Monthly Archives: December 2014

#0426: Jonathan Barnet & Nukpana

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , ,

JONATHAN BARNET & NUKPANA

CALICO JACK MINIMATES

A few years ago, when Diamond was first starting to push Minimates as a brand with some serious legs, they decided to move beyond just releasing licensed product. They had some pretty significant success with their MAX Elite Heroes line, which offered generic police officers, firefighters, and divers, so they moved on to some more experimental lines, such as Calico Jack, a line of pirates. The line was a lot of fun, but it never really took off, sadly. Today, I’ll be looking at the two of the line’s figures, Jonathan Barnet & Nukpana.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

These two were released as a two-pack in the first (and only) series of Calico Jack Minimates, which were carried exclusively at Toys R Us.

JONATHAN BARNET

“Captain Jonathan Barnet, commander of the British Navy’s Man-O-War Albion, is a very formidable seaman and pirate hunter. Coming from a very well to do family, Captain Barnet holds tradition and the Crown in very high regard. He finds his time with Jack to be very distasteful.” Barnet is a take on the straight-laced Navy men that crop up a lot in Pirate stories (like a certain Admiral Norrington from a certain Disney movie). The figure is about 2 ½ inches in height and he features 12 points of articulation. He’s built on the standard Minimate body, with a special set of feet, as well as add-ons for his hat, coat/cape, and gloves. The boots first saw use on the Marvel Minimates Dark Avengers Ares figure, and the gloves showed up in the Captain America Through the Ages Set. The other pieces are new to this figure, and they are really impressive. There’s some very nice, ornate work, and it looks great. The figure’s paintwork is pretty good. The only detail line work is on the face, which has pretty much the perfect look for the uptight naval officer. The rest of the paint is basic color work, which is all pretty good. There’s some slop and a few fuzzy lines, but nothing too distracting. The figure was accessorized with a sword and a pistol, which are both very nicely sculpted.

NUKPANA

“Nukpana is one of Captain Jonathan Barnet’s crew. The struggle against the pirate plague has been a long and deadly affair and one that at times requires a special skill set. Nakpana came to Britain via the new Colonies…” Nukpana is a cool looking character, who seems to be based on characters like Ishmael and the like (though he’s technically Native American). He’s roughly 2 ½ inches tall and he has 12 points of articulation. The figure uses the standard body, with a unique set of feet and a blade in place of his right hand, as well as add-ons for his loincloth, hair, and left wrist guard. All of these pieces are new to this figure and they’re all very well sculpted. They feature even more detail than the pieces on Barnet, and they look really great. Nukpana features some rather impressive paintwork as well. He’s got some pretty decent base paint work, though there’s a little slop here and there. The detail lines are really well done, and his face just exudes character. This guy is pissed off. To top it all off, he’s got some pretty awesome tattoos on his face, arms and torso that really make this figure stand out. Nukpana includes an extra gun attachment which can be traded out for the blade, which is the same great quality and offers some nice variety.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I picked up these two from TRU when the series was first released. I remember being pretty excited for the line and all the cool possibilities it offered. This set is a great example of just how great these figures were. The quality was there, the value was there, and the fun was there, but sadly, the fanbase wasn’t there.

#0425: Unmasked Spider-Man

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

UNMASKED SPIDER-MAN

MARVEL MINIMATES

Hey, look, more Minimates! So, yeah, the next few days are going to be Minimates reviews. Not anything new, but the randomized list sometimes spits out a few of them in a row. Hope you guys don’t mind me rambling on some more about them….

