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My Super Joe Unlimited Review (long)

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  • sprytel
    Talkative Member
    • Jun 26, 2009
    • 6539

    My Super Joe Unlimited Review (long)

    My older brothers collected the 12" GI Joe figures. I loved to play with them... but they weren't *my* GI Joe. That was Super Joe. He was a lot like the Mego figures I played with... but he was just a little better in every way. Super Joe was a little taller and brawnier than my Mego figures, while still being close enough in scale that he could fit in with them. Super Joe had superior articulation and "kung fu" grip, allowing you to pose him with guns and accessories way better. Super Joe even had cool action features like "1-2 punch" and a light-up chest pack. Super Joe quickly became my favorite. I ended up with almost all of the figures and accessory packs.

    Sadly, all of my figures fell apart long ago. At first I thought it was just me. In reality, it was the fate of all vintage Super Joes. The bands that Hasbro used to hold these figures together deteriorated over time (as did the kung fu grip hands). It was unavoidable-- even on figures that had been stored responsibly and never removed from their packaging. Yet, despite this-- and despite purging lots of my other, non-broken toys over the years-- I still have hung onto my orange Super Joe footlocker filled with a bunch of outfits, accessories, and "broken figure bits" from my childhood. I just had this silly dream that someday I would find some Super Joe figures that were magically immune to the ravages of time.

    I say all this because there are two (equally valid) ways to look at my review of the new Super Joe reboot, Super Joe Unlimited by White Elephant Toyz:

    1. I'm a zealot. I just admitted that these figures should literally be "a dream come true" for me.
    2. I'm one of those "stuck in the past" fans that loves the originals too much and who can be overcritical of any changes from how things were 45 years ago.

    So with those biases out on the table, let's get into it...

    Packaging
    There will be a more commercial-friendly packaging for the Cotswald versions that are coming soon. The online previews look spectacular, very much in the art style of the originals.

    On the White Elephant Toyz website, items are sold as more of a "build your own" affair. My order arrived quickly in a plain brown box with its contents well protected with bubble wrap. Inside, the presentation was pretty spartan. Everything was just in clear plastic baggies... which was just what I was expecting. My only suggestion would be to include a packing list in the box. They did pre-install the heads I ordered onto the bodies, which was a nice and unexpected touch since they were sold separately.

    Body
    The body is a masterpiece. It looks almost exactly like the original Super Joe body. The same dimensions, the same build... It even has the classic blue undies! (The undies are a small touch... but one that I really appreciated.)

    The body actually has a few improvements over the original. For starters, it has been converted into a bandless body... so this one shouldn't deteriorate. It also feels a little more substantial than the vintage body. It is held together with 4 screws for easy access to repair or customize. They even added ankle articulation that the original body lacked.

    The body does not have the "1-2 punch" action feature, but that was not present on all of the Super Joe figures... so it feels like a predictable omission.

    The articulation is mostly fantastic, although things just feel "different" with a bandless body than with the old bands. The articulation of the legs at the pelvis is the most disappointing, as the legs now bow out when putting the figure in a seated pose.

    I am really excited by how closely the shape of the Super Joe hands are recreated. However, they are now in a hard plastic, so they don't have that same kung fu grip quality of the originals... which is disappointing... especially given the fantastic soft gripper hands they made back when they were Cast-a-Way Toys.

    Head
    The sculpt looks great. The head immediately reads as Super Joe. The other available sculpts have clear nods to vintage GI Joe and look equally fantastic.

    The heads have less "squishiness" than the originals, but they are still soft.

    When compared side by side, you will notice that the new head is larger than the vintage head. For instance, a vintage Darkon helmet still fits on the new head, but his chin now pokes out the bottom. None of this is noticeable unless you are mixing vintage and modern together. Even then, it does not feel jarring.

    Clothing and Accessories
    The fabric bodysuits are tastefully updated versions of the vintage Super Joe uniforms. They feel high quality and they do a nice job approximating the vintage fabric. The crotch does hang a little low on the modern suits compared to vintage, and the new suits aren't quite as tailored at the waist. The boots are near perfect reproductions of the vintage boots.

    The accessories are definitely highlights for me. They manage to walk that tightrope of offering something brand new that still feels perfectly in place with the vintage Super Joe aesthetic. The armor is a fun new spin on the chest pack (although, it should be noted that it can be a tight fit to slip on over Super Joe's head). The guns have a great "ray gun" styling, and a clever design where the trigger guard has a gap so they can be gripped properly. Even the sword is a slight update on the Darkon lightning lance, as the new sword is noticeably thinner.

    A quick word about the belt. The website declares that the Super Joe belt is being sold "as is" because they are "stiff and hard to keep closed." However, I found that after heating the belt in hot water for a few seconds, the belts became very soft and flexible. Once I got it formed to shape, it seemed to hold its shape well after cooling. In my opinion, the belt really pulls the look together, and emphasizes the callback to the wraparound strap on the light-up chest pack. It also cinches off any looseness in the bodysuit at the waist. So despite the warning, I would recommend you roll the dice on a belt anyhow.

