G.I. Joe FSS 3.0 Repeater & Psyche-Out Review

G.I. Joe FSS Repeater & Psyche-Out

 

After a long dry spell, fans have new G.I. Joe FSS 3.0 figures!

This past week, subscribers of the G.I. Joe FSS 3.0 were frantically checking their mailboxes as shipping notices indicated that new figures were inbound!  Repeater and Psyche-Out, boasting their original vintage color schemes, comprised the first shipment– fresh off their appearance in the 2013 Nocturnal Fire convention set!  Thankfully on Friday, these two Joes dropped at JBL HQ which means that Chris “Werecat” Chung of JoeSightings.com and I have had the weekend to give them a once over.

Do these G.I. Joe FSS 3.0 figures measure up to their parts predecessors?  Are they worthwhile additions to an ARAH generation 3 collection?  Were these figures from G.I. Joe Collector’s Club worth the wait?

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

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS 3.0 Shipments Arrive!

G.I. Joe Collector's Club Figure Subscription Service logo

The long wait for the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS 3.0 shipments is about to come to an end!

This afternoon, early reports trickled in from both HISSTank.com and the Facebook G.I. Joe Discussion Group that first shipment had landed.  Those reports also confirmed the identity of the figures in the first shipment.

If you want to be surprised, stop reading here.  If you don’t, read on.

Seriously– don’t make me repeat myself.  I don’t want to psyche you out but this is your last warning.

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It’s Repeater and Psyche-Out!  (As if my heavy-handed hints didn’t give it away.)  Take a look at the pic below, originally posted by BearViper of the HISSTank forums:

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS 3 Shipment 1I’ll admit– I wasn’t expecting these two to be in the first shipment at all.  Perhaps the Club is getting the repaints of previously-released Club figures out of the way first before shipping out the newer pieces.  Regardless, after a LONG dry spell fans finally have some new G.I. Joe figures inbound!

Check out these images courtesy of Alyosha of Broken Arrow Toys!

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS 3.0 Ships Soon!

G.I. Joe Collector's Club Figure Subscription Service logo

According to the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club, the first installments of Figure Subscription Service 3.0 should be shipping in the very near future!  Check out this email from the Club that dropped in member mailboxes yesterday:

Happy New Year!

Yesterday we unloaded the container for the FSS 3.0 figures.  We are working on getting out the first wave to you this week.  You should receive the first wave by Jan 23rd.  The second wave will go out the last week of the month.  This will get us caught up from all of the shipping and port delays.

For those of you on the subscription billing, we have set the two billing dates:  February 2nd and March 16th.  Please make sure your CC is good standing before those dates.  You can change your information in thesystem so you don’t miss out!   If you are planning on moving before the end of May, you can update your shipping information at the same link above.

Thanks for your support and we hope you enjoy your new figures!

 

Brian

Now, the question remains– who will be arriving in the first shipment?  Will it be the controversial Hit & Run figure that sparked much debate amid the fandom?  What about one of the five repainted figures from the 2013 Nocturnal Fire convention set?  Or will it be the odd choice of the Night Creeper Leader v2?

(My suspicion is that the v1 with the Tiger Striped pants that was originally teased in the FSS 3.0 announcement will be included in the 2015 Convention set.)

Regardless of who it is, subscribers should keep their Eagle Eyes turned toward their mailboxes over the next few weeks as two new Joe figures are on the way!

Last Call for G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS 3.0

Today is the day– the final day to sign-up for the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS 3.0.  In order to provide that final incentive, the Club released the following “group shot” yesterday.

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS 3.0Yes, it’s just a composite image of the previews shown thus far but it provides the only real “at a glance” look  at what subscribers will receive over the forthcoming months.

It’s an interesting roster– with many Nocturnal Fire alumni, three Cobra-affiliated ninjas, a member of Action Force, and the final member of the Stall family whose saga played out in the file cards of the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra era.

As an addition teaser, the Club showcased hard resin prototypes of three of the unique headsculpts from the line that were designed by the insanely talented Boss Fight Studio team.  Seen below are the sculpts for Bombstrike, Big Ben, and the Crimson Guard Immortal.

