Mysterious Stranger back yet again with another guest review. This time I'm looking at the Adventure Team Terror of the Swamp set and WOW! does it rock! Like General Hawk, when this particular line was announced I balked a bit at the idea of my favorite Joes as adventurers instead of soldiers. But I'm starting to get used to the idea and this set is definitely helping. So here it is...

Let's start with the packaging. If you've read the other AT reviews here then you've seen Hawk's pictures of the incredible packaging these sets come in. Its the standard long box with capped ends similar to the design used for Sigma Strike Duke but what really sets these off is the art. Designed to look like a wooden shipping crate, the package definitely sells the adventure aspect of the line. The stylized art depicting Recondo going up against the croc is really great and makes this package one that I will be keeping to show off. Add in the newly designed weapons crates and a backdrop insert that just adds more fun, the package is enough to catch my attantion.

Now about the contents, does the set live up to the hype? You bet! Terror of the Swamp comes with a great completely new Recondo figure, a few accessories and a very nice big crocodile. Definitely enough here to keep a kid interested for hours of play.

Recondo, like I said, is an entirely new sculpt. Gone is the stylized Sigma Suit, replaced by very realistic civilian clothing. In fact the only thing that ties this design to previous figures are the 4 weapon ports on his back. That's it. The rest evokes a freshness and new quality that is just awesome! His head sculpt is great with a slight smirk on his face and messed up hair. He's got a flat nose which is a great touch and gives him more of a rough and tumble look than the clean cut sculpts of Duke and Lt. Stone.

His torso is sculpted with a ripped sleeveless shirt over a tight T-shirt and straps and a harness on his back. The shirt, if you look really closely at his shoulders, has rips sculpted into it similar to the VvV Gung-Ho figure though its hard to see if you're not looking for it. But even if the rips weren't there it would still look good. His upper arms have wraps around the tops of his biceps and his wrists and hands are wrapped in bandages similiar to what a boxer would have. To finish off his torso he has a wristwatch sculpted on the left wrist, a very nice touch, and a necklace with a couple croc teeth and what might be an aboriginal talisman pouch. At least that's what I'm calling it.

He's wearing a pair of sculpted fatigues similar to what the other newer figures have, with pockets on the thighs, a nice wide belt, kneepads and some sculpted piping. His boots come up over his calves and have nice sculpted laces and panels on the sides. Very nice. Very very nice.

His Kung-Fu Grip hand is without a doubt the best one I've seen so far. What makes Recondo's KFG better than the rest? Quite simple. A completely seperate trigger finger. That's it. That's all it takes to make me accept this feature on this figure. If the other figures had the same designed trigger finger I'd be ecstatic! As is, Recondo will be getting lots of action with me due to this single finger. Hey Hasbro! THIS is how you should do the rest of the Kung-Fu Grip figures! ALL of them! Just like this. Do that and you have an instant winner in my book.

Now how about paint applications. They are all pretty incredible. His pants are a nice drab green with a black belt and silver buckle. His boots are brown with lighter brown soles and a little green trim. Very cool details. His upper body carries the most paint applications with his two shirts being different colors, beige and a light yellow, his harness in the same green as his pants and the wraps in a nice offwhite color. The necklace is green with bone for the teeth and brown for the talisman pouch. And he's got that annoying red square on the back of his KFG hand. And to top it all off, his hair is a nice reddish color we haven't seen before. Oh and he's got a tan. Not the "Malibu Duke" tan, but a very nice tan hue to his skin that looks right. Like this is a guy that's been out in the field for weeks at a time. Very cool.

But a good figure does not a great set make. He's gotta come with some decent accessories and Recondos gear is great! He's got a really cool rifle that I just love, Shipwreck's sword, a knife, canteen, hat, AT dogtag, vice and collar and chain. Oh and that great big giant freakin' crocodile! Take away the croc and you've got a pretty average Soldier class figure. But with that big reptile thrown in, suddenly Recondo jumps up a few notches. But I'll get into all that in the Tech Specs section.

Overall, Terror of the Swamp is a great Adventure Team set. The brand new figure, great animal companion and some nice accessories make it a must have. Even at the higher price point. I can't recommend him enough.

TECH SPECS

Recondo comes with some great accessories even if there are only a few of them. Starting with his great outback hat, complete with crocodile teeth hatband. Very "Crocodile Dundee". The Adventure Team figures also come with a newly designed dogtag. Its round and has the AT logo on one side and the emblem of their mission on the other, in this case its a crocodile. And just for fun he comes with a brand new canteen. Its sculpted in green and has great little details on it. It fits in his hands very well and is a nice touch that, while it wouldn't be missed, it just adds that little extra bit that makes this line fun.

But if you're going up against a man-eating crocodile you'll need more than just your own muscles. You'll want a good rifle and maybe a blade or two and Recondo's got 'em all covered. His rifle is a new sculpt and looks great! Its molded in the same green that matches his pants and has a couple wraps around the barrel and stock that match the wraps on his wrists and hands. Its also got a peg so he can carry it on his back. And he can hold it perfectly in his incredible KFG hand!

His blades come in the form of a big Bowie knife that has a weapon peg on it so it can be stored in his harness on his back. Its a nice addition and again continues the "Crocodile Dundee" look. Add in Shipwrecks big sword and Recondo here is armed to the teeth.

Finally he comes with a vice/jack that can be used to jack up his Range Rover if he gets a flat. Oh and it can hold open the mouth of that giant crocodile he comes with as well.

Yeah the crocodile is pretty big. Measuring about ten inches long with eight points of articulation and an action feature its got a lot packed into that scaly green frame. He moves at the neck (side to side), shoulders (swivel), and tail in two places (side to side). And his mouth opens wide. If you're good enough you can lock it open and when you push on his toungue the spring-loaded mouth snaps shut. Normally I don't like action features at all but this one is pretty cool and it doesn't take anything away from the figure at all. I have to say the articulation is a bit lacking in this figure. The side to side motion in the tail and neck get very low degrees of movement and with no mid body joint he just kinda lays there. But then that's what crocodiles usually do anyway right? Lay there and wait for food to come to them. The same side to side joint used in the tail could be adapted to the mid body and not take away much from the sculpting. But he does look cool and its a nicely scaled crocodile, something we haven't seen in the Joe line, ever.

The croc is molded in green and has some nice subtle paint applications. A black stripe down his back and lighter green/gray on his belly. His tounge is a nice pinkish red and his teeth are all bone white and his beady little eyes are there too.

And to keep the croc under control there's a big silver spiked collar that wraps around his neck nice and tight. There's a black chain similar to others we've seen in the line, connected to the removable handle. Very cool and very well executed.

If you take away the crocodile you have a pretty weak accessory compliment. But throw that big green monster and you've got a great Adventure Team set.