25th Ann. GI Joe Wave 4 Two Pack Firefly and Storm Shadow

Package Description
STORM SHADOW is hunting his former COBRA ally FIREFLY…but what’s his motive? STORM SHADOW encounters deadly surprises in the booby-trapped building FIREFLY has prepared for anyone who enters…but ultimately it’s FIREFLY who’s in for the bigger surprise.

Appearance

STORM SHADOW
I have plenty of Storm Shadows, so this one is a nice variation on his white suit. I’m sure most if not all of the body parts are reused, but he still has a fairly unique look on the display shelf. The color choices are for the most part very good. The skin tones and white areas do not have a bright or hard plastic look which plagues some figures. What really helps the tone of the figure is that there are no large areas of unbroken color. The many color transitions are well defined and natural, giving Storm Shadow a more realistic look. There are also many textures, from the grooves on his chest straps to the wrinkles in his clothing. In short there is a lot going on visually with this figure, and it works together well.

None of the joints are obvious or ugly. There are a lot of nice details in the figure, such as the hilt of the swords. There are a couple of minor details, like the pack on his back should be red, which could be fixed. Overall I do not have any problems at all with the appearance of this figure. Storm Shadow will look good by himself, with Firefly, or in an established collection.

FIREFLY
This Firefly has a darker paint job than the single carded figure. The body, limbs and head are the same as is the overall paint design. The vest and pack are new as far as I know, and this Firefly comes with removable goggles. The darker color works well on Firefly, helping to mask the texture of the plastic. Like Storm Shadow, there are lots of color and texture changes on the figure. The noticeable details are just on the vest and pouches though. Firefly looks a little plainer than Storm Shadow, but standing next to him has a nice light/dark contrast.

None of the joints are obvious or ugly. The paint jobs is good, and the removable goggles work well. The real highlight of the figure is the pack which opens up to reveal a gas tank, explosives, and a flashlight. Overall this figure looks better than the single carded figure, and I’m generally satisfied with it.

Articulation
The articulation is standard for the 25th Anniversary figures. The range of motion is generally good, although I wish the elbows bent more. For the ninja characters it would be nice if Hasbro would design joints with a greater range of motion, but they can do about anything other Joes can do.

Poseability
Storm Shadow and Firefly can do what you would expect from 25th Anniversary figures. They hold onto their weapons well, and have pretty good balance. They look great fighting each other, but can also go on display by themselves or with other figures. These are two great figures for a Joe collection.

Final Judgment: 7
I was really happy with the way these figures turned out. There are a lot of details and textures to set these figures out from earlier versions of the characters. What really helps the score is that there just isn’t really anything I can pick out as something I don’t like about these figures. These are excellent figures and a good buy.

SCALE

10. My favorite possession.

9. My favorite action figure.

8. One of my favorite action figures.

7. An excellent action figure.

6. A good, but not exceptional action figure.

5. An adequate action figure.

4. Not worth the money I spent.

3. I'll give it to somebody's kid.

2. I'll give it to somebody's dog.

1. It's going to lose a fight with my car.