Author Archives: Ethan Wilson

#3830: Blue Time Force Ranger

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

BLUE TIME FORCE RANGER

POWER RANGERS: LIGHTNING COLLECTION (HASBRO)

Way back in 2020, I discussed my last true hurrah with Power Rangers, Power Rangers: Time Force.  It’s a show that resonated pretty well with me, and ranks as probably my fourth favorite iteration of the series (after Space, Zeo, and Mighty Morphin, in that order).  I brought it up during its introduction into Lightning Collection, which, as it turned out, was also most of its presence in Lightning Collection, since they did Red, and then had a rather large gap.  The only other team member, added not too long before Hasbro wrapped up the line, was Blue.  I guess I’m okay with that.  Here he is!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Blue Time Force Ranger was added to Power Rangers: Lightning Collection in 2023, as part of a deluxe offering that included both the figure and his time cycle.  Today’s review is just of the figure, since I do not have the time cycle.  I apologize to all the time cycle enthusiasts on that one.  The figure stands 6 1/4 inches tall and he has 34 points of articulation.  His assembly and articulation set up is very similar to Time Force Red, with the only major change-up being the removal of the visible pins on his elbows and knees.  Two figures in the line-up, and they don’t even have internal consistency.  Oh, Lightning Collection.  Otherwise, it’s all very similar.  Honestly, the Time Force Red sculpt was quite a nice offering, and lacked some of the weirdness of the MMPR-based bodies, so it’s actually a pretty solid starting point.  It’s pretty sleek and clean, and looks the part well.  His paint work is the main differentiating thing, of course, with the major palate swap for the coloring, as well as the tweaked shaping on the visor.  It all looks quite sharp, and the application’s generally well handled.  He’s packed with the same Chrono Blaster and Sabers as Red, as well as his own unmasked head, and hands in fists and gripping.  And that’s all without the Bike parts!

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Early in Lightning Collection, when Time Force Red hit, I was genuinely planning to get the whole line-up.  As we progressed, that plan shrank down to maybe just this guy and the Quantum Ranger.  Well, it became clear Quantum Ranger wasn’t getting made, and then this guy got bundled with the cycle, which I didn’t really need.  But, Max ended up wanting the cycle, but not the figure, setting us up for one of our classic Ethan-and-Max-split-a-set-they-both-don’t-need-to-be-splitting-but-they’re-doing-it-anyway situations.  Ah, the good ol’ EAMSASTBDNTBSBTDIA set-up.  Ultimately, he’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a late-run Lightning Collection figure, which is to say very solid and by the numbers.

#3829: Robin – Jason Todd

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

ROBIN — JASON TODD

SUPER POWERS (McFARLANE)

“Jason Todd was the second Robin and easily the most troubled. Angry and with a desperate need to prove himself, Jason’s impulsive behavior led to his death at the hands of The Joker.”

Hey, we’re back in the Super Powers realm again!  Back when I reviewed the original Kenner Robin, I discussed how, even though it was clearly Dick Grayson Robin, Dick had actually given up the mantle in the comics, with Jason Todd having stepped in as Dick’s successor the very year the figure was released.  Despite all that, Jason didn’t get a figure in the vintage line, nor was he slated to in the abandoned series.  In fact, Jason’s never even gotten a proper figure from his time as Robin.  McFarlane to the rescue, I guess.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Robin – Jason Todd is part of Series 10 of McFarlane’s Super Powers continuation.  He’s the third Robin in this continuation, the other two having been Tim Drake variants.  He’s also part of the generally new character heavy Series 10, which is generally pretty cool.  The figure stands 4 1/4 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation.  His mold is largely new; he’s re-using the torso from Tim Drake, but is otherwise new.  The new mold is clearly patterned on the vintage Robin, but with a few minor tweaks, just to keep things a little more diverse.  He’s got a unique head, and it’s honestly a rather nice piece.  It gives Jason his proper spit curls, as well as a generally more sullen expression than the other two.  Honestly, I think it’s the best of the three Robin heads.  He’s got a cloth cape, which is notably longer than Dick’s; generally, that was the case in the comics, though it was rarely as pronounced as seen here.  Still, I don’t mind the larger separation in sizes, since it further differentiates a bit more.  Jason’s color work is generally decent.  He’s a little shifted from the vintage colors, but not especially so, and it fits in well with the rest of the line.  It’s very clean in its application at the very least.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

With the addition of Nightwing early in the McFarlane line, I sort of informally considered just repurposing the vintage Robin as Jason, but there’s enough differences there that it doesn’t quite work.  So, the announcement of a proper Jason was pretty cool.  I gotta say, it’s not a drastically different figure, but it’s a good one, and dare I say a better figure than the vintage Robin?  Blasphemy? Perhaps, but that’s the vibe I’m hitting.

