{"id":40428,"date":"2023-08-25T00:00:20","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T04:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oafe.net\/blog\/?p=40428"},"modified":"2023-09-12T22:39:26","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T02:39:26","slug":"gi-joe-classified-retro-series-gung-ho-exclusive-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.oafe.net\/blog\/2023\/08\/gi-joe-classified-retro-series-gung-ho-exclusive-review\/","title":{"rendered":"GI Joe Classified Retro Series: Gung-Ho exclusive review"},"content":{"rendered":"

He<\/a> blue<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Born into a large back-swamp Cajun clan, Gung-Ho won a reputation as a bare-knuckle brawler, joined the Marines at 18, and graduated top of his class from boot camp.<\/i><\/p>\n

Oh, look at that, an actual bio that tells us (minimally) about the character and doesn't mention brain deformities<\/a>, what a novel idea!<\/p>\n

The Walmart-exclusive \"Retro Collection\" GI Joe Classified<\/i> figures (seriously, they don't have any official name setting them apart from the normal line, so we're just borrowing that one from Marvel Legends<\/i>) began with Baroness and Lady Jaye, two characters who desperately did<\/a> and desperately did not<\/a> need new releases, respectively. At the end of March this year, enough of those two pegwarmers had apparently finally sold that Gung-Ho could finally arrive. The entire body sculpt is identical to the mainline figure, with a new sheath on the boot, a new holster around the right leg, and a new, throwback-style vest with less pouches and padding. His tattoo is the same new, legally distinct design they created for the previous Gung-Ho, but it's gotten larger, now reaching down past his chest joint onto the upper abdomen. You know, because tattoos are famous for changing size.<\/p>\n

This figure gets something the earlier ones did not, and that's a new head. Gone are the goofy little mohawk thing and the horseshoe<\/a> mustache, replaced by a fully bald head and a lip-warmer that's still not regulation, but smaller. Being a digital sculpt means both faces can technically be the same<\/a> without being the same mold: whoever did it (Jonathan Gilboa, who was paradoxically also responsible for the Falcon portrait) opened up the file, took a bit of hair off, and sent it in again. And if that weren't enough, they gave him the right kind of hat this time! Looks like Action Force<\/i> Sgt. Slaughter<\/a> is getting his cover back!<\/p>\n

Retro Gung-Ho doesn't have the pads on his arms, but the new weapon holsters make up for that. Also the new weapons. Rather than any of the future-guns the older Gung-Ho carried, this one gets a knife, a pistol, and a vintage grenade launcher, plus a baby blue backpack that's more like the 1983 accessory and therefore can't carry anything. These carded re-releases all get a black stand, as well.<\/p>\n

I picked up the first Classified<\/i> Gung-Ho<\/a> on a whim. Did the same for this one, and both times I've been pleasantly surprised. Gung-Ho is the only one of these characters to get any new parts so far, instead of just being a repaint with some different accessories. If the first figure had been more like this, we'd have been a lot more excited about him.<\/p>\n

<i>And now, some more OAFEry:<\/i><\/H5>