2026 Garindan - Star Wars Retro

At my core, I was a Star Wars kid.  A happenstance find in a Children's Palace in 1978 lead to an obsession that lasted nearly 5 years.  I played with 3 3/4" action figures because of Star Wars.  My obsession with G.I. Joe was a direct result of them supplanting Star Wars as my preferred toy.  This was due to a few factors.  But, the greater accessories, improved articulation and greater variety of vehicles were the driving force to my transition to G.I. Joe.  Despite that, I have a soft spot for vintage Star Wars figures.  Once upon a time, I planned to get a complete set of the original Kenner run.  But, as I got the money to do so, I found that I was far happier using those funds to build out my burgeoning G.I.  Joe collection.  That became my focus.  I ended up selling off my vintage Star Wars figures as I didn't have enough to display and was fine with the 2000's era versions of my childhood favorite characters.  The Star Wars Retro line, though, has scratched that old itch for vintage Kenner type Star Wars figures.  And, I've acquired far more of those releases than I ever figured I would.  My main impetus to get deeper into the Retro figures, though, is that Hasbro started producing Kenner style figures of characters we never got back in the '70 and early '80's.

In this year's set of 6 figures, there was one stand out for me: Garindan.  Ever since I was a kid, I felt that Garindan was a major miss from the Kenner line.  He was more important than Snaggletooth or Hammerhead.  And, his affiliation was known...he was a bad guy.  Not having him as a Kenner figure always seemed like a miss.  

My parents got a VCR very early in the 1980's.  My dad's best friend gave us his as he was more impressed with his new, BETA player.  So, we had a VCR much earlier than most of my peers.  My dad also had a work friend who had HBO when that wasn't something most people even knew about.  My dad spent an uknown, likely LARGE, sum of money to buy a blank VCR tape and gave it to his friend who recorded Star Wars from an HBO broadcast.  So, we had our very own copy of Star Wars that we could watch whenever we wanted.  And, we got more than my dad's money worth out of that tape.  We watched it well over 100 times.  We were still watching it into the early 1990's.  It wasn't until LucasFilm produced an updated trilogy boxed set in 1995 that we finally replaced that worn tape.  (Oddly, the HBO broadcast cut a few seconds of dialog in the Death Star Control Room.  It wasn't until I saw the 1995 tape with it restored that I even knew it existed.  To this day, that scene seems more out of place to me in a Star Wars viewing than any of the Special Editions changes.)  

Seeing the movie so many times lead me to appreciate many of the small characters who had not gotten vintage toys.  I had reveries of a release of Han and Luke in Stormtrooper disguises, Grand Moff Tarkin, Biggs, Sandtroopers, Rebel Fleet Troopers, Cantina Band Members and, yes, Garindan.  When I was young enough to still be playing with Star Wars figures, I wanted them all to fill out my adventures.  When I grew out of Star Wars figures, I still wanted the figures for the memories they'd have created during my younger days.  I just assumed that I'd never get to have most of these characters in plastic form.  But, then, Hasbro brought back Star Wars figures in 1995.  The first two waves were all updated versions of characters that Kenner had also released.  But, as 1996 progressed, Hasbro started to break out a bit.  We saw some new renditions of major characters.  And, Shadows of the Empire brought some great figures that had never been made before to the Star Wars line.  1997 took this even further and released a handful of characters and outfits that had never been released before.  Among these was the first ever release of Garindan.

Something about this Garindan fascinated me.  Mostly, he was the first release of a new character that was on my childhood wish list.  There was something about filling this decade+ old desire that made Garindan more important than he could ever be.  And, when I got the POTFII figure in 1997, he did not disappoint.  Sure, he just stood there with a communicator sculpted into his hand.  But, in 1997, this was light years ahead of Kenner's figures.  It showed all that was possible with Star Wars.  I placed him in a place of prominence on my small, Star Wars shelf.  And, there he stood, representing everything that Hasbro's return to Star Wars could promise.  Over the next couple of years, I picked up a spare Garindan or two.  Toys R Us sold a bunch of overstock figures for $3 or less.  So, it was easy to snag an extra to have around.  I never used him.  But, he would often be among any figures that were on display.  Eventually, though, all my POTFII collection was put away.  And, most of it sold in 2007.  I didn't keep the POTFII Garindan.  

