Flash was a figure and character I had no connection to or memories of growing up. My adult collecting experience with Flash was first acquiring the figure during the 25th anniversary era and then the Rise of Cobra version in 2009. The O-ring offerings of the figure honestly peaked with the original Flash. The 2005 Comic Book Flash was just the reuse of the 1994 30th anniversary astronaut which was a far cry from the original design for the figure. In 2007 the "Tanks for the Memories" convention exclusives also included a Flash figure. This figure did capture the essence of the original Flash but suffered from it's own shortcomings - namely the shrunken head syndrome and the awful selection of accessories given. The figure goes for around $100 on the aftermarket so it's not cheap either.
My knowledge of Flash really only applies to the figure itself. I can't really recall him in the Sunbow Cartoon and am not well versed in the Marvel comic run either. A quick google search makes me say that Super 7 was using the comic book version of Flash as the inspiration for the figure. This tracks with Super 7's design methodology for this line as the figures are based on cartoon animation (Sunbow /1987 GI Joe movie) or the comic book . Needless to say when I finally got this version of Flash in hand I liked the figure much more than expected. It has become one of the my favorite figures from the Reaction+ line. A quick search yielded the below illustration of Flash which to me looks like it could be the inspiration for the figure design.
Flash is a pretty well done figure. The head sculpt and paint applications are executed very well, it's one of the more well done in the Reaction+ line so far. I like the more brilliant green used for him as opposed to the drab shade used on the original v1/1.5 Flash. Initially, I thought the green was the same shade used for the 98/2000 Thunderwing figure but to my surprise Flash is a lighter shade. The lighter green and brighter red do make the figure look less like a muted, gritty green army man action figure. It still works for me though, he's a laser trooper from the 80s after all. Similar shades of lighter, brighter green existed throughout the ARAH line so the precedent exists.
One of the criticisms of the Super 7 figures is that they are very smooth and do not include much intricate detail. The figure does a pretty good job of capturing the details that have gotten lost in other Super 7 figures. Super 7 has come a long way with the face designs and Flash is an example of that improvement. For the figure design, I think it helps at the original Flash was a simple design as were all the OG13, lacking a lot of the molded in details and paint applications that became prominent as the ARAH line evolved. It's not perfect and the "smoothness" is still present but the paint applications make up for it. Details like the belt and boots are more prominent due to them being painted when compared with the original Flash figure. The texture of the red pads on his thighs, arms and chest are all present which is actually an improvement from the original Flash that did not include textured arm pads. His red hair is a bit of a mystery to me as most images I search for the figure show him with brown hair (including the original Flash figure) but the image above shows red hair.
Flash's accessories are also a big improvement from the original ARAH figure and line up with what is seen in the comic book. The helmet fits nicely on the figures head, the grey flexible hose which connects his laser rifle to the backpack is a marked improvement on the original weapon and the long plastic hose which connected to the undersized backpack. Getting a helmet with a removable clear plastic visor was a nice touch as well. I really like that Super 7 keeps it simple with the accessories, a callback to the original ARAH run.
At this point my collecting trends toward looking forward rather than scouring the back catalog of the line which has been what I have done for the past decade. Opinions on Super 7 and the Reaction+ line vary, which I understand. Collectors certainly make their opinions known. I try not to get into the serious debates about toys, toy prices, collecting etc. It's a hobby, it can relatively expensive and I do agree the figures are overpriced but all O-ring offerings whether Super 7, Kickstarter or the independent lines hover around the same price point for the most part. My approach is to not be a completist and pick out the figures that interest me and fill a need in my collection. I would love to see Super 7 eventually release all of the OG13 figures as I feel they did a good job with their first attempt in Flash. With full transparency I will say I have always had a positive bias with all things GI Joe and this applies to the Super 7 Reaction+ figures as well. On top of that this line gives me no urge or desire to be a completist so I acquire the figures I want and skip figures that do not appeal to me. Needless to say if Super 7 did decide to release the OG13 I would be all in based on what they were able to achieve with Flash.
I think Flash is a solid "fills a needed spot, but not a superstar" sort of figure.
ReplyDeleteThe commentary about Super7 ReAction Plus has been interesting, and I do think it goes beyond a figure's smoothness or head molds. Some of it gets to a point where the o-ring game was for people interested in 40-year-old action figures, but this changes the game with offerings right now with a product that is different than the vintage line.