Monthly Archives: December 2014

#0416: Wasabi No-Ginger

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

WASABI NO-GINGER

BIG HERO 6

Aside from knowing that it was an adaptation of a Marvel comic, I didn’t really have much to go on when I went to see Big Hero 6. But, the previews looked good, so I gave it a shot. I’m very glad I did. It’s a very well done movie, and it tells a very compelling story. I really liked the movie, and me being me, that meant I had to have at least one of the action figures, right? So, let’s have a look at the one I picked up, Wasabi No-Ginger.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Wasabi is part of the first series of Bandai’s Big Hero 6 toyline. The figure is about 3 ½ inches tall and he features 13 points of articulation. He’s based on Wasabi’s armored up look from the second half of the film. It’s his most distinctive look, and definitely the most toyetic. Wasabi features a brand new sculpt based on his character design from the movie. Overall, it’s a pretty good sculpt. Not perfect, but serviceable. Some of the proportions are a little bit off. His legs are a tad too stubby, and he’s generally just a little too wide. That being said, the exaggerated nature of the original design means that the problems aren’t quite as apparent as they might be. The best work is definitely the figure’s head, which is a pretty much spot on recreation of the character’s look in the movie. At first glance, I thought they had left off the goggles, but a quick look at a few screen captures from the movie shows that the goggles aren’t always present. The paint, much like the sculpt, is good, if not anything spectacular. All of the application is nice and clean, with no issues with slop or bleed over. The colors are simplified versions of the ones in the movie. Everything is a little brighter and flatter. The end result isn’t quite as exciting as the on-screen look, but it’s a passable interpretation of it. Wasabi includes two clip-on energy blades, and a sleeveless jacket thingy. The blades are moderately disappointing, mostly due to their solid coloring. Translucent plastic would do a lot to improve them. The jacket is nice, though superfluous. Evidently, it was based on a work-in-progress version of the character where he wore the coat as part of his final outfit.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Wasabi is another figure to join the ranks of “Stuff my Super Awesome Girlfriend bought me.” Wasabi had a few traits that reminded her of me, so when we saw this figure at K-Mart the day after seeing the movie, she insisted on getting it for me. She’s really waaaaaay too supportive of this hobby. Isn’t it awesome?

What surprised me the most about this figure was that it was made by Bandai America. Generally, I find their figures to be extremely off-model and low quality, and that’s not even getting into the scale issues. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this figure. Sure, he’s not going to be winning any “Best Figure of the Year” awards, but he’s a solidly built, fun little figure. If the rest of the line is anything like him, I’d say the license is in good hands.

#0415: Batman

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

BATMAN

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (DC COLLECTIBLES)

Danananananananananananananana na, Batman! Hey guys, you know what’s awesome? If you said “Batman: The Animated Series,” you are correct. Also, you should really stop reading my mind. It’s very rude.

