GI Joe 30th Anniversary collection- Lifeline
I reckoned I'd start off with one of the newest additions to my collection- I came home Friday to find this fella (as well as a couple of others I'll get to soon) waiting for me in the mail, courtesy of Brian's Toys. As soon as I opened the box, I was struck by two things:
1. This is a hell of a good looking figure, and the packaging has been perfectly updated from the classic/25th style cards. I wish the file cards were still file shaped, but that's another post.
2. Is that a gun?
Now, in case you're not too familiar with the GI Joe universe, Lifeline has traditionally stood out for one reason in particular- He's a pacifist. He joined the GI Joe team strictly as a medic, and his pacifism has often been a major plot point in the cartoon series (Maybe in the comics, too- I'd stopped reading as a kid by the time he'd have been introduced). It's something I always really liked about the character- He's so dedicated to saving lives he joins a team that represents everything he stands against, because he knows he can do the most good there. That is a Real American Hero. Unfortunately, upon opening him up up, I discovered he in fact comes with 2 guns, and a holster for a 3rd! I check the file card, and there's no mention of Mr. Edwin Steen's previous philosophical standpoints. What a bummer.
Well, on to the good stuff. Like I said already, this is a great looking figure. He appears to be another Hasbro Frankenfigure, but in this case the parts come together to make a nearly flawless update to a great figure. They once again make use of the legs of Snake Eyes v54, aka the greatest GI Joe figure of all time, with an appropriate change of glue on pouches and holsters. He's got the cool new jointed wrists and a great head sculpt, which I think is new, but I'm not sure.
As Hasbro has figured out big time lately, the accessories make or break a figure. In this case, they put what was already a winner right over the top.
He comes with a plethora of medical gear, including a syringe (which just so happens to fit nicely in the chest holster), IV bag with attachable tube, Defibrillator paddles, and an oxygen mask (which, with a little forcing, fit into the leg holster- Making my Lifeline once again weapon free. I can overlook the knife). Also included is a trauma board, and a remold of Destro's badass money case from the Pursuit of Cobra line, repurposed as a medic case, holding much of the abovementioned gear.
So is this figure a winner? Well, outside of pissing me off by changing the thing I liked best about one of my favourite characters, it's not just a winner, it's a champ. I really hope the movie doesn't derail this amazing roll the big H is on lately... You know, like last time.
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