So, for this review, I’m going was back into the early days of Marvel Minimates, back when the concept of what constituted a unique figure was rather different than what it is today. So, without further ado, I present Unmasked Spider-Man.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Unmasked Spider-Man was released in a two-pack with Doctor Octopus in Series 4 of Marvel Minimates. Ock is MIA, so it’ll just have to be Spidey this time. This figure’s shtick is exactly what it says on the tin: he’s a Spider-Man without the mask. Of course, nowadays the unmasked head is just an extra piece included with just about every Spider-Man, but back then figures had a lot fewer extras. The figure is about 2 ½ inches tall, and he features 14 points of articulation. He uses the standard body of the first 7 series, which it should be noted featured feet that were longer and had no peg holes for stands. It was a darker time. Anyway, the figure also features an add-on piece for the hair, which was sculpted specifically for this figure and never turned up anywhere else. It’s an okay piece, but it seems like it shrunk a bit compared to the prototype. It has a little trouble staying on, and it looks like he’s got a receding hairline. The figure’s paint is actually pretty great. From the neck down, he’s the same as the Series 2 Spider-Man, which set the standard for what the line could do. While the figure’s lack of any musculature dates him a bit, the weblines are nice and clean, and the go all the way around, which the current Spider-Men don’t tend to have. The face isn’t terrible, though he certainly looks angry about something. Unmasked Spider-Man included a backpack made out of webs, which is actually a pretty neat accessory.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Unmasked Spider-Man was one of my earlier Minimate purchases. I remember I hadn’t actually gotten a regular Spider-Man yet, so this one served as my basic Spider-Man for a while. In retrospect, it’s not the most exciting Minimate, but at the time I was particularly fond of this one. Truth be told, all of the early Spider-Men were pretty outstanding examples of what the line had the potential to be.

#0424: Batman – Video Game

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BATMAN – VIDEO GAME

BATMAN ’89 (NECA)

The last several reviews highlighted some of the positives of Mattel’s hold of the DC license. So, hey, for a change, how about a discussion of how they totally suck? That’ll be a real change…

Mattel’s DC license has exclusivity built into it. This means that DC won’t license to anyone who would provide Mattel direct competition. The larger scale stuff is a bit more open, but anything under 12 inches is pretty much Mattel’s game. Given Mattel’s lackluster offerings as of late, this kinda sucks for DC fans.  For years, fans have wanted proper figures based on the 1989 Batman movie, specifically Michael Keaton’s take on the title character. However, when Mattel finally released a Keaton Batman, it was A)in 3 ¾ inch scale, rather than the preferred 6-7 inch range, and B) not very good. Enter NECA.

NECA, who are known for their killer movie sculpts, produced their own Keaton Batman, but due to the Mattel license, it had to be 18 inch scale. But, NECA is the king of making impossible things happen (Sigourney Weaver likeness FTW!), so they were working on a way to get out a 7 inch figure. As it turns out, while Mattel’s license covers all of the comics, the movies, and the cartoons, it only covers some of the video games. In particular, it doesn’t cover the 1989 NES game done to tie into the movie. So, by painting up their Keaton sculpt in those colors, they were golden. He was just sort of wonky colored…

(Incidentally, about a week after this figure was released, it was announced that NECA had worked out a deal to have a properly colored version released with the new Batman Blu-ray release. So, yeah.)

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Batman here was a special single release from NECA, but he follows the theme set by previous NES-style releases. Batman has the notoriety of being the first such figure to feature a new(ish) sculpt. I don’t usually discuss packaging, but it’s actually pretty cool here. It’s been done to look like the box for the original game, and it looks really cool. The only downside is that it’s shrink-wrapped, which means looking at the figure inside won’t happen until you’ve actually purchased it. This might up deterring some potential buyers, which is a bummer. The figure is a little over 7 inches tall and he features 25 points of articulation. So, you’ll notice up at the beginning there I referred to the sculpt as “new(ish).” This sculpt is essentially the same as the one used for NECA’s awesome 18 inch Keaton Bats. However, this is the first time it’s been seen in this scale, and it’s received a number of tweaks to make it work at the smaller size. Whatever its origins, it’s a really good sculpt. The coolest thing is that it’s not lots of straight pieces, it’s pieces on top of pieces, which gives it the appropriate amount of depth and layers. It really adds to the realism. What little can be seen of the Keaton likeness is spot on, and the figure’s proportions in general look to be a great representation of the actor. The sculpt is topped off with a cloth cape. It’s serviceable, though the hole for the head can show if you don’t have the figure posed properly. Paint is the one area where NECA sometimes has issues, but this figure has not been struck by any such issues. Overall, everything is very cleanly applied, and there aren’t any issues with slop or bleed over. The paint is also what makes the figure so distinctive. The colors are bold, and just wacky enough to make this figure the highlight of any Batman collection. Batman is armed with a grapple, a batarang, and two hands to hold them.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This figure is my lone Black Friday purchase. This was the one. I got him from my local Toys R Us, late in the evening, in between rounds of rapid Christmas decorating. I’ve been waiting for this figure to be released, pretty much since it was announced. What’s funny is, I actually hadn’t gotten him yet when the proper colored one, which I thought I wanted more, was announced. But, after seeing both of them, I just can’t get as excited about that one as I am about this one. I just really like the colors, and the general uniqueness of this guy. Another winner from NECA!

