I finally just opened up the Classified #10 Beach Head. It’s absolutely glorious and an amazing version of the man himself.

The Retro version, to me, is always going to be Beach Head, so it was hard for me to even look at Number 10.

RETRO OR BUST!

But after seeing a few pictures of it and glaring at it out of the corner of my eye during the podcast, week after week, I finally said, “Fuck it. I’m going in!”

And you know what?

It is truly an amazing version of Beach Head, and it had me thinking:

BEACH HEAD: THE PERFECT EXAMPLE

Take a look at the two versions side by side. The #10 release has the upgraded tactical gear, modern military styling, and all the little details that make a figure feel like something new.

The Retro version brings back that classic Beach Head we remember from 1986. Both are great, but they serve two different purposes.

And THAT is exactly what I’m talking about!

WHEN HASBRO GETS THE GLOW-UP RIGHT

Don’t get me wrong. It has been done with many figures, including Scrap-Iron and, famously, Tripwire.

Both figures show what happens when you take a beloved G.I. Joe design, keep its identity, and give it some extra Classified Series firepower.

Those are the kinds of things that make a mainline figure stand out!

FIREFLY: THE TALE OF TWO RELEASES

But others have not followed that approach.

We got #21 Firefly, and that was cool! The bulky armor and modernized appearance were definitely a different take on the Cobra saboteur.

But then we got #84 Firefly in the regular mainline, and it was practically dead-nuts accurate to the classic Retro look!

Now, I’m not complaining about getting a fantastic classic Firefly. Far from it. But it raises the question of what the mainline is supposed to be when we’re already doing Retro releases.

AIRTIGHT: ANOTHER CLASSIC IN THE MAINLINE

Then there’s Airtight.

Mainline release, and once again, dead-nuts accurate to the classic design. No major glow-up.

I’m unsure about the rhyme or reason, but if we’re going to do a Retro line, let’s go fucking nuts with the mainline releases and show up and show out with them!

H.E.A.T. VIPER: ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY?

H.E.A.T. Viper, also a mainline release, appears to be right on the money when it comes to the vintage design.

And maybe he should have had a little touch-up, too!

Don’t misunderstand me. I love that we’re getting these characters, especially the ones we’ve been waiting decades to see in the six-inch scale.

But why not use the mainline to take those designs to the next level?

FLASH: RETRO FIRST, THEN LET’S GET WILD!

In the case of Flash, with so many people screaming for him (I’m looking at you, Brother Mark from YoJoeReviews!), Hasbro went ahead and did the Retro release first.

That got the OG Flash into the hands of the people exactly as they wanted to see him.

And that’s awesome!

But I hope that a future mainline release sees us getting a super badass Flash with some cool new stuff and a different look.

Give him an upgraded combat suit. New futuristic equipment. Something that takes his original concept and runs with it!

That’s the beauty of having two different lines. We can have the Flash we remember AND the Flash we never imagined!

TWO LINES. TWO IDENTITIES. THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.

We all know the examples.

Some of us want the exact figures we had as kids, with their original colors, uniforms, and equipment. Others want to see what today’s designers can do with those same characters when they’re allowed to go all out.

And some of us, myself included, want BOTH!

That’s why I think the mainline and Retro line should each have a clear identity. Let Retro deliver the nostalgia, and let mainline deliver the glow-up.

YO JOE!

By Destro Designs – Viper Den Studios

G.I. Joe and all related characters and products are trademarks of Hasbro. Product images are credited to their linked sources and used for editorial discussion.