Because HasbroToyShop.com had a discount I ordered a DTC Low Light (one of my favorite classic Joes) and the comic 3-pack with Stalker, Snake Eyes and Stormshadow from Vietnam.
I'm kind of disappointed in all 4 of the figures.
Low Light, although he looks pretty good and I like the updated sniper rifle, has new arm joints that I don't like. How long has the Joe line been using this new peg elbow instead of the riveted elbow and swivel bicep? I picked up some late-wave 2-packs at retail that I didn't open (and they're boxed away right now) and I didn't think they'd changed to this new style? He also has no neck to speak of which makes it hard to pose him prone behind his rifle. Granted, not a lot of Joes look great that way but LL suffers from a short neck post and a high collar on his jacket.
Other than that, the paint apps are great, the uniform has a very vintage feel to it and the removable goggles are cool. I just kind of like some of the VvV and Spy Troops figs better I guess.
As for the 3-pack, I don't like some of these figures either. In general I like the vintage style bodies but I do like the new articulated wrists on the new figs. Stalker is pretty good overall and the possibly the best of the set. I'd have preferred a ball joint neck post though. Good paint and the head sculpt is nice.
Snake Eyes just misses and it's more because of his hands than anything. Only one hand (left) is really good for holding any accessories which kind of sucks. I do love the detailed paint on the boonie hat and the shadowed eyes is a brilliant move. I'd forgotten he carried the M-60 in the comic and it seems odd to think of Snake carrying something so big and unwieldy. Second best in the 3-pack.
Stormshadow...I hate this figure. The head sculpt sucks, I don't like the tank top and his hands are terrible. He can't really hold anything in his right hand and the left barely works for his bow. The bow looks nice, though, as do the arrows, but the quiver I don't like. It feels kind of fragile and the shape of the sling is such that you can't really sling it over his back when he has his web gear on. The web gear, although nice on some figures, doesn't work for me on Stormshadow. I was really disappointed in this one and he was kind of the reason I bought the set.
I also thought they could have done a better job matching up Stalker's weapon to that in the comic. They didn't do bad with Storm and Snake but the puny M16 that Stalker has is nothing compared to the night-scoped and silenced model shown in the comic.
I also ran into some DTC figures at TRU a week ago and the Monkey Wrench fig looked good as did the Cobra Trooper and Grand Slam. I didn't buy them and after seeing Low Light I don't know if I'll bother. Too bad. With the new cards I was thinking about picking up this line but now, eh.
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