Review by Fred Meyer & Chris Chung
Pics by Fred Meyer
 

 

G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

Who didn’t want to be a member of the G.I. Joe team back in the 1980’s?  

 

My friend Darrick.  We all belonged to Steel Brigade except him.  Loser!

 

Thanks to the Steel Brigade promotion that launched in 1987, fans could send in their information and receive a custom-printed file card and a special “masked” Joe with a code name of their choosing.  It was one of many of brilliant moves from the then-current marketing time that cemented the brand’s status on toy shelves around the world.  The promotion ran through 1989 and then saw a redesign in 1992 with a brand new color scheme. Now, 22 years later that color scheme resurfaces with a promotion in rank and a brand new purpose.  That’s right-- the Steel Brigade Commander is part of the Zombie Initiative to halt the Compound Z outbreak!

G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade CommanderG.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

In terms of body construction, this figure features nothing new.  It’s the body used for the revision of the 30th Anniversary Steel Brigade figure.  As such, the body is entirely that of the fantastic Pursuit of Cobra Snake Eyes figure with the head of the Pursuit of Cobra Beach Head.  Everything else on the body, from the tac-vest to the added collar to the modified knee pads are all from the most recent Steel Brigade figure-- which makes complete sense given that this figure is meant to be the unit commander.

 

Unfortunately the lack of no new parts limits the figure.  His ‘J’ grip hands with the thumbs bent down (whose idea was this glaring flaw?) instead of the reliable ‘C’ grip does little to secure a good hold on his weapons, and no one ever bothered to address the leg issue whereas the left leg is shorter than the right leg, making him unable to stand with his legs together unless placed on a stand.  (Please note: the flaw in these legs were brought to the attention of Derryl DePriest and John Warden at the 2013 convention.)  

 

What makes this figure unique from its predecessors is the brand new color scheme. Clearly an homage to the 1992 Steel Brigade v2, this caught the attention of fans as part of the Concept Vault display at the 2012 G.I. Joe Collector’s convention.  Rather being labelled as another trooper, the figure was showcased as the Steel Brigade Commander and the change definitely resonated with people in the fandom.  As such, it was a no-brainer for the Club to produce the figure that was based entirely on existing tooling.

 

This was a good move on the part of the Club to get us this version.  Hasbro missed an opportunity to sell these guys in different deco troop builder sets when PoC was still active, but at least someone found a way to get him to us.

 

This was also welcomed by me on a personal level, as this was the version I had as a kid.  I didn’t get the tan and blue version until I was well into adulthood.

 

One thing that is immediately apparent with the Steel Brigade Commander is his fairly simple color scheme.  The entire body of the figure is molded in dark blue plastic with paint apps applied only to his elbow pads, leg straps, boots and belt.  That’s it-- and the result is a figure that looks a bit more “Dollar General” than “G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention” in terms of color.  The only real color found on the body beyond these minimal applications comes from the green tac vest and black bandoleer-- with only the bandoleer bringing any additional paint applications to the mix.  The tac vest, which was nicely detailed when it was released with the 30th Steel Brigade is released “straight out of the mold” with no additional color added.  Some fans might argue that this is more of an homage to the original vintage figure but to me it feels more like I’m looking at an unfinished prototype rather than a newly-created premium convention figure.

 

Fred, you hit the nail on the head.  This is a very plain and boring figure in terms of color.  While nothing wrong with that on the surface as they were trying to match the vintage one, the problem lies in the fact the Club didn’t do as much as they could have to spruce him up and make him look a little better than the vintage version.  His vest palette is a bit too bright, and it’s a sin they didn’t paint on the straps.  And what’s with the black turtle neck that comes out of nowhere?   

G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

Honestly, there's not much to say about the head sculpt on this one. We've seen it before from figures like the Pursuit of Cobra Beach Head to the generation 3 Steel Brigade. So, it's time to move on to something a bit more exciting-- the figure's kit!

G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

In terms of gear, the Steel Brigade Commander has a varied kit that provides some unit cohesion with the other Generation 3 Steel Brigade figures and yet still allows for some customization as well.  Included with the figure are:

 

  • 12 Gauge Tactical Short Shotgun (Iron Ridge Arms custom kit)
  • G-36 assault rifle
  • M4 assault rifle with bayonet
  • Panzerfaust 3 anti-tank rocket launcher with Z+ rocket
  • Bandoleer
  • Steel Brigade helmet
  • Backpack with painted shovel (more on this later)
  • Pistol
  • Silencer
  • Turtleneck
  • Knife

 

Yeah, this guy is loaded for bear.  Obligatory gripe on nonsensical and unrealistic “Club gray” weapons aside, the G36 seems redundant since he already has a M4, but this gives fans the option to pick whatever rifle they want to use.

