G.I. Joe FSS 3 Crimson Guard Immortal Review

FSS 3 Crimson Guard Immortal

The FSS 3 Crimson Guard Immortal has been reviewed!

Whew!  With that, the FSS 3 reviews are done!  As part of the final shipment, the Crimson Guard Immortal was one of the most anticipated figures in the entire FSS.  Originally shown at the 2012 Joe Con as part of the imfamous first “Concept Case reveals”, this figure has been on the fandom’s radar for some time.  When it was announced in 2014 as part of the FSS 3, fans were both surprised and excited for the opportunity to finally get their hands on this “elite of the elite” trooper.

Was the Crimson Guard Immortal worth the wait?  Did Fred and Chris agree on this one?  Is the review full of bad Highlander puns?  Will I stop with the questions and just get to the point already?

Check out the review either by clicking on the picture above or jumping over to the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index.  Afterwards, leave your own thoughts about this figure in the comments below.

G.I. Joe FSS 3 Hit & Run Review

G.I. Joe FSS 3 Hit & Run

The G.I. Joe FSS 3 Hit & Run figure has finally been reviewed!

As Chris and I play catch-up on the last of the FSS 3 figures, Hit & Run steps into the spotlight.  When the character was first announced as part of the subscription roster, fans were ecstatic at the prospect of having a more detailed update to this particular character.  The initial teaser image released by the Club, however, created quite a stir in the certain parts of the fandom.  As a result, the Club released a second mock-up which included the figure’s signature face and arm camouflage as well as a different set of web gear for the FSS 3 Hit & Run.

Did those changes work?  Is this the Hit & Run that some fans have desired for years?  Do Fred and Chris agree on this figure or do we have a 50/50 split opinion?  Will I stop posting questions and get on with it?

Check out the review by clicking on the image above or by visiting the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index!  Afterwards, let us know what YOU think of this figure by sharing your opinions in the comments below.

G.I. Joe FSS 3 Alpine Review

G.I. Joe FSS 3 Alpine

The G.I. Joe FSS 3 Alpine review is FINALLY live!

We’re whittling down the backlog of G.I. Joe Collector’s Club figures that’s built up here at JBL over the past few months.  Once again I’m joined by visiting Professor of G.I. Joe Studies Chris Chung of JoeSightings.com as we take a look at the FSS 3 Alpine — a reincarnation of a Valor vs. Venom era repaint.

Was the FSS 3 Alpine worth the wait?  Does the new Boss Fight Studio breathe new life into the character?  What’s the secret to his muscular calves?  Find out the answers to some of these questions as two long-time Joe fans offer up their thoughts on this update to a classic Sunbow-era character.

Check it out by clicking on the picture above or by heading over the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index!

G.I. Joe FSS 3 Big Ben Review

G.I. Joe FSS 3 Big Ben

Oy! It’s the G.I. Joe FSS 3 Big Ben Review!

JBL continues to plow through the enormous pile of yet-to-be-reviewed G.I. Joe Collector’s Club figures with a review of the FSS 3 Big Ben!  An update to a DiC era character, Specialist David Bennet makes his debut in the generation 3 construction style with a brand new head from Boss Fight Studio!

So, what did two long-time Joe fans think of this particular figure?  Did Fred like it while Chris found it wanting?  Or, did we enter a strange parallel universe where the opposite occured?  Could something even more improbable have happened?

Click on the picture above or head on over to the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index to find out!

G.I. Joe FSS 3 Frostbite Review

G.I. Joe FSS 3 FrostbiteG.I. Joe FSS 3 Frostbite has been reviewed!

Okay, I realize that this one is a bit late.  It’s on me– as Chris, my FSS partner-in-crime, had his text to me some time ago.  Some fans might be a bit wary after last year’s “Grand Slam Gate” reveal when it comes to the 13th bonus figures but the Collector’s Club stepped up this year to complete the 1985 roster with this previously absent vehicle driver.

What did two sometimes-wordy Joe fans think of the G.I. Joe FSS 3 Frostbite figure?  Was Frostbite worth the wait?  Is he just another repaint?  Am I asking too many questions?

Head on over to the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index and find out!

 

Review: 2012 G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Footloose

G.I. joe Collector's Club footloose

JBL has a brand-new guest review of the 2012 G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Footloose renewal figure!

No, you didn’t step through a wormhole and land back in 2012!  Long-time G.I. Joe fan (and hopefully frequent JBL contributor) Otto “The Otter” Phillips offered to lend a hand and contribute some guest reviews to help fill in the backlog here at JBL HQ!

His first feature is a childhood favorite that received an updated version as the 2012 G.I. Joe Collector’s Club membership renewal figure.  Was Otto happy with this figure?  Did it live up to the nostalgia of his childhood?

Check out the review over at the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index and find out one Joe fan’s opinion!

Were you a fan of Footloose?  Would you like to see more contributions from Otto?  Let us know in the comments below!