It’s not a cheap subscription– with the subscription running $315.00 if paid in full with additional charges for both shipping and credit card processing.  (Or paid in three installments of $105.00 each.)  However, if you really want to obtain these figures and don’t want to have to deal with the hassle of tracking them down individually the subscription is the way to go– and the only way to guarantee receipt of the “mysterious 13th figure”.

To subscribe, visit the sign-up page for the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service 3.0 today.

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Previews FSS 3.0 Repeater

Better late than never, the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club starts off the week with another preview of Figure Subscription Service 3.0.  Feast your eyes on the G.I. Joe machine gunner Repeater!

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS 3.0 Repeater

 

As with many of the Nocturnal Fire characters in this series, Repeater is back to basics!  Based on the G.I. Joe Retaliation Ultimate Roadblock body, this figure is generation 3 version of the original 1988 Repeater!

Owners of the 2013 Night Force Repeater raved about the figure design when it was used in that year’s Joe Con set.  The bulky body design gave the character a lot more body mass than the original but that was fitting for a soldier who wielded the massive steadicam machine gun that came in the convention set.  This time around, however, Repeater has been downsized just a bit and is merely a “machine gunner”.

He’s got a slick painted SAW but I can’t help but miss the character’s signature weapon more than just a little.  Fans have been mixed in their reactions to some of the recent FSS 3.0 reveals from the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club so it remains to be seen if this will get the same attention that Hit & Run’s missing face paint did.  Still, it’s a nice update on the original, even if his kit looks a bit light.

If you’ve not already subscribed to the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS 3.0, you’ll want to do so before June 30, 2014!

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS 3.0 Registration is LIVE!

G.I. Joe Collector's Club Figure Subscription Service 3.0

 

“And so, it begins…”

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service 3.0 is now LIVE!  That’s right– as of now you can sign-up to receive all thirteen figures in this year’s line-up including:

  • Alpine v3
  • Big Ben
  • Bombstrike
  • Crimson Guard Immortal
  • Hit & Run
  • Muskrat
  • Night Creeper Leader
  • Psyche-Out
  • Repeater (original colors)
  • Slice
  • Spearhead (& Max)
  • Vypra

The sign-up period for the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS 3.0 ends July 1, 2014 and the figures are slated to ship in October!  Follow this link to sign-up today!

G.I. Joe Convention 2014: FSS 3.0 Line-Up Announced

In recent years the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club roundtable panel has become one of the most anticipated G.I. Joe Convention events.  The reason for this has been the announcement of the year’s forthcoming Figure Subscription Service line-up.  At a time when the G.I. Joe brand is essentially absent from retail shelves, this “members only” service is the only avenue for many collectors to acquire new G.I. Joe figures.

This year JBL was unable to attend the G.I. Joe Convention in Dallas but fortunately good friend of the site Justin Bell of GeneralsJoes.com was on hand and live-tweeted the entire panel.  I’m mirroring his images below with some thoughts on each character in the announced line-up.

First off, here’s the announced line-up for FSS 3.0:

  • Alpine v2
  • Big Ben
  • Bombstrike
  • Crimson Guard Immortal
  • Hit & Run
  • Muskrat
  • Night Creeper Leader
  • Psyche-Out
  • Repeater (original colors)
  • Slice
  • Spearhead (& Max)
  • Vypra

It’s a decent line-up that filled with characters that are sure to get fans excited.  Granted, one quarter of the series will consist of repaints from the Nocturnal Fire 2013 convention set but that set had some of the best convention figures produced yet.  Plus, given the oft-repeated mantra of how expensive everything is for the GIJCC, this level of cost-saving makes some logical sense.  So, let’s break down the figures and some possible construction options.