 

It’s also interesting to note his shotgun is a custom kit from Iron Ridge Arms, not an actual production model, so when Hasbro made the weapon, they likely just saw a photo online and decided it looked cool enough to make.

 

One other comment I’d like to make, is a seemingly rampant propensity of white stress marks to develop in the plastic on many of the Club weapons.  I’m not sure if they are of lesser quality, or if it’s the coloration that makes it easier to see the marks, but it’s something that really needs to be addressed.

 

None of this gear is new which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.  The pistol and silencer have become standard equipment for any figure that uses the Snake Eyes legs and the carbine rifle and shotgun work well to in a “Zombie containment” capacity.  The M4 rifle seems to be the standard rifle of the Steel Brigade and I’m not surprised to see it included here.  The inclusion of the rocket launcher amuses me only because of the “Z+” munition.  Apparently, the SBC is going to cure the infected “en masse” by blowing them up!  The only accessory that I have any issue with in this kit is the backpack and this has more to do with the paint application used than anything else.  

 

C’mon man, read the comic!  It’s a Z+ gas aerosol warhead… just on the 60AG High Explosive Anti-Tank Rocket-Assisted DM12A1 warhead…   It’s called suspension of disbelief! Okay, I’ll be quiet now…

G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

The folks at the GIJCC opted to give the Steel Brigade Commander’s shovel a gold paint application-- seemingly to tie into his gold colored helmet.  Normally you don’t see a golden shovel outside of ground-breaking events but that’s a moot point.  See-- the issue isn’t the color at all but rather the fact that months after owning the figure I find that the paint is still tacky to the touch.  In fact, it has utterly failed to bond properly to the plastic of the backpack at all and can still be scraped off with nothing more than a fingernail.   At first I thought this was just something idiosyncratic to Madmac41’s SBC figure until I received my own in the mail and discovered the same thing.  Seriously, it’s a slip in QC that I find to be very surprising as I’ve never had this issue with a retail release before.  I might just be nitpicking but I expected better from a Joe Con figure.

 

Mine have the same issue, and it’s unfortunately common with some metallic enamels.  An easy fix is to use Testors Dull Cote or Gloss Cote.  That will put a coating on the paint and remove the sticky feel to it.  

G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

At the end of the day, is the Steel Brigade Commander a figure that is worth acquiring?  Given the text above, my response might prove surprising.  When the Zombie Initiative roster was slowly revealed by the GIJCC prior to Joe Con 2014, I had ZERO interest in this figure.  I’ve never been much of a Steel Brigade fan and the lack of paint apps just made the figure seem “cheap” to me.  Yet, when Madmac41 brought his figures over and I got them “in hand” I found that I kept coming back to the Steel Brigade Commander.  In spite of his garish color scheme and sticky shovel there was just something about this figure that appealed to me.  A hasty “Buy-It-Now” that afternoon ensured that my own figure would arrive shortly.  He’s not the shining star of the Zombie Initiative set but he’s a surprisingly decent figure who serves as a visual center for my small group of 30th Steel Brigade Troopers.  So, while I can’t say that he’s a “must have” he’s definitely a figure that I find I enjoy more and more.  Of course, that’s this one Joe fan’s opinion.

 

Yeah, this entire set was seemingly haphazard in personnel, but despite his flaws, this is still a decent figure and a must-have for Steel Brigade fans, or fans trying to get all the vintage line into modern incarnations. 

 

On a related topic, I have heard much grumblings and have even seen some eyes roll in the community at another David Lane vanity figure based on his prior self-named “Steel Brigade Commander” character introduced in the 2005 convention set, but I’ve been told very vigorously by Club staffers that this is NOT the same character that was in the 2005 convention set, but just a regional SB Commander of the platoon that was exposed to Compound Z.

 

The Bottom Line:  He’s not an essential addition but the Steel Brigade Commander is a surprisingly fun figure in spite of some bizarre paint oddities.

 

G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

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G.I. Joe Zombie Initiative Steel Brigade Commander

 

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