The harness faithfully creates the classic Airtight’s uniform details and looks sharp. Even better, there’s no bulge around where it snaps together. It does its job by not looking like a bulky add-on. That’s about the best thing that could be said for this type of construction.
For articulation, Airtight’s got a few areas where I’d like to see improvement. The cool unmasked head restricts the neck articulation to a swivel joint and I wish the figure had the new ball-ankles with the peg going into the foot instead of the leg, but the rest of the articulation works great. Ball-joints at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and ankles, double hinged knees, and the ab crunch. One of the ball-jointed wrists is turned sideways to get some great two-hand gun poses and that really opens up the figure. As you’ll see in the Page 2 Gallery, he’s just fun to play with.
Not too much paint work here, but what’s there is pretty clean. The clear-molded helmet does let light through in a few places it shouldn’t, but I don’t mind – I love seeing his eyes through the visor.
Airtight also came with a good complement of accessories. In addition to the removable helmet and harness, we’ve got his classic purifier rifle and backpack (with a hose to connect them for good measure) and then some more realistic gear in the form of an oxygen tank (two backpacks, one peghole – which to choose?), a shotgun (for really hostile environments…), and what I’m going to call a Geiger counter even though it doesn’t quite look like it. Airtight can hold all the gear well, though I’m always a little disappointed when I can’t stow the gear on the figure – adding a tab on the backpack for the purifier rifle or a peghole at the belt line for the counter would’ve been awesome. Airtight also included a basic stand.
I decided to kick things off with Airtight because he’s a great example of how I’m not completely overwhelmed by nostalgia. I never had Airtight as a kid. I wasn’t all that familiar with him or the uniform differences that made him not Scoop or not Lightfoot. I did like the bright colors and those are decidedly vintage (though they honestly work great for this type of containment suit), but other than that this guy had to impress me on his own, with no memories of Airtight fending off Sludge Vipers or Toxo-Zombies from my youth to aid him in currying my favor.
But, as it turned out, he didn’t need it. He’s got an excellent sculpt that only barely blocks the fantastic articulation and plenty of gear – so much they I can’t even decide the best to display him. I love the air tank and the filtration pack! Airtight is another example of what I want Hasbro to do – classic figures in modern flavors. I’m happy to pick up more militaristic takes like the 2010 Beachhead and I will be buying some Retaliation figures, but figures like Airtight here make me happiest.
Okay, seriously guys, I’m not going to make these giant galleries for every Joe review. I didn’t intend to do one here, but he was just too much fun and I got a little carried away. I hope you enjoy the pics as much as I did shooting them, but please don’t give me too much of a hard time when a figure from this case pops up with a simple six image review!
And no, my Mobile Commander Center was not harmed in the making of this gallery. I have two and one indeed was salvaged from the flood that wiped out most of my toy collection when I was a wee tot.
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Great Airtight Review! Your reviews of Joes have been making me pine for my old MCC which was lsot long ago
Thanks!
I may never be able to replace some of the other larger items – I still keep my Flagg flight deck out in the cellar, but that’s nearly all that survived, but I snagged the MCC when they re-released it a few years ago.
they RE-released it? When was this?
I thought you just bought another one off ebay or something?
they REALLY need to re-release the Terror Drome!
2003. Joe Vs Cobra: SpyTroops series. TRU exclusive:
http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/03/mcc/
Also you are putting my Joe pics to shame noisy! š
Not at all! Your JoeFest over at Plastic Graveyard has been awesome! I’ m trying to skip the Marauders 7pk and you’re killin’ me! Keep up the great work!
Thanks!
Yeah it really is a great set..I am suprised by how much I like it, normally I am a bad guy type of dude but the SM set has really sold me on a few of these guys!
Thanks ever so much for putting in the extra effort on Airtight. I did have him as a kid and he was my least favorite from ’85 (along with Barbecue) due to the factor you mentioned: The coolest thing about Joes is removable helmets. They add so much to both the fun and value of owning each figure. Airtight is frequently mixed in with the other two “Mustard Joes” (Lightfoot and Scoop) who have the removable helmets working in their favor. Over the years though, I’ve grown to respect the character for his specialty and the comics have helped a lot in this regard.
This is the first time we’ve seen Airtight’s face in plastic form. The clear visor and extra accessories make the awesome meter go off the grid here. A truly fantastic figure among what may amount to the last great wave of classic characters until Retaliation comes and goes this year. It’s really a shame that the 30th Anniversary is coinciding as well.
Regarding the movie stuff, I’m planning on getting Dwayne and Bruce along with the new Crimson Guard and Night Viper provided that they don’t go the way of last year’s highly expected Kwinn figure.
Thanks again for another excellent review and picfest!
Thank you!
It’s so sad about the helmets. It’s such a silly thing, but it really makes a big difference. Even 25th Barbecue has the same affliction.