Alpine v2:

GIJCC FSS 3.0 Alpine v2

 

Dipping back into the well of Valor vs. Venom, Alpine v2 will be seeing new life in the FSS.  Construction for this one is a no-brainer; given the shorts and short sleeves this will most likely be built on a G.I. Joe Retaliation Kwinn body with the hard-to-find 25th Anniversary Alpine head plopped on top.  It’s a relatively easy parts combination that requires next to no new tooling– although I’m surprised the Club went with the v2 “McDonald’s color scheme” as opposed to the Tiger Force Alpine that followed a few waves later.

Big Ben:

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS 3 Big Ben

 

Big Ben is one of those Joes that came after “my era” of G.I. Joe.  He’s one of the cast who was featured more in the DiC episodes and so slipped complete beyond my notice.  However, he’s got a basic enough uniform that the club should be able to replicate his body design with ease, possibly topping it off with the 25th Anniversary Rock-n-Roll ammunition belts.  It was confirmed at the panel that he will be getting a new head sculpt as seen in the sketches in the slide.

Bombstrike:

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS 3 Bombstrike

 

I’ve made no secret of my love for the new character that were introduced in the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra era and Bombstrike is no exception!  Part of the “Stahl Family” storyline, she’s a welcome addition to my Joe collection!  For constructions I’d be surprised if the lower body wasn’t based on the Rise of Cobra Cover Girl.  The upper torso will either have to be be newly-tooled or the design altered as no female t-shirt torso exists.  I could, however, see the GIJCC using the Renegades Scarlett body as well.  A SOLID addition to the line-up!

Crimson Guard Immortal:

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS 3 Crimson Guard Immortal

 

Okay, this is one that I didn’t see coming in any way but that’s not a bad thing!  For this, I’d almost expect the Club to utilize the base body of the recent Retaliation Crimson Guard.  For the padded chest armor, it all depends on how closely the Club wants to adhere to the original design as a myriad of body armor choices exist.  While I have never had particularly strong feelings about the Crimson Guard Immortal this is an interesting entry in the line-up!

Hit & Run:

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS 3 Hit & Run

 

Justin would kill me for saying this but I’ve never been a huge fan of Hit & Run.  I don’t dislike him but I’ve never really had any strong attachment to him.  However, a lot of fans do and last year’s Nocturnal Fire version seems to have fallen short with many of them.  So, at risk of duplicating the 2009 25th Anniversary Hit & Run the GIJCC is diving in with another attempt replicate the v1 design– this time based on the Concept Case version that was shown at Joe Con a few years ago.  I have to admit, if he’s more poseable than the 25th version I’ll be quite pleased– even though it means I’ll now have 3 different generation 3 versions of Hit & Run and still not one functional version of Gung-Ho!

Muskrat:

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS 3.0 Muskrat

 

YES!  I’ve been a fan of the original Muskrat for years now and last year’s Nocturnal Fire version was a fantastic update!  For this figure I pretty much a straight repaint of the 2013 Joe Con version but it looks like his boogie board will be added to the figure’s kit.  Usually repaints like the FSS Tiger Force Shipwreck do nothing for me but in this case I’m very much looking forward to a more classic color scheme on Muskrat.

Night Creeper Leader:

FSS 3.0 Night Creeper Leader preview

There’s a quote from the TV series Firefly regarding mercenary Jayne Cobb’s bright orange stocking cap that applies here:

“A man walks down the street in that hat, people know he’s not afraid of anything.”

Yep, that’s exactly how I feel about the bright orange tiger-striped  ’93 Night Creeper Leader shown above.  There’s something about a blind-folded martial artist in that outfit that is just visually striking!  How can you go wrong with that color palate?  (It’s certainly better than the “Minnesota Vikings” ’94 version.)  I can’t wait to get this version because, well, he’s Grrr-EAT!  (Yes, I went there.)

Psyche-Out:

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS 3 Psyche-Out

 

Last year’s Noctural Fire convention set featured a stellar roster of both characters and figures but in the opinion of this Joe fan Psyche-Out was one of the best of the bunch.  The GIJCC managed to recreate a vintage character in a plausibly updated fashion and took a character whose first version could be viewed as “kind of doofy” and made him a star of the set.  I expect this figure to be a straight repaint of the 2013 convention version with no real changes to the character’s accessories.

