Ultimately, all men want to be remembered after death. Some choose to leave a legacy in the form of children, or an impressive stamp-collection. Some choose to leave it in the form of a totally sick bumble-bee-colored killer android. To each his own. But some men don't care what or who they leave behind. These are the Range Vipers. Hard, rugged soldiers trained to convert the very land around them into the deadliest of weapons. And if that hidden mud-pit doesn't kill you, they have no problem with shooting a rocket in your face. 

Name: Range Viper and B.A.T.
Line: GI Joe, Defense of Cobra Island Seven Pack
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Released: 2009
Price: Online: $35.00-$60.00
Scale: 3.75 in. (BAT is about 4.15 in. tall; Range Viper is about 4 in. to top of the head with mask off) 
Accessories: Range Viper - Machine Gun, Grenade Launcher, Mask, Ammo, Backpack
                   B.A.T. - Pistol, Canister-Pack, 3 Spores, Purple Vines, Alternate Head and Chestplate
Sponsor Listings: Past Generation Toys-$44.95

 
      The B.A.T. has a square butt. Heh heh. But seriously, the figure has a blocky bulk, it doesn't just look like a guy in a robot-suit, it looks like a robot in a guy-suit (and yes, there is a difference, you Snarky-Sue!). Even the knees don't look human, they're identical and look armored. As you can see, there are tubes and shafts and pistons and cables inter-weaved into the mechanical bits. The belts and straps aren't overlooked and are stamped with patterns. Even the fingers look like they're individually-articulated thanks to the meticulous design, good stuff. The doo-dads in the chest look generic though, they could use an extra button or two.
      The spore-canister and spare chest-shield are just as detailed as the body, even the inside of the canister looks awesome! The normal shield is clear light-blue while the damaged one is frosted so it looks darker. It's a neat effect and spares you the trouble of hacking at your current B.A.T.s with a hot knife. The alternate head is disappointing when compared to the prototype pictures. Look how frikkin' sweet that robo-zombie head looks! The final product is just a regular head with some missing silver paint. BOOOO!
      Our human buddy, the Range Viper, is made-up of nifty-looking parts, but still manages to look bland. It's all the paint-job's fault though, mostly the yellow, maybe some brown would have salvaged it. The arms are from the sexy Resolute Cobra Troopers and the legs I haven't seen before, but they look cool too. The torso is something we've seen used on other figures who wear removable vests (the sling-holster comes off). It has a ribbed pattern while the sleeves are smooth; that might annoy you.
      I think the mask/helmet looks ridiculous, it's like something you find in the bargain-bin after Halloween. Range Vipers are the troops you can deploy anywhere and they will live off the land for as long as it takes to get their mission done. Well, long periods of stressed solitude will get to you, so these guys go around killing enemy troops to rip their teeth and faces off. They then stretch the faces across their masks and dry them in the sun. This is the result. (I made that up by the way, I'm sure the real reason they wear the things is more mundane. No offense to Mr. Hama! :D if anyone knows the real reason, feel free to post it in the comments!) The backpack looks great, so do the guns, and the holster even has a leather-pattern on it, the bullets on it could use some work though (it might just be the thick paint).

Range-Viper: 9 / 10

B.A.T. Sculpt Score: 9 / 10

     The entire B.A.T. could be black plastic with only a little bit painted, but I can't tell, and that's usually good news for us. I like the semi-matte finish to it, glossy black plastic body-suits just make me think of latex and vinyl catsuits, usually found on beautiful women, and a robot in latex fetish gear doesn't make for a pretty mental picture. The paint apps are silky-smooth with the occasional ignorable over-spray. With the normal head and chest-plate attached, this figure looks like a shiny new unit thanks to the almost gleaming metal-colored parts. I do wish the metal parts were black with a silver dry-brush, that way the 'bot looks "used" with the normal head and looks grim and gritty with the "broken" head and shattered glass. The yellow at the shoulders and on the leg-strap is way brighter than the molded yellow pieces, but you won't lose any sleep over it. The canister is molded in that color, but it looks like the spores are painted! They have a more organic texture and appearance this way than if they were simply purple plastic.
      Paint apps on the Range Viper are just as solid, but a little distracting. There's a mixture of matte and glossy parts on the figure because some same-colored areas are painted while others are only molded. Example, the outer-half of the thigh is matte, while the inner-half is gloss. The blue paint on the helmet and arms is flat while the blue on the shirt isn't painted at all. The belt is yellow plastic while the shoulders are painted, but those colors match well. The mask is blue plastic, but the eye-area is painted (though a little sloppy). The bullets on the sling are painted but the belt on the machine-gun isn't. The backpack is completely painted. Let me just let this out: PAAAAAIINNNT!!!... Whew, all better.

