Snow Job

Considering that one of the four "themes" of the GI Joe Pursuit of Cobra line is "Arctic Threat," it's no surprise that Snow Job made the cut. Snow Job is the GI Joe team's arctic survival specialist. He camped in the polar north for months to watch a Cobra base and gather information. His gear includes a M.U.S.P. multi-use survival pack that he uses as a bedroll, tent and concealment for observing the enemy. Have you noticed that the current GI Joe filecards don't actually tell you anything about the character? Sure, they may tell you about the weapons, or what the character has been doing, but what about his personality. Compare that paragraph with the card from the original Snow Job (as reproduced on the G3 version): the old one tells you who Harlan Moore was before enlisting in the army and why he joined the Joes; the new one tells you one specific mission he was on. Now, which is more interesting? POC Snow Job is, by himself, somewhat of a plain figure. He's wearing rather normal snow clothes: a thick jacket with the hood pushed back, and large, blocky pants. The sculpt is fine, it just lacks that certain something that sets a great Joe apart from a good one. Yes, he looks very much like a real-world soldier would, but GI Joe is supposed to be at the boundaries of future tech. This would have been an excellent opportunity to make IDW's version of Snow Job - his outfit is pushed just a little bit forward, so he has an interesting look without being fake. The torso beneath the jacket is the same seen on Shipwreck, so he still fits with the movie aesthetic. Snow Job's head is actually pretty cool. He's back to have goggles permanently molded in place, but he's also wearing a ski cap and heavy duty headphones. Why those? Maybe to block out the wind on the arctic tundra. His googles are black (to prevent glare, naturally) and his big bushy beard is given some nice "frosty" apps: snow's sticking to him! So, the actual figure's okay. That's nice. But the actual figure isn't why you want to buy this one: no, that honor falls to the accessories. Like the filecard says, Snow Job comes with a multi-use-survival pack, which is good and all, but who actually knows what a MUSP is? No one, not even us. But judging by the stuff he comes with, it's awesome. We start with a highly ornate backpack. It seems built from multiple separate pouches that have all been assembled into one pack. There's a black radio with a removable antenna on the top right corner, and a bedroll strapped on the bottom. There's a metal frame that plugs in across the center of the backpack, designed to hold Snow Job's skis and his ski poles. The skis are 5¾" long, and have footpegs to attach them to Snow Job's feet. There are sculpted bindings for the toes and heels. The ski poles are grey with black grips and bright yellow wrist straps (which are just sculpted - don't think you're going to get them on anyone's wrists). The basket is small, but there's a sizable tip below it. There are several pieces intended to be attached to the backpack, including a phone handset, a gas can, a pan with a folding handle, and a portable cookstove. The hinge for the pan seems very flimsy, so I probably won't be moving it again after taking these photos. It can plug onto the top of the stove, for real simulated cooking action! He also has a fancy ice pick, and a Czech-made Falcon OP-96 sniper rifle. He also comes with a rolled-up sheet. Since he already has a bedroll, what is this thing? Well, you'll notice that it has two slits in it - if you assemble the skis and poles properly (which you'll have to guess at, since there are no instructions anywhere), you can make a functional lean-to he can take shelter beneath! You can just imagine him hanging out under there, cooking his MREs on his pitiful little stove and keeping track of Cobra's geothermal base through the scope on his rifle, taking little notes and waiting for his replacement to come skiing out to relieve him. The sheet can be re-rolled, and there's a black elastic strap to slip over it and keep it that way. It and all the other accessories can be stored on the backpack - yes, all of them at once. The gun on one side, all the small accessories on the other, and the skis and poles on their little rack. It's cluttered, sure, but the fact that he's actually capable of storing everything he comes with is truly excellent. Of course, it's also great that none of his accessories are a missile launcher larger than his entire body. Snow Job himself is well-made, but he's certainly nothing special. He'd be fine riding shotgun in the Snow Cat, but that's not enough to warrant paying for him. But then you've got the accessories, and those totally make him worth it! Every piece he has is absolutely killer, and they look great on or off the backpack. It's not often the accessories sell the figure, but in this case, it's 100% true. -- 12/17/10

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