G.I. Joe Classified: The Baroness With Cobra C.O.I.L. - Wave Three, Cobra Island Concluded

Today I'm wrapping up the elusive Target exclusive Cobra Island (wave three), with a look at the last figure in the bunch, The Baroness. This figure / vehicle combo pack was a nightmare to track down. With no stores receiving it until August 14th, or after, it has certainly been the most challenging to obtain, and the most expensive on secondary markets.

With a retail price of $39.99, the $120.00 and up prices on secondary markets sure don't promote this line being one worth collecting to your average fan. However, patience is a virtue, and the lesson stands true. Never give in to scalpers. Product can be found in stores with perseverance and patience.

Anyway, enough of the intro. Let's actually dive into the package.

I've talked about the boxes ad nauseam, so I'll keep this relatively short. The biggest thing that surprised me with it is actually the overall size. At sixteen inches long and nine inches high, this package is massive. I don't know what I expected, but I suppose it should have been that it would be hefty.

If nothing else, it terrifies me of the perspective of future vehicles for this line. I'm not very interested in collecting these to begin with, and most of this is driven by the sheer volume of space they would inevitably take up. It's disappointing to think that future exclusive figures may be packaged this way because $39.99 was expensive enough. I don't even want to think about paying $300.00 for something just to get the figure inside.

Fears of future releases aside, you can see that the Cobra Island packaging style is kept in line with the three basic figures released in the wave. Despite being packaged with a vehicle, the numbering scheme continues, with The Baroness being appropriately labeled thirteen.

Because there are numerous accessories inside, let's take a look at those first.

The two assault rifles (or are those SMG's), can either go in the hands of The Baroness, or they can be attached to the sides of the motorcycle. I dare say they look better on the bike because of the large pegs which jut out of the sides of them.

Speaking of the bike, I don't know why the second handlebar had to be packaged loose, versus being attached to the bike. It was quite a pain to get on. So much so, that I thought I was going to break it in half trying to force it on.

The helmet accessory is actually it's own separate head. I suppose this is a good and bad thing. It's good because it means you don't have to risk any paint wear on the head of The Baroness. It's bad because it means one piece is always going to be floating around loose.

As for the remaining items, these include two gold pistols, a cobra emblazon knife and a molded cobra. The latter I found to be quite silly. I get that she's part of Cobra, but come on, including an actual cobra? Cliche much?

The bike itself is straight up disappointing. It's bulky, feels cheap and has an overall feeling of being a glorified Fisher Price toy. It's out of place in the line and lacks any real depth of detail when compared to the figures. In short, it's garbage. This is the kind of toy that belongs in Playmate's original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line.

If future vehicles are going to be released, then the quality and care needs to match that of the figures they're either intended for, or accompany in the packages. Otherwise, the increased price tag associated with them is simply not going to be justifiable.

I'm physically frowning at this thing as I look at it. It's total crap.

Fortunately, the saving grace to this set is The Baroness herself. Before I even had her out of the package, I knew she was going to be my absolute favorite in the line to date. She is practically flawless in design.

I say practically, because I did find an issue with her. That would be that while her glasses are removable, there are clear cut grooves in the side of her face to slide them into. Removing them detracts very much from her face, leaving the question of, "Why bother making them removable?" At that point, it's just another piece to be potentially lost.

Minor gripe aside, the details on this figure are superb. From the textured layers of her breastplate, boots and gloves, to the minor details of gold etching on the glasses. Hasbro certainly hit all the right notes with The Baroness.

As you spin the figure around, you can see that there's also a place to store her two pistols and the knife. While it's a little disappointing there are no back pegs for the larger guns, since these can be stored on the bike, and again seem like that was the intention anyway, that's an aspect that's easy to move past.

Here she is all decked out.

And here she is with the bike in front of her. Ugh...Putting them together seems to only amplify just how out of place the bike looks in this line. Hasbro definitely needs to up their game on future vehicles. I foresee a lot of these being offloaded on ebay without the figure.

And to get a look at the entire Cobra Island wave, here they are as a group, sans the bike.

Lastly, here's how my shelf stands in this lineup to date.

Difficulty in finding them aside, this has definitely been one of the best lines I've collected. The overall quality of each figure has been superb.

