Such was the case with the 2005 Zarana figure.  Ostensibly, a new Zarana should have been a welcomed release.  But the actual figure offered nothing that could not be acquired from either the original figure or the super common and $4 Funskool Zarana that was available at the time, too.

The calling card of the Comic Packs became newly sculpted heads.  That (along with the $10 price point for 3 figures!) was the primary drawing point for the product.  The problem, though, was that the heads didn't really offer anything extraordinary.  In fact, pretty much every new head in the 2004 releases was inferior to the original and many of the 2005 new heads were either too small or too large.  Hasbro started to find their stride in later 2005, though, as figures like Firefly, Serpentor and Fred all featured some excellent sculpting.  But, there were also duds like Tunnel Rat, Zartan and Roadblock who were released at the same time.  Zarana's head falls into the middle.  It's not bad.  It's not great.  It's a softer look than the mohawked 1986 heads.  But, I'm not sure that really fits with Zarana's character.

In the comic, Zarana slowly overtook the character role that had been held by the Baroness.  She was given leadership positions.  While you can question why she was chosen for this instead of just leaving the Baroness there, at least she was consistently portrayed as rather ruthless in the comics.  She wasn't a character who was offered a redemption arc.  (Like the Baroness was.)  So, for that reason, at least her character was consistent.  My biggest complaint with this 2005 figure is that the newly sculpted head doesn't really convey that.  Zarana was an angry character.  This figure shows her as more calm and put together.  As Zarana was never depicted that way, the new face makes no sense.  It doesn't flow with Zarana's characterization and is somewhat anti-thetical to her entire existence.

My other issue, though, is that this figure is pretty much the 1986 color scheme with very slight shading differences.  If you have the 1986 or Funskool release, this 2005 figure offers you nothing new.  While the 2004 convention figure tried and failed to really change the look for Zarana, they didn't take any chances.  The Comic Packs were a place to do that.  But, to be fair, Zarana never appeared in any color scheme other than one matching her figure.  So, there wasn't a ton of artistic license to be taken from the source material.  But, you get a blue and pink Zarana figure that looks like a famous actress is playing Zarana in a movie instead of someone who looks like the character.

The original card artwork for the 1986 Zarana showcased two features that were changed on the figure prior to its release.  The first was that Zarana had a tattoo on her arm.  This was removed.  The second was that Zarana was not wearing pink leggings under her ripped jeans.  So, she exposed a large amount of fleshy thigh.  This was too much for a figure also wearing a low cut crop top.  So, the pink undergarment was added via a paint application.  This 2005 does not bring back the tattoo.  We can then argue about whether they changed her leg to be bare skin or still covered by an undergarment.  When I asked this question of collectors, the results were mixed...meaning that any definitive change Hasbro may or may not have wanted to make is still completely muddled.  Due to Hasbro's inability to adequately paint caucasian skin tones in the 2000's, Zarana's leg could be skin or pink tights.  I'll leave it to the individual collector to make their decision.  

Overall, the quality of this figure is mixed.  While the limbs move easily and don't fall apart, there is an issue with the head.  It will only turn to the right.  I have three Zaranas and none of their heads will move left.  You could probably force it.  But, when you do, you'll crack the torso around Zarana's neck.  This is a common affliction of the Comic Pack figures.  So, you have to exercise a bit of caution when positioning the head.  The gear fits and the thumbs are soft.  So, you won't break them.  Zarana's face sculpt is actually really well done.  But, it doesn't look like Zarana.  Honestly, the face would have worked better on the 2006 Lady Jaye figure.  It's just too kind looking to fit with the mean and dastardly Zarana and it doesn't display the effects of the Dreadnok hard lived life in which Zarana partook.  The paint applications are strong, though.  So, the figure showcases much of the sculpted details, just like the original figure does.

Zarana's accessories are on the low end of Dreadnok gear.  She includes a backpack that's not all that interesting, it's just in black this time.  And, her weapon du jour is a saw.  This isn't a realistic chainsaw like Buzzer's from 1985.  It's a spin blade thing that really would only have purpose in sawing people.  If you look at it like that, the saw is rather gruesome.  But, honestly, it's kind of boring.  As a kid, figures without firearms were tough to use.  And, as Buzzer had a far better saw, there was really no reason to use Zarana.  Her saw appeared a couple of times in the early 2000's and you can find it in black and silver with various other figures.  So, you can change around the look of this Zarana's weapons a bit.

A final word about figure quality.  The plastic used on the Comic Pack Joes (and, Joe figures in general) during the early 2000's is turning out to be absolute garbage.  Especially for whites, light blues, greys and flesh colors.  You know, basic colors that appear on a ton of figures.  You'll notice in the top photos below that the Zarana's upper arms are starting to discolor.  The third photo is from 2007 and you can see the different coloring on the figure's arms.  Like the 2005 Scrap Iron, this is an inevitability and not something you can really stop.  Carded figures are seeing the same thing happen still in the package.  The plastic isn't holding up at all.  I only hope the super expensive 2022 Pulse release use better quality materials.  But, in the not too distant future, there will be no mint 2005 Zaranas left.  This sucks.  There's no other way to put it.  But, it's a grim reality for the 2000's era Joe figures.

Zarana has an interesting history.  The original figure was sculpted with a fatter head with earrings.  Hasbro didn't like this and decided to sculpt a new head that was also released in 1986.  This figure color changed like Zartan and Zandar.  But, once her retail run was over, Zarana disappeared.  Then, in the mid 1990's, Zarana showed up in India.  Funskool released her for several years.  However, prior to the mass imports of Funskool that started in early 2001, Funskool had taken Zarana out of production.  So, she was a relatively difficult figure to find at the time.  But, in 2002, Funskool revived several classic molds: including Zarana.  There are subtle Funskool Zarana variants.  But, she is one of the few Funskool figures who doesn't have major variants in coloring.  In 2003, Hasbro recalled 18 molds from Funskool.  Zarana was among them.  The club quickly put her mold to use in the poorly received 2004 Dreadnok themed Convention set.  For years after it's release, these figures were available for below original price.  Then, this Comic Pack Zarana debuted in 2005.  The mold was retired at that point.  Despite all the versions of Zarana, she really only has her one classic look.

As the Joe market finally starts to cool down, figures like this Zarana are feeling the pinch.  While dealers offer a ton of them for $30 or so each, they don't sell.  Mint and complete figures are worth about $12-$15 each.  It's a fall from a year ago when they were nearly double that.  And, while some carded Comic Packs from that era still command premiums, carded Zaranas top out around $50 and she is, far and away, the least desirable figure in the pack.  So, if you're missing her, Zartan and the Fred Cobra Commander, just buy and open a carded set.  For me, this figure isn't a good Zarana.  The original heads are better.  This figure is a good attempt at something different.  But, it just didn't deliver.