The only thing more awesome than a super cool cartoon is a super cool toyline. The toys released at the time of Batman: The Animated Series weren’t bad, but they were limited by what could be done with toys at the time. Enter DC Collectibles, who have just launched a brand-new line of 6-inch scale figures based on the series. Each figure has a show accurate sculpt, plenty of articulation, and tons of accessories, making these possibly the greatest Batman toys of all time. Today, I’ll be looking at the line’s first figure of the main man himself, Batman!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Batman is part of the first series of DC Collectibles’ Batman: The Animated Series line, which apparently isn’t so much of a series as it is a loose grouping of figures being released around the same time. Batman is number 01 in the line. Batman is about 6 inches tall and features 26 points of articulation. Batman is based on his appearance from the show’s second incarnation, Batman: The New Adventures. This has caused a bit of controversy due to some fans wanting the original look first, but have no fear, that look has been slotted for Series 4. Batman features an all-new sculpt, which simply put is fantastic. Rendering a 2D design in 3D is no easy feat, but this figure manages to be an almost perfect recreation of the design. It’s truly an amazing piece. What amazes me even more is how well they’ve worked in the articulation. Part of the reason the older figures were so under-articulated is that the character designs don’t really lend themselves to sturdy joints, but DCC has really made it work. Perhaps the one area where this figure could stand to be improved is the paint. It’s not terrible, but there are some things that really stand out. The biggest issue with my figure is something I’ve actually already fixed. The paint on the nose of his cowl extended way too far down on the left side. A quick examination of other figures showed that this was a definite fluke, but make sure yours doesn’t have that issue. A quick bit of work with some nail polish remover provided an easy fix, but I’d rather not have to do such things. Other than that, there’s just some general sloppiness, especially on the symbol. Another issue is that since almost the entire figure is painted, there are some problems with stuck joints. The hip on my figure won’t budge. All that aside, the paint is mostly clean, it’s very even, and the finish looks fantastic. When the prototype of this figure was first shown, there was some concern about the cape hanging over the shoulders and blocking the movement of the arms. Fortunately, DCC listened and changed the cape to the swept back look he has now. But they didn’t want to deprive fans of the show accurate over the shoulder look, so that piece has also been included as an accessory. By popping off the head, the cape can easily swap out, with no issues. In addition to the cape, Batman also includes a batarang, a grappling hook (with removable hook), 7 extra hands in varying poses(two relaxed, two gripping, two for holding batarangs, and one with the grapple sculpted in place), and a display stand featuring the character design sheet. The plentiful accessories are a welcome change to DCC figures, which tend to be rather barebones.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I picked up Batman from my local comic store, Cosmic Comix. I went back and forth on whether I wanted to get into this line. I like the idea, but I must admit the early prototype pictures were just “meh.” My opinion changed when I saw them on display at a few of the conventions, and when I eventually saw this guy in person, I just couldn’t say no. Truth be told, this is the best Batman figure I’ve ever owned, and he is perhaps the best Batman ever made.  Sure, the paint could use some work, but other than that, this figure is all win. I can’t wait to get the rest of the line.

#0414: Ms. Marvel, Captain America, & Radioactive Man

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MS. MARVEL, CAPTAIN AMERICA, & RADIOACTIVE MAN

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

Okay, last day of Marvel Legends reviews this round. But, we’re going out with a bang. Not one, not two, but THREE (count ‘em THREE!) figures this time. Target is doing something of a push for more business in their action figure department, so they’ve just started carrying exclusive sets from Hasbro’s Marvel Legends Infinite Series and Star Wars: the Black Series lines, as well as Playmates’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line. I just got the Marvel set, so let’s see how that turned out.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Ms. Marvel, Captain America, and Radioactive Man are part of the exclusive Marvel Legends Infinite Series three-pack currently for sale at Target. Radioactive Man was previously slated for a regular release in the Marvel Legends line before the move to the Infinite Series branding, but he ended up getting cancelled. It’s nice to see him find a place here.

MS. MARVEL

“When her human DNA fused with that of the mighty Kree warrior Mar-Vell, Carol Danvers became the superhuman Ms. Marvel.” This is the star attraction of the set for a lot of people. It’s understandable, given that the character hasn’t seen a figure in this scale since way back in the Toybiz days. That’s a pretty dated figure, and near impossible to find, at that, so a new figure is a great move. The figure is about 6 inches tall and she features 29 points of articulation. She’s depicted here in her second costume, designed by the late Dave Cockrum. It’s generally the design she’s most associated with, and it’s probably one of the better ones. Ms. Marvel’s sculpt is head-to-toe identical to that of the Moonstone figure from the Thunderbolts boxed set. Generally, a complete re-use for a separate character doesn’t work out for the best, but Ms. Marvel and Moonstone have generally been rather similar in looks, so a little bit of paint is enough to make it work. It’s a pretty solid sculpt, with good proportions and movement. In addition to the Moonstone pieces, Ms. Marvel’s also been given a sash add-on, which actually does a nice job hiding the flatness of the lower torso. That was the only real issue with the original sculpt, so it makes the figure even better. The paintwork is, obviously, key on this figure, and for once Hasbro really made it work. Everything is really clean, and all the details are nice and sharp. The gold on the logo in particular looks really nice. About the only issue with the paint is the decision to have the exposed skin go up quite so high on the hips. If the costume came down a bit further, the articulation would be pretty well hidden, but as it is they look a bit unsightly. Ms. Marvel included no accessories, but apart from maybe an energy blast or something, there’s not much that would make sense.

