Alexx Shorts: PoC Dusty (11/8/10)

Well, this is it: I've finally decided to start reposting my old "Alexx Shorts" G.I. Joe reviews.  They're the reviews that lead to what eventually became this blog!  I'll be posting them in straight copy-and-paste format, separating them with bold dotted lines so you know where they begin and end, and then I'll post some final thoughts on what I think of the figure currently.

For those unfamiliar: I used to take random pictures here and there, but by the time the Rise of Cobra toys came out, I was getting annoying with how much people had been bashing the figures which were clearly better than the previous 25th Anniversary offerings.  I set out to show people how awesome they were, and things went from there, forming into "Alexx Shorts", named so because I thought I was going to keep to a short format with a few pictures.  I did not do that.


Yet another of the many, many winners of Pursuit of Cobra:

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Hello again, folks! After sleeping through a month and a half, I'm back! Yes, back to review toys you've probably already picked up in spades, by now. 

Back when I got Dusty, I couldn't wait to review him! Then I waited anyway.

I gotta say that this is possibly THE stand-out figure of wave two. I know I gushed and gushed about the Jungle Viper, but his awesomeness kinda overshadowed his little flaws, for me. Dusty here...well I'm hard pressed to find flaws. Granted, I am also a little biased: for some reason, the 91 Dusty was a particular favorite of mine back in the day. I'm almost always a fan of the masked figures first, which leads me to liking Cobra more than Joe. I dunno what it was about that version of Dusty, but I guess it was something about how simple he looked.  This new Dusty's head somehow manages to look a lot like the 91 Dusty to me, and I think that plays a part in why I like this figure so much. The 25th line celebrated the 80's, and I was a 90's Joe kid, so I didn't get many of my favorite interpretations. This is kinda like an update to an old favorite!

So, without further months: lets get started!

Dusty has the same simple description that most of the figures have. He's a desert specialist, there's a list of cool stuff a desert specialist is good at, and a short description of his favored weapon.

Oh yes, and he's quite good with putting up barbed wire in precarious positions, apparently...

...but we'll get to that later (I'm not gona let that one go). Let us have a look at our Dusty!

And what a dusty Dusty he is! To my knowledge, this is the first time Dusty is actually...well, dusty! It's a great sandblasted look that makes you think his skin is dry as a bone to the point of being scaly. You can also see it in the weathering on the pants. This Dusty has been in the desert! A lot!

Best part about 'em (without any of the gear) though, is the headsculpt.

Ignore the fact that I made fun of it (because I make fun of everything) and look at that sucker. Every so often, some sculptor on the Joe team over at Hasbro managed to sculpt something so lifelike that you'd think the figure was going to talk to you. This is one of those figures. Just like the 91 Dusty looked like a regular dude to me, this one pulls it off effortlessly. He looks determined, and maybe even a little tired. It doesn't matter what angle you put it at; it just looks FANTASTIC.  It's only one of many things that makes this figure awesome, though.

Technically he doesn't come with a whole lot, but it's one of those cases where less is oh so much more. He comes only with what he needs: two choices for guns, a classic helmet with goggles, and a completely enclosed helmet for the dust storms. Add in the optional scarf/cloak thingy and you have multiple options with only a couple accessories! Nothing overwhelming, either. It's one of those kinds of things that'll have you switching gear often and preparing him for different missions.

And oh yes...he comes with barbed wire. For trapping enemies.

Oh that Dusty...such a kidder. Now, of course, I'm not saying the barbed wire was a bad idea. I don't have any joe sized barbed wire, after all! So it's really cool to get. That doesn't make it any less hilarious. Especially when they make special mention of it in the filecard as the item of choice for Dusty when trying to trap enemies. Not that you wouldn't do that if you have nothing else, but...oh hell, you're used to my sense of humor by now.

Moving on!

The other part of what makes him great is that his articulation works perfectly! He can even hold his weapons firmly! I suppose I could say that he could stand to hold a better kneeling pose, but what figure can do that well beyond the 25th v3 Snake Eyes? Even then, Dusty still does it pretty well. That's the only gripe I can think of! The range of motion in the legs is awesome, the head has a decent range, the elbows bend in at a little more than 90 degrees, the ankles can point the toes or bend inward, the double joints in the knees actually allow you to use his large kneepads, and the chest joint can bend inward and side to side even with the large pocketed belt.

 What else?

There's even a decent range of movement for the masked head, and that's WITH the scarf on! There's no doubt about it here folks: I think they've made a perfect figure. When I think of G.I. Joe, I think of this figure. This should be used as a standard for how all figures should move. It should serve as a standard for detail. It should serve as a standard for sculpting. It should serve as a standard for useful accessories. In short: if you haven't bought this figure yet, then it should be because you can't find it. Otherwise, I'm not sure what you're looking for in a G.I. Joe toy, unless the look of this figure just does not appeal to you. This is an fantastic Dusty, and most importantly, it's a fantastic TOY. Pick 'em up without hesitation.

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I feel like I'm starting to repeat myself here, in the midst of these Pursuit of Cobra reviews.  I've mentioned "effort" and "unique" and all that good stuff.  I stand by every word in this old review.  If you're still into G.I. Joe and don't have this figure: Get it.  Even if you're just a fan of the scale.  This was G.I. Joe in it's PRIME, for the recent years.  You can't pass this up.  MAXIMUM.  EFFORT.