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[ARROW]

Last year, close to this time ( actually closer to the end of August) POC started coming out.
And with those figures there was new and distinctive feeling.........almost a flavour that ( I think) could be felt.
Something unexpected, novel.......exotic even..........almost tangible when one picked up the figures for the first time.

But its gone, or largely missing......even watered-down now. I'm just not feeling it much with the latest stuff any more.

The first 3-4 waves of POC had some boldness to them. Duke, Beachhead, Zartan, Dusty...........Hasbro took things off in a new direction. A new flavour, again, if you will.
Wave  5 & 6 did not have that. The upcoming waves don't have that.
I think the mistake is that they are up-dating characters, not re-interpreting them. I LOVE Jungle Duke, the City Strike Beachhead etc.
And although I like Lowlight, Blowtorch, the coming Sci-Fi, Airtight, Lifeline etc.......the flavour just isn't there.

Yeah, it was nice getting an updated Crazy-legs........nice figure too, by the way, but......really........so what?
 Being just a filler figure, a cheap way to re-purpose mostly existing parts into something "new", there's a bit of a betrayal there. POC started out as something with loads of imagination to it. Different ways of thinking about the characters...........and then it just sort of.....petered.............out.
The upcoming stuff largely seems to confirm that, with some exceptions ( Data0Viper!!) and some of those are not even certain.

Make no mistake, I AM NOT one of those voices calling for updated. I just don't care much about them--even if they are done spectacularly. They do not spark my imagination, nor fuel my interest. POC was interesting and exciting because, at the start, it was DARING. But with the assortments heavy on up-dated characters over all-new interpretations.....I think its missing something.

I'm just not feeling it.

[B]

are you playing with them? I think the "feeling" is what you do with them. All to often I buy them, open them and then tuck them away for awhile until I have time to actually do something with them. sadly its been many years and I still have no time, however I do know I would really enjoy them if I could actually spend some time just playing with them.

[ARROW]

I get lots of hands-on time with the figures, always adjusting the display, doing little kit-swaps with them, adding a new figure now and then--but that is not the feeling I was talking about.
The most recent figures themselves are lacking...........something, coming right out of the gate. It probably due to these last two waves being largely filler and re-hash waves. there's not a lot that is "new" with them, whereas the first 4 waves were hitting us with different ideas with most of the figures. The inclusion of Croc Master, Blowtorch, Crazy Legs, Cobra Soldier and Cobra Viper, and Rock Viper "feel" more like just extensions of 25th Ann. stuff than what seemed to be the POC "concept".  POC, for 4 waves, really seemed like GIJOE was stepping " 10 minutes into the future". Waves 5 & 6 feel like stepping back 25 years, in terms of ideas.

I gotta admit, I LIKED the idea of stepping forward far more than stepping back. For example, if they had said that Sky-Dive was, instead, Crazy-Legs, I would have gone..........."yeah, I can dig that, re-interpretation".
Heck, I can have it that way, just by swapping stands for the figures, and just calling on the other........if that's my whim.
But, no.....I respect how they came, and how Hasbro intended them to be as figures.
But I also think they could have been pushed in a lot more different directions.

[B]

I think I get what your saying.
I myself wouldn't mind getting out of using the same characters from the 80's. I hope to get my son into some joes in a couple of years (if the line is still kicking around) and I think I would like him to explore all new characters not another snake eyes ver 80.

[SnowHawk]

I can understand feeling "under-whelmed" from the last couple waves.  I was a little disappointed by Crazy Legs and Rock Viper.  I felt they could have used other pieces to make the figures better.  The colour scheme is there, but not the same feel as the original.  

I was completely disappointed with Croc Master.  That figure didn't need to be made again.  If someone missed the 25th anniversary version, there are lots available out there.  

Blowtorch was another one that didn't need to be remade, but I missed him the first time and was glad to get him.  Blowtorch could have easily become another flamethrower figure, like Ice Cream Soldier for instance.

The Jungle Bat is a beautiful figure.  Even though it is a recycled mould, the colouring is perfect for him.  

I didn't like the new General Hawk at first, but my opinion changed when I had it in my hand.

I don't think we'd be having this discussion right now, if the G.I. Joe Renegade line came out this summer like it was originally planned.  I hope that will generate some excitement for collectors.  Hopefully they have some new designs, and not grabbing pieces from the tool room.  

I am looking forward to the Cobra Strikes line.  I've been wondering if it will be as big as the ROC line, or are they going to focus on 3 waves of 6 figures, like they have done with Thor and Captain America figures.

[grunt 4 mvp]

I feel like it's a quantity vs quality thing.
We've really been spoiled with all the stuff on the market, so naturally a lot consists of repaints etc.  Flooding stores with all this new stuff allows us to be 'choosey' and compare.
I haven't found much outside of Lowlight and the Jungle Viper that I think is cool.  Although the idea of making a predator from Joe parts was a great easter egg too! That kind of creativity and 'secrecy' is the "feeling" I'd look for.