#3828: Ka-Zar & Zabu

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KA-ZAR & ZABU

X-MEN (TOY BIZ)

“The X-Men find themselves mysteriously transported to the Savage Land a prehistoric tropical jungle in the middle of the Arctic circle!  With the help of their friend and leader of the Savage Land, Ka-Zar, the X-Men weave their way through this treacherous land.  Aided by dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts, Storm, Wolverine, Angel and Joseph have their hands full throughout their dangerous journey.

Native and leader of the Savage Land, Ka-Zar rules his prehistoric kingdom with his faithful sidekick, Zabu. An expert fighter, hunter and tracker, nothing dares to threaten Ka-Zar. Zabu, the saber-tooth tiger, is ready to protect his master with his two massive razor-sharp teeth and huge paws. Ka-Zar and Zabu rule the Savage Land side-by-side keeping all its prehistoric beasts in order and safe from outside attacks.”

So, remember waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back at the beginning of the site when I reviewed Savage Land Angel?  And then, like, at the middle point between then and now, when I did an addendum about Savage Land Angel?  And then this morning when I did a *second* addendum about Savage Land Angel?  Great.  Well, what you may not know about Savage Land Angel from the three times I’ve focussed on him here on the site is that he was part of a larger set of Savage Land-themed figures, of which there are four more.  Guess what my Monday Marvel theme is gonna be this month!  That’s right, the rest of those guys.  Alright!  So, let’s look at the Savage-Land-iest of the bunch, Ka-Zar and Zabu!

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Ka-Zar and Zabu make up the second of the five sets in the “Savage Land” Series of Toy Biz’s X-Men line.  These were a larger boxed series from 1997, which paired off with the thematically opposite “Space Riders” Series from the same year.  While the Riders each got a large space vehicle, each figure in the “Savage Land” set was packed with a larger beast of some sort.  In the case of Ka-Zar, his was by far the most sensible, as he paired off with his “brother” the sabretooth tiger Zabu.  This would mark the first time either character saw action figure treatment, but not the last, as Hasbro’s now tackled them twice as Legends.

Ka-Zar is the more conventional figure in the set.  He’s based on that usual off-brand Tarzan look, which makes sense.  The figure stands a little over 5 inches tall and he has 9 points of articulation.  He’s built on a variation of the Archangel II mold, a favorite of Toy Biz’s during the 5-inch era.  That being said, he actually gets a fair bit of new and reworked parts.  The head is outright new, and it’s certainly dynamic.  That hair’s just jutting straight out to the side there, isn’t it?  He’s also got quite an intense, almost crazed look in his eyes.  Wow.  I don’t know that I’d be super comforted by this guy being my ally in a place called the Savage Land, but I’m also not an X-Man.  His torso is modified, removing the wing-flapping apparatus that most uses of the mold sported, which is actually really nice.  He also gets modified lower arms and legs.  Now his hands are actually gripping, and he’s got bare feet, as well as some anklets, you know, for properly accessorizing.  He also gets an add-on piece for his loin cloth, which you can remove if you want, but why would you?  Why would you do that?  Ka-Zar’s paint work’s actually pretty fun.  He’s got those crazy eyes, of course, but also some tribal markings, to keep him a little more interesting.  Ka-Zar is packed with a shield, a spear, and an axe.  The shield has storage for both weapons, which is very fun indeed.