The reason for this, though, was because in 2006, Hasbro had produced an updated Garindan figure.  This release featured substantially upgrade sculpting and articulation.  His proportions were better.  But, the real value was his accessories.  Garindan included a soft goods cape.  The material was light years ahead of the Episode I cloth gear that I had appropriated to my Joes.  It was light but held its shape.  It form fitted to Garindan's head and shoulders.  It gave the figure incredible depth.  Along with that, Garindan came with a new blaster that was more in scale with him.  And, he had a removable communicator that he could hold.  For no reason, Hasbro sculpted a perfect belt holster for him to hold both is pistol and the communicator.  Post Prequels, Hasbro did some great things that drove value.  And, this Garindan figure could never be a character who lived up to the level of detail and care that Hasbro put into his figure.

When I first saw this Retro Garindan, he elicited the same excitement as that first release from 1997.  But, upon looking at him in the early photos, he seemed off.  Mostly, this was just due to the quality of the 2006 figure.  That figure was so perfect that no other rendition could really live up to him.  Upon that realization, I was able to reconcile the Retro Garindan.  And, in hand, he's better than I anticipated.  He's kind of wonky.  But, all Kenner figures were.  He looks like a figure Kenner might have made in 1979.  (Though, his blaster seems out of place and doesn't fit with the aesthetic of figure.  It should have been a Han blaster or Bespin blaster.)  The colors are good, the cape is there.  And, the figure has the required hand communicator that is essential to his character.

I didn't know Garindan's name until the dawn of the internet.  I never called him Long Snoot.  I don't like that moniker for him.  But, had he been released in 1979, Kenner would have called him something like that.  And, you'd have sad, pathetic collectors screaming about how Hasbro's The Vintage Collection release of him that used a name placard of both Long Snoot and Garindan ruined their childhood.  Being anonymous worked for Garindan.  His look was distinctive enough that you could describe him to any fan with ease.  He would have made for a great action figure.  I'm sure Kenner's reasoning for their selection of the 4 Cantina aliens exists out there, somewhere.  But, even as a kid, I questioned why someone like Garindan didn't get a figure while Snaggletooth did.

Next year is the 50th anniversary of the release of Star Wars.  It is every collector's hope that Hasbro commemorates such an occasion with ample toys.  The 40th anniversary (which, I swear was like 18 months ago....) didn't get a ton of fanfare.  But, the 50th appears that it's going to be a bigger deal.  At the 2026 San Diego Comic Con, Hasbro offered a teaser image of how many figures could be released in the Retro line in 2027.  I counted 28 slots with an additional 3 large blobs that could be beasts, playsets, multipacks or even vehicles.  In short, next year is going to be intense for Retro collectors.  With that many possible releases, it has left me daydreaming of a perfect lineup.  Questions, of course, still abound.

Will the 2027 releases be restricted to only Star Wars characters or will we see figures from all the movies?

Will we see remakes of classics or will they be all new figures?

Will they be released as single cards, boxed sets or a combination of both?

These questions and many others will be answered throughout the remainder of the year as we get closer to the actual release dates.  Until then, I've let my mind speculate away as to what I'd like to get.  I'm perfectly fine with updated versions of Luke, Han, Ben, Leia, Vader and Chewie.  With proper sabers, soft goods, useful hands and improved heads, they would be a great capstone for the Retro line.  (Yeah, we got a great Vader in the Kenobi line.  But, he's the least likely character to get excluded from a release.)  Beyond that, there are various Cantina denizens that would be fun to own after 50 years.  A Biggs and even another pilot wouldn't be terrible.  But, really, I'm hard pressed to come up with 27 figures that are left from Star Wars that really need to be made.  Along with Tarkin from a few years ago, we've gotten at least 11 all new figures from the first movie in the last two years.  That filled a lot of holes.  And, the characters left are extremely obscure or rather boring.  

But, if you get some Cantina band members, an updated Jawa, a real Imperial Navy Trooper, Porkins, Motti and the Elvis looking guy who was hanging out at the Cantina, I'll probably get them all.  And, I'm kind of in a place where any Retro figures are that nostalgic nectar that I'll imbibe.  So, I'm looking forward to 2027 and really hoping that the Retro figures continue both their relatively affordable price and their widespread availability.  

