[Acquisitions] G.I. Joe: 30th Anniversary Wave 3 Joes

My apologies for the long hiatus! We've been really busy at work as of late and sadly, I don't believe things will change anytime soon. But since I'm available today, let's check out some new toys and make the most out of this rare break.

The Renegades animated series was a huge hit among the G.I. Joe fandom and I must admit, I enjoyed it right from the get-go. It's definitely one of the best iterations in the history of the property and I'm glad that majority of the main cast have been immortalized in plastic form. Yes, the figures have been untooned but that's not necessarily a bad thing. We've already seen Duke (great) and Snake-Eyes (ho-hum) several months back and now we have the rest of the gang minus Roadblock.

Okay, let's start with the leader of the team, Scarlett. Yup, in the Renegades Joe-verse, she's no longer just a supporting character, she's actually the boss. In the cartoons, Shana's one fugly lady but thankfully, this toy doesn't follow suit. This fig features what is easily the best Scarlett head sculpt ever and it's body is a thing of beauty too. Design-wise, the fig looks a lot like its cartoon counterpart but the toy is inexplicably a bit on the tall side. It's taller than the Renegades Snake-Eyes and Ripcord figs but the height issue doesn't really bother me that much. The fig also showcases a new type of ankle joints that provides a wider range of motion compared to the standard fare but I'm not sure if it's something I like. The joints are quite loose and it's great that Hasbro tried them out on Scarlett first because I seriously doubt that these new joints could hold a heavier figure's pose without leaning forward. Lt. O'Hara comes with a black plasma pulse pistol (different from Duke's), a black crossbow (first seen on Resolute Scarlett), and a display stand. It would have been nice to see a Renegades-style crossbow but Hasbro decided to cut some corners here as if the sparseness of accessories wasn't enough of a cost-cutting measure.  Still, Renegades Scarlett is a great figure and I highly recommend that you get one.

Moving on to the next fig, we have the team's paratrooper and official goofball, Ripcord. Unlike majority of the fandom, I don't mind having a buffoon on my team. In real life, these guys are everywhere so it makes perfect sense to have at least one here. Frankly, this fig seems neat but it has a ton of issues going against it. To start with, this fig looks nowhere near his cartoon counterpart. The toy is bald, and for something that represents a goofy character, this one surely doesn't look the part. Then, there's the iffy knee pad that gives the fig's left knee a permanent slight bend. There's also the handsome parachute pack that pops off the figure's back with the slightest touch, thanks to its relatively short peg. Rip's weapons (plasma pulse rifle and a pistol) are light blue in color and I honestly don't know why. On the plus side, Private Weems comes with a gorgeous high altitude helmet, a pair of yellow goggles, a neat webgear, a recolored vest (from Renegades Duke), and a display stand. The fig's color scheme stays true to the source material and it's really easy on the eyes. Despite the various issues, this one still manages to impress me.

Lastly, we have Tunnel Rat, master infiltrator of the Renegades. Small and wiry, he's the team's best bet when it comes to navigating through dark, tight, and dirty spaces. His sarcastic wit, coupled with his small stature, made him a natural fan favorite among viewers. Unfortunately, Hasbro failed to capture the guy's signature built with this toy and that's a bit of a bummer because in the show, Tunnel Rat's skills were clearly based/dependent upon his size. Looking beyond that error, this fig is really a sight to behold. Despite being untooned, the fig still succeeds in looking a lot like the cartoon version and that's a big accomplishment. The figure is really eye-catching but alas, it's far from being functional, thanks to the folded-down coveralls. The fig can't bring any of its legs all the way forward, therefore it can't assume a proper sitting position. Heck, it can't even kneel on one knee without looking stupid! To probably compensate for that fatal flaw, Private Lee comes with a ridiculous amount of accessories. The figure gets a machine gun (with a removable bipod), a revolver, a shovel, a flashlight, a multi-tool, a portable cookstove, a skillet, a tiny backpack, a scarf, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a bomb-disposal robot, and a display stand. Of course, the fig can't hold/carry even half of those but I'm not complaining, I love spare accessories! Overall, this figure is a mixed bag of good and bad things.

To close things out, let me say that all three figures are worth snagging. It's true that each and every one of these figs has its share of flaws but even if you add all those flaws up, they don't provide enough reasons to skip these toys. The Renegades figs look good together, it's just a shame that we won't be getting the biggest guy on the team.