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G.I. Joe Classified: Arctic Mission Storm Shadow

He's not the Storm Shadow people wanted, but a Storm Shadow nonetheless. Arctic Mission Storm Shadow was quietly and quickly released via Amazon as an exclusive to their site, and sold out rapidly to bots and the very few collector's who got one. Your chances of getting one now are pretty much limited to second hand dealers or someone generous to put one in your hands at cost or as a gift. I've amazingly seen all three of those kinds of people.

Despite being an exclusive, Hasbro has kept the packaging within the realm of the other basic assortment (and exclusive) figures. They've even continued the numbering scheme, denoting this particular one as number fourteen. That puts him just after the Target exclusive Baroness, and right before Profit Director Destro.

What I don't like about the package is how cartoony Storm Shadow looks on the front (and side). I would have much preferred a more realistic look to him, much like that of most of the other packages. I know he's not technically the first to have a box drawn in this style, but it's definitely one of my least favorites.

As I said above, the rest of the box is consistent with the current design for the line. Once again there are the symbols on the side of it, which again can be looked at in detail at the G.I. Joe Classified site, HERE. On a side note, it doesn't look like anything new has been added to their site.

Beyond that, there's not much more to say about the packaging. Well, not that I haven't already talked about in prior figure reviews.

Popping the figure out, I immediately noticed something was off about it. When looking at the figure from the front, nothing really stood out as problematic.

There's a great amount of detail in the Arctic Mission Storm Shadow. The white, black and gold really work well with each other to make details pop. The hood is also removable, but I opted to just leave it in place. Design wise, he looks pretty cool.

Then I turned the figure to its side and saw what was tingling my spidey-sense.

What is up with that leaning syndrome? I turned the figure back around and adjusted him, only to have him slouch back over. The problem appeared to be the torso cut. It was too loose. It's not only a very unfortunate defect on mine, but one I've heard other reviewers talking about. So apparently, this is going to be a common flaw with the figure.

It's like that scene from Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal

It appears the majority of the detail on this figure was reserved for the front side. That's a bit disappointing. Especially considering the minimal detail on the back will get covered up by the accessories. In that regard, those points seem almost wasted.

The opposite side of the figure offers nothing more than the prior.

Arctic Mission Storm Shadow comes with a fair amount of accessories. In the box, you'll find a sword and sheath, bow, quiver, individual arrow, hook with rope and scythe. That's a ton of great stuff!

But here in lies another problem I have with the figure. While the other characters in the line also have included a ton of accessories, there's been a place on them to put them. Not so much with this one.  You're ultimately going to have to pick and choose which accessories you want in the figure's hands, and then the rest are going to have to be stored at his feet or in a box.

The bow and arrow, while cool in paint schemes have their own set of flaw. For starters, the bow has no string. Not even a molded one in plastic. Meanwhile, the quiver and arrows, while they look cool, are essentially a solid piece of plastic, making them more so just decoration. As for the individual arrow, it's not only not in line with the color of the arrows in the quiver, but it's also longer. At the end of the day, it feels like someone wanted to care, but ultimately couldn't invest either the time or resources to do so to the full extent.

I do like the sword. I was glad to see it not only got Storm Shadow's customary white grip, but a silver painted blade. Though it doesn't make sense as to why it would connect to the back of the quiver, it looks pretty cool.

Speaking of the quiver (again), it's also very flimsy in his back, falling out easy at the lightest touch. This whole loose backpacks and back peg accessories is becoming a consistent problem with the line. I don't know what the deal is, but the majority of the accessories simply don't want to stay attached to the figure's backs.

Overall, Arctic Mission Storm Shadow makes a nice addition to the G.I. Joe Classified line, but I think more people would have appreciated a classic look sculpt over this homage to the late 90's. In hind site, it's interesting that they denoted the character as part of Cobra, because for the look he's based on, at this point, he was part of the Joe team.

It has disappointing flaws, and if it weren't for Roadblock V2, Arctic Mission Storm Shadow may very well have ended up being my least favorite in the line to date. But I don't hate this figure by any means.

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G.I. Joe Classified: Wave Three - Cobra Island (Target Exclusive)

I'm a little confused by the order of release that the G.I. Joe Classified series is being put out. The Cobra Island wave is technically wave three, which begs the question of, "Where is wave two?" According to sites such as Hasbro Pulse and Entertainment Earth, not shipping until November of 2020.

