Toy Review: G.I. Joe Classified Wet-Suit Is A Lot Of Fun

If there’s one thing to remember as a G.I. Joe fan, its that there’s a lot of Joes. G.I. Joe Classified is the only action figure line that I’m aware of that numbers its figures, and today’s figure is #179, which doesn’t even include the popular retro card releases.

It makes sense though, considering that there likely needs to be a team of Joes trained for any situation, and there are just some missions that a general commando like Snake Eyes won’t do. Enter Wet-Suit, one of the many aquatic Joes out there (and one of the latest wave from Hasbro).

I’ve said that I wouldn’t collect Joes I didn’t either own, or really want. Wet-Suit falls into the former category … I think. You see, my cousins — who lived next door — also were really into G.I. Joe, and while I remember playing with him extensively, I don’t remember if it was mine, or theirs. If he was one of mine, it was the 1993 Battle Force redesign though, not the original 1986 figure. But hey, he’s still a favorite.

Wet-Suit, AKA Sgt. Brian Forrest, is a Navy SEAL and underwater demolitions expert. He’s considered one of the toughest and most well-read Joes on the team. He’s also one of several aquatic ops troops. Frequently, you’d see him with Shipwreck, Torpedo, Cutter and Deep Six (which surprisingly has never become an official sub-squad like Tiger Force or Ninja Force). In fact, that’s him front and center on the iconic cover of G.I. Joe Special Missions #1.

I like this figure a ton. Now, this is a straight up modernization of his classic first figure. The design matches exactly, and looks great. I love the emblem on his upper chest, which comes straight from his cartoon design as well. And best of all this looks like what you’d think of as a Navy SEAL.

As far as posability, he works great. With a borrowed McFarlane Toys flight stand, I was definitely able to hit poses that looked like he was swimming (seriously Hasbro, basic stands with these guys!). The flippers also added some stability for the figure in standing poses. He feels great in hand, and was a lot of fun to work with.

Now I might sound a little bit like a broken record here considering what I said yesterday about Snake Eyes, but the problem with the figure was in its accessories. For the most part they’re great. The helmet and pack fit and look great (though the helmet shifts a bit too much while posing). I have no complaints about the weapons included — a pistol that looks modified for use underwater and a Ka-Bar knife- though a harpoon gun as a nod to his later designs would have been a nice inclusion.

Where the accessories fall short are in the swim sled. This piece of equipment is the thing that sets Wet-Suit apart from Deep Six and Torpedo, the other two diver Joes. The sled looks great, but it was next to impossible to get it in the figure’s hands, and don’t even think about trying to get both hands on it (a problem that could have been solved with butterfly joints at the shoulder like many Marvel Legends have). Either the sled’s grips needed to be redesigned slightly, or the figure needed to include a pair of hands that could actually grip it.

While it’s disappointing to see such an important part of the figure fall short, overall, I really enjoyed it. It’s definitely a figure to consider adding to your G.I. Joe collection right away.