Zabu is, in essence, a glorified accessory, I suppose.  He’s bigger than Ka-Zar, of course, but only sort of articulated, since most of his movement is tied into his action feature.  His sculpt’s certainly very stylized, but in such a way that he feels pretty much right at home with the general Toy Biz Marvel vibe.  There’s a lot of neat detailing going on, and I do like the fur texturing.  His paint’s basic, and the shades of orange on the differing plastics don’t match up perfectly, but it’s not terrible.  He’s got a “pounce” feature, where his back legs are sort of spring loaded, so sitting him down leads to him “pouncing” back up.  It’s rudimentary, and basic, and stupid, and I absolutely love it to no end.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Toy Biz Marvel is my one true love when it comes to Marvel toys.  Heck, toys in general, really.  I could leave everything else behind, but Toy Biz Marvel would be difficult.  So, I’m trying to more properly appreciate my Toy Biz Marvel collection, and that means putting them up in a more proper display.  While going through things that were not on display, I came across my Legends Ka-Zar and Zabu, and asked myself that ever important question “am I ever going to display these?”  The answer was no, and I realized that, as nice as they were, if I wasn’t going to display them, then why was I keeping them.  The simplest answer was that I didn’t own this set yet.  So, I fixed that with a sensibly priced eBay purchase, and here we are.  These are not as technically impressive as the Legends, but I love them ever so much more, so I’m glad I finally tracked them down.

Flashback Figure Addendum #0022: Savage Land Angel

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Flashback Friday Figure Addendum and tagged with , , , ,

SAVAGE LAND ANGEL

X-MEN (TOY BIZ)

Oh man, are we bringing back the Addendums?  Yeah we are!  With the twist that it’s not Friday.  And why’s that? Because I’m doing a thematic thing here.  But, perhaps the craziest part of this Addendum is the fact that I’ve run an Addendum for this review before.  Crazy, right?  Super crazy.  So, let’s jump, for a third time, into the crazy world of Savage Land Angel!

The 90s X-Men line!  Now there was a line.  I haven’t really looked at this line yet on the site, aside from the Original Members Boxed Set, which wasn’t actually part of the line.  But in the 90s, the X-Men were the big thing.  They had a TV show, their comics sold millions, and they had one of the most comprehensive toy lines to date.  There was a Cho’d action figure for God’s sake!  Towards the end of the line, they began to run out of new characters to release, so they started doing these theme waves with rereleases of the main characters.  One of those theme waves was a set of figures based on the X-Men’s many trips to the Savage Land.  It featured figures of the X-Men in tattered “Savage Land” uniforms.  Today, I’ll be looking at the Angel figure from that line.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

So, as I said above, Angel here hails from the Savage Land series of Toy Biz’s 5-inch X-Men line.  He stands roughly 5 inches tall and has 11 points of articulation.  If you read the review of the Fallen, you’ve seen a lot of this figure before.   He shares all but his head, arms and feet with that figure.  The head was actually one that saw frequent reuse over at Toy Biz, and I know this wasn’t the first figure to use it, but I honestly don’t know what was.   Anyway, it works fine here, though it might be a bit scowly for a pre-Archangel Warren Worthington.  The figure’s look is mostly done through paint, which depicts a tattered version of Angel’s blue and white costume from the silver age*.   It’s cool to see this costume here, but a bit disappointing that the costume never got a proper release.  Angel at one point featured a pair of (very small) wings, a gray vest with an X-logo, and some weird claw thing that attached to his wrist, but I lost most of those pieces many years ago.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I got this figure on one of my many trips the KB Toys outlet in Rehoboth Beach.  I was very excited to get it because Angel figures were a bit of a rarity in the 90s.  I know I really liked this guy, and for reasons I can’t fathom at this point, I know he spent a lot of time in my Ghostbusters Ecto-1.

And, in my last addendum did I have to say?

Well, that’s not an awful review.  Still a bit shorter than the average review nowadays, but not horribly so.  I actually listed off all of the relevant information for the figure, and even referenced re-used parts and everything (though, rather amusingly, the Fallen pieces I referenced weren’t even discussed in my The Fallen review).

When I last reviewed this figure, he was missing both of his wings and the little wrist claw, both of which were returned to him during The Find.  The wings are rather on the small side, but detailed nicely enough.  I’m not really even sure what the claw supposed to be, but there it is.  Still missing is the grey cloth vest.  Also, I didn’t mention this previously, but each figure in the Savage Land series included a creature figure of some sort.  Angel included a small Sauron figure, which I still haven’t found.  Maybe he’ll turn up one of these days and I can write a *second* addendum.

Okay, so not so bad.  Addressed the review issues and changes.  Brought up what was missing the first time around, and also what I found during The Find.  Man, The Find was a hell of a thing.  I’ve had no major finds like that since, but I’ve resorted to actually buying replacement parts as I find them, which has led to the second addendum, which I even brought up in the first addendum!  So, now I’ve got the vest and the miniature Sauron figure.  The vest is super basic, but there it is.  Sauron is definitely much more gimicky than his single release.  He’s got a wing-flapping action, so there’s that.  He’s kind of not built for standing on his own, or anything, so he’s gotta be propped up on something.  And now, here’s the whole complete thing.  No additional Addendums needed!

