SDCC 2013 GI Joe VS Transformers boxed set-THE EPIC CONCLUSION

 After last year's Shockwave-HISS tank combination, most of us assumed that Hasbro would keep the series going this year for SDCC, with rampant speculation about what the subject would be. Based on the retail offering of the past year (which seems to play some part in exclusive offerings), many thought we might see a Tomahawk repainted as a Transformer character like Vortex or Springer, or a version of the Retaliation Ninja Cruiser as Hound or Ratchet. Several fans offered up pretty fantastic customs of these ideas, as well.

It turns out, some of those fans were correct.

The GI Joe Vs Transformers set for SDCC 2013 (which is HUGE AND AWESOME) will include a 25th anniversary VAMP repainted as Hound, as well as Snake Eyes, a Baroness with Decepticon Ravage on a leash (a stunning incarnation of both characters based on art from the more recent Devil's Due "GI Joe Vs Transformers" comic series), an absolutely inspired figure of the Transformers Pretenders character Bludgeon (a robot Samurai that uses the forthcoming Budo figure as a base), and to my surprise (seriously, I NEVER would have expected this) a Skystriker repainted to resemble Jetfire, one of the most popular vintage Transformers (Jetfire was a repaint of a Bandai Robotech Veritech fighter released in the US under the Transformers banner). Just like the 2012 set had Soundwave, the accessories include mini "Joe sized" versions of Blaster and three of his cassettes.

As with the last two SDCC sets, this year's exclusive uses the comic style artwork and is considered a "continuation" of the 4 issue Marvel Comics GI Joe Vs Transformers series from the 1980's. This set is numbered issue 7, and billed "The Epic Conclusion" to the GI Joe Vs Transformers "extended" Marvel storyline. The box art and design is beautiful, and fits in well with the previous sets.

I was pretty excited to get the set, and tore into it immediately after it was delivered. I had a lot of fun assembling the pieces and taking lots of pics, and I will go into further detail on each piece in the set.

I'll start with Snake Eyes, everyone's favorite Ninja/Commando.

The first Retaliation Snake Eyes sees a nice repaint here, with a subtle green camo on the pants that reminds me a lot of the vintage 1987 Outback. The addition of an Autobot symbol on his shoulder is a nice little tie-in to the set. He has his standard sword and uzi combination, and for a pretty simple repaint, he is a looks pretty good and stands apart from other uses of this mold.

 Next up, the Autobot Scout Hound, seen here in the form of a classic GI Joe 25th Anniversary VAMP.

 Redecorating a VAMP as Hound seems like a no-brainer. So much of a no-brainer, in fact, that his part in the set almost seems like it was added as an afterthought. I don't know if it is the idea (which seems solid in theory) or the execution (a VAMP in a slightly different color green still looks like a VAMP to me), but Hound is the only real weakness in an otherwise flawless set.

It doesn't help that the decal sheet seems to have been scaled down quite a bit, not just from what would seem to fit on the jeep, but down from the photos on the box as well. Whether it was an error or a cost cutting measure, the smaller decals don't do as much to set this apart as Hound, and not just another random VAMP from the motor pool.

A decal site like Cobrastickers could do well if they offered a rescaled version of the decals to fit more appropriately. Don't get me wrong, a VAMP is still a VAMP, and is always welcome, but in this set, it just doesn't stand out much.

 

Following up the use of Soundwave in last year's set, Blaster and several of his cassettes are included as accessories. More fun than Soundwave IMO, if for no other reason than the fun that can be had taking pics of him.

Probably my favorite part of the set is Bludgeon. A vintage Pretenders character based on a skull faced samurai, Bludgeon was a more important character in the later issues of the Marvel Transformers comic, and has had a couple figures in the more recent modern Transformers toy lines.

As mentioned, he uses the upcoming Budo tooling with a new head and helmet, and the results are striking. The head and helmet and both very well sculpted, and the colors are nicely evocative of previous incarnations of the character right back to his first appearance as a Pretender.

The second figure in this pic is from a customizer named Alyosha, I have had it for several years now and just added it for fun.

Another standout addition to the set is the Baroness with Ravage, a combination that has an interesting history.

Based on art from a Devil's Due GI Joe Vs Transformers series, and once planned as a statue from a now defunct company,  it was revealed in 2011 at a Hasbro panel that the pair was considered for the Pursuit of Cobra "City Strike" line. The concept finally sees release here, and looks fantastic.

There has been some criticism that the Baroness' head seems a little large, but I don't find that to be the case myself.

The only issue I find is the chain on Ravage, which looks large, lumpy and plastic-y. It is a small complaint, but since Hasbro has used real chain on figures in the past, it would have been nice to see that used here over the plastic leash.

Aside from the small chain issue, Ravage is well sculpted, and is an excellent representation of the vintage figure. He is also a lot of fun for photography.

The final, and largest piece in the set is Jetfire, a long time fan favorite Autobot jet, and one of the most sought after vintage figures in the Transformers line. Here he is a repainted Skystriker, much like the 2011 SDCC Starscream Skystriker.

Taking the deco one step further, included is a newly tooled "piggyback" vehicle, styled after the "fast pack" thrusters that was a major part of the Jetfire/Veritech design aesthetic, which also doubles as its own removable plane.

 When the thruster pack is removed, the vertical stabilizers can easily be placed back onto Jetfire to convert him back to a standard F-14 style aircraft.

The decals on Jetfire are highly detailed, and do an excellent job of converting a standard white Skystriker into a vintage looking Jetfire.

Use great care when applying the decals, some of the cuts are a bit tight, and have to fit around the molded details of the Skystriker aircraft. Also, pay close attention to the instructions, some of the decals are mislabled, and there are some extra decals leftover, presumably for customization.

 The largest GI Joe Vs Transformers SDCC set released brings the series to a satisfying conclusion by including a nice mix of the iconic and the obscure, with some fresh takes on old favorites thrown in.
It drops this weekend at the San Diego Comic Con. For those adventurous enough to camp out on the internet for several days, it will probably be on HasbroToyShop as well the following week.

I'll leave you with a few pics of Jetfire taken with the 2011 Starscream, and some custom Skystriker Seekers from my own collection.