Action Figure Review: Kyle "Budo" Jesso from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   While 1986 and 1987 were my first years collecting G.I. Joe, 1988, 1989, and 1990 were probably the best. While there are fewer characters who became iconic to the brand, the design and engineering during that time was just incredible and those were the years during the vintage line when I was the most invested in picking out who I wanted during trips to the store. Budo was part of the 1988 line and was a very cool figure that offered something different; G.I. Joe had a few ninjas by that point so a Samurai was a cool change. Earlier this year I reviewed the Action Force Night Ops Senshi figure and I was pretty impressed by that guy, even mentioning that he felt like what a Classified Series Budo could be. At that point Budo hadn't been revealed, so I'm pleased to report that Budo does feel like he's been modernized, like Senshi, but he also has been given some very traditional armor and gear so he feels like a historical action figure, too. While the initial toyline for G.I. Joe: Retaliation wasn't that impressive, Hasbro eventually started releasing some incredibly impressive figures that had little to nothing to do with the film, including this very well made traditional take on Budo. I love that this Classified Series version of Budo captures all of these elements. He's one of the most impressive Classified Series figures of the year. Let's take a look at Kyle "Budo" Jesso after the break...

Action Figure Review: Cobra Desert Scorpion & SKRP10N-25 from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   More G.I. Joe: Classified Series figures? Yup. More G.I. Joe: Classified Series figures. I've been looking at a bunch of 2-packs lately and today we're getting another one: Cobra Desert Scorpion & SKRP10N-25. Desert Scorpion was originally a 1991 release in the vintage line and is a character I never owned as a kid. Heck, I've never owned any Desert Scorpion until now. I didn't have a lot of 1991 figures as a kid (only five of them) as I was pretty much just obsessed with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles during that time. I remember Desert Scorpion and always thought he was a cool looking figure so I'm very glad that this troop builder has shown up in the Classified Series. And the simple plastic scorpion the original figure came with? Well, it's been upsized into a massive mutant creation. This is pretty cool stuff and I'm glad to have some more desert troops. There were Desert Vipers in the G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra line, desert Cobra operatives in the 25th Anniversary Extreme Conditions set, and five different Sand Vipers in the Spy Troops and Valor Vs. Venom eras. The Desert Scorpion? He was the first Cobra desert specialist, though. Let's take a look at the Desert Scorpion and his bio-engineered pal, SKRP10N-25, after the break...

Action Figure Review: Kurnn Ray from Cosmic Legions by Four Horsemen Studios

 

   It's been well over a year since I last reviewed a Cosmic Legions figure from Four Horsemen Studios though, to be fair, there haven't been many released until this fall (just a few convention exclusives) when OxKrewe, Book One: Thraxxon dropped. Ever since these were first revealed well over a year ago (PowerCon 2023!), I knew that Kurnn Ray was going to be my first purchase. What can I say? I love the characters like this who appear like scavengers, bounty hunters, or just space drifters. There is a loose story in Cosmic Legions and the most recent series centers on the OxKrewe, a team of six survivors of the Qorgonox, a ship that has crashed on the planet Thraxxon. Kurnn Ray isn't a member of the OxKrewe, though; she's a member of the mysterious Scapehaven, apparently a crew of bandits and scavengers operating in the wastelands of Thraxxon. We know little about the group but it seems they're the villains of this series of releases. Ready to check out Kurnn Ray? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Sgt. Slaughter & Felix "Mercer" Stratton from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Are you maggots ready for another G.I. Joe: Classified Series double feature? Then hop to it because we've got Sgt. Slaughter and one of his Renegades today! Yes, while Sgt. Slaughter commanded the Renegades in the 1987 G.I. Joe animated movie, Hasbro sold them (Red Dog, Taurus, and Mercer) in a 3-pack in 1987. In the Classified Series Mercer has been packaged alongside a new version of Sgt. Slaughter sporting a more combat worthy outfit that's oddly reminiscent of Slaughter's 1991 WWE (then WWF) heel turn where he became an Iraqi sympathizer, praised Saddam Hussein, and allied with General Adnan. I'm sure the Joe team kind of had that in mind, right? This version of Sgt. Slaughter never turns his back on the US of A, though. Now Mercer? Mercer is interesting because he's a former Viper who has defected from Cobra and now serves as part of the top secret Renegades, a group paid under a budget line for the Pentagon labeled "Pest Control." This is a really cool set and I was definitely anticipating it, though I figured we'd get the three Renegades as a set. I'm guessing Red Dog and Taurus will be packaged together in the future. For now, let's check out Sgt. Slaughter and Mercer after the break...

Action Figure Review: Bag of Heads from Dr. Malgam's Body Bags by ToadFrog

 

   I reviewed four of the regular bagged figures from this line in late October and early November and while I had a couple more, I decided to skip ahead to the Bag of Heads. Have you ever purchased a bag of heads? Well, what you order is what you get here: A body bag filled with heads that can swap onto the various figures in the line. Since I last reviewed one of these sets, ToadFrog has come out and announced that they are partnering with Thin Air Brands to get Dr. Malgam's Body bags to retail shelves sometime in 2026. That's great news and it's nice to see the line having a future. I really like these figures though I wish we had more fully complete figures in the first series. This bag doesn't fully solve that problem but it does allow you to complete the Skeleton. This was sold as an add on for $25 during the Kickstarter campaign or as part of the Full Moon Special pledge level. Ready to check out this crazy mix of noggins for your buildable monsters? Then join me after the break...


   

Action Figure Review: Jubilee from Marvel Legends Series: X-Men '97 by Hasbro

 

   I told you more X-Men '97 reviews were coming, didn't I? Today I'm looking at Jubilee from the latest series of Marvel Legends Series X-Men '97 releases and, interestingly, this isn't Jubilee's standard costume from the series. Sure, she's got the yellow jacket but this isn't her Jim Lee era and animated series standard blue denim shorts and pink shirt with blue gloves and boots. Instead, this is the costume that she wears during the series finale when every character gets a costume change! For most of the main crew, their costume changes are more classic costumes. Jubilee, however, wears this costume based on her 2011 Wolverine & Jubilee look from after she became a vampire and started wearing black leather. Interestingly, Hasbro has released a version of Jubilee in this costume before, though she was a Build a Figure from a 2014 Toys 'R Us exclusive series, so her price has been pretty high for a few years. Jubilee in her "classic" outfit from X-Men '97 have been been released at least twice in recent years (once in the Caliban BAF series and once in the Hasbro Pulse VHS series) so this is a more unique version for folks who missed out on the original. As a kid I was so frustrated that we never had Jubilee (or Jean Grey) in the Toy Biz line until long after I was actively collecting them, so the fact that we're getting plenty of versions of the core characters just thrills me these days. Ready to check out one of the only three characters name checked in the theme song for the original animated series? Then join me after the break...

Barbecue's Bonfire: Toys I Collected in 1992!- Livesttream on 8:30 PM EST 12/8/2025