#3827: Wicket & Logray

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WICKET & LOGRAY

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE (KENNER)

Here we are, back at the Star Wars!  I’m doing this thing where I jump back and forth between Power of the Force and not-Power of the Force, and last month was a not-Power of the Force month, so we’re back on the Power of the Force!  I sure did say “Power of the Force” a lot there, didn’t I?  One of the neat things about Power of the Force was its aim at a sense of value.  The vintage line would sell you everyone at the same price point, regardless of relative sizing, but for the follow-up, Kenner was a bit more experimental.  For notably small guys, like the Jawas, the Ugnaughts, or, in fact today’s focus, the Ewoks, they were nice enough to give you two figures for the price of one!  How kind!  Let’s look at Wicket and Logray!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Wicket and Logray were added to Kenner’s Star Wars: Power of the Force line in 1998, in the midst of the Freeze Frame era.  Wicket was actually technically a re-release, having appeared in the Princess Leia Collection the prior year, but Logray was totally new.  Wicket stands about 2 1/2 inches tall and has 5 points of articulation.  Logray stands almost 1/2 an inch taller, but keeps the same movement.  Both figures are far from super posable.  The necks are quite restricted, especially on Wicket, with his hood and all, while the hip joints are ultimately not super useful for much more than some fine tuning to keep them standing.  They are at least pretty stable on their feet, so there’s at least that.  The sculpts are also pretty nice overall.  I like the head gear being actually separate parts, and the fur detailing is solid for the era and style.  Of the two, I think Wicket’s the slightly stronger sculpt, but they’re both decent renditions of the look from the movie.  Paint work’s not too bad on either figure.  They both get a bit of variation on the fur.  It again works a bit better on Wicket; Logray looks a bit like he’s wearing striped pajamas.  Hey, at least it’s unique.  Both figures get their own accessory, Wicket getting his spear, and Logray his staff.  There’s also the Freeze Frame slide, for those that are interested in such things.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Would you believe me if I said I don’t actually recall getting these?  I know I got them from All Time, some time after I well and truly committed to this whole buying the entire run thing, but I think I may have gotten them in a batch with some other figures?  I’m pretty sure I got them sealed and then opened them during one of my bouts of needing to open things to feel better.  They’re not bad.  Honestly, it’s hard to mess up an Ewok, so good on them for not doing that?

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3826: Cyclops

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

CYCLOPS

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

In 1986, Marvel decided to reunite the founding five members of the X-Men under a new title, X-Factor.  There was, of course, the slight issue that one of the five was dead at the time, so they had to resurrect her as well.  And, hey, everybody got new costumes as well.  In fact, there were a couple of costume options to choose from, so, you know, extra toy potential, right?  Team leader Cyclops has gotten a fair bit of coverage for his *second* X-Factor costume, but not so much for his first.  But, hey, things change!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Cyclops is part of the Nemesis Series of Marvel Legends, the latest X-Men assortment of the line.  It’s quite a hodge-podge of looks and eras, with Scott here serving as the “classic” component.  The figure stands just shy of 6 1/2 inches tall and he has 34 points of articulation.  As with the most recent Cyclopes, he’s built on the Vulcan body, which is a respectable choice for Scott.  He mostly keeps it basic, but he does get two new head sculpts, both courtesy of Paul Harding.  We get calm and intense, and they’re both really good.  On one hand, they’re so good that I’d love to see them re-used for a ’70s Scott, but on the other, I’d really like to see them do one with the proper full mask underneath.  But, I’m getting sidetracked.  The point is, these sculpts are great.  The calm has a solid visor lens, while the intense one gets a new optic blast effect piece, which is larger and more involved than prior versions.  The color work is pretty good, and pretty clean, and matches well with the depiction from the comics.  I’m not 100% sold on the blue ears, but I guess they’re going for a strictly cover appearance look.  If nothing else, it’s kind of unique.  Cyclops is packed with two sets of hands, as well as the arm to the Nemesis Build-A Figure.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Every time I think I’m good on Cyclops figures, they make a new one that reminds me I don’t have that one.  This is one of those instances.  The original X-Factor look isn’t a major change-up from his other looks, but it’s different enough to justify it for me.  On top of that, he’s actually quite a lot different from other Cyclopes.  The new heads are fantastic, and I love the new optic blast effect as well.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3825: Mick

