25th anniversary GI Joe question...

[thisweaksname]

For those that have the 25th anniversary GI Joe boxsets, which one is better? I was leaning towards picking up the Cobra version, because I want the Storm Shadow that comes with it... how are both sets as a whole, if you could review figure by figure...

thanks for any help...

[Liquid Identity]

Cobra. Personal opinion. Storm Shadow is amazing, as is Destro. I'm not a big fan of the Baroness fig though.
The Joe set has a Snake Eyes on par with Storm Shadow in terms of wow factor. The rest, however, fail to inspire me much.

Most, if not all, of the 25th box set figures are being released as singles in the waves to come. If you're a pick and choose type of person, you may just want to wait for those to come out early next year.

[bigbadwolfdaddy]

depends the second cobra legions is outstanding whereas the first sets were cool

[Furious1]

I have a loose complete set of both box sets if you are interested. I also have loose complete figures from the first wave, including Flint. I am going to go MOC with the 25th collection, I have been buying 2 of each figure, one for display, one for MOC.

[Big Country]

Cobra set was awesome. Baroness sucked, but the rest were great.
The Joe set had too many "meh" offerings. Gugn -Ho can't stand up right, Roadblock has a hard time holding his gun, Scarlett is too spindly.

Cobra set = 4 great figures.
G.I. Joe set = 2 great figures

Buy the Cobra box and get the Joes in the single packs.

[Holeman]

They are all good.

[bborst]

I only have both sets, and since I can never pass up the opportunity to write a quick review on something I own, then here it goes...

~ COBRA SET ~ :

Cobra Commander: An excellent start. 19 points of articulation (neck, two in each shoulder, elboes, wrists, waist, hips, two in each knee and two in both the ankles), includes authentically stylized pistol that looks like a hair dryer which plugs into the back, and a removable helmet. Simple, fun, can manage some great poses.The paint scheme is pretty simple and not overly detailed. The Cobra symbol is a bit too small but I like him. he can only hold his gun in his right hand, the left is sculpted into a fist.

Destro: A dead-on likeness to the original '82 version right down to the grenades and rockets on his guantlets, only they didn't vaccuumize the head. He includes 17 P.O.A. (no double-knee joints for some reason) and includes a pistol that fits into his right holster (new and very welcome feature for all JOE's now), a sub-machine gun, and a briefcase that stores an extra pistol inside. Paint scheme is great but the black for his suit looks too light. Only other problem are the hands which are similar to Cobra Commanders only the left hand fingers are curled in too much to make a fist but not enough to hold another gun.

The Baroness: I never owned the original figure but I can assume it's an improvement because that's what this line is all about. Nice, thin feminine figure on her with a body suit sculplted to feature torso armor and snake-like features on her body and painted a nice, glossy black. The glasses are sculpted to her face but they don't distort her looks any. She includes 19 P.O.A., the belt slug to her right hip holsters a very small and removable pistol, an assault rifle and backpack. With the backpack in place she's unable to move her head to the right, and the pistol is so small that she's unable to hold it in either hand.

Cobra Soldier: Every terrorist organization needs followers, and every follower should be well equipped just like the Cobra Trooper. An excellently detailed figure that looks identaical to his '82 counterpart but with a few upgrades: removable web belt gear that's filled with ammunition clips, grenades and puches, a sheathe for his knife and includes an assault rifle. The helmet is removable (and they're all bald!) and has 19 P.O.A. that's allows this figure for some really cool poses. The only problem with him is in the elbows - the folds in the lower arms don't allow for a 90-degree bend so it can be a little difficult to get him to hold his rifle without looking like a goober.

Storm Shadow: The best of the bunch and completely accurate to the original. If you even remotely enjoyed the original figure then you'll fall in love with this one. Complete in his white ninja suit, the only difference is that the half-arm sleeves and nunchucks are now missing. In terms of accessories, he's packing a full bag: Long and short sword that both fit into the sheathes on his backpack, separate bow, and a knife. Also has all 19 P.O.A. well in place. He's capable of holding all his weapons, so other than the fact that the bow is unable to be stored anywhere, he's pretty much perfect.

GRADE: 4/5 STARS.

:~ G.I. JOE SET ~:

:Duke:: He's the tape that holds the gift wrapping together but someone forgot to tell Hasbro that because these figures has some problems starting with good ol' Abernathy here. Visually, he's a good looking figure with plenty of details to show and excellent paint application. The torso belt is a loose object that can sometimes get in the way. Duke includes the standard 19 P.O.A., a removable helmet that is too small for his head, a pistol that can be holstered on his right thigh, binoculars, and an M-16M1A with grenade launcher. The problem with Duke is that his hands are too large to hold his pistol or binoculars (which will be the first thing you loose because there's no place to store it), and the roled up sleeves on his lower arms hinder his ability to get that perfect 90-degree bend. Duke looks like a 'tard no matter how you have him holding his M-16.

Scarlett: I never was much a fan of the red head and her original figure was damn ugly, however it's been fixed for her new release. Much prettier to look at, her sculpture is really accurate but still too bland to really make her stand out any. She wears a loose hip belt that features a holster for her removeable pistol and a pack of bolts (which are not removable) for her also included crossbow. Same 19 P.O.A. and excellent posability much like the Baroness. Her hands are also too big to wield her pistol and as I said before, she's just a bit too boring. Definately a figure that needs some type of redesigning or more updating.

Gung-Ho: Ooh boy, this one's got problems! Just like the other figures, likeness is not one of them. He's been beefed up and has a large, square jaw and Marine tattoo on his chest, and all 19 P.O.A. He includes the standard sidearm pistol that can be stored, along with a backpack and grenade launcher. Hasbro put an odd amount of effort into this weapon - the range finder folds up and down plus the barrel opens so he can reload another round. One problem is
that he cannot properly hold the launcher in either hand. But Gung-Ho's largest problem is actually a defect in the mold. His right leg joint is really loose and even with the stand attached, he likes to fall right over.

Roadblock: The other "big guy" of the team, Roadblock's M50 Browing machine gun is as large as the chef himself. The figure itself is as bland as Scarlett, there's just not much to point out on him that stands out. He also suffers from poor "Destro-itis" ie. only 17 P.O.A. but he makes up for it with his massive gun (which he does have a hard time holding but you can make it work), ammo belt, backpack, removable accessory web sling, and helmet. The ammo belt plugs into the M50 browing and his rather plain, square backpack. The gun comes with a tri-pod that still makes it difficult to pose him with.

Snake Eyes: Saving the best for last. My first and still favorite JOE ever, this figure is true to its source material and still looks 100 times better. The silent killer includes tons of great sculted detailing and slightly lighter black paint application than his predecessor. The web sling and belt is removable and is lined in grenades, pouches and ammo magazines, he also includes a demolitions pack, knife with sheathe, pistol with holster and his trademark UZI sub-machine gun. Awesome and flawless. He's the only saving grace of this set but they're more enjoyable as a whole set.

GRADE: 2/5

Interesting observation to note: Each figure seems to include small ratchet joints in the ankles. All figures include a black display base with the COBRA or G.I. JOE symbol emossed on the face and their respective names painted on the front.