[darth cujo]

The first 3-4 waves of POC had some boldness to them. Duke, Beachhead, Zartan, Dusty...........Hasbro took things off in a new direction. A new flavour, again, if you will.
Wave 5 & 6 did not have that. The upcoming waves don't have that.

I totally see where you're coming from on this. I didn't know if i would care for PoC, but the reinterpretations/modernizations have been very cool and I've been loving them for the most part. And new stuff like shadow tracker (though I've yet to see one in person) are cool too.

BUT

I think the mistake is that they are up-dating characters, not re-interpreting them. I LOVE Jungle Duke, the City Strike Beachhead etc.
And although I like Lowlight, Blowtorch, the coming Sci-Fi, Airtight, Lifeline etc.......the flavour just isn't there.

I completely disagree with you on this front. These are what I'm most interested in. Granted, there aren't really that many classics left that I need updated, but I do want to see the ones I'm interested in. And I want the likes of Kwinn, Billy, Oktober Guard etc. Finally getting Kwinn after all these years!! Most excited about a figure I've been in a long time.

But I think there should be a nice balance. Keep the 25th style updates coming, but definitely keep the innovation and newness of the PoC line going. Hopefully the movie line will carry that PoC thread through.

Also, I don't know that the last couple waves of PoC were really planned ahead. I think they were more filler just to get something out there. So it's understandable that they were lacklustre. Though I'm sure they could have made better choices than croc master and blowtorch. I loved both of them the first time round a couple years ago, but these were completely unnecessary.

Anyways, time will tell which direction hasbro will go.

[Jon S.]

Yeah, it was nice getting an updated Crazy-legs........nice figure too, by the way, but......really........so what?

Tell me you did NOT just say that...  

Also - SkyDive, Ashiko and Jungle-Viper are some of the coolest figures released in recent memory.

[ARROW]

Yeah, it was nice getting an updated Crazy-legs........nice figure too, by the way, but......really........so what?

Tell me you did NOT just say that...  <!-- s:D --><!-- s:D -->

Also - SkyDive, Ashiko and Jungle-Viper are some of the coolest figures released in recent memory.

Yeah, I said it. 
I can understand why you might object, but.....I said it.
See Crazy Legs is a good example, and compare him to Lowlight, he's an example of where POC is steering off the rails. Not going wrong per se, but missing opportunities.
Lowlight had extras that plussed the figure. What did Crazylegs have? Not really a whole lot.

I get that tooling costs prohibit all new accessories for each figure, but part of me sits here and thinks.......with a couple of extra items, Crazylegs coulda knock it outa the park. Maybe some land-mines? A weapon with a removable clip, or better yet, a back pack to add to his parachute webbing, that can hold some gear. Like, maybe a helmet with NVGs, or some web gear to slip on when he takes the parachute gear off. Or how about this: take the basic Crazylegs we got, add parts for a clip-on reserve chute, an air tank hose and mask for a HALO drop, mask clips onto the holes already on his helmet. rifle carrier bag to clip onto the side of his webbing and the aforementioned backpack to clip on to the lower webbing, tween his legs.
You could have the bog-standard Crazylegs, the modern version of the guy OR you can have the tricked out HALO-drop Crazylegs, with all the authentic gear to kit him out properly as if he were a "real" paratrooper.
 Lowlight has a boatload of sniper gear, target scope, radio.handset, ammo tray with loose round, carry-bag etc etc.....they took the full opportunity to plus the figure.
 Crazylegs.............got meh.
In my book, he's a bit of a "meh" .....a "so what" figure as a result. Missed opportunity.

So, yeah, I said it.

[olyeller01]

I know what you mean on the feeling, Arrow.  I think it might be the lack/scarcity of product that's kind of killing it for me.  Joe barely rates one row of pegs anymore, and all anyone can find at the average Wal-Mart/Target/TRU anymore are a few hanging, dusty PoC Dukes or Destros.  Wal-Mart's not even carrying the new SkyStriker, and none of the rest seem too keen on making Joe a solid part of their toy aisles.  To me, the hunt is a big part of the thrill!  During the height of the 25th line, I was known to drive all around my city and the surrounding areas Joe hunting.  Now, it seems like if you don't have the newest wave on preorder from Hal, BBTS, or SmallJoes you're out of luck!

Hopefully the movie next year will breathe some much-needed life back into the Joe line, and I hope we get some great toys out of it!

[pdaat]

I am very much in  a Joe lull myself - but keep buying.  Bidding on a 30th Stalker on eBay because he's Stalker, but that is about it.

Buying more SW than anything these days - because that is what my 4 year old is into.  Planning on SW C6....we'll see.