#0423: Vigilante

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VIGILANTE

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

DC Universe Classics may have ended up supplanting Kenner’s Super Powers as the “greatest DC toyline,” but the line owes a lot of its life to its predecessor. It’s been viewed by many as an update on the earlier line, and it’s worth noting that DCUC ended up releasing an update of every figure in Super Powers. But it seems that wasn’t enough. They decided to go further and release several of the characters who would have been featured in the proposed 4th Wave of the line. While some characters, such as Man-Bat and John Stewart Green Lantern, aren’t too surprising in a DC line in this day and age, one character in particular, Vigilante, seems rather out of place in a current line. The character was essentially DC’s answer to the Punisher, and he was fairly popular in the mid-80s, explaining why he was set to turn up in Super Powers. However, the character died in the final issue of his series, leading to him becoming largely forgotten. Still, he turned up in DCUC, joining the likes of Jemm, Kamandi, and Tyr.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Vigilante was released in Series 8 of DC Universe Classics. Vigilante was the most obscure character in the series by far, which is really saying something in a series that contained Gentleman Ghost, Sergeant Steel, Mr. Terrific, and Dr. Fate. The figure is a little over 6 inches tall and features 25 points of articulation (yay ankle rockers!). He’s based on the character’s look from the 80s, which as far as I know, was his only look. The figure uses the mid-sized buck as a starting point, with a unique head, forearms, and left hand, as well as shins from Series 7’s Flash, and an add-on piece for his belt and holster. The medium buck is as good as ever, and it works very well for the character. The new pieces are all very well sculpted, though it’s odd that they only gave the figure one hand with a trigger finger when he’s meant to hold a gun in each hand. The head features a fully sculpted set of eyes under the visor, which is a cool touch, especially since it’s almost impossible to actually see them. Vigilante’s paint is very nicely handled. Everything is nice and clean. The colors are mostly vibrant and bold, though this figure shows the start of Mattel’s tendency to muddle the whites a little bit. Vigilante was well armed, with a mac-10 submachine gun, an m-16 assault rifle, and a revolver (special thanks to Tim for the help on those). In addition, the figure also included the left leg of Giganta, but my figure was bought loose and did not include this piece.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

When Series 8 was first announced and I heard Vigilante was in it, I assumed it would be the Greg Saunders version (who had appeared on Justice League Unlimited). When I found out this was the version of the character being released, I must admit I was a little let down. Still, it’s not a bad design, so I definitely wanted the figure. Sadly, the distribution issues hit their hardest with Series 8, and I never saw a single one of the figures on shelves.

Vigilante was the fourth and final DCUC figure I picked up at The House of Fun, which is an awesome store. Vigilante was one of the many, many loose DCUC figures the store had. I was really happy to find him. Odd choice of the character aside, this is a very well done figure. It’s a shame that Mattel couldn’t maintain the quality on this line.

