Art Design: Colorful comic style art. This is the 7th Real American Hero Duke which has been done in the 12" size. The 12" G.I. Joe was revived with the Target Exclusive Duke in 1991. In 1993, Battle Command Talking Duke was issued; and new versions of Duke were issued in 2001 & 2003. Now that the 12" G.I. Joe line is being discontinued, at least Duke is going out with Voice FX.
Headsculpt: This Duke has a tough, no nonsense look and he has a lot to say, from the standard battle commands to references to specific Real American Hero and Cobra characters. An interesting feature of this new Voice FX is that when the FX button is pushed on Duke's torso, the mouth opens as Duke talks. His open mouth reveals a full set of teeth, and he has a tongue too! That must have made the Baroness very happy.
Articulation: This figure's head and torso can turn 360. The arms and legs are the standard articulation. This Duke does have the muscular arms, so he will look buff at the beach. His hands are black molded-on gloves which look very good. The black guantlets are not removeable unless you cut them off.
The Clothing: Duke is dressed with tan pants, a nice cloth olive green T-shirt, knee-pads, boots and a green rubber vest. The rubber vest has no pockets, but it looks good from a distance.
Gear: This set is chock full of weapons, including a spring-action mortar with four very detailed mortar shells and an anti-tank missile launcher with a missile. A machine gun with grenade launcher and a grappling hook launcher with cord (string) is also included. A canteen, three smoke grenades, and a Glock with a laser sight and silencer is also included. A nice helmet which could be used for a helicopter pilot or a tank commander is also part of this impressive set.
Overall: The price at most retail stores is around $14.99 for this outstanding last tribute to Duke. The figure looks good, the Voice FX feature is excellent, and you also get a mortar, anti-tank bazooka, and a lot more! Get it before it is gone from the shelves forever! The Last Duke!
Grade: A+