Whatever, right? I guess we'll take them as we get them...When we get them...If we get them...

Yes, I'm still talking about the elusive, and bane to many Joe collectors, the Target exclusive Cobra Island. Fortunately, for today's post, we're actually opening and looking at that set. That is with the exception of the vehicle / figure pack, which as of this writing, appears to be holding firm to the August 14th street date (click HERE for my post on The Baroness). I'll update this post with it if / when I get my hands on it. For now, we'll dive into the three basic assortment figures.

Unlike wave one, the Cobra Island figures came packed in their own individual cases of six, meaning when (if) Target starts to get these in abundance, statistically, they should be easier to find than some of the other figures. Mind you, I didn't get my hands on any full cases, nor would I have wanted them, so unlike my post on the original wave of figures, I won't be showing any photos of the cases.

With exception of the Cobra Island logo and insert behind the figures, the packaging is consistent with the series (to date).

The symbols return on the side of the packaging, and I've come to find out, this isn't just a clever design aspect. Each one actually has a specific meaning, and you can find those on the G.I. Joe Classified main site, or by clicking, "HERE". If you actually hover over the symbol on the site, it will pop up with an information blurb, as well as, show you the characters to date associated with them.

While it's a cool feature, I don't honestly see myself running to their site every time I buy a figure to compare notes. Of course, I say that here on my blog, while in the back of my mind I tell myself, "You probably will," as I'm typing this sentence.

I really like the artwork side of the packaging so far. I'm really enjoying how it's unique to each character.

The back of the package has been updated to now showcase a map of Cobra Island. Admittedly, there is a definite feel of something missing, and that something would be the file cards. This would have been the perfect place to not only include a box size file card, but incorporate all the definitions of those symbols noted above.

Alright, with packaging out of the way, let's dive into the individual figures.

In my original wave one post, I listed out some pros and cons for each figure. I think that's a format I'm going to step away from for future reviews of this series. I'll provide comments here and there where I'd like to, but I'm not going to lay it out in a bullet point presentation.

Beach Head, figure number 10 in the series, was definitely a must have for me. I never had the original 3 3/4 figure as a kid, and while I rectified that as an adult, he's always been one of my favorite characters in the line and original cartoon series.

From his unique quirk of not wearing deodorant, to his hard edge training style of his teammates, Beach Head stands out as not only one of the most unique characters on the Joe team, but one who often got explored through comics and cartoons.

Say what you will about his design, I love it. Hardened soldier, with a hint of mystery. Not to mention a slew of accessories.

Speaking of which, I'm admittedly not a fan of the solid green color scheme of the weapons. At the very least, I would have preferred them to be black. Of course, if I wanted to be super expectant, it would have been to have nice paint jobs, such as those on the weapons of Destro, Duke and the wave one Roadblock.

For a twenty dollar figure, is it really asking too much to have some thought put into the accessories? I don't think so. I think it's a perfectly reasonable request. I really hope that Hasbro doesn't lure us all in with the detail at first and then suddenly goes full on cheap for the remainder of the line. That would really be disappointing.

At a glance, there's no denying the design and paint job is spot on. This is Beach Head. No ifs, ands or buts. A lot of people have complained on how "simple" he looks, but really, that's how he was represented in the vintage line as well.

If I had one complaint about this figure, it would be that once again the peg hold seems flawed. While the backpack accessory fits in it, the slightest nudge seems to make it fall off. I'd really like to see Hasbro explore other options for these.

Once again, the figure gets its own unique look, while tying it to the Joe team with that common theme of the communication device on his right shoulder.

Beach Head comes with a nice assortment of weapons which include an assault rifle, pistol, knife, crossbow, backpack and hat. As I mentioned above, the color on the weapons doesn't work for me. It's ugly. There's enough green on the figure, and with them being the same color, they don't stand out. I'm also not a fan of the hat. I don't recall the character wearing one in the show, and the vintage figure doesn't have one either.

While I initially thought the crossbow was just the bottom section of Scarlett's two piece weapon, it's actually not. As for the pistol, it's just a green version of the one packed in with Duke.

If I had to make a wager, it would be that this next figure is going to be the first peg warmer in the line. When it was announced, nobody seemed excited that Hasbro was already releasing a second Roadblock. While I was initially among that group, I do see aspects in this figure that I like. Yes, it is 90% repaint, but it has some high points.