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

MICK

XYBER 9: NEW DAWN (BANDAI)

Let’s peer into the world of things that I totally forgot about but then resurfaced in my brain when they landed right in front of me!  Last time, it was NASCAR Racers, Saban’s animated tie-in show that actually had very little to do with the show.  This time, it’s actually another Saban animated project from the same time period.  In fact, it’s the very show that Fox pre-empted to give a better spot to NASCAR Racers when it launched, Xyber 9!  Xyber 9, what a Xyber 9 that was.  Okay, to be honest, I watched it when it was running, but I remember very little of the actual show.  I do remember the toys being everywhere, though, and, after more than two decades, I finally bought one!  Let’s look at Mick!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Mick was released in the one and only series of Xyber 9: New Dawn figures.  He’s based on the character’s design from the show, of course, as were the whole line.  The figure stands just shy of 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 10 points of articulation.  Given the era and scale, the articulation’s actually quite well handled.  He’s even got moving wrists!  The sculpt is also not a bad piece of work.  It’s always a bit tricky to move a 2D design into 3D, but Bandai actually did it quite well here.  He’s clean and the angle work is nice and sharp.  In general, he captures the general vibe of the character, and manages to get a bunch of neat details in.  Is paint work is also pretty strong.  He is slightly off-model, though, since his hair is brown here, but was actually blonde on the show.  I’m gonna guess they wanted to differentiate him more from Jack.  I can’t say it’s all that bad, honestly.  Beyond that, the application is clean, and there are no obviously missing details.  Mick was packed with two different guns, a large one and a small one.  The small one is missing, because it wasn’t in the package, but at least I still have the large one!

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Like I said above, I remember watching Xyber 9, but I don’t remember much actually about the content of the show.  I remember seeing the figures hanging around, but there were always other things I was more interested in.  I finally got my chance again when a bunch of them came into All Time.  Since it wasn’t a complete set and that’s pretty much the only way they sell, Max and I opted to cave into our shared interests in odd forgotten ’90s cartoons, and both grabbed some of the set.  Mick here was the one that most interested me, so I snagged him.  He’s actually quite a fun little figure.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3824: Jay Garrick Flash

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

JAY GARRICK FLASH

SUPER POWERS (McFARLANE)

The vintage Kenner Super Powers line had exactly one JSA member in its entire run, Doctor Fate, who was left all by his lonesome for 40 some years.  McFarlane’s revival line has greatly expanded the roster in quite a short span of time, first with a whole three-pack of guys, and now with Jay Garrick, the original Flash!  Let’s check out this guy and his very shiny hat!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Jay Garrick Flash is part of Series 10 of McFarlane’s Super Powers continuation line.  He’s the fifth JSA-er in the style, and is based on his post-“Flash of Two Worlds” look, complete with the white streaks in his hair.  The figure stands just shy of 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation.  Jay is built on the updated skinny body, patterned on the original Barry Allen Flash, which I suppose does make it a fair but of sense.  He gets a new head, which is a rather nice piece, probably the nicest of the four McFarlane JSA sculpts.  It definitely feels very Jay in its characteristics.  He’s also got a belt add-on, as well as modified boots with the flaps and the ankle wings.  All in all, it’s a pretty good set-up, and its quite a nice recreation of his comics design.  His paint work is generally pretty good too.  The details are crisp, clean, and sharp.  I do feel like for proper authenticity, he really should have a chromed helmet, but the silver paint works okay on its own.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I love Super Powers and I love the JSA.  I also loved the three-pack, even with its slight flaws, so I’m game for pretty much as many of these guys as I can get.  Jay’s the biggest missing member, and kind of an essential counterpart to Alan, so you gotta have him.  He’s pretty much as on the mark as you can get with these figures, and a fantastic addition to the quickly growing line-up.

#3823: Doctor Doom

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

DOCTOR DOOM

MARVEL FAMOUS COVERS (TOY BIZ)

“Victor Von Doom was a brilliant, if arrogant scientist, studying alongside Reed Richards. But when he was caught in a horrible accident, Doom was driven over the edge. Covering himself in armor, he became Doctor Doom! Ruler of his homeland of Latveria, Doom will not be satisfied until he has taken over the entire planet. Using the vast resources at his command and the incredible technologies he has created, Doom faces off against his old nemesis, Reed Richards, now the leader of the Fantastic Four.”

