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[Ridureyu]

yeah, yeah, I know, it's redundant. But hey, since wave 4 hasn't shown up anywhere near me, I thought I might as well do another wave 3 review... although sadly, this time, it's not the best set in the line.

Dusty is the Joes' resident desert trooper. That's about it, really. As a character, he never stood out much to me, and I never really saw anything truly distinctive about his personality. He's just kind of there.
Forgive me, but I was never much of a Zartan fan. I know, he was a genuinely intelligent villain, and he lead the (enormously fun) Dreadnoks. sure, he was a master of disguise, but the whole KISS-reject thing wasn't my personal cup of tea - although I did recognize that he's a pretty well-done character. I mean, come on, the guy's skin can change color, and he has at least two personalities.



Sculpt:

Dusty: Dusty is exactly what I described: a desert trooper. His outfit looks like a military dude in the desert, and his face is just nondescript enough to make him a basic army builder guy - not much else. Sorry, but Dusty really doesn't stand out. Also, why wasn't he packaged with something like the Sand Scorpion, or another similarly deser-themed figure?

Zartan: Excuse me, but what the HECK did they do to Zartan? The way I understand it, he was always somewhat punk-ish, and had Gene Simmons makeup. This version looks like a mismatched gangsta with a face mask underneath his ski cap. I simply can't explain it, but this version is just plain awful - its only real use is as a random street thug.


Paint Job:

Dusty: Basic desert trooper deal. I can't complain about it, really. it's just that lots of similar-looking tans and browns are kind of bland.

Zartan: for some reason, Zartan is a patriot today. His entire color scheme seems to consist of red, white, and blue. So... who's the "real american hero?" Black would actually have helped his image.


Articulation: typical Joe articulation for both of them.


Accessories: they come with several guns and a wrist communicator, but dusty also has a removeable helmet and bandolier - these are good, but his bandolier seems kind of loose.


Pricing: Wal-Mart level is $4.95. Less than the cost of one similarly-sized Star Wars figure!


GOtGM (1-10): 2. Nothing to worry about here.


Overall: 2.7. This set really doesn't have anything useful to speak about - one forgetable soldier, and one pointless redesign of another. At the very least, the accessories are good, and if you reverse Dusty's helmet he looks like a demented interpretation of Cobra Commander... sorta.


Images:

Dusty

http://yojoe.com/act...04/dusty9.shtml
http://www.generalsj..... 3/dusty.html

Zartan:

http://yojoe.com/act...4/zartan7.shtml
http://www.generalsj...203/zartan.html

[Ridureyu]

Now that I'm no longer rushed for time, here are some additional thoughts.



1. Dusty is a former refridgerator repairman, and is named after an early Joe character design. These details are actually the most interesting parts of the figure.


2. Zartan uses hologram projectors for many of his disguises. To this figure's credit, you can actually see the projectors on his outfit. This fact does not, however, forgive the fact that he resembles an overly patriotic gangsta... or the fact that his neck is proportioned very strangely.