#0422: Tomar Re

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TOMAR RE

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

Although my interest in the character has waned a bit in the last few years, I’m still quite a bit of a Green Lantern fan. So, that means I find myself drawn to just about everything Green Lantern-related when it comes to toys. Some of it’s good and some of it’s bad. Today, I’ll be looking at the DC Universe Classics interpretation of Tomar Re, one of the many non-earth GLs. What’s interesting is that the last GL figure I looked at was ALSO a Tomar Re figure, from the movie line. I promise that this one’s better.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Tomar Re was released in the DC Universe Classics line as part of a Green Lantern themed 5-pack. He was one of two characters released exclusively in the set. Something that’s important to note about this figure is that while he’s called Tomar Re on the box, the figure actually seems to be a bit more in line with the look of Tomar’s son Tomar Tu. The differences are minor: Re was generally depicted with larger eyes with pupils and a less present mask. Ultimately, the two essentially look the same, and Tomar Re is the one more people know, so it’s a forgivable change. The figure is about 6 inches tall and he has 23 points of articulation. Tomar is built on the medium sized male buck, which is a good fit for the character. His right hand has a Green Lantern ring, and it’s been used on numerous GL figures. He has a new head, though it appears it uses the previously released Romat Ru’s head as a starting point. Romat’s scars have been filled in and a mask has been added, which is enough to sufficiently differentiate the two. The head is a truly beautiful sculpt, and it does a fantastic job of translating Tomar’s look into three dimensions. The paint work on Tomar is nicely done. Everything is very clean, and all of the details are sharp. It’s hard to tell from the pictures, but the green used here is slightly iridescent, which looks really cool and gives the costume the appropriate other-worldly vibe. Tomar includes his lantern-shaped power battery, which is a re-use of the one included with the Series 3 Hal Jordan figure. It’s been done in a darker green, which really makes it work.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Like the last two figures I reviewed, Tomar was acquired from The House of Fun. The store is a really cool place, and I definitely need to go back soon. Unlike the last two, Tomar isn’t a figure I missed in stores, and he doesn’t command a huge aftermarket price. I just was iffy about buying the whole 5-pack when I really only wanted 2-3 of the figures included. So, when I found Tomar on his own I was very happy. Tomar has long been one of my favorite Lanterns. I’ve always thought he has one of the coolest looks. The figure showcases the character spectacularly. I can’t believe I passed him up for so long.

#0421: Gold

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

GOLD

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

DC Universe Classics, through all of its victories, was not without its flaws. When the line ended, more than one team of heroes was left incomplete. That being said, the line did manage to finish up a couple of teams. One of those teams, the Metal Men, hadn’t seen toy form ever before. That’s not a particularly shocking thing, truth be told. The Metal Men are far from one of DC’s more well-known properties. Still, they managed to all show up in this line, and they serve as an example of the line’s strength in rendering oft-forgotten characters in action figure form.

As a bit of backstory, the Metal Men are a team of robots, constructed by Dr. Will Magnus, who were each made out of a particular metal, animated by a “responsometer” which gave each of them a distinct personality. Today, I’ll be looking at the team’s field leader, Gold, who was the member of the team who best fit the traditional hero archetype.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Gold was a figure in Series 14 of DC Universe Classics. Series 14 was the third Walmart exclusive series in the line, and it fell somewhere in between the impossible to find Series 5 and the rather plentiful Series 10 in terms of availability. Gold is a little over 6 inches in height and he features 23 points of articulation (he was released after Mattel removed the ankle rocker joints). He was the second Metal Man released in the line, following Series 12’s Iron. The figure makes use of the mid-size male buck as a starting point, with a new head, forearms, and calves, as well as a set of die-cast hands (first used on Iron), and an add-on for the front of his torso. The mid-size body is a good fit for Gold, so it was well chosen. The new pieces match up pretty well with the body, while giving him some individual flair. The head is the only piece to sport any flaws. It’s not a bad sculpt, but it doesn’t seem quite right for Gold; he should look more confident and self-assured. The hands being actual metal is cool, though the fact that they were originally sculpted for Iron means that they have some dings and things that aren’t quite right for Gold. Gold’s paint is rather straight-forward. He’s painted from head to toe with gold paint. The decision to use paint rather than gold plastic was a wise choice, as the end result is much cleaner. In addition, he also features a few details for his symbol on his head and torso, as well as his eyes. The eyes are rather clean, but the symbols are a slight bit off center. Gold included two hand attachments: a buzz saw and a pick axe. Both are well done, but the buzz saw really stands out, just for the sheer amount of imagination that went into it. If you look closely, you can see that it actually looks like a stretched out version of his hand is holding the blade. It’s a great touch. Gold also included the left leg of the series Collect-N-Connect, Ultra Humanite, who you can read about here.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

After finding Iron at a reduced price, I was all on board for getting Gold when he was released. My dad is a pretty big fan of the Metal Men, so this was one of those instances of both of us wanting a certain figure. So, when we finally came across a set of Series 14, the single Gold figure went to him. I didn’t mind, seeing as I got all the other figures I wanted, but I still hoped to find another. The figure’s price jumped and I figured I’d missed my shot. Fortunately, while checking out The House of Fun, I found a loose Gold amongst their large selection of DCUC figures. I’m happy to have the figure. He’s not perfect, but he’s pretty close, and he’s a key piece of one of DCUC’s greatest legacies.

