Review – G.I. Joe 12″ Cobra Trooper

“One of the nameless, faceless legions of Cobra command. Each Cobra trooper is highly skilled in the use of explosives, all NATO and Warsaw Pact small arms, sabotage and the martial arts.”
— from the back of the box

While Hot Toys may craft higher-end, expensive 12-inch action figures — and they do a remarkable job — it’s Sideshow Collectibles that create the 12-inch action figures that are both spectacular works of art and actually affordable (for someone with my toy budget). I may be a serious fan of the 3.75-inch scale toys, but I can’t help but love a lot of Sideshow’s 12-inch work. And, as I’ve said repeatedly in the past, I have a weakness for evil soldiers so the instant this Cobra Trooper went up for pre-order I added him to my cart.

I am very glad that I did, because this is an amazing work of art.

Packaging

The Cobra Trooper comes in a standard Sideshow Collectibles window box with magnetic flap. By opening the flap the box swings open to reveal two windows, one showing the figure and the second showing the (many) accessories. It carries over some design elements from the classic G.I. Joe packaging of the eighties but is thoroughly a Sideshow box.

One major problem with 12-inch action figures is if you decide to keep the boxes. As you collect more figures you get stuck with more and more massive boxes, but it’s tough to throw these away because when it comes time to move — and there will always be a time to move — there’s nothing better than the original boxes to pack the toys. I usually throw away toy packaging — unless it’s spectacular artwork on its own — but I’ve been keeping all of my Sideshow boxes and it’s turning into a problem.

I cannot justify renting a storage unit just to store empty boxes.

A Ton of Stuff!

The first thing that you notice when you open up the Cobra Trooper is just how much stuff the geniuses at Sideshow Collectibles packed in the box. The product description for the toy outlines the items perfectly so I’m just gonna quote that right here.

“The Cobra Trooper 12 inch Figure features:
* Fully articulated Prometheus male body with 30+ points of articulation
* Cobra Trooper portrait with facemask
* Helmet
* Shirt with COBRA insignias
* Pants
* Boots
* Detailed belt
* Smersh rig with buttpack
* AK 74 with folding stock
* AK 74 magazine
* AK 74 bayonet with sheath
* Gun sight
* Grenade launcher with round
* Kneepads
* Handgun with magazine and leg holster
* Canteen with fabric cover
* 3 sets of interchangeable gloved hands
* 12-inch display base with Cobra logo “

It’s an amazing amount of stuff (a lot of it tiny, so be careful when playing with the toy because it’s easy to lose some of the accessories) and a lot of it fits in the backpack and hangs on the harness that fits neatly over the figure. Just like 3.75-inch G.I. Joe action figures are significantly improved by excellent accessories, this 12-inch Cobra Trooper also benefits from the accessories that are packed with him. Most Sideshow Collectibles toys come with great accessories and poking through all of the stuff is one of the best parts about opening a new toy in the series.

And all of these accessories look great, from the sculpt of the grenades to the assembly of the backpack and harness (which looks flawless and beautifully manufactured to me).

Perfect Paint

When you buy one of Hasbro’s 3.75-inch scale G.I. Joe action figures you’re pretty much guaranteed that there’s going to be some sloppy paint in places. Fortunately, when dropping $100 on one of these Sideshow Collectibles action figures you don’t need to worry about the paint; in the “you get what you pay for” department, the paint on this Cobra Trooper is amazing, with the eyes and facial details almost life-like and the perfectionism carrying all the way to the boot details. There’s not a lot of painted details on this toy — the clothing and accessories carry most of the color details — but what has been painted has been painted by a pro. Every spot of paint looks like it was applied by a masterful toy customizer and I have no complaints at all with the paint apps.

Articulation

Using the Sideshow Collectibles “Prometheus” body — read about the Prometheus body at the Sideshow blog — the Cobra Trooper has almost-wonderful articulation. The bulky clothing limits some of the toy’s articulation, which is to be expected, but the serious articulation problem is in the ankles; the heavy boots that the action figure comes with completely prevent the ankles from moving at all, which negatively impacts the poseability of the toy.

The only thing that I can think of that would have worked would have been if the boots were constructed from a softer, almost rubbery plastic. As the toy exists, though, the hard plastic boots make the feet immovable and locked into position. Very frustrating when I’m trying to pose the Cobra Trooper in anything but a standing position.

Is it Worth $100?

A very, very tough question. I’m quite happy with the look and feel of the 12-inch scale Cobra Trooper, but when you look at it from a “what you get for the money” point of view I have to admit that I could have grabbed 12 Resolute Cobra Troopers (review here) for the same price as this guy. And a squad of 12 troopers would certainly look great on the toy shelf.

But none of those figures would be quite as stunning and dramatic as this Cobra Trooper is. For me, I think this was a good buy because it’s poseable and impressive, and because I love the look of various scales mixed on the toy shelf. I don’t buy many 12-inch action figures, but those I do buy I find I spend a little more time with than I do the smaller figures. I’m not sure if it’s the size, the details, or the accessories, but something about (great) 12-inch action figures really captures my attention.

A fanatical G.I. Joe collector, or an obsessive 12-inch scale action figure collector, will no doubt find this a great buy at $100. A casual collector, though, will probably be very disappointed in this piece. I recommend finding one of these at a store, con, or a friend’s house and spend a little time with it before deciding on whether or not it’s worth $100 to you.

It is a very cool piece.

Closing Thoughts

There was a time when I wasn’t a fan of 12-inch action figures, but that was back before I’d had a good look at the high-end action figures on the market. Companies like Sideshow Collectibles and Hot Toys have done a lot to change my — and many collectors’ — thoughts on 12-inch action figures, and this 12-inch scale Cobra Trooper is a great example of just what can be done when true craftsmanship and love is poured into a toy.

There will very likely come a time in the future when I don’t have room for all of the 12-inch action figures that I’ve picked up and at that time I’ll be forced to sell off some of them. I’m pretty confident that this Cobra Trooper will survive any clearing out of toys, because everything about it ties directly into what draws me to new action figures; it’s well-produced, a fictional evil soldier, comes with a lot of great accessories, and even has its own stand.

Good job, Sideshow. This is every bit as good as the 12-inch stormtroopers I’ve picked up and fits in perfectly with them.

For another close look at the Cobra Trooper take a look at this post at Cool Toy Review. Tons of great photos of the toy to give you a better idea of how this action figure looks.

Philip Reed also has a Sideshow Collectibles 12-inch Cobra Commander that he really needs to share with everyone.