CAPTAIN AMERICA

“Science made Steve Rogers a super-soldier with extraordinary speed, agility, strength, and durability, but it’s his heart that makes him Captain America.” Cap here is kind of the requisite heavy hitter of the set. It’s highly unlikely he’ll have much pull for the set’s intended audience, but he’s kind of unavoidable. The figure is about 6 inches tall and he has 32 points of articulation. He’s something of an amalgam of Cap’s various looks over the years. The strongest influence seems to be from the Ultimate universe version of the character, but the color palate is more classically inspired, and the painted on head wings are from the most recent incarnations of the costume. The end result is actually not bad. Like the design, the figure’s pieces are also something of an amalgam of previous figures. Most of the figure is re-used from the most recent Ultimate Cap (Which it should be noted took a lot of its parts from the ML Face-Off version of Punisher). The only pieces not from that figure are the right thigh, which is from the X-Men Marvel Legends Infinite Series Magneto, and the shoulder strap, which is from the ML Commander Rogers figure. The body is a little dated in comparison to some of the more recent stuff, but it’s not terrible. The add-on shoulder strap and belt pieces do a lot to mask some of the flaws, allowing it to serve as a decent mid-way point between the body like we saw on Carnage and the one used for Radioactive Man. I’m still not 100% sold on the head, but it could be worse. It’s just a bit too mean looking. The figure’s paint is pretty solid. Everything is pretty clean. I dig the boldness of the blue. The stars on the shoulders present a bit of an issue with posing, as moving the shoulders causes them to be a bit misaligned. Cap includes his mighty shield and an extra unmasked head. The shield is the same one we’ve seen a few times. It’s a good piece, plus it can be placed on his back, which is cool. The head is a re-use from Commander Rogers. It has a lot of the same issues as the regular head, but at least it matches.

RADIOACTIVE MAN

“A nuclear physicist with his eye on taking over the world, Dr. Chen Lu transformed himself into the walking atomic meltdown known as Radioactive Man.” Not to be confused with the Simpsons character of the same name. Radioactive Man is probably one of the primary reasons for this set’s existence, since I imagine Hasbro didn’t want the sculpt going to waste. The figure is about 6 ½ inches tall and he features 32 points of articulation. He’s based on Radioactive Man’s classic appearance, which is one of my favorites, as goofy as it is. Radioactive Man’s a big guy, and as such he’s built on Hasbro’s new bulky body, which I believe was first used for Hyperion. It’s a pretty good body, especially for larger characters, although the neck might be just a tad too far back. Still, it’s well-proportioned and poses well. Not much else you can ask for. Radioactive Man’s also got a brand new head and an add-on piece for his, uh, skirt. The head is pretty decent, though Hasbro’s male heads are starting to look a bit repetitive. Too many similar features, I guess. The skirt piece is nice, though it can end up being a bit restricting in some poses. Radioactive Man’s paint is pretty decent, if a bit sparse. For the most part he’s molded in translucent green, which is definitely cool. The skirt and boots are molded in s darker, solid green, and the torso’s painted to match. The logo on the chest is clean, which is good. I would have liked it to be more of a yellow, but it looks fine. The only other details are his eyes, which are just simple white. Unfortunately, the left eye on mine is out of place, but it’s not too noticeable. Radioactive Man includes no accessories.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Unsurprising for a set that is exclusive to the store, I picked these three up from Target. My brother and I had gone to pick up Lego Batman 3 (which is awesome by the way), and I happened to find this set as well. As luck would have it, I had exactly the right amount of cash on hand to get both. Sure, I don’t really need another Captain America, but this one’s inoffensive and the other two more than make the purchase worth it. Plus, Radioactive Man. How can you say no to Radioactive Man? You just can’t!