In recent years, it dawned on me that Garindan is modeled after a medieval plague doctor.  Before they became a common, clichéd Halloween costume, plague doctors weren't something that most people were aware of.  So, Garindan was a design that was alien, but had enough familiarity that you bought into his plausibility.  It was that grounding design that helped make the aliens so remarkable.  There was thought and purpose behind Garindan's look.  And, it was spent on a guy who had a few seconds of screen time and just two lines...spoken in an alien language.  

Collectability wise, these figures are out there.  Target didn't have the glitches that plagued the 2025 set.  And, these 2026 boxed sets seemed to show up at retail stores in numbers while also not selling out online.  So, there should be ample time to get them.  Last year's set is now available for less than retail.  (You should get another one.  The 2025 set might be the best Retro boxed set Hasbro's ever going to do.)  There's no indication that the 2026 follow up won't follow the same path.  A week after I bought these, Target had them on sale for $10 cheaper.  And, that didn't bother me.  I'm happy with the set and the price I paid.  That's the mark of a good product.

2026 Flash - ReAction+

If you want to feel a little old, here's my measurement for today.  The Flash figure that was released by Super7 is the heir apparent to the Comic Packs and is one of the missing links to the completion of that set.  The Comic Packs debuted in 2004...22 years ago.  Those Comic Packs debuted 22 years after the original 13 Joes appeared at retail in 1982.  So, this Flash is as far removed from the release of the Comic Packs as those Comic Packs were from the debut of the line.  If you've been around the whole time, I can assure you that the latter 22 years have passed in a flash while the first 22 seem like a lifetime ago.  

With that bit of fun out of the way, this week both the Attica Gazette and I are looking at the Super7 Flash on the same day.  It's been a while since we've done this.  And, it's always fun to take a look at a figure from a couple of different perspectives.  So, check out his thoughts on the figure, too!

The 1983 Flash has a strong argument to be the best of the original 13 G.I. Joe figures.  His design was so strong among those early figures that he remained relevant for several years: even after the others were phased out.  Despite this notoriety, Hasbro utterly failed to get an updated version to collectors during the repaint era.  They planned one for 1997.  But, they "couldn't find" the mold.  We got the character as an astronaut in 2005.  And, then, there was a good enough convention version released in 2007 that used later parts but lacked a helmet and visor...thus limiting him.  Flash's absence might be the most glaring hole from that time period.  He was a character that would have been perfect for an update.  It just never happened in a meaningful way.  

Two decades later, Super7 has filled that gap with a new Flash.  The figure very much feels like an heir to the Comic Pack era.  He has that comic green.  And, his entire aesthetic is based around a pin up drawing of the character peeling potatoes that appeared in G.I. Joe #1.  It's a famous image.  And, the figure recalls that poster upon the slightest glance.  He features a waft of bright red hair that's coifed over his head.  Sans helmet, the hair looks cool.  But, is also drastically out of place among vintage Joe figures.  With the helmet on, he's more in line with a figure from the 2000's.  The rest of him is just...Flash.  He has the pads, the boots and the laser rifle rig that is forever associated with the character.

In short, this figure takes just the one chance with the drastic hair.  Aside from that, it's a pretty solid update to Flash.  He's not done up in 1990's style sculpting.  He didn't get a modern makeover.  It's the same guy from 1982 with a bit of a bulkier sculpt, more vibrant colors and a general flair that makes him a figure that seems like he could have been a 2000's release while also feeling newer and different.  It's a weird balance.  Initially, it works.  Flash seems fun to have.  As he's been in my collection for a couple of months now, though, his appeal is starting to wane.  He's fine for what he is.  But, the oversized head and not quite 2004/2005 green plastic as his base color prevent him from really integrating with the Comic Pack figures.  He seems like more of an outsider.

The biggest cause of this is that the general color palette for Super7 figures is different from that of both vintage Joes and those from the repaint era.  Vintage figures have a sheen to them that allows for vibrant colors without them being overpowering.  The repaint era figures tend to be dull and flat.  When you mix them, you really notice the difference.  On their own, both work really well.  But, it can be tough to find figures from both eras that work well together.  Flash brings a third vibe to the line.  He's bright, but doesn't have the finish of vintage Joes.  He's kind of a mix of the two eras but is also not really able to blend well with either.  I'm going to have to try some HQ shots of him to see if that softens him against his predecessors.  But, outside, his coloring is tough to integrate with toys from either era.

