Duke is the final figure in Hasbro's GI Joe Wave 13 within the Resolute banner up for review. This guy is a leader of the Joes and the perfect foil for Cobra Commander that I've already reviewed. You simply can't have one without the other and thankfully Duke here is another great figure that does the GI Joe line proud.
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Duke's sculpt looks pretty good in most areas, yet he has a particularly generic and soft face sculpt. It just looks mushy and like any average joe (pardon the pun) without any distinct likeness or recognizability. He doesn't have a mask or head decoration of any sort so a very unique face sculpt would be nice. The face isn't terrible and has a nice angry/heroic expression that suits the character. Other than that his proportions all look fine and even stylish and every part of him has a load of detail. Things are sculpted that could probably just be painted so it's nice to see they didn't skimp unnecessarily. There are buckles and pouches and cloth wrinkles and tiny details everywhere you look which when put together really add to the appearance of a figure. His accessories: removable vest, knife, handgun, and assault rifle all share these qualities with realistic sculpts not shying away from detail. The only thing I'd ask for is somewhere to place all his weapons, as the holster on his thigh isn't functional.
Sculpt Score: 8 / 10 - Loads of details for a small figure, accessories don't skimp either, face sculpt could be stronger, where does he keep his weapons?
The paint on Duke is surprisingly good. There is a little bit of slop here and there but the applications are pretty clean across the board. He has distinct and straight color changes from clothing piece to clothing piece as well as crisp lines in areas like his boots and gloves. The colors chosen for duke are a kind of bland, almost desert look that could pretty much function in any terrain and that's nice for the generic Duke figure. The colors are nowhere near as bold as you might be used to for Gi Joe, but I like the more muted, realistic style. I hope this is something that continues throughout the Resolute banner. His face is well painted with straight eyes and distinct hair with what I understand is a scar on his right cheek. There is a very faint red mark down his cheek that I think is supposed to be there, I would appreciate someone confirming this for me. There's no incredible work being done here with brushing techniques or washes, but it still looks good. I just have one more thing to say, it looks like he's wearing Skechers, not boots.
Paint Score: 8 / 10 - The colors work even if they are a bit bland, applications aren't perfect, but they're very good, no slop, nothing amazing.
Duke has the same articulation model as the other two Resolute figures and it's also the modern GI Joe standard if I'm not mistaken. That means hinge and swivel ankles, double hinged knees, ball hips, a swivel waist, ball chest, ball shoulders, hinge/swivel elbows and cut wrists, along with full chest and neck ranges of motion. Each of these joints worked perfectly right out of the package and each holds positions well while still remaining easy to turn. Every point except his right hip, which is limited by his vest's pouch, has a full range of motion, so you can get Duke into some interesting poses as long as he can stand up. This is great for collectors who enjoy find the perfect pose but also works wonders on the carpet when he's kicking Cobra Commander through a row of troopers. Most of his articulation is also well hidden in the sculpt using things like kneepads, pant legs, and elbow pads. The one problematic spot I always hate is his hip articulation which just looks terrible. In anything except a very crouched pose, those hip joints throw off the look of the figure.
Articulation Score: 8 / 10 -
Great model that's not limited in any way, looks good with sculpt in most areas, but hips look terrible, everything works smoothly.
Duke is inherently fun because he's the leader of the good guys. He might be a little boring compared to somebody like Snake-Eyes but everybody needs a leader, and it doesn't hurt that he's the very typical American hero kind of guy. There are a lot of people who probably wouldn't mind being a real life Duke (me included) and tha'ts a fun element to the figure. Having a great articulation model that's a blast for posing or play as well as a number of cool accessories only adds to Duke's already strong fun factor.
Fun Score: 10 / 10 - Sweet deal on accessories, classic American hero design, great articulation model, fun and playable size in any hands.
At $7 for Resolute Duke you're getting a small figure coming in just under 4" with three accessories (four if you count his vest) as well as a nice display stand and a card with great art and a cut-out file. That's a lot of stuff for the price and it all has a high production value, so it's definitely worth the money. The figure may be small but it feels durable and resistent to injury. There are no quality control issues which is always a comfort when laying out hard earned cash on a chunk of plastic. I think Duke will provide enjoyment for quite a long time and that's the most important part of your investment, meaning he has a pretty high value in my eyes.
Value Score: 10 / 10 - Great production standards, durable figure, includes loads of accessories, nice stand and cardback.
Summary
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Overall Score: 88 / 100 - This is a Great Toy
Duke is a classic GI Joe character that has received a nice update under the Resolute banner. He's as fun as can be at a reasonable price with a great sculpt, paint job, and articulation model.
P.S. This could be the figure I'm giving away this month, just leave a comment for a chance to win (if he's the one).
-The Articulated One