#0413: Black Cat – Skyline Sirens

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BLACK CAT – SKYLINE SIRENS

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

So, more Marvel Legends. Alright! Hasbro’s been putting a lot of effort into getting the line running successfully again. Over the summer, they did several series of figures that sorta tied in with this year’s Marvel movies. One of those lines was done to cash in on Amazing Spider-Man 2, and I’ll be looking at Black Cat (essentially Spider-Man’s version of Catwoman) from that series. Like Carnage, she was a figure that eluded me for a while, but I was finally able to track one down.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Black Cat is part of the Amazing Spider-Man 2 Marvel Legends Infinite Series, officially released under the name “Skyline Sirens.” She was replaced in later shipments by the other Skyline Sirens figure, Spider-Girl, which led to some scarcity for a while. Fortunately, it seems Hasbro has started shipping out Black Cat again. Black Cat is a little over 6 inches tall and she sports 29 points of articulation. I’m not incredibly well versed in the looks of Black Cat over the years, but this figure seems to be based on the “classic” design of the character. It’s a look not seen on her previous figures, but it’s what I think of when I think of the character. Anyway, the figure makes use of Hasbro’s new larger female base body, originally used on Moonstone in the Thunderbolts boxed set. It’s not a bad body, though it’s not quite as well-proportioned as the slightly more modest body used for Spider-Girl. The biggest issue is that the lower torso, which looks fine from the front, but is oddly flat from the side. They’ve also elected to give her high-heeled shoes, which are annoying, especially when trying to get her to stand. You really have to question the practicality of a cat burglar wearing high heels. The Cat has a unique head, upper torso, lower arms, hands, and lower legs. They’re all pretty solid sculpts, especially the head. Hasbro’s recent trend of female figures that actually have attractive head sculpts is a very refreshing change for Marvel Legends. Like so many other Hasbro figures, the paint is where things get iffy. However, to their credit, this figure’s problems aren’t with sloppy lines or bleed over. Everything is actually pretty clean. The real issue is the blue was that’s been done on the white areas. It’s just too heavy, especially on her hair, which ends up looking like some wacky dye job. Black Cat includes a whip (which is honestly more Catwoman’s speed, but whatever) as well as the requisite Ultimate Green Goblin piece (the torso, if anyone’s curious).

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I found Black Cat at the same K-Mart where I picked up Carnage and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates. Ha ha! I successfully vanquished my arch-nemesis The Scalper! Take that vile villain! …*ahem* Anyway, I’m glad to finally have the figure. While she doesn’t wow me quite as much as Spider-Girl did, but she’s still a really strong figure. Let’s hope Hasbro can continue with their upward trend.

#0412: Carnage – Spawn of Symbiotes

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CARNAGE – SPAWN OF SYMBIOTES

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

There have been quite a few Minimates reviews as of late on this site, as well as a surprising number of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reviews. So, now for something slightly different. The next couple of days are going to be Marvel Legends related. Fun fun fun.