#0420: Guardian

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

GUARDIAN

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

Ah, yes, DC Universe Classics. One of the most confusing lines I’ve ever collected. Purely viewing the figures offered, it’s easily the greatest DC toyline ever released (beating out Kenner’s Super Powers). The sheer breadth of the line is truly astounding. But, it was a Mattel toyline, which means the line was met with mismanagement, strange choices, and some of the worst distribution I’ve ever seen on a major toyline. An entire series of figures would be completely absent from store shelves in most areas of the country, leading to insane aftermarket prices. Because of this, I’m still filling holes in my collection two years after the line ended. One of my recent acquisitions is Guardian, DC’s resident shield wielding hero who is totally not Captain America. Let’s see how the figure turned out!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Guardian was released in Series 9 of DC Universe Classics. He’s one of the line’s more odd-ball choices, but that’s never a bad thing. The figure is a little over 6 inches tall and he features 25 points of articulation. He’s based on the original Jack Kirby-version of the character. Early prototypes for the figure showed the 90s incarnation of the character, and comments from Mattel indicated that that version might surface as a variant, but such a figure never surfaced. Sorry Guardian fans. DCUC was primarily a “buck-system” line, and Guardian is no exception. He’s built on the mid-sized buck, with a belt add-on and a new head. The mid-size buck seems like it might be a bit too small for Guardian, but it doesn’t look terrible. One thing I’ve noticed is that since getting back into Marvel Legends, the shoulders on the DCUC bucks look larger than they should, but overall, the bucks were well done, so this is a good starting point. Guardian’s head is really nice. The helmet is a separate piece, so the face is actually below it, which gives the figure the appropriate amount of depth. Guardian’s paint is rather simple, but what’s there is cleanly applied for the most part. There is a tiny bit of slop on the neck line, but that’s about it. The work on the face is the highlight of the figure, mostly due to just how clean everything is. The colors on the costume are really bright, which is befitting of a character like Guardian. They really make him pop. Guardian included his trusty shield, which is sort of silly looking, especially given the size, but it’s actually quite well sculpted. He also included the right leg of Chemo, but my figure was purchased loose and therefore did not have that piece.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I wanted a Guardian when he was released. In fact, I wanted pretty much all of Series 9. However, the series never really showed up in my neck of the woods. I was able to track down a few of the other figures from the series, but not Guardian.

The weekend before Thanksgiving, I accompanied my dad to Philcon. We decided to explore the surrounding area on Saturday and came across a very nice toy store, called The House of Fun. The store’s selection was actually a bit overwhelming, if I’m honest. Anyway, my dad and I decided to focus on the large selection of DCUC figures they had, and Guardian happened to be amongst them. I’m glad I finally found the figure. He’s often been referred to as the sleeper hit of this series, and I can see why. He doesn’t have the bells and whistles that some of the better DCUC figures had, but he’s a solidly put together figure who is just undeniably fun.

#0419: Peter Venkman

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PETER VENKMAN

REAL GHOSTBUSTERS (KENNER)

Prior to the last few years, if you wanted any kind of Ghostbusters toys, you were limited to what the Real Ghostbusters toyline had to offer. Seeing as there were only normal versions of the ‘busters offered early in the line, that meant that more often than not, settling for the wacky variants became the best option. So, let’s look at one of those!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

