So, we finally get to see the Super7 take on o-ring G.I. Joe figures. They are...pretty much as expected. Basically, they are ReAction figures with vintage Joe articulation. They feature the same heads, smooth sculpts and trademark hand design as the 5 points of articulation figures. So, they will stand out among vintage Joe figures. But, they are also somewhat close and will work with vintage figures.
My thoughts:
- The heads are too large and detailed for the vintage style bodies. They will definitely not look like vintage figures.
- I'm not a fan of the hands. But, the main reason is that the gear is much less likely to be compatible with vintage Joes.
- The bodies are just too smooth. They lack details that the vintage Hasbro team used to give the figures depth. The smooth bodies look like knock off figures from the '80's. (The smooth upper arms are especially egregious.)
- The waists are too big and blocky. This is a feature that also plagues many kickstarter figure lines.
- The crotch is short and stocky. It's straight off of a K-Mart Remco figure. It's hugely noticeable among vintage Joes.
- The accessories don't look great. The cartoon inspired designs are OK. But, the guns included with the BAT and Snake Eyes look like Chap Mei type weapons that are overly large and embellished.
So, I'm left with an existential question: am I an o-ring figure collector or am I a vintage style Joe collector? Because, I don't see these figures as being an extension of the vintage Joe line. Really, the entire success of this line will likely hinge upon the paint masks. If they offset the cheapness of the sculpting, these figures will be really nice. But, even skimping on one or two masks will leave the figures looking more like knock-off Joes instead of an upgrade over Hasbro's work.
I'll definitely use them to supplement my vintage collection. Especially if they make missing figures like Dr. Venom or the Khaki shorts Kwinn. Figures like Snake Eyes and Cobra Commander seem unnecessary since I have plenty of them that are already compatible with my collection. The Twins (a surprise announcement!) and Cover Girl fall into the middle tier. For the right price, I'll get them. But, $50 or more for the Twins is a no. Though, $35 might be doable.
We're seeing Hasbro and other toy makers dropping prices and also pushing discount lines at brick and mortar retailers. But, collector lines haven't felt the full pinch...yet. So, it will be interesting to see where the price point on these ends up. They were going to be expensive. But, the market may not support that, now. So, we'll see where they end up upon release. I'll be hard pressed to pay $25 plus shipping for these figures. $20 at my local Target seems like a lot for all but the best figures. $12 seems great. But, that's just not going to happen.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
I feel unpainted samples aren't enough to go by.
ReplyDeleteGood point about the waists.
I think the smoothness is maybe due to most of them being animation based.
I'm wondering if softer hands or hard hands. I don't miss hard handed figures and it's one reason I don't pursue factory customs.
The hands will be interesting. The 5POA figure I did open has very hard hands. It was really difficult to get the accessories into them. But, they didn't feel as brittle as vintage Joe hands. I'm anticipating similar plastic type used on these o-ring guys. But, we'll see. As it appears Hasbro hasn't given final approval on the figures, yet, I'm wondering if there's still time for them to make changes based on feedback.
DeleteBut, I'm not sure how these will be out in the fall if they don't have paint masters already done. That's a long process and we're just a couple of months away from the original release date.
I will give these a fair shake when we see better pics of the finished product. The price will be tough to swallow. At this price they compete with actual vintage figures on eBay.
ReplyDeletePart of me hopes they branch out and do Spike and Sparkplug from Transformers, and if I am allowed to dream, MASK.
I am excited for this version of the Twins, BUT...are these swivel neck figures??? That would suck a lot.
ReplyDeleteI'm on the fence about these. I hope that each Wave includes at least 2 Sunbow Characters. We need so many Raven, Sparks, Gen. Franks, Dr. Malaney, Cadet Demming, Oktober Guard, etc. Being a comic heavy line will kill my interest.
ReplyDeleteSo far the offerings are 4 Sunbow figures (Cobra Commander, Cover Girl, Tomax, Xamot) and 2 comic figures (Snake Eyes, BAT). I don't think the line will be short on Sunbow.
DeleteI disagree that these look like Reaction figures with better articulation. The sculpts are way less goofy and much more crisp than Reaction figs. BATS, Crimson Twins, and CC all look amazing. Strangely Snake Eyes might be the worst of the bunch. I think there's room for improvement but so far I'm cautiously optimistic.
ReplyDeleteSome people are nitpicking the twins' suit jacket length. Yeah, well, you want them to be able to sit, right? The o-ring format has compromises (like expose rivets) and I'll take that over a plastic "skirt" piece or that bad comic pack Horrorshow waist where the he can't sit. Funny, I recall him sitting in the comics.
ReplyDeleteAccording to someone who talked to Brian Flynn from Super 7 at JoeFest, these have been designed to fit classic GI Joe backpacks and have classic sized footpeg holes.
ReplyDeleteJudging from the failed Cobra ship crowdfund project, I'm not sure there's a mass market for O-ring figures. Price plays into desirability, but ultimately Super7/ReAction excels with 2 things: card art (presentation) and obscure designs (cartoon, Python Patrol, etc). That second point is what helped factory customizers build a fanbase with alternate deco Cobras, Snake Eyes, etc. Suited Crimson Twins are a novel idea, but cartoon Snake Eyes is not. More than the 5POA offerings, Super7 will need to balance cost/price with how many they can actually convince collectors to buy. Collectors will pay $25 for a boutique action figure (JoyToy, Marauder, Boss Fight), but O-ring GIJoe isn't as wide-reaching.
ReplyDeleteThat ship was a huge investment in money and later space. A $20 figure not so much. I'm surprised at what people are willing to pay now (like how much they pay for factory bootlegs).
DeleteIf these are at Target they'll also reach an audience that doesn't even know factory customs exist.