I've fallen behind a bit on opening my G.I. Joe classified, and have had a few figures sitting around for some time. With the arrival of my Barbecue figure today, I thought now was just as good a time as any to finally catch up.
Since they interest me the least, I decided to start off with the three figures I have based on the flopped Snake Eyes movie. Even when these were announced I didn't particularly want them, and only took the plunge on them for the sake of keeping a complete collection of the Classified line.
The front and back of the packages are pretty cool. I like the overall darker design, and though Snake Eyes isn't necessarily one of my favorite characters, I do enjoy a good piece of artwork which features him.
The side of the package stays in line with the current run of the series, and Snake Eyes lands at number sixteen, and the fourth iteration of this character in the line to date. A bit of an overkill, if you ask me.
The figure comes with a few bladed accessories, as well as a head sculpt of actor Henry Golding.
Rotating the figure around, you get what you would expect here. It's Snake Eyes.
For my display purposes, I decided to use the head sculpt of Golding. Mainly to add some variation to the character display, as well as to easily differentiate it from the other versions.
Next up is the film iteration of Storm Shadow.
The bottom and back of the package are the same as the images above, so there's no reason to clutter this post up with duplicate shots. This is going to be pretty lengthy as it is.
The figure is number seventeen in the Classified line, and while I haven't gotten her yet, comes before Akiko.
Storm Shadow also comes with a variety of blades, as well as a sculpt of actor Andrew Koji.
This is not the Storm Shadow people wanted. It's bad enough that Hasbro gave us Arctic Mission Storm Shadow first, but now we get this reject version too? Thank goodness a true version is finally coming out in 2022. I can't help but wonder if Hasbro knew nobody would buy this figure if a legit Storm Shadow was already out there.
I'm displaying Bland Generic White Ninja, I mean, Storm Shadow, with his alternate head, again, just for variation purposes.
While there are two more figures coming out in the Snake Eyes line, my last one in hand is Baroness.
Of all the figures so far in the Snake Eyes wave, Baroness is the least offensive. It's not superior to the previous version, but it will do.
Baroness takes the spot at number nineteen in the line's numbering system. Scarlett's movie version figure rounds out the line at number twenty, but I don't have that figure at this time.
Blades are the name of the game in this wave, and Baroness isn't lacking any of her own.
The figure's head is sculpted in the likeness of actress Úrsula Corberó, and I suppose she captures a sufficient essence of the character. At least in plastic form. I haven't seen the film itself to say how her actual performance was.
With those out of the way, let's jump into the Amazon exclusive, Heavy Artillery Roadblock.
I don't think anyone was necessarily asking for a third Roadblock, but I think I can safely say the general consensus is that this is the version people wanted of the character. For me, this one hits all the right nostalgic notes.
There's been no update to the back of the package since the Flint and Lady Jaye wave, which is kind of a downer. I'd really like to see this line transition to the format that was the vintage series, and start having all the figures showcased on the back in traditional cardback form.
This figure lands at number twenty-eight in the series, but being an Amazon exclusive makes it difficult to come by. It sold out fast on their website, and since then has not been available again through the retailer.
Sadly, we don't get Roadblock's traditional heavy machine gun, the massive rail gun makes up for this lost firepower. Personally speaking, it's a bit disappointing that this is nothing more than the gun which comes with the RAM Cycle / Breaker pack.
Seriously, this is a great figure. I really like the vintage nod it gets in its overall design.
All decked out, it's all the more amazing.
Last up is a figure I was so happy to hear was coming, and impatiently waited for it to arrive after per-ordering it several months ago.
Barbecue was one of the first figures I got as a kid, and I've really liked him ever since. If I had to pick one gripe with it, it's the poor packaging that resulted in his head rammed through the side of the plastic tray.
The details on the accessories really pop, and add so much to the whole package.
This figure makes me giddy with childish glee. If Roadblock hit all the right notes, then Barbecue blew my mind. It's one amazing figure!
All decked out, Barbecue begs to be played with. Amazing paint job, amazing accessories, and pure fun. This is the kind of figure that excites me for the Classified line. It's what keeps me invested through all the frustration of distribution, slow delivery, and limited announcements.
That wraps up my current stash of G.I. Joe Classified. With all the new figures on pre-order, hopefully more will come soon. I'm pumped after finally opening this current version of Roadblock and Barbecue. Keep them coming, Hasbro! Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.