In the ’90s, Toy Biz’s main scale for Marvel was of course their highly expansive 5-inch line, but they tried out a number of other sizes in tandem to sort of see what stuck.  The 10-inch line certainly had the most longevity of the secondaries, but they also had a pretty solid go at their own sort of Mego follow-up, Famous Covers.  Famous Covers was sort of an odd line sort of at cross purposes, but it’s nothing if not an interesting experiment.  We got a weird, quirky cross-section of the Marvel universe, and that did *not* include a full Fantastic Four, but it *did* at least include a Doctor Doom.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Doctor Doom was released as part of the “First Appearances” Series of Famous Covers, which was the line’s second assortment.  Though branded as “first appearance” and showing the cover to his original appearance on the cover, Doom is not actually his first appearance design, but rather his later, more classic design, which makes sense.  The figure is about 8 1/2 inches tall and he has 23 points of articulation…in theory.  In practice, he’s got, like, two, because the rubber armor pieces they’ve put on him restricted almost all of his articulation to the point of not really being worth it.  For whatever reason, Toy Biz opted to handle his armor in the same way they did the boots and gloves, so they’re just these thick rubber pieces, that mostly just flop around.  They’re also really clunky, especially when compared to the size of the figure’s head.  The head’s at least a very nice sculpt, even if it’s very small.  Since he’s got a full mask, he lacks the overly intense expression most of the other figures in the line had, which isn’t such a bad thing.  In addition to the rubber armor pieces, Doom gets a cloth tunic and cape; the tunic’s fine enough, and the bulk of the cape works out alright, apart from the hood being quite difficult to get the lay in any fashion that’s not just really silly looking.  The paint on this guy is decent enough.  The head’s particularly good, as expected, but the armor on the body at least gets some panel lining.  Famous Covers figures were always a bit light on accessories, and given the number of sculpted parts, it’s not much of a surprise that Doom was sans-accessories for this release.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I remember getting Doom when I was a kid.  There was a Toy Liquidators outlet near us, which my Nana had taken me, I wanna say for my birthday?  This guy was there, but still a little pricier, so I didn’t get him at that time.  I instead went back with my dad later that same day, and he bought it for me, I believe as an incentive for finishing the summer reading program.  He’s not the most playable figure, and he’s quite goofy looking, but I also kinda love him?

#3822: ARF Trooper – Assault on Geonosis

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

ARF TROOPER — ASSAULT ON GEONOSIS

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (HASBRO)

So, remember just last week when I was talking about the Biker Scout armor and its various derivatives?  Cool, let’s loop back to that.  Amongst the prequel era Biker Scout derivatives is the ARF Trooper, a modified version of the standard Clone armor that surfaced in The Clone Wars.  I’m a huge fan of that particular design, and I’ve made it one of my goals to track down every version of it released in Hasbro’s tie-in line.  During the episode “Landing At Point Rain,” the ARF armor gets a re-deco in Geonosis-inspired camo, which got toy coverage in the form of recurring clones Boil and Waxer, but also a not-named clone, you know, for some variety.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The ARF Trooper was released in 2011 as part of the “Assault on Geonosis” Battle Pack from Hasbro’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars tie-in line, in a pack that also featured variants of Obi-Wan and the Geonosian Warrior.  The figure stands just shy of 4 inches tall and he has 26 points of articulation.  He’s using the standard ARF Trooper mold from the line, which also happens to be one of the line’s very best.  The articulation is just top notch, and the detailing is really fun.  Just generally a fantastic mold.  This one mixes it up on the paint front, as is the case with all the ARF Trooper variants.  It’s not *drastically* different from the ARF Boil and Waxer figures, of course, since they’re all Geonosis camo, but it’s different enough to say “hey, that’s different.”  The actual shades are yet another slightly tweaked set up, meaning were three for three on the colors being different.  He ditches the Boil and Waxer specific markings, swapping for a more generic set-up.  So, you know, different.  The ARF Trooper is packed with two styles of blaster, both long and medium, so that you can mix it up a bit.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Have I mentioned that I like the ARF Trooper design?  And also that I like the ARF Trooper mold?  Because I do.  And I do.  So, any chance I have to get another ARF figure I don’t have, I take.  Even if he isn’t *drastically* different from two other ARF Troopers I have already.  But he *is* different, and that’s the most important thing.  Yaaaaaaaaaaay!  New ARF Trooper!

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.