    Price & Customer Service
    Including a head, the base price of a "build your own" figure on the White Elephant Toyz website is $32. The Cotswold figures are currently offered for pre-order at $35. That pricing seems pretty competitive, especially for a niche item from a smaller toy company.

    I have been impressed with the customer service at White Elephant Toyz. I did have a slight mix-up with my order, but after exchanging emails with Jason at White Elephant Toyz, I am confident that he is going to make it right. (If for whatever reason that doesn't turn out to be the case, I will update my review.)

    I also got to say that I am thoroughly impressed with the folks over at Cotswold. This is my first pre-order with them. I was startled to see that my payment had been refunded, so I logged into my account and looked to see if my pre-order had been cancelled. Shortly thereafter, I got this personal email from Abby in customer service: "Thank you for placing an order with us! I just wanted to reach out to inform you we have refunded the card back... for the Super Joe Sets below. Due to our policy on pre-orders, we don't hold funds on items we don't have on hand. No worries though! This order is still active and once available, we'll contact you for payment at that time. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!" Not only is that a refreshing policy, but I love that they proactively contacted me to explain the situation.

    Conclusion
    So is it a "dream come true"? Or can it not possibly live up to the original?

    While I certainly can find room for improvement in just about every area, I think "dream come true" is the closer of the two. This is an ambitious project, well executed, and clearly made by people who love the originals as much as I do. Nitpicks aside, they are pure retro fun.

    Early reports are that these are selling well, so if you are thinking of picking these up, I encourage you not to wait too long.

    I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the Super Joe Unlimited line. I hope that it continues long enough to give us new versions of other vintage figures, such as the Shield and Luminos. I'd also like to see more retro-inspired knockoffs to go with "Atomic Mike" and the teased Krusher... perhaps something Bulletman-esque. I could also see them extending this line with more "accessory packs." Helipak? Yes please!

    Or, you know... if White Elephant Toyz really wants to get crazy... perhaps they could make orange footlocker carrying cases! I have a feeling I'm going to need another one to hold all of my new Super Joe goodness.
  • Starroid Raiders Dagon
    Persistent Member
    • Apr 28, 2013
    • 2162

    #2
    Excellent review. Had the same good experience with Cotswold. Looking forward to getting the figures in hand.

    Comment

    • monitor_ep
      Talkative Member
      • May 11, 2013
      • 7362

      #3
      Really like the review and stand on the points you made.
      Visit my wiki site:

      Comic Books in the Media

      To view my custom works of both JLU and Megos go to:

      Monitor_EP Deviantart page

      Action Jackson Road Trip log

      Comment

      • ODBJBG
        Permanent Member
        • May 15, 2009
        • 3143

        #4
        I have nothing to add really and agree with all of your assessments.

        I find the body suits a touch ill-fitting, not bad, just not a little wonky from certain angles, but the belt seems to help that. One of my bodies was a little loose. Not terrible, but not as tight as i would have liked. I also feel like the figure is leaned a little forward or something and I find myself trying to "straighten him up" but the legs don't go any further back. But this may just be a weird mental thing I'm doing.

        Overall though, I think they're really nice and have me hyped for Super Joe and other future releases.

        Comment

        • Starroid Raiders Dagon
          Persistent Member
          • Apr 28, 2013
          • 2162

          #5
          I'm happy to have mine, but I had to cut and re-sew the crotch area as it looked odd. I debated cutting holes at the ends of the legs but decided one cut was better than two. My belt(s) wouldnt stay closed. I tried sanding (FYI, that the armor is not pigmented plastic and is painted) the latch part to see if the pegs would hold but it didnt make a difference, so I glued it in place. The one thing I find "off" design-wise is the suit icon being partially obscured by the armor and the armor icon being right above half of the suit icon. I think the armor should fully cover the suit one. Maybe that is an odd thing to think is off but it seemed like that to me. The body and head are excellent. Really happy for this release.

          Comment

          • sprytel
            Talkative Member
            • Jun 26, 2009
            • 6539

            #6
            Just a quick follow up on my customer service comments. I received my shipment today, and not only did they send me a replacement for the item that was mis-packed , they threw in some extra goodies as well. I was confident they would make it right, and they definitely did.

            Comment

            • sprytel
              Talkative Member
              • Jun 26, 2009
              • 6539

              #7
              Originally posted by Starroid Raiders Dagon
              I'm happy to have mine, but I had to cut and re-sew the crotch area as it looked odd. I debated cutting holes at the ends of the legs but decided one cut was better than two. My belt(s) wouldnt stay closed. I tried sanding (FYI, that the armor is not pigmented plastic and is painted) the latch part to see if the pegs would hold but it didnt make a difference, so I glued it in place. The one thing I find "off" design-wise is the suit icon being partially obscured by the armor and the armor icon being right above half of the suit icon. I think the armor should fully cover the suit one. Maybe that is an odd thing to think is off but it seemed like that to me. The body and head are excellent. Really happy for this release.
              You make an excellent point about the icon placement. Now that you mention it, it does seem a little odd that they don't align between the bodysuit and the armor.

              Comment

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