The Super7 o-ring Joe line has been light on two things.  Those are army builders and repaints.  Sure, there's been a few of each.  By and large, though, the line has focused on specific characters in each wave and hasn't filled the case assortment with repaints.  Instead, those have been the domain of exclusives for either retail partners or conventions.  Army builders have been even less frequent.  So far, we have the BAT, Royal Guard, Hydro Viper, Viper Gunner and, if you want to count them, Fatal Fluffies.  Ok, there's been 4 BATs.  But, the overall army builder contingent has been small.  I count both of these traits as positives.  Each wave feels fresh and isn't heavy on rehashes.  I'm at a point in my collecting life where I have enough army builders.  And, factory custom makers do a better job of keeping army building molds in circulation.  So, getting characters, especially ones that have been missing from the line is far appealing than a set of tepid army builders like we got in the 2000's.

Flash's accessories are a weird balance.  On one level, they're pretty good.  On another level, though, they have some flaws and issues.  The hose that connects the laser rifle to the backpack is excellent.  It's more pliable and flexible than the old black hoses that Hasbro used in the '80's.  And, it looks better, too.  It's soft enough to not force the weapon into certain poses because it holds too much tension.  Yet, it's strong enough to hold together when you pose it.  I'd love for more hoses of this variety to appear in the line as they bring a great look to the accessories.

Flash's rifle is missing the stock.  The reason for this is that in the comic book pin up photo, Flash's rifle's stock is blocked by the potatoes on the floor.  There is, obviously, a stock below the vegetable line.  But, Super7 just truncated it off.  So, while it's true to the image, it's also deathly wrong.  And, this is one of those things where Super7 needs to improve.  I get having homages.  The hair on this Flash is a perfect example of them getting it right.  You instantly recognize the Flash pinup when you see the hair.  But, the mistake on the rifle is one of those corner cutting measures that limits the figure to a degree.  One second of introspection would have created a proper laser rifle and made the figure better.  Super7 seems to get it better than Hasbro and, certainly, the club ever did when it came to collector appealing figures.  But, they still have work to do and should be taken to account to make it happen.

Flash's helmet and visor are decent.  They got the helmet to fit over the massive hairdo on his head.  The result is that, when on, the helmet does make the figure's head a bit too large.  It's one of the reasons that my interest in this figure has faded with it in hand.  Sans helmet, the figure's hair doesn't mesh with other Joes.  With it, though, he's too bulky and also stands out.  As a stand alone piece, the figure really works.  But, when integrated with other figures, he becomes more problematic.  The visor is nice and clear and captures the essence of the 1982 figures.  So, it was a nice inclusion.  I'd like to see them dial in the head sculpts and get them more proportional to the body, though, before we see any more helmet/visor combos like this.

Flash seems to be fairly popular.  He fills the gap from the Comic Packs and is appealing to people like me to don't, otherwise, really delve into the Super7 figures.  He's readily available right now and has been for several months.  Some Super7 figures sell out.  Others linger a bit longer.  Lately, the characters have been maintaining some decent availability over a six month, or so, period.  This is ample time for collectors to acquire one.  And, it's a nice compromise where the figures don't linger too long and make the line seem dead.  But, they aren't a flash in the pan that is gone instantly and leaves everyone wanting more.

While this Flash is really nice, I don't want to see a bunch of figures in this style.  Super7 has been pretty good about mixing it up and not doing too much of one thing.  A Silver Pads Grand Slam with a JUMP pack and new head in like 2028 would be fine.  But, getting the full set of 8 to 10 Joes like this would create the same redundancy issues from the Comic Packs and give every figure diminishing returns.  Flash works because he never got a proper updated in the 2000's.  Most other characters did.  So, no need to rehash them until we're a few hundred figures deep in the Super7 line.

