Where to start? Storm Shadow has had many iterations from the day he first appeared in 1984, but I can say with confidence that I don't think he's ever appeared in a light purple and red track suit before. And you know what? I'm gonna get things tossed at me for this... but he doesn't look all bad.

On the other hand, he's not that terrific either. Now, Storm Shadow uses the same tooling as he has in the past (with the double joints here) but for some reason I hadn't really noticed the oversized arms, but they are definitely evident here. I love the animated styling as much as anyone else, but those arms look monstrously huge and muscular, which isn't bad, and sort of blends with the style, but for whatever reason that really shows with this figure (probably due to the different colors).

Now, it's tough to really dive too far into this figure, because the mold itself is 100% reused from the version we got in Wave 1 this year with "Razor Ninja" backpack and look. Right off the bat, this figure is a considerable improvement over that one, in my opinion.

Using the modified version of the figure that they've been using since the Shouri Crossbow version, this is the over-animated version of Storm Shadow, and unlike lots of folks out there, I actually like the look. One thing that has drawn me to the Sigma 6 and 8" line in general are the oversized proportions, animated styles and over-exaggerated musculature. He fits in relatively well with the rest of the line and looks good, so he's cool to me.

His Kung Fu Grip is worked nicely into the existing Storm Shadow tooling, which is pretty nice, and the spring-loaded grasp works.

The important part of this figure, though, is obviously the color scheme, since that is really the only change to the base figure itself. The color choices are a bit on the strange side, with an almost purple motorcycle suit with white arms. It's a very different color scheme, but actually works pretty nicely from a "speedbike rider" point of view. Of course, it would help even more if the "speedbike" he's supposed to ride was more than a glorified motorized skateboard like the Red Banshee is, but I digress. Even with the purple, this Storm Shadow actually blends exceptionally well with the COBRA Hovercycle that's been released already, and I have no doubt that this will be Storm Shadow's default ride, not the bizarre Banshee. With the helmet and armor on, the white/red color pallet works well and compliments that hovercycle very nicely.

Speaking of his helmet and armor, those are also important aspects of the figure that separate him from his previous versions...I'm not sure they separate him WELL, but they do separate him. Going for a padded "motorcycle rider" feel, Hasbro gave him a somewhat quilted chestpad, which isn't too bad and gives the figure a little needed bulk. What I really love his that helmet, though...a bit oversized, like the chest pad, but nice and streamlined and it fits very snug. The removable goggles are also a great touch, too and they look great. They fit with the helmet nicely, but can also be removed.

From there on, things get a bit stranger in the gear department...I'll cover all of that in the tech specs section, but from his spring-loaded arm blades to his extendable staff, weird blade weapons, well...he's got some strange stuff going on. His sword and sheath are actually extremely cool and sleek, but I must admit I'm pretty dismayed at the fact that all of these weapons have plugs, but he has no holes for them except on his arm and hand. I'd love to equip Storm Shadow with the sheath on his back, but there's no place to put it. I would figure that they designed it so the Red Banshee could transport his weapons, but I really wish the figure itself had spots to hold them as well.

All in all, this version of Storm Shadow is somewhat of a mixed bag. I actually like the colors, like the dragon logo on his chest, and like some of the gear. I also love the fact that the figure has the great double-joints that I've grown to love. However, Storm Shadow does come with a group of downright strange accessories as well that just aren't all that user-friendly or all that cool. I don't think this will become my default Storm Shadow, but I can at least appreciate the way Hasbro gave him a slightly different look than the others and we don't end up with just another white ninja figure. He also works well with the COBRA Hovercycle and overall the figure isn't too bad. Not on my "recommended" list, but an interesting take on a familiar character.