GRIDIRON STUDIOS SHADOW PHALANX APC

The Gridiron Studios 1:12 Scale Shadow Phalanx APC is an absolute powerhouse of a vehicle that sets a new high-water mark for premium, indie-produced 1:12 scale vehicles for action figures. One of my favorite toys as a kid was the G.I. Joe Amphibious Personnel Carrier so buying a Phalanx for my present-day collection of action figures was a true nostalgia purchase. 

Gridiron Studios produces a number of color schemes for their Phalanx APC vehicles including green jungle and tan desert camo styles. I went with the Shadow style that has a menacing black color scheme because it was a good fit to display with the 1:12 scale action figures in my collection which has a focus on Operation Monster Force characters, G.I. Joe Classified Night Force and Cobra soldiers, and Star Wars Black Series stormtroopers. This toy vehicle impressively bridges the gap between real-world military machinery and the hyper-articulated world of modern action figures. 

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Below is a breakdown of my thoughts about the Shadow Phalanx APC from Gridiron Studios:

Size & Presence: A Literal Table-Crusher

The first thing you notice about the Shadow Phalanx APC is its sheer footprint. Measuring a whopping 23 inches in length, this Armored Personnel Carrier is built to be heavy duty and stand out.

• Scale Realism: While marketed at 1:12 scale, the vehicle sits on the larger side—feeling closer to a 1:10 footprint in presence. It dwarfs standard 1:12 scale Humvees and commands immediate attention as a centerpiece display.
• Troop Capacity: Designed remarkably space-conscious the interior has a space to seat a driver behind a steering wheel as well as additional benches so the vehicle can comfortably hold up to 10 fully equipped 1:12 scale action figures, making it a gold standard for dynamic diorama building.

Vehicle Quality, Materials, and Aesthetics

Gridiron Studios utilizes high-quality 3D printing materials for their toy vehicles, and the results are mostly stunning, though they carry a few inherent production caveats.

• The Finish: The Shadow variant features a clean, matte black base with aggressive crimson accents. The vehicle arrives mostly assembled and features solid, hard-plastic rolling wheels that operate smoothly across flat surfaces.
• The 3D Print Caveat: Because this is a massive 3D-printed structure rather than standard injection-molded plastic, close inspection will reveal minor printing striations and faint support artifacts. There are some streak lines on the loading ramp and hatch covers that I found disappointing based upon the premium price of the Shadow Phalanx APC. However, the overall sculpt quality and pure mass of this action figure accessory easily outweigh these minor cosmetic lines.
• Smell: Straight out of its heavy-duty "box-within-a-box" shipping container, expect a prominent scent of fresh polymer plastic that dissipates after a few days.

Play Features and Modularity

Where the Shadow Phalanx truly shines is its replications of the details of the modern real-world Stryker and Bradley platforms it is modeled after.

Accessibility: The vehicle features fully functional, crisp-opening access hatches and a rear door with loading ramp along with removable roof segments to provide easy accessibility within the APC.

Electronic Lighting: Gridiron cleverly integrated internal electronic lighting. Removing a protective tab and loosening/tightening the internal battery cap bathes the troop cabin in an ominous, tactical red glow—perfect for toy photography.

Unprecedented Upgradability: Gridiron offers an entire system of plug-and-play expansions, including a heavy weapon turret and multi-stack SAM missile launchers, among other cool add-ons.

Stowage & Accessories: The base package comes packed with a generous array of tactical gear, including realistic weapons (like a 50-cal machine gun), radio antennas, gas cans, rocket launchers, backpacks. I was disappointed that the Shadow version did not include camo netting to drape over the hull that is included with the Desert and Jungle varieties nor did it come with anything extra to make up for the difference though being the same price as those models.

The Verdict 

Score: 8 / 10

The Gridiron Studios Shadow Phalanx APC is a luxury addition to any high-end 1:12 action figure collection. Retailing right around the $400 mark for the base vehicle, it is undoubtedly an expensive investment meant for adult collectors to showcase rather than kids to play with. If you mind subtle 3D print lines, the texture might bug you; but if you want an intimidating, endlessly customizable troop carrier that makes retail toys look tiny, the Shadow Phalanx APC is an absolute triumph. 

NECA FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER

Being in the Halloween spirit, I picked up for myself a Frankenstein's Monster action figure from NECA to decorate my desk at work. This 7-inch scaled NECA action figure replicates the classic Universal Monster from 1931's FRANKENSTEIN which was based upon Mary Shelley's 1818 horror novel about a scientist bringing a creature to life. The action figure's sculpt captures a colorized version of actor Boris Karloff's portrayal of Frankenstein's monster. 