2026 Lady Jaye - ReAction+

Lady Jaye occupies and interesting spot in the collecting world.  She's universally loved as a character.  But, pretty much everyone also agrees that her figures are...lacking.  From her action figure debut in 1985 through today, all of Lady Jaye's o-ring figures have had various issues.  Mainly, she's almost always wearing a hat...a far cry from her cartoon debut look from the fall of 1984.  The lone attempt at a hatless figure resulted in a pin head that didn't fulfill collector demand for a proper Lady Jaye.  In early 2026, a factory custom maker teased some Lady Jaye figures.  Mostly, they were a way to bring color to her mold and get out a Canary Ann figure that people could find and afford.  One of the renderings, though, featured a hatless head...exactly the type of figure collectors had long wanted.  Before these factory customs came to be, though, Super7 dropped a surprise release.  Hidden in a 4 figure set that was themed to the USA's 250th anniversary was a single, brand new mold of Lady Jaye.  Being Super7, she featured her cartoon look of a hatless head and included her iconic spears.  After 40 years, collectors had a new look for Lady Jaye.  And, it was a fairly good one.

One thing I tend to really enjoy among Joe figures is an oddly colored repaint of a classic character.  I like having alternate looks for characters as it gives them more diversity.  In the 2000's, we got tons of repaints.  Most were environmentally themed or were part of the Comic Pack series.  We got a lot of decent figures.  But, few were really innovative or took any chances.  That was the main appeal of this Lady Jaye figure.  The red shirt and blue pants are a drastic departure from any Lady Jaye appearance.  She's something new and different.  Had this figure been first released in a classic, green color scheme, I wouldn't have bought it.  I have green Lady Jaye figures.  So, this sculpt wasn't going to be enough to get me to buy one if it just offered the same, general appearance of figures I already have.  But, seeing an interesting, new color palette on the character was enough to get me to acquire one.

The 250th Anniversary theme isn't overdone.  In a decade, this will just be a Lady Jaye in a red shirt with blue pants.  That's why she works.  There's no reason for Lady Jaye to wear a color scheme like that outside of this theme wave.  But, since she doesn't have any stupid logos or is wearing a gigantic "G.I. Joe" down the front of her pant legs, the color scheme isn't limited by its intended theme.  We just got a good figure.  It's an alternate look for Lady Jaye and gives you something to stand next to Flint that isn't the sea of different green hues you get in all the other Flint/Lady Jaye pictures. 

I am too young to remember the bicentennial back in 1976.  What I do remember, though, are the haunted remains of the civic and personal displays that used to adorn small towns, roadside attractions and old barns along the highway.  Into the mid 1980's, you'd see celebrations from the bicentennial painted onto concrete walls, billboards, and structures.  They would be chipped and fading, the actual event having been years and years prior.  Restaurants would have dusty pennants on their walls talking about the "Spirit of '76".  But, as a youngster, these old attractions were enthralling.  They were like looking into a time capsule.  I wondered how something so celebrated would be allowed to rot in the elements...often in forgotten locations bereft of people.  It still seems odd to me that we're so quick to abandon something that was important to us for a moment in time.

My one big memory involving the bicentennial didn't occur until years later, probably in 1981 or 1982.  My grandfather had kind of gotten me interested in collecting coins.  He was a coin collector and had a magnificent collection.  When I'd spend a week at his and my grandmother's house, he'd give me a huge jar of pennies to look through.  He'd hide one really neat thing in it.  (Usually, an Indian Head penny.)  I'd spend an hour or two looking through it: sorting out the wheat pennies and, eventually, finding his hidden treasure.  As such, I liked coins and usually checked my dad's change every night when he came home.

One day, we went to a local nursery.  I seem to think it was near the Indianapolis Art Museum.  While there, I found a "Sensitive Plant" that I thought was really cool.  I bought it with a couple of dollars I had in my pocket.  When I got my change, I noticed a weird quarter.  It had a drummer boy on the back instead of the standard eagle.  And, the date was 1776-1976.  It was a standard bicentennial quarter.  But, I had never seen one, before.  And, just seeing the date 1776 on a coin was mesmerizing.  My dad told me it was just a regular quarter.  But, from that moment, whenever I got one, it was put into my coin collection.  My grandfather had given me giant, metal fire box to store the coins.  It was big and heavy.  In it were those old penny collecting books that were a dark blue and had slots for every year and mint mark for Lincoln pennies.  I'd drop the quarters into the bottom of the box.  At some point, I had so many that I gave up and just started spending the newly acquired ones.  But, my mother kept that metal box and it's still in her garage.  And, there are still a bunch of bicentennial quarters at the bottom of it.  