Today, I’ll be looking at Carnage, a figure that eluded me for a while and led me to go off on one of my angry rants. Fortunately, today’s review is rather free from ranting. ….Yay!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Carnage was released as part of the Amazing Spider-Man 2 Marvel Legends Infinite Series. His official name within the context of the series is “Spawn of Symbiotes,” a name he shared with Toxin, who replaced Carnage in later shipments of the series. It seems Hasbro has flipped back again, resulting in a plentiful supply of Carnage once more. Carnage is about 6 ¼ inches tall and he features 32 points of articulation. This figure depicts Carnage as he’s best known: bright red and covered in tendrils. The figure makes use of the current standard mid-sized body Hasbro’s been using, which first cropped up on their Bucky Cap figure from a few years ago. There are a few minor issues with it (I’m still a bit weirded out by the veins right at the start of the shoulders), but overall it’s a pretty great base body, and it’s a definite improvement on the ones we’ve seen in years past. The figure’s lower arms and legs have been tweaked to allow for the attachment of Carnage’s trademark tendrils. The transition from limb to tendril could be a bit smoother, but it’s not so jarring as to ruin the figure. As far as new pieces, Carnage gets an all new head and hands, as well as another tendril attachment which plugs into his back. The head is a fantastic piece, and it really captures Carnage well. The hands are just basic spikey, clawed hands, but they do that well. The tendril piece is alright, but it seems to have been slightly malformed by the package, so it’s always hanging in his face. Carnage’s paint is a lot cleaner than a lot of recent Hasbro figures, but I feel it’s also not quite as interesting. It’s not bad, but it seems just a touch too simple. Previous Carnage figures benefited from the symbiote’s texture being sculpted, which is less of an option in this day and age. Still, the black details could be a little more interesting. Carnage, or rather, Spawn of Symbiote is packed with the head and, uh… back flames (?) of the series Build-A-Figure Ultimate Green Goblin.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

After much searching and a run in with my sworn nemesis, The Scalper!, I finally was able to track down Carnage at a K-Mart in a town I was visiting while my mom and brother were doing a run (Incidentally, it’s the same K-Mart where I got my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates). I’ve only ever been a moderate fan of Carnage, but for whatever reason, this figure just really appeals to me. He’s a solid design, and a pretty solid execution. I just wish he’d been a little easier to find.

#0411: Mutagen Michelangelo

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MICHELANGELO – MUTAGEN

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MINIMATES

Okay, here we are. Last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates review! Coincidentally, I’m wrapping things up with Michelangelo again. But, didn’t I already review Michelangelo? Yes, but something that is quite common with toylines, especially those based on the TMNT, is the tendency to release the main characters in wacky variant form. So, without further ado, he’s Mutagen Michelangelo!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Mutagen Mikey is the other of the two figures exclusively available in the K-Mart assortment of Series 1 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates. Originally, this figure was slated to be the exclusive in the specialty assortment, but a mix up led to him and Mutagen Raph swapping places. Mikey is roughly 2 ½ inches tall and has 12 points of articulation. He’s sort of based on the current cartoon look, but I don’t think that Mikey’s ever been transparent green on the show, so I’d say some liberties were taken. Sculpturally, he’s exactly the same as the regular Mikey. For a breakdown of that, head over to that review. It’s interesting to see what different coloring and a lack of paint can do for a sculpt. Looking at this figure, especially the shell, it seems that any issues with “soft” details on the regular Turtles have to do with thick paint, not actual sculpt problems. Paint on this figure is much more simplified compared to the others. He’s molded in clear green, with paint on his mask, as well as detail lines for the eyes mouth, and freckles. The detail lines are quite clean, which is pretty much business as usual for Minimates. While the figure has less paint overall, it results in an overall cleaner look, which really helps the figure. Mikey includes a pair of nunchucks in clear green, a keychain attachment, and a manhole cover display stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Mutagen Mikey is the last of the 11 blind bagged figures I got from K-Mart. I have to admit, I’m a sucker for clear green plastic, so this guy just really appeals to me. It’s also really great to see the turtle sculpt without the iffy paint apps. All in all, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates are a fun addition to the Minimates brand. There’s definitely some room for improvement, and I wouldn’t mind a move to something other than blind bags (there’s already some good news there; seems TRU will be getting two-packs), but these Minimates have been a lot of fun.

