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[Ridureyu]

Well, I am definitely on a GI Joe kick. wanna know why I know this? I bought Swamp Rat and Alpine today, and I'm enjoying them! Most figure packs are meant to be either two popular characters (snake Eyes & storm Shadow), or of one popular and one throwaway (Baroness & Grunt), but this one seems to be of two "meh" characters. yet, if you're a GI joe fan, you'll love them - you just need to be a fan first.



Sculpt:

Alpine: Alpine's sculpt is pretty good. Alpine (Whose real name is Albert Pine) is the Joes' local mountaineering expert - and telling from his outfit, he's a civilian. At least, he could pass for one. Alpine dresses casually, with the only thing separating him from your average man on the street being the kneepads that are part of a rock climber's gear. I've met people who look like him. I know people who look like him. I really love the realism inherent in this figure. What's strange is that I swear he was white in the GI joe Movie - which reallyt doesn't make sense, since his action figure has always been black.

Swamp Rat: Having been combined with rat DNA, the Swamp Rat troops are scavengers, spies, and foragers. They're experts in the arts of stealth, infiltration, and making really cute squeaking noises when they climb on your shoulder.
*ahem*
The Swamp Rat scu;lpt is pretty good - these guys look like they've been messed with in a lab. Although the removeable tail is a part of the figure's cape and not his torso, for some reason, it's an interesting figure. Swamp Rat is scrawny, as he should be, and has an amazingly small head. he also appears to have a mask sewn on that covers his nnose and mouth, and has a separate helmet to hide his beady little eyes. Overall, the figure is well-sculpted - and he actually LOOKS like he spends his time sculking through the sewers. he also has two holsters sculpted to his legs to store both of hjis knives in - which are appropriate weapons for this kind of character.


Paint Job:

Alpine: Alpine is painted like a good, normal person. The paint job is good, and it makes him look like... here goes... A NORMAL HUMAN! This is amazing! me happy!

Swamp rat: Swamp Rat is painted mainly in browns and tans, which also fits the character. I also like how incredibly pale hjis skin is, which just makes him seem even slimier.


Articulation: Typical joe articulation for both of them.


Accessories:

While they both come with normal guns (and a dinky wrist communicator), Alpine comes with a grappling hook, and the Swamp Rat comes with most of his armor and two combat knives. The hook is attaches to real string, which apparently ties to the plastic loop of "rope" that's sculpted to fit over Alpine's shoulder. I hate toys with real string because it breaks and frays so easily, but it's a nice touch. I'll just only pull it out for display purposes. Swamp Rat's cape, tail, and mask are good accessories, and he looks very creepy without them. the knives fit into their respective pockets, and are the perfect weapons for this kind of creature. Cool.


Pricing: I got this set for $5 at Wal-Mart. pretty good, considering that you get twice the Toy-age as your average Star Wars figure.


GOtGM (1-10): 5. A little higher than the average GI joe because they're so obscure.


Overall: 3.9 if you're not joe-obsessed, 4.5 if you are. Need i say more? These are two quality figures, but they're not high-profile fan favorites. It's interesting that even the "filler" characters seem to be well-done in the new GI joe line.



Images:


Alpine:

http://yojoe.com/act...4/alpine2.shtml
http://www.generalsj...010/alpine.html
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Swamp Rat:

http://yojoe.com/act.../swamprat.shtml
http://www.generalsj...0/swamprat.html