While I absolutely love the cartoon style and retro packaging of Super7's G.I. Joe ReAction Figures, I've got a lot of figures. Perfectly painted 5-jointed figures as they are, you can't collect everything. But when it comes to clearance? Well, maybe you can - I found this Red Ninja about two months after it hit stores, on clearance, for about $5.29. I can't say no to that.
The 3 3/4-inch figure is a red Storm Shadow, appropriate for Target's exclusive and a decent looking figure to boot. Normally these guys are about $18, which is not too out of line for lower-run figures where a license is being paid out. A similar product from Hasbro is $10-$12, but the paint is a bit better and some of Super7's products - especially the G.I. Joe ones - look closer to small maquettes or mini character models translated to plastic. The poses aren't quite as toy-ish as the old days, but it looks perfect in its cardback presentation. (Especially for five bucks.) The pose is basically classic "toy solider," standing at attention. The joints swing cleanly, allowing you to put this Cobra operative in most Kenner or Fisher-Price 3 3/4-inch scale vehicles. Since a lot of Hasbro vehicles require knee joints to bend, he may not fit in all of those.
The red outfit is pretty uniform, with fleshy bits on the arms, hands, and around the eyes matching nicely. Black belts are decorated with silver painted weapons and a Cobra logo, plus on-board storage for swords on his back. It's a tight fit to store those swords, but they fit in his hands perfectly. The same can be said for the bow - it look wonderful, but it has no back storage. At least he can hold it well.
In my advanced toy collecting years, I've got a lot of plastic - but if I were collecting carded G.I. Joes, this is the line I'd want plastered on my wall. Big, gorgeous artwork and colorful figures presented in a bubble that nicely shows off the accessories look great. However I open all of my figures, so I'm the kind of person who would ultimately just rip them right off the packaging and have a great time.
It's hard not to like the familiar form factor, but you probably have multiple 3 3/4-inch red ninja figures from various lines already. I'd recommend getting any Super7 ninja figure if the price fits your cash-blowing needs, and if you're a big fan of cartoony looking figures. The classic o-ring figures have much more movement going for them, but there's no rubber band to snap here and there's no needing to balance the figure just-so. And no breakable thumbs. I'm also currently on an old action figure kick, so this scratches that itch even though better figures are available from this particular license. I'm more interested in the style, and other than a little rough red paint on the side of the mask this one has style to spare.
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