Thanks largely to reuse, articulation is what we’ve come to expect from the club. The ball on the neck is partially limited, but the ball joints on the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and ankles all work great and there are double-hinged knees for good measure. Everything but the neck works pretty well and technically we can blame the neck articulation on Cross-Country’s mullet.
The only real issue I had with the figure is the paint. Some years ago, the one year I signed up for the Transformers Club, I got a horribly painted Sideburn figure. I loved his alt mode, but as I wrangled up his bot mode, half the paint on his face was smooshed together. He looked terrible. That was the one of the first years I signed up, and it put me off. Luckily, my Joe Club figures have been much nicer since, but I still always worry.
Cross-Country, unfortunately, has a few issues that bring Sideburn back up. You’ve surely already seen the pics with the white of his eye running well into his cheekbone. Eww. The good news is that I can fix that, but a lot of other little areas pop up under close inspection – the hair paint falls well short of the ears, the red stripes on the socks aren’t cleanly done, the paint on the holster is chipping off. And there’s just a lot of bleed where the paint doesn’t flow with the sculpt as well as it should. Most of these are little nitpicks, but together they added up to him not being a terribly great painted figure.
Cross-Country included his filecard, basic Joe stands, and three accessories. I loved all the gear. He has a standard rifle which he can hold well, but I love his vintage pistol more. He holds it well and it looks great in the holster too. More fun still was the wrench! It’s a little gummier than I’d like – maybe it’s a comedy prop wrench – but it’s the kind of off the wall accessory that’s right up my alley.
Overall, I’ve got a little clean-up to do on the paint work, but I’m excited the Club has taken Cross-Country off the need list. The new head sculpt and vest look fantastic and some fun accessories make for a nice release. The only thing I can’t figure out is if I want to get the Club Exclusive H.A.V.O.C. Mk II. I never did have the original (my ol’ Cross-Country was a Yard Sale purchase) and while I think the Snowcat in standard green looks sweet, it just doesn’t say H.A.V.O.C. – maybe Jungle Cat? Can Recondo drive a vehicle? Anyway, I’m glad to get Cross-Country. As long as the Club keeps popping off great versions of the Classic Joes, I’ll stay on the hook for sure.
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Love the last comic!
I’ve gone on record that the RAH line isn’t my Joe, but I admire the work here, and that fans are getting desired figures.
But look. I know RAH isn’t about realism. There’s a veneer of reality that’s used but on the whole, it gets a bit wacky, right? OK, I can go with that. But man, what the HECK is the deal with this guy’s bandoleer?! Over the shoulder, across the chest (and over the vest zipper), then UNDER a pocket, continues to his side where it seems to vanish only to reappear out of a slot on his back…implying it must pass around INSIDE the vest. Um. How exactly does he put this thing on? And what kind of vest is that? It has aspects of both a battle gear load-bearing vest and body armor. God help him if he has to ditch that thing in a hurry!
That bandoleer thing really sticks out and just bugs the nerts out of me. 🙂
So, 50th Anny coming up and…no classic 11 3/4 inch Joe love? Good lord, 50 years…
Get the old HAVOC; it was a great vehicle.
The parts list is as follows:
-Head and vest sculpted by Boss Fight Studios
-POC Shock Trooper torso
-ROC Sgt. Stone upper arms
-POC Desert Battle Storm Shadow lower arms
-POC Snake Eyes hands
-ROC Zartan upper legs
-ROC Flash lower legs
Bah. These hard-to-get characters are why I gave up on G.I. Joe.
I just want them to get around to re-releasing the STUN, Thunder Machine, and Night Raven SP3. Is that so wrong?
Yeah, I’m not too keen on spending $300 to get a Footloose figure.
Can Recondo drive a vehicle?
Well, he used to fly a helicopter back in his Tiger Force days…
Was that a Chip Chipperson reference???
Great update of one of my most beloved figures from childhood.
Yeah, paints not great and the glossy paint on the elbow is first-time customizer level but whatcha gonna do? The est and head are awesome and the parts choice is solid. Very happy. I NEED a Sunbow repaint of this guy.
Those four figures pictured above are the only reasons I signed up with the club. Not sure if Arctic Mindbender will justify a fifth year, though.
I agree that the best two of the four are Footloose and Cross-Country. The vintage driver can’t hold a candle to everyone’s favorite stoned out Infantry Trooper, but that’s not the case with their modern versions. While I prefer the more realistic style of figure which Footloose represents, I’ve grown to love Cross-Country as a character in both the Sunbow cartoon and in the comics, largely due to Larry Hama’s excellent use of the guy over the years. Cross-Country is one the most likeable Joes ever and an updated figure was long past overdue.
I had the original (WITH HAVOC!) and I still have to prefer those original sculpts over the “modern updates”. I know I used the HAVOC a lot back then, but he wasn’t left behind, but a regular B-teamer.
(Man, I’m gonna drop SO MUCH at Kokomo to replace all my storage losses IF/when I get my money….!!)
CC does look like a re-enactor stumbled into the PITT and just started hanging out, but there is a slight charm to his look. Altho… I can’t help but think he’d be a might touch redneck, if y’all get my drift.
I hate the 25th style bodies. Every figure is crooked. They cannot stand perfectly straight with all the parts lined up correctly. One leg always loks longer than the other, the head sculpts are to small or to big and the chest/waist joint ruins them.
I wish they would go back to the older body or the VvV body or better yet create a new one and get rid of the chest joint.
I did used to collect the 25th and movie figures but getting them here in the UK was not an easy task. The 25th’s were all over priced. But with the poor sales of the ROC movie the toy prices came down drastically, we were able to buy the Night Raven (£40) for £7 etc LOL. After that they didn’t release any of the Retaliation stuff here. Also the scalpers on Ebay put the price of the stuff way up. Not that I cared about the figures but some of the vehicles would have been nice for my vintage figures like the Tomahawk etc……but then again Hasbro had to mess up and change the foot and back peg hole sizes. 🙁
Never had as a kid but did like the character and loved the HAVOC. Would still have it today I’m sure. Have to say not a subber but would look for this guy at a con or show. Looking for updates now on alot of figs so any of thess guys would be fun to own. Price wise is the iffy part for me though.
I will say I would go with the Vintage. The Jungle Cat (good name by the way) just seems like its 2nd cousin.
Now a question, If Hasbro finally got around to a real Transformers/GIJoe crossover line for retail. (Transforming vehicles) who would be the HAVOC? My mind keeps thinking Ironhide.
more likely Bulkhead I think, if Hound is the Vamp.
“It seems like every time I get a G.I. Joe lately, it’s some hard to get convention exclusive, some figure you have to be part of a club to get, or part of a hefty subscription.” precisely what pushed me (a guy with a freaking Cobra tattoo) out of of Joes.