It was his being a Hostile Environment trooper that got me in trouble. I was going to just do a simple/quick review, but then I wanted him fighting Hazard Vipers, and then I wanted to do the dio… one thing led to another all the way until the wee hours of the morning! LOL
I haven’t looked into the movie stuff too much beyond wanting RoadRock and Joe Colton. I need to check out the Gaurd and Viper if you’re giving them the Clutch stamp of approval! I’m still bummed about Jinx being at SDCC more than aything.
By the way: That was an AWESOME dio story!!! Airtight and Barbecue were badass. I would pay good money for a printed version! Way better than most of the recent comics out there.
LOL I don’t know if it’s that good – I wish I hadn’t skipped from them leaving to them just being there – how cool would a shot of Airtight using the Geiger counter to find the Vipers have been? Or Barbecue actually tossing the axe?!. But I do appreciate the sentiment, thank you! š
Dammit Noisy! I thought I already quit buying Joes! You’re making it hard on me to stay Joe free…
It’s hard not to pick these up, but on the bright side the movie will quickly steal their pegs!
I come here for the superhero reviews, but I love your G.I. Joe reviews. As an 80’s kid I was very entrenched into all things Joe, and these figures have a great nostalgia factor to them. I love that these originals have been improved on in so many ways in sculpting and accessories. Sadly I don’t collect these because the best thing about the 80’s Joes to me where the vehicles, but every time I see one of these reviews I get very tempted. Feel free to continue the storytelling. It’s working.
Thank you, Tommy!
The vehicles are what get me too – I bought the Crimson Hiss, but I don’t have room to open it. I wanted the Steelcrusher & the Mark IV VAMP, but I just don’t have the room. And the new Skystriker! Ugh! Joe vehicles are an important of the line and it’s so hard not to buy them (but they just take up too much space right now!).
The story today was great! Man, keep that up and we’ll expect it every review…
Thanks!
I know… I really gotta stop. š
Great review as always!
Airtight is one of my favorite Joes, largely because of the cartoon but also just cause he had a helmet on.
I love my Airtight 30th and I’m glad you did too.
Thanks, Rex!
Airtight turned out really great. Definitely a sleeper figure for me in this assortment.
This was EXACTLY the one I was hoping you’d review. I likewise started recollecting joes very recently (Lifeline was my gateway since he was always my favorite). I got a bunch Of the Pursuit of Cobra and 30th guys, some of which I loved (Alley, Hazard and Zombie vipers) and some of which I was sort of Ho-Hum over (Spirit, Zartan, Quick Kick). I wound up returning a bunch I’d realized I bought just to buy (Stalker, Law & Order, Jungle Viper and Steel Brigade). I’m still sitting on Sci-Fi, Dusty, Techno Viper, Skydive and Airtight unopened and I was hemming and hawing on keeping the last two. This totally sold me on Airtight!
Are you a vehicle guy at all Noisy? I picked up a POC Fury loose and it looks badass covered in Alley Vipers.
I love Lifeline! I’m definitely looking forward to opening him here soon. I’m also really happy with Sci-Fi and the Techno-Viper (though he’s not as a good a figure as some of these others, that just happens to be one of my all time favorite vipers and I’m biased).
I love the vehicles, but I’m just so pressed for space! I had all of the 25th stuff right up through that giant Target pack with the two tanks, but I just couldn’t keep up with the room needed so I sold a lot of it. I’ve got the Crimson HISS and I wanted that Mark IV Vamp but never got around to buying it and it appears to be gone from the shelves. The vehicles are what makes Joe so awesome I think.
I’ll have to check out that POC Fury! Is it similar to the Fury of old?
I…geeked out a little there, didn’t I.
That’s what we do around here. š
I didn’t have the original Airtight, but maybe the Eco-Warrior? or was that Deep-six??) I know I did have Barbecue (a favorite), and Scoop and Lightfoot, later on, tho.
fun little story, btw!
Deep Six was an Eco-Warrior along with a few others (I enjoyed those), but I don’t think they brought Airtight back for that sub line.
And thanks!
found Airtight, Lifeline, and Techno-Viper (Ripcord, Steel Brigade-? and Scarlett, who NO ONE seems to want!) at Sullivan today on way back up from Waynesville. grabbed Techno, almost grabbed Lifeline (he’s even got little paddles! LOL). I had to pass on Airtight, tho. He’s just not standing out much for me.
(sucks they’re advertising that awesome Stormshadow on the back, too!)
Awesome pics there. BTW, the “Geiger counter” is an accurately modeled Smiths Detection HGVI Gas & Vapour Identifier. I’m really impressed at the amount of detail that Hasbro put in most of their Pursuit of Cobra and 30th Anniversary G.I.Joe figures (the ones that weren’t blatant “Frankenjoes”, at least).
Thanks!
And thanks for the heads up on the Geiger counter – I was so wrapped up in the “classic” look for that particular tool that it didn’t even occur to me that he would naturally have a modern version!