Repeater:

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS 3 Repeater

For many fans, Repeater was one of the star’s of the 2013 Nocturnal Fire set!  The updated convention version of the character was based on the G.I. Joe Retaliation Ultimate Roadblock body and added significant height and girth to the figure when compared to the original 1988 version.  As with many of the Nocturnal Fire pieces, I don’t expect the Club to do anything new other than to re-release the Joe Con version with a more vintage color scheme.

Slice:

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS 3 Slice

Well, it was bound to happen as the first FSS contained Dice.  These two go together like peanut butter & chocolate or Batman and Robin.  A very simple recipe for this figure exists, especially given the original Dice’s color scheme.  The club has merely to take the Dollar General Storm Shadow figure and mold in primarily in red with only a black paint application.  It’s a very simple recipe when the Dice mask has been previously tooled and released for years now.  (It was initially released with the Temple Guardian Snake Eyes figure.)

Spearhead (& Max):

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS 3 Spearhead

I reviewed the vintage Spearhead (& Max) figure years ago and was very excited to get an updated Night Force version of him last year as part of the Nocturnal Fire set.  In fact, he was one of my favorite pieces in the entire set!  As with the other Nocturnal Fire alumni, I expect a straight repaint with no real changes to the figure or the figure’s accessories.  Yes, it’s a cost-saving step for the Club but anymore that is to be expected.

Vypra:

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS 3 Vypra

The original Vypra was a straight repaint of Jinx in darker colors– so I think it’s a safe best to assume that we’ll see the same here.  The most logical choice would be to use the body from the SDCC Jinx as it most directly resembles the vintage figure.  Perhaps we’ll see the kit from the FSS version of Jinx used again here?

So there you have it– one fan’s take on both the roster and the parts construction for the forthcoming G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS 3.0!  As of now I’ve not seen any details on when the sign-up period would begin.  Given the fact that no prototypes (digital or otherwise) were shown it’s probably quite likely that the FSS sign-up won’t be for a few more months with the service to start shipping in late Fall 2014.

One thing to note– apparently the Club is aware of some of the dissatisfaction that subscribers had with the “13th Figure” this year.

A big thanks to Justin Bell of GeneralsJoes.com for live-tweeting the entire panel yesterday!

So, what are your thoughts?  Are you in for FSS 3.0?  Is this an easy pass?  Feel free to leave your comments below or over at the discussion thread in the JBL forums!

G.I. Joe Con 2013: The first group shot of Nocturnal Fire is up!

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club released the first “composite image” of the 2013 1:18 scale Convention set Nocturnal Fire today!


(click to make larger)

Sure, we’ve seen the previews over the past week but there’s something about seeing all of the figures together in one shot that shows how everything comes together.  The Joes look good together while the Cobra forces are a bit less cohesive.  (You can’t blame Letal for this one– Crimson Asp and the SAW Vipers aren’t helping.)  Still, Cobra Mortal manages to look above it all in his spotless white uniform.  It’s a diverse group of figures pulling from a variety of sources of inspiration– and it’ll set Club members back a cool $360.00 to bring it home!

For registration information, keep your eyes peeled to both JBL and GIJoeCon.com!

The Breaux Show: New live weekly radio show

The Breaux Show goes live with a weekly "radio" show!

There are a metric ton of good toy-related podcasts and “geek shows” out there and now you can add one more to the list: The Breaux Show Live Radio Show!

Each Sunday evening at 9:30pm EST, video toy review and web series host Michael Breaux takes to the virtual airwaves via Google Hangout to broadcast a live 30 minute show that runs down the week’s “geek news” and current events.  This week topics ranged from the 2013 Super Bowl to the recently-revealed 2013 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention set: Nocturnal Fire!  He even featured a “hack site admin” from a “familiar Joe site” who discussed his thoughts on this year’s surprising set reveals.

In all seriousness, I’ve know the host for many years now and always find his video shows entertaining.  He’s got a lot of enthusiasm for  action figures and toys in general and it shows!