#0410: Donatello

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DONATELLO

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MINIMATES

Today marks the penultimate review in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates reviews.  I’ve taken a look at three of the four Turtles, and now I’ll be looking at the last one, Donatello.  Donatello ended up being the short packed Turtle this time around, with just one of him for every two of the others.  Hopefully, Diamond will find a way to even things out.  In the meantime, let’s see how the actual figure turned out.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Donatello was released in the first series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates.  This particular figure came from the K-Mart assortment, so it was blind bagged and it included a keychain attachment, but other than that it’s the same as other releases.  Donatello is roughly 2 ½ inches in height and he has 12 points of articulation.  He’s been given the design from the current cartoon, just like the rest of the line.  The figure uses the standard Minimate body as a starting point, with a non-standard head, lower arms, hands, and legs, as well as an add-on for his shell.  He shares the arm and leg pieces with the rest of the Turtles, but that’s not a bad thing.  They’re well sculpted and they make the group stand out a bit more.  His head is the three-piece design, with the upper and lower most pieces being shared with the rest of the turtles and the mask being new to Donnie.  It looks pretty good, and the multi-piece nature means that the mask doesn’t slide out of place.  The shell is pretty much in line with the rest of the Turtles.  It’s been given the proper strap and a slot on the back for storage of Donnie’s Bo staff.  The details still seem a little soft, but at this point, it’s more important that he match the others.  Amazingly enough, Donatello’s paint isn’t terrible.  Sure, there’s still a few issues with bleed over or slop, but certainly not at the level of the others.  And look at that belt!  It’s almost entirely straight!  Also, the line work is really sharp, which is great.  Donatello includes his Bo staff, a keychain attachment, and a display stand painted like a manhole cover, which continues to be fantastic.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Donatello is one of the 11 figures I got blind bagged from K-Mart.  As he’s my favorite Turtle, I was definitely happy to get this one.  The fact that he ended up being the best of the Turtles is just icing on the cake.  All in all, Donatello’s improved quality actually helps bring up the others a bit when they’re set up as a team, which is definitely a good thing.

#0409: Kraang

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KRAANG

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MINIMATES

The one known as Kraang would like to initiate a review of the Minimate of the one known as Kraang. The one known as Kraang is empirically the best figure in the line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates featuring the figure of the one known as Kraang. The…. Okay, yeah can’t keep that up, sorry.

So, in case you hadn’t gathered, today’s review is of the Minimate version of the TMNT foe the Kraang, from the new line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates. Like the Foot Ninja and the Footbot, Kraang is an army builder.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Kraang is one of two figures exclusively available in the K-Mart assortment of the first series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates. However, Diamond has already stated that Kraang will be showing up elsewhere later, so have no fear Kraang fans! Kraang is about 2 ½ inches tall and features 14 points of articulation. The Kraang is based on their depiction on the current cartoon, which is a pretty solid design. The figure is a vanilla ‘mate, so it’s just the standard Minimate body; no add-ons. This means the Kraang is entirely reliant on paint apps, which is a scary prospect, given what we’ve seen so far with this line. Fortunately, the Kraang takes after the Footbot, meaning the paint is exceptional. Everything is very clean, and all of the detail work is incredibly sharp. The Kraang has a fairly unique body design, which is particularly skinny, much skinnier than the standard Minimate body. To simulate this, the body has been molded in clear plastic, with the body being done through painted on details. The end result is rather striking, and makes for a fun looking figure. The Kraang includes a sci-fi gun, a non-robo-suited Kraang, a keychain attachment, and a clear display stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Kraang was one of my finds among the 11 blind bagged figures I bought from K-Mart. I was delighted to get him, especially given his (current) exclusive status. The Footbot’s my favorite from the series, but Kraang’s a definite second. I really dig the figure’s retro-ish robot look, and the extra head certainly adds some value.

