Peacekeepers Review + Male Bodies comparison

Finding a good articulated 12" doll is an ongoing challenge, and when it comes to male bodies, action figures can be a good solution. GI Joe is the most famous action figure, yet they are hard to find new or in the 1/6 scale size. Older GI Joes are collectable and can be unaffordable for casual collectors like me, who simply want a diverse doll world.

I have recently purchased several "World Peacekeepers" dolls. They are available at Big Lots for $13 or $20. I haven't seen them anywhere else yet, and their website doesn't seem to sell online.
I recently purchased a doll made to resemble a black or Latino man. There is also one Asian option I have been unable to find so far.

Power Team Elite: World Peacekeepers Action Figure 

Action Figures is just a silly name for "boy" dolls with "boy" themes: fighting, guns, police, rescue, etc. The wikipedia article on GI Joe says that they came up with the term Action Figures because "boys wouldn't want to play with dolls." I'm not as interested in protecting fragile masculinity, so I will be calling them dolls, and inviting anyone to play with any kind of toy they want.

My husband and I have a joke about this- he has always wanted to use his architecture education to make a super-detailed doll house for our future children. When asked, "What if you have boys?" his easy answer is: "Action figure house! He's action-making breakfast! He's action-washing the dishes!"

Peacekeepers resemble G.I. Joes in their form and intentions. Peacekeepers is a name I find bitterly ironic... So I'm going to call him Jacob for the rest of the review. Jacob has a medium light skin tone, and a small mustache and goatee. His face is calm and his hair short.

Jacob comes with an impressive array of accessories: wide brim camo hat, large and small automatic guns, belt, kneepads, boots, dog tags, medical supplies? and some sort of viewing scope? 

Jacob wears army pants and a black fleece top. I think this could be used for a variety of other outfits. Many "action figures" are unable to change their clothes. Personally, I feel that clothing change makes him more of a doll. (Also, more interesting and more realistic!)

Jacob's articulation is amazing: the box brags that he has over 30 points of articulation. I can only count 17, but it may be referring to the multiple directions each join can move. His elbows and knees are double-jointed, and his upper thighs and biceps have a twisting joint. 

He can be posed in a wide variety of natural forms.

And his talents include both types of splits: side to side or front to back.

I was a ballerina in a past life.

Jacob can also handle absurd poses and is too fun!

Jacob's gloves are not removable, a sad limitation to his flexibility. His hand are both curved to hold his accessories, and his left hand has the pointer finger raised.

Jacob is my favorite of my action figure dolls. Center: a Mattel doll with 15 joints, including an unusual joint in the fingers. Right: a Hasbro action figure with 14 joints. I am uncertain if this Hasbro is a GI Joe doll or not. (Both dolls were purchased at thrift stores.) The Mattel doll is a man of color, the Hasbro doll appears to be a white man with an unusual orange tan. Although excellent articulation is fun, I prefer these dolls clothed. Their exaggerated musculature feels inhuman to me. I do find it interesting that they have nipples, unlike the dolls below. 

Jacob compared to my "doll" collection- primarily designed for girls rather than designed to be "action figures." My King doll is missing wrist articulation, a favorite for personality. He has an unusual waist articulation. Center: Fashionista Ken (with a re-bodied head) is a favorite that I often seek out. Right side: Monster High and Ever After High dolls, with slim bodies and good articulation. They are also known for their expressive hand molds. I just noticed that the Ever After doll has broader shoulders than Ken, perhaps to balance his oversized head.

Lastly, Jacob with my poorly articulated dolls, 90's Steven and 90's Drew Carey. Their five-point articulation is not special, but Drew has a unique body shape, and Steven has darker skin than any of my other male dolls.

The new "Made-to-Move" Barbie body compares well with Jacob. They have almost the same type of articulation in each joint, although the joints don't move quite the same. I noticed a difference in the hips especially. (My new doll Dru is a Fashionista "Leather and Ruffles" head on an "Orange Shirt" made-to-move body.)

Dru and Jacob have a posing contest

Yoga time

Jacob's body is slightly easier to manipulate and balance. (His larger feet help a lot.) My least favorite part (other than the gloves) is the cheap plastic feel. I also don't enjoy the way it looks, with fake muscles, nipples, and the strange pelvis. 

Dru looks more human, and she's slightly better at creating a natural looking pose. I like the plastic used for her body better as well, both texture and for photographing. 

Dru is better at touching her face

Overall, I'm impressed with the Peacekeeper collection. I enjoyed their unique faces and ages- unlike Mattel's repetitive Ken face. Their facial hair, rugged jaws, noses, and hairlines add personality to my collection. I always enjoy a lot of accessories, although of course someone more interested in military supplies may be extra delighted by their details and usability. I hope to find more of their interesting props for police and firefighters. Hopefully they will add hospitals and other interesting careers to their list. And some female dolls with unique or rugged faces would make my dreams come true!

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