This Peter Venkman figure was released in 1990 as part of the “Power Pack Heroes” series of Kenner’s The Real Ghostbusters line. The figure is about 4 ½ inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation. Peter’s “Power Pack” shtick was a “Bouncin’ Bazooka” which was a missile launcher thing. Pretty much, this series was made up of re-decos of the first series ‘busters. So, it follows that Peter is head to toe a repaint of the original Peter Venkman figure. Fortunately, the original sculpt was pretty good. It’s a nice approximation of what he looked like in the cartoon, and everything looks nice. Peter’s paint job is one of the distinguishing features. In place of the usual brown jumpsuit, he has a dark green jumpsuit, with orange and light green details that form some sort of art deco design. It’s an interesting look, and the paintwork is nice and clean. The eyes are done in a bright green, which looks kind of odd, but it’s not terrible. Originally, Peter included the aforementioned “Bouncin’ Bazooka” and a Lightning Ghost, but my figure never had them, so I can’t really speak to their quality.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I came into Ghostbusters at probably the most difficult time to be a Ghostbusters fan. The glut of movie toys was a good 10 years off, and all of the Real Ghostbusters stuff was gone before I was born. I remember coming across one or two Extreme Ghostbusters figures, but they weren’t the actual Ghostbusters. So, I resorted to finding loose figures at flea markets and antique stores. Peter was an Antique store find, and I think he was the last figure I added to my rather modest Real Ghostbusters collection. He’s actually a pretty good figure, and I find the art deco look of his uniform to be oddly compelling.

#0418: Back to the Future Part II Minimates

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MARTY MCFLY, DOC BROWN, BIFF TANNEN & DISGUISED MARTY

BACK TO THE FUTURE MINIMATES

Minimates are really great, just based on how many properties you can get in one style thanks to them. In many cases, they’re the only way of getting toys from popular movies, as was the case for the longest time with Back to the Future. The first Back to the Future set was something of an experiment for Diamond, to see how boxed sets based on popular movies would do. It was a break away hit, ending up selling out pretty much everywhere. So, naturally Diamond continued on to the next two films in the trilogy. They weren’t quite the success of the first set, but they did alright. Today, I’ll be looking at set number two.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

These four figures were released as a boxed set, the second in the line. All of the figures are based on the looks seen in Back to the Future Part II.

MARTY MCFLY – FUTURE

Marty is the star of the movies, and he has a fair number of looks over the course of the three films, so he was a natural fit for multiple figures. His first figure in this set is based on his appearance while he’s exploring the 2015 timeline. The figure is about 2 ½ inches tall and he’s got 14 points of articulation. He’s built on the standard Minimate body, with a unique set of feet to represent Marty’s self-lacing shoes, as well as add-ons for his jacket and hair. All of these pieces were new to this figure, though the feet and hair would see a few re-uses down the line. All of the pieces are well sculpted, thought the hair seems a little bit off for Michael J Fox. The paint is okay, but not amazing. Everything is clean, and there’s some great detail work on the clothing. Unfortunately, the face looks nothing like Fox, and it’s only compounded when added to the hair. I don’t really know what happened, but that’s just not him. Marty included a hoverboard that, aside from the forgivable omission of the Mattel logo, is a spot on recreation of the one from the movie.

DOC BROWN

Doc was a very close second to Marty in terms of role in the films, so it’s no surprise that he made his way into each of the boxed sets. Like the previous Marty, this figure is based on Doc’s appearance in the scenes set in 2015 (and also the end of the first movie). Doc is roughly 2 ½ inches tall and he has the typical 14 points of articulation. He uses the standard body, but he has his own unique head, as well as an add-on for his jacket/shit/tie. Both pieces were new to this figure, and only the head has seen re-use. The both are well sculpted, although the holes in the temples are a little distracting. The paint work on Doc is quite nice. Everything is nice and clean. The slightly iridescent yellow used for the coat looks fantastic. The detail lines are all nice and sharp, and the likeness on this figure is much better than the one on Marty. Doc includes a pair of sunglasses that hook into the holes on the head. They look fine, but they sit a little too low, and it would be nice if there were a way to have them at the top of his head like they are for most of the movie.

BIFF TANNEN

Biff starts out the series as a rather despicable character, but he goes practically into supervillain mode in Part II. This particular figure represents Biff in the alternate 1985, after old Biff has altered the time line. He represents Biff at his worst, so he’s a pretty good choice for a figure. The figure is about 2 ½ inches in height and sports 14 points of articulation. The figure makes use of the standard body, along with add-ons for the jacket/shirt and the hair. Both pieces are new to this figure, and they are very well sculpted. The only thing that’s a little off is that the hair is perhaps a little too full in the back. 1985 Biff had a very definite bald spot. Biff’s paint is good, if a little drab. That’s true to the movie, so I suppose there’s no room for complaint. At the very least, the face looks a fair bit like Thomas Wilson’s Biff, so that’s good. Biff included no accessories. It would have been nice to at least get the Almanac or even the revolver he tries to shoot Marty with. Oh well.

