Sideshow Collectibles' line of G.I. Joe 12-inch figures has been incredible from the start, but I was particularly excited about the release of the Crimson Guard. Meant to be the absolute elite of Cobra, the Crimson Guard always had one of the coolest costumes of any of the Cobra soldiers with its vibrant red coloring and oh-so fancy details like the aiguillette on the shoulder -- something only Cobra Commander himself shared among the Cobra ranks -- and distinctive backpack.
The Sideshow version of this figurine is another homerun for the company, including all of the details you remember from the classic figure along with new additions that add a ton of cool factor to the character. As is typical of Sideshow, the little touches are excellent and very appreciated, such as the intentional imperfections on the helmet, showing where some of the "red paint" has been scraped away, revealing the metal underneath.
One concern I had from the photos released (including those on the packaging) was just how shiny the costume looked – giving it much more of a fetishistic leather look than the Crimson Guard uniforms looked in the past. Thankfully, the actual final figure is toned down considerably, with cloth pants and a more subdued coat.
That coat features a cleverly designed front piece that uses small magnets, allowing it to be easily removed when putting on the backpack, which has straps that then are hidden behind the front piece once it’s fastened back into place.
As for that backpack, it’s one of those ridiculous but true adult geek moments I must confess to: I was far too excited to realize that – unlike the original figure -- it could be opened up, with specific slots to store many of the accessories that come with the figure, such as additional ammo.
"No waaaaaaaay!" - The Children of 1985.
The specific figure we were sent by Sideshow was the exclusive version, which is unfortunately now sold out. That version had a second head featuring an unmasked Crimson Guard, allowing you to place a “Fred” head on the figure. But the helmeted version is plenty great on its own, with another really well designed look (great job, 1980s Hasbro team!) that stands out among G.I. Joe characters.
My only complaint is one that sometimes occurs with these Sideshow figures – the details are so great, but sometimes, given the size of these figures and their accessories, it’s very easy to damage the delicate parts. The Crimson Guard soldier comes with several weapons, including the signature rifle with bayonet the original action figure had. And in one of Sideshow’s trademark touches, you can actually remove the bayonet, as you could on a real gun. The only problem is this involves some very thin plastic connections on the rifle and blade – one of which broke off on my first attempt to attach the two. The pieces still stayed together, but it did make the blade a bit more wobbly on the end than I would have liked. So those buying this figure should be especially careful when attaching or detaching these parts.
The price points on Sideshow figures remain notably high, especially remembering when their figures used to run about $50.00 each. The Crimson Guard is $139.99, which is a lot of money, and anyone who wants to “collect them all!” with this line is potentially putting thousands of dollars in to do so. But for those who are being selective and waiting only to buy certain favorite characters, I’m guessing quite a few will be tempted by the Crimson Guard – one of the best designed characters from the 1980s G.I. Joe toyline, given an incredibly well-done upgrade here.
The Crimson Guard can be purchased at SideshowToy.com
Now where's Tomax and Xamot, Sideshow?! These Crimson Guard can't lead themselves after all...
Source : ign[dot]com
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