GI Joe Marauders 7-Pack: Bull, aka Taurus

Now, I am going to take a look at Taurus.  First off, Taurus is the latest victim of the copyright bandit.  His new name is "Bull."  I'm not sure I like that name - reminds me too much of Night Court.  Oh well...

Anyways, Tau--, I mean, Bull is a part of the BigBadToyStore exclusive GI Joe Marauders 7-Pack.  Bull was originally seen in animated form in 1987's GI Joe: The Movie.  This movie can be purchased at the Shout Factory store.

My first introduction to Taurus actually came from the pages of Marvel's GI Joe Order of Battle issue 2.  This mini-series basically served as a way of showing all of the filecards in comic book form.  I remember getting this issue in December 1986, thinking that I would get to see the Joes that ended the alphabet.  Excited to (re)read the bios for Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, etc, I was extremely perplexed to see bios for Tunnel Rat, Outback, the three Sgt. Slaughter's Renegades and Rocky Balboa (!).  This was my first introduction to the ever-changing toy market that is still so prevalent today.

Like Mercer, Taurus reused parts from other figures:

• The torso, waist and upper arms are from the Recondo from the Pursuit of Cobra line.
• The lower arms and hands are from the Night Adder from the Rise of Cobra line.
• The thighs are from the Comic Pack version of Ace.
• The lower legs and feet are from Wild Bill from the Rise of Cobra line.

Fortunately, he does have a new head.

And a great headsculpt it is!

All in all, another great addition to my collection.  Highly recommended!!!

Marauders 7-Packs: Mercenary, aka Mercer

The first figure that I am looking at from the BigBadToyStore exclusive GI Joe 7-Packs is Mercenary.  This character was known as Mercer in the 1987 Sgt. Slaughter's Renegades 3-pack that was released.  Mercer, along with the other two Renegades, was featured in the direct-to-TV feature, "GI Joe: The Movie" (which can be purchased at the Shout Factory Store.

This is a really nice figure.  Like other figures in the boxset, Mercer's parts are made from several other figures:

• The torso, waist, and upper legs come from 2010's Shock Trooper.
• The arms are from the Arctic Assault Storm Shadow from the Rise of Cobra line.
• The lower legs and feet are from 2010's Zartan from the Pursuit of Cobra line.

Fortunately, the head sculpt is new and I love the scowl that he gives.

I have been out of the Joe-collecting hobby for a little while now, so I am extremely impressed with the assortment of accessories that come with these figures. 

I do like that the vest is removable and that the little knife actually fits into its sheath.

Overall, I am really enjoying this figure and enjoy this reintroduction into the GI Joe hobby.

BigBadToyStore Exclusive GI Joe 7-Packs!

I finally took the plunge and bought the BigBadToyStore exclusive GI Joe 7-Packs of the Marauders and the Dreadnoks.  These sets are really great! 

The Marauders set consists of Mercer, Taurus, Red Dog, Lt. Falcon, Low-Light, Barbecue and Spirit Iron-Knife.  The Dreadnoks set consists of Road Pig, Gnawgahyde, Thrasher, Zandar, Burnout, Zanzibar and Zanya. 

I am going to be looking at these figures in more detail over the upcoming weeks!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  This is going to be an exciting year!  I am looking forward to Botcon 2012 and G.I. Joe Retaliation!