You can watch the YouTube version of the episode below and check out the rest of his work over at TheBreauxShow.com!

G.I. Joe Con 2013: Final four Noctural Fire Night Force members revealed!

Registration for the 2013 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention will go LIVE next week but the Club has given fans one final preview to whet their appetites.  The final FOUR members of Night Force have been revealed!

NIGHT FORCE: MACHINE GUNNER – REPEATER

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure
– Based on TRU Exclusive Action Figure from 1989
– NEW Head with Molded Army Ranger Hat,
– Includes G.I. Joe Logo Stand, Backpack with Steadi-Cam
Attached Machine Gun, Ammo Strip with Ammo Box,
Removable Combat Vest and Knife

 

NIGHT FORCE: LIGHT INFANTRYMAN – HIT & RUN

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure
– Based on Unreleased Action Figure Concept
– NEW Head with NEW Removable Helmet and
Goggles, NEW Tactical Harness with Backpack
– Includes G.I. Joe Logo Stand, Assault Rifle,
Grappling Hook, Duffel Bag with Carry Strap,
Explosvive Mines, Pistols, and Knife

 

NIGHT FORCE: POINT MAN – SPEARHEAD

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure
– Based on TRU Exclusive Action Figure from 1989
– Removable Helmet/Goggles, and Combat Vest
– Includes G.I. Joe Logo Stand, Assault Rifle,
Machine Gun with Bi-pod, Ammo Strip,

 

NIGHT FORCE: BOBCAT – MAX

– NEW Bobcat [Included with SPEARHEAD]

 

With these final reveals, the last of the boxed set figures have been revealed.  Honestly, it’s a SOLID group with Repeater taking top honors in this Joe fan’s eyes.  I can’t tell what torso is being used bot those feet seem to be from the new “Battle Kata” Roadblock figure that drops in Wave 2 of the G.I. Joe Retaliation line.  This is yet another instance of movie tooling making its way into this year’s convention set.  The vest appears to come from a Roadblock of a different era– the incredibly awesome Resolute figure!  Plus, it’s Repeater!!  Sure, he’s got the 30th Iron Grenadier’s weapon with the “ginormous ammunition box” but it still looks good.  Sadly, no steadi-cam mount, however.

Hit & Run is an interesting figure.  Many fans were hoping that he would be the vault figure design showcased at last year’s Joe Con.  Instead, he seems to borrow elements from that design.  I’ll have to look and see what parts are used to bring him to life but I might be seeing some parts from the 30th Lifeline figure that has been heavily reused of late.  (I have a confession to make– my 30th Lifeline is still carded until I can get around to writing a review of him.  Sad, I know…)  One thing I do miss is the signature camouflage paint on his face.  For a Night Force set I’d have thought some black tiger-striped face paint would have been a sure thing.

Spearhead looks to be a solid homage to the original figure– right down to the ammo belt that crosses his chest.  I’ll be curious to see if it’s just glued together in the final product as this appears to be the same belt that has come with most of the line’s recent heavy machine gunner figures.  I’m thinking he’s built on the 30th Anniversary Shock Viper/Viper frame with the same vest that came with the Comic Pack Firefly from back in the 25th Anniversary line.

Max— well, he’s Max!  He’s a brand new sculpted bobcat that will hopefully join the ranks of my G.I. Joe animal brigade in the near future.  (P.E.T.S. anyone?)  After all, someone has to keep Timber, Junkyard, and Order in line and it sure isn’t Polly.  (Freedom finds himself above such petty duties.)

So, all-in-all, Noctural Fire is shaping up to be a solid set from the Collector’s Club.  There are some clear winners (PSYCHE-OUT!!!), some “interesting” choices (LETAL), and some classic troop builders and new faces.  I find that overall I’m putting this set on par with the excellent Mission Brazil set from a few years ago.  Now I’ve just got to make certain that my schedule is free and that I can hit the Con this year.  (It’s right around someone’s birthday…)