{"id":27815,"date":"2014-05-07T08:23:19","date_gmt":"2014-05-07T13:23:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=27815"},"modified":"2014-06-30T23:50:23","modified_gmt":"2014-07-01T04:50:23","slug":"g-i-joe-club-membership-figure-cross-country-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=27815","title":{"rendered":"G.I. Joe Club Membership
Figure: Cross-Country Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> It seems like every time I get a G.I. Joe lately, it\u2019s some hard to get convention exclusive, some figure you have to be part of a club to get, or part of a hefty subscription. Well, it seems that way because it is that way. G.I. Joe is not retail friendly right at the moment. It exists almost entirely thanks to its Collector\u2019s Club with a little help from the company that owns it (doesn\u2019t it seem it should be the other way around?) I know there\u2019s a smattering of 50th Anniversary stuff coming to TRU, but, well\u2026 smattering might be generous considering it\u2019s celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the brand*. Oops.<\/p>\n

* – Never mind the celebratory releases are product not related to the first 18 years of the brand. Double oops.<\/em><\/p>\n

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While Hasbro has been at the mercy of retailers and the difficulties of franchise management, Fun Publications has stepped in to keep us nostalgia folks interested (or hooked, depending on your point of view). They\u2019ve been using the subscription figures to dig a little deeper into the Joe mythos and find some interesting characters to update (or make for the first time), but I\u2019ve probably been most happy with their Club sign-up figures (the ones you receive for joining up and subscribing to the newsletter). In the last four years, they\u2019ve knocked out some huge holes in fan\u2019s want lists. <\/p>\n

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For 2014, the figure was H.A.V.O.C. driver Cross-Country. Out of the four he may be one of the best. Dial-Tone was just okay and Iceberg lost out on that terrible noggin\u2019, so It would come down to Footloose or Cross-Country for me. I might lean towards Footloose \u2013 those traditionally clad Joes still hold a soft spot in my heart, but I can\u2019t deny how great Cross-Country really is. <\/p>\n

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I\u2019m not sure where all the parts hail from \u2013 I just can\u2019t keep up with the movie figure parts thrown in the mix (I think the movie Flash toy is the lower half, no guess on the top), but Cross-Country looks like they picked the right parts from head-to-toe to nail his look. For the body, the vest is all new. I guess that it\u2019s technically an accessory, but it\u2019s so vital to the figure\u2019s look that I\u2019d consider it just part of the main figure. It looks sharp too, faithful details and a good update to the classic colors. <\/p>\n

The only thing I\u2019m not a fan of, and this is endemic to the line for seven years now, is how bulky the upper torso becomes in relation to the lower torso. I kinda wish Hasbro, when sculpting the original pieces, had thought more about the final product. If they\u2019d just designed the bulk of the vest to balance out the lower torso (make it bigger), the figures would come a long way, further than they already have (MOTUC has the same problem, refusing to have a smaller chest for heavily armored characters). <\/p>\n

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Atop the body is the best new piece though, a new head from Boss Fight Studios. They did an amazing job on the face sculpt. Their work makes Cross-Country feel like the unique character he should be and they top it off with his classic goggles and confederate hat to seal the deal. He looks sharp! Continue to Page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n

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Thanks largely to reuse, articulation is what we\u2019ve 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\u2019s mullet. <\/p>\n

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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. <\/p>\n

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Cross-Country, unfortunately, has a few issues that bring Sideburn back up. You\u2019ve 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 \u2013 the hair paint falls well short of the ears, the red stripes on the socks aren\u2019t cleanly done, the paint on the holster is chipping off. And there\u2019s just a lot of bleed where the paint doesn\u2019t 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. <\/p>\n

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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\u2019s a little gummier than I\u2019d like \u2013 maybe it\u2019s a comedy prop wrench \u2013 but it\u2019s the kind of off the wall accessory that\u2019s right up my alley. <\/p>\n

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Overall, I\u2019ve got a little clean-up to do on the paint work, but I\u2019m 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\u2019t 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\u2019 Cross-Country was a Yard Sale purchase) and while I think the Snowcat in standard green looks sweet, it just doesn\u2019t say H.A.V.O.C. – maybe Jungle Cat? Can Recondo drive a vehicle? Anyway, I\u2019m glad to get Cross-Country. As long as the Club keeps popping off great versions of the Classic Joes, I\u2019ll stay on the hook for sure. <\/p>\n

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More G.I. Joe Reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/table>\n

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For all our Reviews, check out our
\n Review Index<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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