Toybox REVIEW: G.I. Joe Classified Series Storm Shadow

Release Date: June 2022

RRP: $22.99/£21.99

While I'm admittedly not the biggest G.I. Joe fan out there, the bits of media from the franchise I've consumed I've always had a good time with and there's just something I love about the designs of the various Cobra members. The Joes themselves are great, but I'm a villain guy first and foremost and the ruthless terrorist organisation has some brilliant characters that are right up there with the very best of 80s bad guys. As such the G.I. Joe Classified Series line has given me the chance to finally pick up some of my favourites in six-inch form, and near the top of my list has always been Storm Shadow. This white-clad ninja and rival to Snake Eyes might not always be on Cobra's payroll, but he's pretty synonymous with them nevertheless. Despite being the one that best represents his most iconic look G.I. Joe Classified Series Storm Shadow is actually the third version of the character to be released in the line – following on from the "Arctic Mission" and Snake Eyes movie versions.

Storm Shadow is the 35th release in the Classified Series line, and falls in the mass release side of the toy line. This means he comes in the line's standard packaging, featuring some absolutely gorgeous artwork of him on the front and spine as well as that post-worthy artwork of all the whole G.I. Joe/Cobra crew on the back. The other spine features a number of infographics presumably listing Storm Shadow's abilities, however there is some level of deciphering required to know just exactly what each one means. Inside the figure and accessories are stored on a moulded plastic tray, backed by a rather nice card sporting the Cobra insignia.

The Classified Series started out providing G.I. Joe fans with new versions of the characters, that added a modern twist to their most established look without straying too far away from what made said look so iconic in the first place. Storm Shadow is a ninja fully clad in white, so that's exactly what we get here. It’s a great looking figure that's instantly recognisable as Storm Shadow, featuring plenty of moulded texture and billowing across the outfit to compensate for the lack of colour. The bandages around his wrists and shins however have been given a wash of grey plastic, which really brings out the detail. The only other main bits of colour are of course the bright red Cobra logo as well as well as his belt and sash, which connects to a dual sword sheath/arrow quiver piece that plugs into the back of the figure. The sash looks particularly good, not only sporting leathery texturing but also a painted buckle and impressively detailed shuriken fixed to it. The head sculpt, while predominantly masked, displays plenty of personality from Storm Shadow's angry-looking eyes as well as the faint scar running down his left eye.

Fans of the Classified Series will already know that compared to other Hasbro figure ranges this line is really blazing the trail when it comes to articulation. Altogether Storm Shadow features; 

- Ball jointed head, neck and upper torso

- Swivel hinge shoulders, wrists and ankles

- Butterfly joint shoulders

- Double hinge elbows and knees

- Single hinge ab crunch

- "Drop-down" ball jointed hips

- Bicep and thigh swivels 

It is worth mentioning though that if you aren't used to what the Classified Series has to offer, there are a couple of quirks with these figures that you should take note of. First off is that the joints can be pretty stiff, especially when straight out of the box. This combined with the clicky nature of certain areas (the drop-down hips especially) can sometimes make it feel like parts are being stressed and/or about to break, but rest assured these toys are pretty sturdy and aren't suddenly going to break unless under some serious duress. The knees were perhaps a little too stiff on my copy, but it's the kind of issue that could be eased out with some gentle working of the joints. With that in mind, this line really is top tier when it comes to Hasbro poseability. While on paper they might not seem to have that much more going on for them than any other line, but little touches like the hips make a big difference. Storm Shadow's a ninja, so naturally you're going to want something that pull off a great pose and this toy really delivers considering the price you're paying.

And as if the quality of the figure itself wasn't enough to sell you on it, Storm Shadow also comes with a pretty good selection of accessories for a standard release. In addition to his combined sword sheath/quiver he also comes with two swords (a katana and shorter blade wakizashi), bow, loose arrow part and an alternate raised hood piece. Using the hood piece requires removing both the lowered hood piece from the neck joint, and then popping the head inside the hood and reattaching. Getting the head to pop back onto the ball joint does require a little bit of force, but is easy enough to do and really adds to the overall look of the figure. The swords themselves might look basic with their silver blades and solid black hilts, but closer inspection of them reveals some really nice moulded detail (such as the snake heads on the hilts) and both swords fit comfortably in Storm Shadow's hands and the sheathes. Can't have a decent Storm Shadow figure if the swords aren't right after all! Finally there's the bow, which feels a little more Classified Series in that it has a more futuristic (and perhaps a little overdesigned) look to it but still fits the figure well. Thanks to the figure's great articulation it can pull off archery poses pretty well, with the arrow fitting comfortably between the fingers on the left hand. Personally I would have loved a pair of alternate hands as well just to round things off, but a lack of them certainly doesn't detract from what the figure is capable of.

Sometimes I wish I was a bigger G.I. Joe fan than I am, because this line rarely fails to impress. G.I. Joe Classified Series Storm Shadow is another fantastic addition to the range, delivering highs in all the key places – sculpt, articulation and accessories. Part of me wants to pick up a Snake Eyes for him to fight against, but honestly I'm pretty happy with the select group of key Cobra members I've picked up so far. I'd like to pick up Doctor Mindbender and Serpentor too if they ever get cheaper versions down the line, but if not I think that's me done with the Classified Series. While my time with it might have been fairly brief, based on the few I've handled G.I. Joe fans have it pretty great at the moment.