Hasbro's gotta do the CORE. Hasbro's gotta do the most popular. Maybe they do a poll around the US : Who are the most recognizable GI Joe characters? Duke, Snake Eyes, Cobra Commander. The triad of GI Joe.

I can deal with this Duke. We gotta assume by now that H is taking the original designs and giving them an updated sculpted style. So while we'd love definitive versions, that would be another line or theme. Maybe when H did Duke for JvC (uh, the more-articulated version), there were hoping fans would embrace that version as the definitive. And I bet they were hoping they could push that JvC SE (the articulated version) as the definitive too. Hard to say since comic and toy are pretty separate now.

So for a figure based on the original, he looks pretty good. Can't expect much more from the old ARAH Duke, right? It this reasoning that I worry about Roadblock. Will he be as boring as his v1?

I will be out of character being a dukie hater here: this is the first Duke I have ever desired to have and own (never ever owned a Duke or planned to...even S6).

25th Duke
 

I thought it looked cool. The detailing is superb. For a 38 year old collector like myself, it beats all the other versions. Uh,who was the guy flipping me off with the Cobra sigils? Cobra Commander maybe?

Yeah, I have to admit, it's probably one of the best versions.



BUT.... Why is Duke the most popular and most recognizable? Because everytime HAsbro makes a picture with a bunch of joes, who's out front? He's popular bacause they made him that way! :P LOL!

Same here. Most of my Joe friends know that I really HATE Duke. But this one I want to put hands on.

lol. That was Fred who was asking (me) not to hotlink to his stuff. ;)

I kinda like it, though I must agree he does look a little scrawny. I like the Storm Shadow that was posted there too.

First off, That Duke is cool and I'm gettin him!

Second, Hasbro gave that fig Star Wars points of articulation! An even more poseable joe!

He does look a little gangly... he's pretty slim, and the rolled up sleeves help make him look tall too. And in a turn of irony, 25 years later, the head could maybe be very, very slightly bigger...? I like the additional articulation, so long as the ankles don't swivel (Depth Charge) -- you can't quite tell from Duke but it looks a possibility, rather than the JvC Snake Eyes (which I would MUCH prefer for these figures)! I'm a little worried about the waist, though, as from this pic it looks like they'll be swivel-only if they're articulated at all...

Hasbro did say they're doing the "definitive" versions of the characters or something like that, so unfortunately it doesn't look like we're going to get anything cool that might have been added post-'86. Shame, as I'd love to see a DDP-style Scarlett in this line... I bet they do Snake Eyes v2, though, instead of having everyone in a v1 outfit. Unless there's 2 Snake Eyes in the 25...! I really, really hope they make it to mass-retail. Imagine them on the end display of an aisle at Target -- they'll probably catch more casual shoppers' eyes, there'll be people who see the 25th thing and think "25 years? Really?" then look closer and say "Hey, I remember these guys! They look great, a lot more detailed than the ones I had as a kid!" and probably end up leading to a LOT more sales than if collectors out looking for them are the only people who really get to see them... Hell, the DTC packaging probably would have helped a little in that respect, but they didn't have the iconic character designs...

Not as thrilling as stormy, but better than the version I use (tiger force v1). I will buy this.