Recoil is a figure I've looked at a couple of times in the site's history. In the early days, he was new to my collection and was among my favorite new acquisitions. But, over time, his importance has waned. He's not really a figure I think about all that often. Despite that, though, I do seem to photograph him rather frequently. In the photos below, you'll see a variety of shoots that have been taken over a couple of years. He's often with the same cast of characters as I tend to shoot figures with their contemporaries. This is function of how I store my figures as I keep them in plastic drawers by year and, in large years, by Joes or Cobras. That makes it easy to grab the same figures time and time again when I'm thinking of a photo.
My thing with Recoil is that he should be awesome. He fits all the classic criteria for a great figure. He's just not quite there. The powder blue accessories are the easiest mark against him. But, with the plethora of factory custom options now available, that's an easy fix. Maybe it's just that he unzips his tunic a bit boo much. Or, he's wearing 1/2 of the Devo hat. But, this guy just isn't someone for whom I've taken time to develop a character.
Instead, he's a steady presence in photos as he works well with lots of figures and in many different environments. He's not a guy I actively like, but one I use quite a bit. Along with a similar realization about the 1983 Snake Eyes, it's made me re-evaluate what actually constitutes a figure I like. While photos aren't the perfect way to gauge favoritism, they are a strong indicator. (Some figures like the '85 Snake Eyes are just hard to photograph.) I might spend a cold weekend looking at the figures who find themselves the subject of the most photos in my collection. In fact, that might be a fun write up that exposes some truths about the figures I think I like the most.
Recoil is a strange figure, as he has all the makings of a classic, but only from a far. Closer inspection kind of reduces him because there’s some real iffy details.
ReplyDeleteI’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on what my collection consists of, and Recoil is finding himself as a victim, as he’s really in the irrelevant pile of figures that I own
Yeah...there are things I love about him - the cold/stern face sculpt, the insane amount of detail on his back, and his backpack (one of the best on the line).
ReplyDeleteThe things I can't get past are the bizarre double gun thing, the baby blue color of the guns, and the weird helmet (there's no protection for the back of the head...why not just give him a cap, Hasbro?).
That said, I like him more these days than I did when he came out. He can grow on you, but you've gotta really examine him closely to find the high points.
I've been following your blog pretty much since its inception way back when. I thouroughly enjoy it. Thank you for everything you bring to the hobby, it's an enrichment. Kind regards
ReplyDeleteRecoil seems to always find his way onto my "a-team" when assembling units. His two specialties - LRRP and radio operator always filled a need. The backpack, mine case and digital camo lending him to be a more realistic type soldier are all positives as his the overall figure design. Have to agree with the powder blue weapons though - those are negatives, I never liked the pistol but the Steel Brigade machine gun if in the original black would have been a homerun with him. The powder blue knocks it down a few pegs - just a real odd color selection.
ReplyDeleteThat hat is definitely what kills him for me.
ReplyDeleteNice pics!
ReplyDeleteWith my very limited 1989 allowance, Recoil was one of the figures I chose to buy, along with Snake Eyes, Night Viper, and TARGAT. And I can tell you the main reason: He reminded me of Snake Eyes as a LRRP. The hat may be wrong but the glasses remind of the ones Snake Eyes wore in the comic.