For starters, I do like the overall paint job of the shirt. From a standpoint of liking the G.I. Joe logo, it's fun to see it (somewhat) incorporated into the paint job. I also like that Hasbro bothered to put a little effort into it, and actually provide an all new head sculpt.

While I'm sure it will be a piece that many people will lose over the years, I do like the aspect of the removable glasses. I think it's all the more cool that the lenses are somewhat transparent, and you can see the figure's eyes through them.

It's a decent figure, but I still would have preferred someone else be released with this wave. Even now, it's the lowest costing one on secondary markets, as there seems there's very little demand for this one. Like I said above, I think he's going to inevitably become a peg warmer. It will be that figure that when you're looking at Target for wave eight you're saying, "Well, they have plenty of Roadblocks."

There's honestly not much more I can say about this figure, but I'll get into the accessories a bit more below.

If Hasbro was going to insist on creating a repaint (for the most part) already, then the least they could have done was created a new weapon for the character. Instead, they just slapped a new coat of paint on the one provided with the wave one version, removable magazine and all. It's just not exciting, and it's no wonder fans are already showing with their wallets their overall disapproval of this figure.

Last up in this exclusive assortment of the basic figures is the one that seemingly everybody wants. The army builder, Cobra Trooper. This one rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. How was Hasbro going to make one of the most popular troop building figures a Target exclusive. Fans are still not happy about how this figure is not only unavailable, but ridiculously priced on secondary markets. I don't blame them.

Out of the three figures, he was definitely the one I mostly was excited about. I mean, let's be honest, he looks cool. While I don't necessarily condone hoarding the figure, I can also see why everyone wants one (or ten). However, with that said, the figure is not without its flaws.

For starters, I'm not a fan of the goggles. They cover up all that wonderful detail in the eyes of the figure, and quite frankly, they just look silly with their serpent slits. I wanted to attach this to the top of the helmet, as shown in the Hasbro production photos, but I simply could not make this work. It was a tight squeeze, and I honestly felt like forcing the matter was only going to result in a broken strap. While I initially took a photo of the figure with them on, I eventually settled for dangling them around the chest knife sheath.

I'm also not a fan of the arm sash. I just don't think it was necessary. However, because I didn't want it to ultimately become a lost part, I ended up putting it on the figure. That in and of itself was a challenge of pulling and wiggling.

Lastly, I was disappointed that while there are peg holes to attach the two weapons to the back, it's a flawed feature. This is because the additional holster on the back of the vest, for the second pistol, gets in the way, making for a tight squeeze to get both larger weapons attached at the same time. I ended up settling for the sniper rifle being on his back and the assault rifle in its hand. However, ultimately, this was not how I wanted to display him.

Overall design wise to the sculpt and paint are awesome on this figure. Execution wise of the accessories, there are flaws which detract.

In looking at these photos of the figure, it really does need the helmet on. It looks rather silly without.

There were a ton of accessories included with the Cobra Trooper, and much like the other figures in this line, I was pleased to find that there was a place for everything.

And here they are all decked out.

I was glad to find a reason to hold onto that Deluxe Snake Eyes box. It makes a great backdrop for photos. You may have noticed it first in my Order Of Battle posts for the line.

It has some facets that can be nitpicked, or honestly directly complained about, but overall, this wave of figures was a solid addition to this series. It's fleshing out nicely, and I really hope that Hasbro can get its distribution issues in order to keep it going for some time.

At some point, I see myself needing to be a little more selective in the figures I buy. One, I don't have the capacity to really store 500 six inch figures, nor would I want to. Secondly, my tastes in the characters fall into that 1983 to 1989, maybe 1990 era. Beyond that time frame, I not only don't know who those people are, but have no real desire to own them.

Red Ninja comes to mind as the first one in this series that I will get from the case of wave two, but probably won't end up opening. Instead, it will go into my trade pile. This is a line I want to enjoy collecting, and one way to make that happiness dwindle fast is...Well, let me get another cheap shot in, screw up the whole distribution aspect, but what I was more so going to say was to force myself to buy figures I don't want just to have them all.

What about you? Are you going for the 100% club with this line? Have you already given up in light of the massive debacle the distribution has been? Or are you going to be selective, and pick only the characters you truly have a vested interest in?

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