As part of NECA's Ultimate Universal Monster's collection, Frankenstein's Monster comes with premium packaging with a cover featuring the 1931 movie poster and the action figure includes a number of accessories. NECA Universal Monster's Ultimate Frankenstein's Monster features 3 interchangeable heads, 6 interchangeable hands, shackles and daisies. Recreate favorite scenes from the movie or create your own terror-ific poses with Frankenstein's monster.

Frankenstein's Monster also provides an interesting adversary to incorporate with other toy brands. It presents an imposing character to interact with 6-inch scale G.I. Joe Classified action figures for example. Cobra scientists are up to no good! What horrible and dangerous experiments are they conducting in the depths of Cobra bases?

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GI JOE - A REAL AMERICAN HERO

I remember being in elementary school and running home from the bus stop to make sure I didn't miss a minute of the GI JOE animated series on TV.  At that age I was playing with the toys, reading the comic books and watching every episode of a show were the majority of the dialogue was the phrase "yo joe!" ... and I loved every minute of it!  This was during the first few years of when the toy line was reintroduced in the 1980s (they had been sold in the 60s & 70s looking more like guy Barbie dolls with beards and guns before being turned into "action figures" in the 80s) when there was a focus on some level of military realism with the brand.  The GI JOE of my youth had an infantry man "Grunt", a radio operator "Breaker", a ranger "Striker", a bazooka soldier "Zap", and a Commando named "Snake Eyes" that wore traditional military uniforms and used weapons you'd think real soldiers might be using in combat at the time.  The GI JOE characters evolved over time so that the characters became more fantastic and scifi-ish.  Unfortunately, the toys I see at the store now don't resemble anything that I relate to when thinking of GI JOE.

I came across this video that provides a great overview of the "original 13" which are the characters I associate with GI JOE from my childhood.  Check this out:

I have some hope though for a renewed development of the GI JOE franchise after reading IDW Publishing's  new monthly comic book series that debuted this year.  The GI JOE of my youth was a clandestine force of the best soldiers in the U.S. military taking on the threat of a secret international terrorist organization called COBRA.  IDW has modernized GI JOE for today's times.  COBRA doesn't lurk in the shadows anymore in this new adaptation but is rather a household name for the atrocities it has committed.  GI JOE is public now too.  Everyone knows about GI JOE and the military uses them as a promotional tool to gain public support and recruits.  The leader of GI JOE actually says that they will be using their likenesses and stories for toys, comic books and movies to promote the military.  A fun nod to the toy line and this new comic book series.

The new comic book series keeps some of the classic cheesiness of GI JOE of old though.  For example, the only person to die when the Joes' helicopter is shot down is the soldier wearing a parachute.  One of the bad guys controls crocodiles who he sicks on people.  Cobra's vehicles look more like toys than realistic fighting machines.  That being said, the new comic books have great art work and nice scripting to make them a fun and enjoyable read for both kids today and their 40 year old dads who enjoyed GI JOE when they were kids.  The artwork provides the feel of watching the story as an animated tv show as you read through it enhancing the enjoyment of your reading experience.

There were some interesting takes on bringing GI JOE into modern times that caught my eye while reading the first 5 issues of this new series.  GI JOE is exposed to the public by a "wikipedia leak"; a blogger who heavily uses twitter is added to the GI JOE team as an embedded journalist; and the character ShipWreck has the real life parrot that used to accompany him replaced by a mini-drone called a parrot designed to provide surveillance, scouting and communications support.

If you've missed out on the first monthly issues of GI JOE from IDW PUBLISHING they have compiled the first five into a graphic novel titled GI JOE/VOLUME 1: HOMEFRONT that will be available for purchase soon. Here's the link to it on Amazon where it is available for pre-order:  http://www.amazon.com/G-I-JOE-Volume-1-Homefront/dp/1613777051/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt

Here's a preview of some of the pages you'll find in GI JOE/VOLUME 1: HOMEFRONT.  On a final note I just feel the need to yell out "Yo Joe!"

DISCLAIMER:  I received a limited use digital pdf copy of GI JOE/VOLUME 1: HOMEFRONT to use for this review from the publisher.  I did not receive any compensation for this post and the thoughts/opinions in it are my own.