Here we have Comic Pack #12. While it contains two figures who have already had previous releases in this iteration of the line, these figures are nothing to sneer at. But feel free to sneer at me for ending a sentence with a preposiotion. What's so special about they guys? Well, read on....





Scrap-Iron here is a great representation of his original 1984 look. True, the blue is a bit brighter, but that's not such a bad thing, is it? I'm always wondering if I've got some sun damage on my version 1 Scrap-Iron. The blue's so odd I can never tell. So perhaps the coloration of this figure has more in common with the Comic 3-Pack version 3. Either way, it works for me.
The figure uses the same head mold as the Extreme Conditions version, but the selection for the body parts are a bit different. Using Cobra Trooper (v6) and Viper (v16) parts yields a fairly decent generic look, but when the red vest is added, the parts seem to come together perfectly. The scratches on his face have caused some discussion as to its novelty, but it seems as though Hasbro is playing up the scar Scrap Iron had in his original card art (best seen in our archives with this Canadian carded Scrap-Iron). It does add a bit of character, especially when you take off his goggles and glimpse that dead right eye of his.

Scrap-Iron comes with the full complement of accessories his predecessor did - that great rocket launcher with remote and a pistol. There's no holster for the pistol, though it can be wedged into the empty knife holder on his left thigh. However, I would advise against this as it will eventually stretch out the prongs, possibly to the point of breaking. And who wants to break their toys? (Those of you who taped firecrackers to their Joes as a kid, pipe down!)


This here's Wild Bill (v12) and.... hey wait a minute! Didn't I already review this guy? Yes, unlike Scrap-Iron, we've got a straight repaint on our hands. All the pros and cons of that mold are still there, just in a nice, bright powder blue! To those of you wondering why Hasbro would put Bill in this rather garish tan, orange, and blue ensemble, I must simply roll my eyes and mutter in disgust. We real (and incredibly snobby) fans know that this figure's color scheme has some true history to it. That's right, Hasbro gave us the Sunbow Wild Bill! In a comic pack. Not a DVD Battles pack. Well, I didn't claim to know everything Hasbro's thinking. It is an interesting place to put a cartoon shout-out, but I don't necessarily mind. We've already got the normal olive-drab color scheme.

The included comic shows a battle in the desert between the Joes and Cobras. Something I like about these comics have been that while they are stand-alone stories, they seem to only be a small part of larger, untold narratives. Some may find that frustrating, but I find it stimulates my imagination to makes me want more. And that's how you always want to leave your audience!