Review & pics by: Fred Meyer

DTC Wave 2 - David "Salvo" Hasle


  Review & pics by Fred Meyer
 

DTC Salvo card

Up until a few months ago I had never owned a Salvo figure. I’d search for him on Ebay or at GIJoeHQ but every time I tried to close the deal the figure eluded me. Finally, after months and months, I was able to snag a complete figure. Immediately, I could see why the figure held so much appeal for Joe collectors—this figure just radiated attitude and he carried a mean anti-aircraft weapon. I thought my quest for Salvo was complete until Hasbro revealed DTC Wave 2 at the 2005 Collector’s Convention. Now, after months of waiting, the updated Salvo is in hand and he’s one large update!

Salvo frontSalvo back

David “Salvo” Hasle (I sense a copyright issue here.) is another figure that borrows parts from previously released Joes. His arms, waist, and legs all come from the Spy Troops Grunt figure that was also released in a Night Force two-pack. His torso and head are, however, newly sculpt to help distinguish him from the Joe team’s premiere infantryman. His overall design is rather plain—gray pants with a black belt, boots, and kneepads. His t-shirt is maroon and sports a gray buckle on the right shoulder. Intact is his signature logo “the might of right” which now appears to have been applied by a professional printer. (I always got the impression from the RAH figure that Salvo wrote it on himself.) Gone are the ammo belts which adorned the original’s pants. (These never made much sense to me, as he wasn’t a heavy machine gunner.) His look is simple and no nonsense and that’s just how I like Salvo. It is funny to note that Salvo has apparently decided to let his hair grow as he’s got a very close-cropped mane of hair now. Apparently, someone thinks that “bald isn’t beautiful” anymore!

Salvo closeup

Salvo gear

Whereas the figure’s design is a bit plain, his accessories are not! First off, let me talk about the one accessory that turned me into a giddy fan boy. On his right wrist, Salvo is wearing a “Joecom”. Based heavily on the designs from the Valor vs. Venom movie, this is a massive improvement over the clunky accessories included in the Valor vs. Venom waves. The gauntlet is thin, detailed, and fits securely on his wrist. Hasbro, if you’re reading this, feel free to include these with ALL future DTC Joes, as I can’t afford to buy up Salvo figures just to get more of these! Moving on from the Joecom, I can only look at Salvo’s helmet and smile. There were two signature elements of the original RAH figure: the t-shirt and the helmet and Hasbro produced both in this one piece. The helmet is a perfect homage to the original figure’s headgear! (I could also see it working well for a Sci-Fi custom. Hmmm…) It’s a nice “hat tip” to fans of the classic line although it does seem to be a tad small for noggin. I don’t think that a figure’s chin should stick out below his head protection but after shifting it around a bit I was able to get a more secure fit. Lastly, we come to Salvo’s reason for being – his enormous rocket launcher. I’ll be honest; I thought the VvV 6 Bazooka was going to be carrying the “big stick” of the Joe team. I was wrong. This launcher, with its attached sighting mechanism, is HUGE! Seemingly based off of Bazooka’s launcher, this weapon is all the justification I need for Salvo being a 4” figure. If he were any smaller, he’d need a cart to lug this “weapon of mass destruction” around. That’s really all there is to say about this weapon—it’s large and you NEVER want to be in front of it. Period.

Salvo joecom?

Wow—two Salvo’s in one year! Salvo is a rare example of a Frankenstein figure that is actually better than the original. Don’t get me wrong—I like the Grunt figure well enough but Salvo is a tremendous improvement on the source parts. The cosmetic changes were enough to take a bland design and breathe explosive life into it! There’s not much point in elaborating—do yourself a favor and grab this figure! NOW!!

How do you hold this thing?

Comparison of Grunt & Salvo

Comparison of RAH & DTC Salvo figures

Salvo's t-shirt

Salvo & Salvo -- bald and shaved

Bazooka & Salvo: Masters of Destruction

 

 

 

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