G.I. Joe FSS 3 Spearhead and Vypra Reviewed!

G.I. Joe FSS 3 Spearhead & Max Vypra

It’s Friday!  Time to celebrate with another G.I. Joe FSS 3 review!

There’s nothing quite like the arrival of new G.I. Joe figures to turn an ordinary Monday into something a bit more exciting!  In this latest G.I. Joe FSS 3 shipment, subscribers were treated to new versions of the G.I. Joe Pointman and the newly minted Cobra Courier.

Always eager to examine new figures, Chris “Werecat” Chung of JoeSightings.com and I tossed the figures under the review lens. Were these two figures worth the wait?  Did the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club hit another set of home runs or did these two fall somewhat short?  Is Max really related to Chester Cheetah?

Find out the answers to these exciting questions and more over at the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index!

Plus, feel free to leave your own thoughts on these two new arrivals in the comments below!

G.I. Joe FSS 3 Muskrat and Slice Reviews!

g.i. joe fss 3 shipment 2

The G.I. Joe FSS 3 Muskrat and Slice reviews are up!

It seems like just a few weeks ago that my esteemed colleague from JoeSightings.com and I put forward our thoughts on the first G.I. Joe FSS 3 shipment from the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club!  In their efforts to get their shipping schedule back on the track, the Club shipped out the next two figures just before the end of January.

So, what did Chris and I think of the unlikely duo of Muskrat and Slice?  Do a Swamp Fighter and a Ninja Commando go together like peanut butter and chocolate or is this a case of repaint overload?  Does Deadpool make another cameo appearance in the pictures again?  Or, more importantly, are these two figures worth adding to your G.I. Joe collection?

You can check out both reviews and find out two Joe fans’ opinions in the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index!

Plus, feel free to leave your own comments below!

G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Arctic Threat Review

g.i. joe 50th anniversary arctic threat

The G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Arctic Threat review is long overdue!

Of all of the two-packs released thus far, this one features a pairing of characters that makes the most sense.  Snow Job is the G.I. Joe team’s premiere cold weather specialist and the Cobra Battle Android Troopers are immune to the frozen temperatures of the Arctic regions.  One is a highly trained specialized and championship marksman while the other is a relentless killing machine.  In almost any context, this is a recipe for excitement!

Is this two pack worth a purchase?  Or, is it along the lines of the “Heated Battle” which is still lingering on the pegs in stores?

Check out Snow Job and the Arctic BAT as part of the Arctic Threat review!  It’s posted in the 50th Anniversary Review Index!

Also, you can now get your 50th Anniversary fix at the Zone Comic Shop!  Check out their website for your current G.I. Joe needs!

JoeBattlelines Turns 11 Years Old!

JoeBattlelines birthday

 

Today is JoeBattlelines.com’s 11th anniversary of going online!

It was 11 years ago today that the domain “JoeBattlelines” was registered with Network Solutions and that Sgt.Savage.com officially changed hands.  Who knew that a simple offer of help with a website would result in over a decade of being a website admin?  In internet terms, eleven years makes both me and this site practically a fossil!

It was back in 2003 that I reached out to Brian “Savage” Peterson, owner of SgtSavage.com to ask if he could use any help with the website.  The reply I got back wasn’t at all what I expected– he apparently was familiar with my work at the now-defunct RingofCollectors.com and told me that I had 24 hours to come up with a domain name because he was turning the keys of the site over to me.  What followed was a hasty brainstorming session with my friend Thad and the result was “JoeBattlelines.com”.  To this day I don’t remember who came up with the name or why– I just remember that this was the best option we had.  (Back in the day you couldn’t use “G.I. Joe” or any Hasbro copyrighted term in your site name w/o express permission.)

It was a real learning curve experience for me.  I’d only helped create content for websites before but any experience that I had in managing the “behind the scenes” technical aspects of a site was entirely self-taught.  Heck, JBL’s oldest archived design was created by Brian Savage Peterson!

I won’t lie to you– the site isn’t nearly as prominent as it once was.  Part of this is due to the shifting patterns of the fandom, first toward newer website and then to Facebook groups.  There was also a period of burnout that hit this particular site admin starting around November of 2008 which lasted for a few years.  In that time, the site languished as only a ship without a rudder can.  It wasn’t until just a few years ago that I decided to blow the cobwebs off and re-stoke the boilers to build up some steam around here.

If you’re reading this, thanks for sticking with the site.  Thanks for following the topics in the forums, the event coverage, and the rambling reviews of a guy who discovered G.I. Joe back in 1982 and who never lost that love of those Real American Heroes.  Thanks for putting up with an update schedule that can only be described as “inconsistent” at best.  JBL has never been the biggest site, nor has it been the most talked about, or the most promoted, but it’s been here for far longer than I’d ever envisioned and it’ll be around as long as I’m able to keep the lights on.