#0408: Michelangelo

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MICHELANGELO

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MINIMATES

My reviews of the first assortment of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates are in full swing. This marks the halfway point, so that’s kinda cool. Today, I’ll be looking at the Turtles’ resident plucky-comic-relief-guy who became even more plucky-comic-relief in the recent show, Michelangelo.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Michelangelo is a part of the first series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates, and this particular figure hails from the K-Mart release, which comes blind bagged and includes an extra keychain piece. Aside from that, the actual figure is the same as the one released elsewhere. Mikey is about 2 ½ inches tall and he sports 12 points of articulation. His design is that of his current cartoon counterpart. The figure uses the standard Minimate body as a starting point, with non-standard head, lower arms, hands, and lower legs, as well as an add-on piece for his turtle shell. The arms and legs are shared with all of the Turtles, but they are new to this particular line. They are quite well sculpted and really help make the Turtles look different from other Minimates. The head is a three-part piece like Raph and Leo; the mask is new to Mikey and the upper and lower most pieces are shared with the previous two. Mikey’s mask is a bit more pointed and symmetrical than the others, which at the very least separates him from the others a bit. His shell is pretty well sculpted; it’s certainly in line with the other turtles, so at least he’s consistent. It seems a little soft, but it’s not horrible. It has slots in the back for storage of his nunchucks, which can be a bit difficult to use, but is otherwise a pretty cool touch. And now, the section I’ve been dreading: paint. To this figure’s credit, the paint is better here than it is on most of the others (barring the Footbot, who is something of a fluke it seems). It’s not without issue, however. The belt on the torso, in particular, has some serious bleed over. That said, the detail line work on the head is still very good. Mikey’s expression is perfect for the character, and it’s nice that they even went so far as to include his freckles. Mikey includes his nunchucks, which are thankfully done with real chains, the keychain attachment, and a display stand painted up like a manhole cover, which has yet to stop being cool.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Mikey here was part of the assortment of 11 blind bags I got from K-Mart. He’s the last one I ended up with a double of. He’s my favorite of the three turtles I’ve reviewed, mostly due to the slight improvement in paint apps, but also because the figure really seems to get the character.

#0407: Shredder

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SHREDDER

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MINIMATES

ShredderMini1

Every popular fictitious character has to have their arch-enemy. Batman’s got Joker; Superman’s got Lex Luthor; Indiana Jones has Nazis (he hates these guys). And the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have Shredder! Shredder is an important part of the TMNT mythos, and with how much of a cash-cow the franchise has been, it should be no surprise that he’s had his fair share of action figures over the years. Now he has a Minimate. And there was much rejoicing! (Yay…)

THE FIGURE ITSELF

ShredderMini2Shredder is part of the first series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates. He’s one of the figures what will be in all of the Series 1 assortments, but this particular figure comes from the K-Mart assortment, meaning he’s blind bagged and he includes an extra piece. Other than that, he’s the same for every release. The figure is about 2 ½ inches tall and he has 12 points of articulation. He’s based on the character’s appearance in the new TV show, which may very well be the most imposing Shredder yet. Shredder uses the basic Minimate body as a starting point, with non-standard pieces for the hands and lower legs, as well as add-ons for the helmet and cape. All of the pieces are unique to Shredder, and they all do a pretty great job of translating the design into Minimate form. The cape seems a little flat at first, but it actually works, given the source material. Like so many of the other figures in this series, the paint is a mix of very good and very bad. The detail work, especially on face under the mask, is really fantastic. The scarring is superbly done. They’ve even added little touches, such as the small symbol on his belt, which really help make the figure pop. Unfortunately, a lot of the base color work, especially on the top of his “opera gloves,” is incredibly sloppy. Levels of slop I haven’t seen before. Shredder includes a clear display stand and a keychain attachment.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Shredder was part of the assortment of blind bag figures I grabbed from K-Mart. Shredder is the first one I opened, so there’s that. I really like the figure, but I do wish the paint was cleaner. The poor paint is really holding this line back!

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