I have two major gripes with the Super7 figures.  The first is the smoothness of the figures.  The lack of sculpted clothing folds makes the figures seem more like cheap knockoffs than real Joes.  Since the first wave, though, Super7 has been working on this.  It was first noticeable in their Back to the Future line of ReAction+ figures where all the figures started to have some folds and wrinkles that made them look more realistic.  This Lady Jaye is a step forwards, too.  Sculpting changes can take a while to permeate through a line.  But, the figure smoothness is something that's getting better.  Lady Jaye isn't as detailed as her Hasbro figure from 40 years prior.  But, she's a lot closer.

The second area where I struggled with Super7 was the human heads.  Non human heads seemed OK.  But, their human heads all looked weird.  These sculpts, though, have been improving, too.  Compare this Lady Jaye head with the head from Cover Girl from the first wave of figures.  It's night and day.  Cover Girl is the 8-bit version of a human head.  This Lady Jaye is the 16-bit version.  She has some cheekbones.  Her nose and lips are better defined.  And, her eyes aren't hollow, uncanny valley sockets.  While I'm still not sold on the overall headsculpts (I still think they are too far removed from vintage Joes and make this ReAction+ line less compatible.), I do think that the improvement should be recognized, acknowledged and applauded.  One of the hallmarks of the vintage Joe was that the sculpting on figures was always improving.  1994 figures are light years ahead of 1982 figures in terms of details, face sculpts and design elements.  Super7 is following that tradition.  

Lady Jaye includes two accessories: a backpack and a spear.  The backpack looks nice.  It has painted details and fits onto the figure quite well.  The spear is what it is.  There's not much to the look of it.  But, it does fit into Lady Jaye's hands well enough.  It's rigid enough to not fall apart.  But, not so rigid that it will easily snap.  In general, Super7's accessories suck.  While the figures are improving, the accessories need to take a much larger leap forwards.  The gear doesn't seem properly scaled to the figures.  Guns and rifles are especially egregious.  As these are tantamount to any Joe line, I'd like to see some improvements made on the overall gear complements.  

The 250th wave includes 4 figures: this Lady Jaye, Snake Eyes, Duke and Falcon.  As this was both the debut of the Lady Jaye mold and a solid color scheme for her, she was the most popular figure in the set.  The Duke is generally terrible.  He's just weird.  Snake Eyes is barely recognizable as a subset member as the only distinguishing characteristic he has is a red visor.  Falcon is OK.  He's heavily blue...which is a tough color for a Joe to pull off when it's the color most associated with their enemy.  But, the original Falcon figure is pretty much sold out.  So, he seems to be the second most popular part of the set.  More figures in weird paint schemes are always welcome.  But, overall, this wave wasn't all that great, this Lady Jaye aside.  None of the other figures are as visually distinctive and will not retain the long term interest that you'll see in this Lady Jaye.

Super7 figures remain a complex collectible.  The production runs are, likely, pretty low compared to Joe's historical totals.  None of the figures are hard to get upon release.  And, most of the figures don't sell out quickly.  But, some do.  So far, they seem to have a common characteristic as cartoon figures who exist in no other form remain the most popular.  But, others (like Serpentor) have also been quick sell outs.  This Lady Jaye figure was one of the more anticipated figures we've seen from Super7.  At that same time, everyone fully expected this mold to be repainted into a cartoon or comic color scheme within the next year or so.  And, right on the heels of this 250th Lady Jaye, Super7 showed that exact figure repaint as a member of their Summer 2026 wave of figures.  So, once this mold exists in a more popular color scheme, will this red, white and blue figure still retain the cachet?  I'm not sure.  But, I prefer Lady Jaye in colors you can't get anywhere else and this figure fulfills that.