Range-Viper Paint Score: 8 / 10

B.A.T. Paint Score: 9 / 10

 

      Both figures have a full range of motion, with the elbows being more flexible than usual. They can brace weapons against their bodies naturally, but the B.A.T. has difficulty sometimes because of the chest-panel. but it's not like it needs to do it anyway! The forearms on the B.A.T. are loose, so it has problems holding heavier weapons correctly, but it's nothing a little bubble-gum in the hole can't fix. The head is on a ball-joint but can only turn side-to-side. You CAN make it face up and down though, if you pop the head off and loosely re-attach it. The feet are stable so the lightweight canister doesn't affect the figure's posing.
      The only complaint I have about the Grin Viper's articulation is that the pouches on the belt interfere with some poses, but not by much. Again, the elbows work flawlessly, and articulation is hidden pretty well, on both figures. Some GI Joe figures can't tilt the tips of their feet upwards because the sculpt restricts it, but these figures can do it with no problem. There's a comforting feeling in knowing your figures can do what they're supposed to be able to do.

Range-Viper Articulation Score: 8 / 10

B.A.T. Articulation Score: 8 / 10

 

      I was wondering why this B.A.T. didn't include any of the various nefarious arm-attachments they're known for, but once you see all the accessories you'll understand why. Also thought is was weird that all this killer-robot got for a weapon was a pistol and a can of seeds, but when you see the killer purple vines, you'll understand, hah. And it looks like maaaaaybe the machine-gun shown previously with Night Creeper may belong to this figure instead, it would make more sense, you know, so it's not defenseless (as if killer-robots can ever be defenseless!). I'm also not using dots in "BAT" anymore! And BATs need their attachments! *twitch* The belt is removeable but glued down at the thigh-holster.
      Halloween Viper isn't too terribly fun, he looks more like a custom made as an afterthought than a deliberately-designed character. But that makes some sense since these guys gather any supplies and equipment available from the spoils of war. Removeable ammo is always a neat feature, the drum on the grenade-launcher and belt on on the machine-gun are removeable, even the bipod can be slipped-off! The weapons can be held in all sorts of menacing ways thanks to the great elbows. The backpack is hollow, so you can store the bipod in there when not in use.
      The greatest thing about not knowing much about GI Joe history is that I can make-up most of the chracters' backstories. Range-Vipers practice voo-doo and fire bones from their guns instead of bullets. BONE-GUNS. They use the blood of their victims as war-paint, the scent attracts large predators like bears and Bigfoots and they wrestle them to the ground with their bare hands! They then skin the animals and send the hides to their wives who make cute coats out of them! The wives don't wrestle Bigfoots, they just look like them! Might explain the Range Viper's tendency to stay in the wilderness. 

Range-Viper Fun Score: 7 / 10

B.A.T. Fun Score: 8 / 10

     If these figures were sold separately at retail, they'd be well worth the price tag considering all the goodies they come with. And they make damn-fine custom fodder too! There are lots of interesting and useful pieces between these two.
     The B.A.T. is essentially 2 figures in one, it saves you the trouble and money of having to track down another one to scar-up for battle damage. The vines can be considered an extra figure too really because they have a personality of their own. They also have 2 little holes on the base so you can pop a figure-stand under them for more stability. The Range Viper is more useful for customs than for display (unless you love them for some reason), the color scheme isn't all that exciting. The entire 7-pack is definitely still worth getting of course. 

Range-Viper Value Score: 8 / 10

B.A.T. Value Score: 9 / 10

 

Range-Viper 79 / 100 - This is a Good Toy

Made-up of interesting parts, but needs a more uniform paint-job. The difference between the sleeves and torso is also jarring.

B.A.T. - 86 / 100 - This is a Great Toy

Larger than usual to add intimidation on the battlefield! Fun accessories and awesome sculpt make this a must-have G.I. Joe figure.

-DrNightmare

*The figures in this review were provided as product samples by the manufacturer, but every effort is made to objectively review all figures.*

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