I got the links to my Skybound Joe compendium PDFs the other day, so I'll have to figure out what volume that issue is in so I can read it for myself.

Of the reveals, Zandar is the only one I'm interested in, but Law & Order will be an instant preorder when they become available.

@ru1977 I absolutely see where you (and others) are coming from, but to jump right to the internet argument ender: NAZIS! Nazis make terrific bad guys and -have- been bad guys in various media. But you're pretty unlikely to find anyone willing to put swastikas on action figures (for now).
Obviously the blue hood issue is way less serious than that since it's not a direct parallel but more of an allusion to something very bad (we've also never gotten a Marvel Legends Hate Monger) - but I would say they're in a similar space from a marketing standpoint of just not being something the company wants to be seen as producing, even as 'the bad guys.'

I think the issue is that action figures are very unique in the nerd space because they are objects taken out of time and context. Cobra Commander on your shelf, or on the floor of a kid's bedroom, is just 'a dude in a very concerning hood.' In comics and TV and movies you can do it because you can't really, except intentionally, divorce the character from the intent and context. The toy, once produced, is just a toy like any other.

So anyway.. yes - using that look on a villain makes sense from a design, storytelling, and artistic perspective. Definitely doesn't make a lot of sense to make it as a toy in the Year of Our Lord Twenty Twenty-Four unless you're selling him at political rallies and one of his accessories is a Tiki Torch.

I'm sure a hooded CC will show up eventually, the same way the Marvel team tried to sell us Satan Mephisto. By then, though, I'll already have modded my Commander with the blue-hooded fella from Fresh Monkey's Soldiers of Fortune line. 

I’m of the opinion a hooded CC will eventually show up. I understand the reasons why he would be controversial so I don’t think he’ll show up at normal retail where parents and kids will see him on a toy shelf. He’ll probably be an exclusive or locked into a future Haslab as a big incentive. I think Hasbro knows this and why they keep pushing him back due to controversy and demand. They’ve got other versions of CC they can safely push out first and string us along. 

Lots of reviews of the IG/Storm Shadow/Alpine/BAT wave starting to show up.  YoJoeJerk changing my mind on Storm Shadow.  His butterfly shoulders really engage, like a good modern McF figure.  New pants mold, not just the same SS legs.  

Kind of a shame the hood isn't removable but it certainly functions better than non-glued hoods.  And his katana sheathes still look upside-down.  How do you even draw out of those?

EDIT:  Answered my own question https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIYAmdQbQmE&t=68s

Storm Shadow...another leftie?  Early 20th Century school teachers are rolling in their graves!

Amazon has his release date on Dec. 1st...dang are these refresh cases or is everyone still waiting for the first shipment?

The few reviews coming out of the new Stormie aren't really changing any of my opinions. There seems to be a good figure under there but some absolutely bizarre decisions. The stupid shoulder bullshit seems to make it so that you can't remove it but keep the rope, because the rope now won't sit right and will be too loose.

All the stupid butt flaps are stupid and butt and ALL designers and artists, the world over, need to fucking stop with the butt and crotch flaps. Just stop.

The inverted scabbards are just so weirdly specific of a call-out. He's not wearing the swords high enough for that to be necessary (in fact, he's wearing them low enough that it's probably not practical to wear them that way). And if they really wanted to do the 'samurai style' wear, why not give him a sword and a wakizashi or tanto -- you know.. something he could draw with his off-hand rather than two full-length swords. And what are the scabbards supposed to even be attached to? They're just tied together and hanging there perfectly aligned? That's not how any of this works. And why is he wearing them on his right side? What's the obsession with making everyone left-handed in the Joe-verse?

Even just the paint. I'm gutted seeing the Classified team going the Marvel Legends route with these primer grey sword blades instead of, you know, fucking painting them. Night Creeper's swords have painted silver blades and they look excellent. Why go backwards like this?

Yeah.. just.. bad decisions. In my opinion. That is, decisions that have turned a design I really like into one that I'm fairly turned off by.

That review guy sounds like his soul is stuck in a Good Guy doll.

I was disappointed when this Storm Shadow was first shown off, and that review did nothing to change my mind. At this point I just hope that entire belt/scabbard/overchunk part can be removed and still look good, because it's just too much.

Is the Cobra Valkyries set any good? It looks cool but I'm not sure if I wanna get it or not. October is gonna be full of stuff coming out and another $55 may be a little too hard to do right now. And I mean full. October has so much shit coming out I don't know if I'll have the money honestly. I should but, it may be tight.

Posted by: @theknightdamien

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The inverted scabbards are just so weirdly specific of a call-out. He's not wearing the swords high enough for that to be necessary (in fact, he's wearing them low enough that it's probably not practical to wear them that way). And if they really wanted to do the 'samurai style' wear, why not give him a sword and a wakizashi or tanto -- you know.. something he could draw with his off-hand rather than two full-length swords.

100% agree with you there.  I took more time to think about it and will still pass for now for a number of reasons, many of which you listed.  If anything it would just be to buy him for fun, not expecting much.  

Posted by: @trunks3540

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Is the Cobra Valkyries set any good? It looks cool but I'm not sure if I wanna get it or not. October is gonna be full of stuff coming out and another $55 may be a little too hard to do right now. And I mean full. October has so much shit coming out I don't know if I'll have the money honestly. I should but, it may be tight.

I think they're great.  The only drawback is lack of torso articulation.  But if you like female cobra troopers, you might enjoy them.  You can decide if you are okay with the webgear colors before buying, many people only want one color or the other.  

If you are unsure about the Valkryies, you might want to wait when Pulse has another sale. At some point in the last sale, they sold out temporarily, but came back soon after and remained in stock since. Seems like Hasbro made a bunch   Planning to get another set at the next sale if they don’t disappear before then. 

The gear color doesn't bother me as much, I can just paint it if it does. The guns being that color is a bigger issue. Painting those would be a little harder since they have alot of ways to rub it off. It's an odd color choice.

Twilight Guard just became my favorite of the year. Don't know if its the very Skywarp color scheme or what, but it works. Shoulda got 2.

@leor thanks for the tip..kinda wanting that set also, so I may hold out like you said.

Posted by: @trunks3540

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The gear color doesn't bother me as much, I can just paint it if it does. The guns being that color is a bigger issue. Painting those would be a little harder since they have alot of ways to rub it off. It's an odd color choice.

I've seen some letting all the tan gear sit in black rit dye. I e never tried that method but considering it.

Be careful with rit dye rubbing off on other plastics!  some people have had good luck but I've also left dyed pieces in parts bins and seen them contact-dye all sorts of other soft plastic parts.