Since the dawn of the ReAction G.I. Joe line, Super7 has been retail partners with Target.  Their figures were sold in Target stores.  Starting in the latter half of 2025, though, some Target stores stopped stocking ReAction+ Joes.  No explanation was given.  And, other stores continued to receive later waves.  The 250th Anniversary wave then showed up as a Wal Mart exclusive.  As of this writing, we don't know if this is a one time deal for the promotion or indicative of a larger partnership.  Wal Mart's pre-ordering system for toys is famously broken.  And, this wave of G.I. Joe figures was no different.  Pre-orders appeared in early May and instantly sold out.  Some people had their figures shipped.  Pre-orders reopened and many people jumped to get their order in.  And, after a few days, they were all cancelled.  About a week after that, the figures were in stock and ready to be shipped.  In the ensuing weeks, the figures would rotate in and out of stock.  But, if you caught them when they were available for sale, your figures were shipped to you.  Shortly after the online orders appeared, some people did report finding the figures in stores.  And, ultimately, Super7 sold stock on their website, too.  So, the figure has good availability.  But, when she's gone, she'll be gone.

I have been harsh on  the Super7 Joe line.  The first year of releases wasn't great.   But, 2026, so far, has been pretty strong.  The figure choices are getting more interesting.  The sculpting is improving and looking more detailed and in line with Joe's long term aesthetic.  The heads are getting closer to vintage style.  I bought one Super7 figure in the first year or so of their line.  So far, in 2026, I've already acquired two more.  And, there are at least two more must haves in their next wave.  I'm never going to be all in on their offerings.  But, as they offer figures that are interesting, fill holes in my collection and are more vintage Joe compatible, I'll be picking up more of them.  I'm still holding out hope for a definitive Dr. Venom.  But, for now,  I'd rather he hold off until they dial in the sculpting even more so that the figure is perfect.  Until then, it appears there are going to be some figures to collect.  And, I'll do so.

The Zeroes - Mark X

This is the tenth year I've done this feature.  This past year was pretty good for the site.  Traffic is actually way up.  Not only did the lowest performing posts get way more views than the lowest from last year.  But, there were actually so few that were low that I had to truncate the list a bit.  Most of the items on it are more recent and haven't had the time age into their views like other pages.  The Top 10 in January of 2027 will be more fun to parse through as a lot of posts have had highs.  And, every week, some ancient post rockets to the top of the weekly rankings due to some unknown discussion that is inaccessible due to it being inside some walled garden.

So, here's the lowest viewed new posts of the past year.  I'm curious to hear your opinions as to why in the comments.

Alado - 335 Views

Not a huge surprise.  Crazylegs isn't a hugely popular figure.  And, his Plastirama release from Argentina isn't all that interesting since it's pretty close to the Hasbro version.

1983 Clutch - 405 Views

This was kind of a surprise.  Clutch is, usually, pretty popular.  And, the photo below is my most liked photo on Instagram that I've posted in 2026.  His profile didn't do well, though.  It might have just been bad timing as it seems people still like Clutch.

2001 Wetdown - 385 Views

No real surprise, here.  Wetdown is a character name no one remembers.  He's, at his core, Torpedo.  But, he lacks all of Torpedo's cachet due to the mundane code name.  The fact that's pretty similar to Torpedo is another blow against him.

2024 Sgt. Slaughter - 399 Views

This one is baffling.  The 2024 Sgt. Slaughter is one of the most popular figures released in the 2020's.  He was somewhat new when I wrote about him.  But, no one bothered to check him out.  Maybe he's a bit overexposed.  But, this figure is what every Pulse era o-ring should have been: a substantial upgrade that was still true to the original.  It's sucks that Hasbro only figured it out at the very end.

Funskool Mainframe - 250 Views

Yeah, this one makes sense, too.  Mainframe isn't all that popular.  And, an obscure foreign variant whose only main difference is a grey radio receiver isn't much to get people excited.  And, he was the worst performer of the year.

So, check these out and get those numbers up!  

Rarities & Oddities Month - 2026

It's that time of year, again, to spend a month looking at some of the rarities and oddities of the G.I. Joe line and its adjacent collecting communities.  I'll have new posts every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.  With a bonus post dropping tomorrow.  There's lots of fun stuff this year.  There's an emphasis on Pre-Production items.  I've found them a fascinating dive in recent years.  And, they're a fun look at what was initially intended to be versus what we actually got.  In many cases, the production items are better.  But, you can be the judge in each case.