MARTY MCFLY – DISGUISED

The second Marty in this set is based on Marty’s look in the second half of the film, after he’s travelled back to the 50s again. In order to avoid his past self, who’s already there, he has to wear a disguise. The figure is a little over 2 ½ inches tall with the hat, and he has 14 points of articulation. He’s built on the standard Minimate body, with add-ons for his hat/hair and his jacket. Both pieces are new to this figure, and they both look pretty good overall. The hat might sit just a tad bit too high, but it’s not terrible. The jacket is a nice, basic leather jacket, and it ended up being re-used a few times. Marty’s paintwork is decent. His torso, waist, and legs are identical to Future Marty, which makes sense, I suppose. He’s got some decently detailed shoes, which is cool, but he’s got the same likeness issue with the face that the other Marty had. Disguised Marty included no accessories, which is a shame. An extra, sunglass wearing head or a walkie talkie would have been cool.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

After missing out on the first set, I was a little discouraged about getting the rest of the figures. Fortunately, not long after the release of the third set, I was able to find the later two boxed sets, as well as two of the supplementary two-packs, at Baltimore Comicon. While the Marty likenesses are disappointing, and there could definitely be a few more accessories, this is a pretty decent set.

#0417: Ultraman Jack

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ULTRAMAN JACK

ULTRA-ACT

My Ultra-Act collection started off with something of a bang, but lately I’ve moved into a “slow and steady wins the race” pattern. I’ve got a number of upcoming figures on pre-order, and I’ll probably be doing a little bit more catch-up once I’ve got some freed up funds again. Anyway, one of my standing pre-orders was just filled, and it’s Ultraman Jack, the third Ultraman.

Jack was the star of his own show, titled The Return of Ultraman. Why “The Return?” Well, originally Ultraman Jack was actually just supposed to be the original Ultraman with a slightly tweaked look. However, they instead decided to go with the pattern started in Ultraseven and create and all new Ultra. Thus we were introduced to Jack. Let’s see how his figure turned out.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Ultraman Jack was originally released in mid-2013 as part of the Ultra-Act line. He was a standalone release, as is the standard release method for this line. Jack is roughly 6 inches tall and he features 40 points of articulation, another standard for the line. Jack was released after the second version of the basic Ultraman, which means he’s up to date with the rest of the more recent releases in the line. Jack features a sculpt that is unique to this figure. Given the closeness of Jack’s design to the original Ultraman, it’s surprising that Bandai didn’t go for any re-use, but that’s hardly a complaint. The sculpt is up to the usual standard of the Ultra-Act line. It’s accurate to the source material, and it actually looks like a person in a suit, which is cool. Like Ace, it seems the shoulders may be a bit too broad, but that’s a relatively minor complaint. Jack’s paintwork is solidly done. It’s cleanly and evenly applied, and all of the cuts and such are appropriately sharp. The red and silver are both nice and bold, adding some very nice pop to the figure. No Ultra-Act release would be complete without an impressive accessory selection, and Jack does not disappoint. He includes his trusty Ultra Cross, his Ultra Lance in two forms, the Ultra Shield, the Ultra Bracelet given to him by Ultraseven, an extra color timer, a clip to attach him to a stand and 10 hands: fists (L and R), open gesture(L and R), karate-chop (L and R), a hand for holding the small Ultra Lance, a hand for the holding the larger items, a hand holding up the peace sign, and a hand with the Specium Beam attached. That’s one of the larger assortments of accessories for an Ultra-Act figure, and they all are very well done.

 

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Jack is a figure I tried to get a few times. I had two separate pre-orders of his original release, neither of which came through. When his after-market price shot up, I kinda gave up. Fortunately, he was given a rerelease, this time through Bluefin, the US distributors of the Ultra-Act line. This allowed for me to place a pre-order through Amazon, who continue to amuse me with their numerous emails informing me that they have literally no idea when these figures will arrive. Jack was worth the wait. He’s rather similar to the original design, but he’s got just enough personal flair to make him a very welcome addition.