Author Archives: Ethan Wilson

#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!

ShredderMini3

#0406: Leonardo

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LEONARDO

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MINIMATES

Ah, yes, Leonardo. Here you are again. I keep reviewing you, but I still don’t really care for you. Yes, part three of my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates reviews will take a look at none other than the Turtles leader, Leonardo. So, umm, here goes.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Leonardo was released in the first series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates. This particular version is the K-Mart release, which means he comes blind bagged and with an extra accessory. Leo is roughly 2 ½ inches tall and he has 12 points of articulation. He’s based on the character’s design from the current cartoon. The figure makes use of the standard Minimate body, with the turtles head, lower arms, hands, and lower legs in place of the standard pieces, as well as an add-on piece for his shell. The arms and legs are the same pieces used on all of the turtles in this line; they’re pretty well sculpted, and they manage to translate the show look pretty well. The head is the same three-part deal as Raph, but with his own mask piece. The shell is unique to Leo; it has a strap for his swords’ scabbards, which makes is noticeably different from the others. The shell is pretty well done, though the details seem a little bit soft. Sadly, the paint is once again where this figure falls short. The mouth and eyes are good, but everything else is just a mess. There’s noticeable slop, and the colors, especially on the front of the shell, aren’t evenly applied. It’s very sloppy in general, which is a disappointment coming from DST. Leo includes his twin Katana (the same as the one included with the Footbot), which can be sheathed on his back, plus the K-Mart (sort of)exclusive keychain piece, and a display stand painted like a manhole cover, which still remains incredibly cool.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Leo was amongst the 11 blind bagged figures I got from K-Mart recently. He’s one that I ended up with a duplicate of, which is actually for the best, because I’ll need to mix and match some parts to get the best possible paintwork. The undeniable coolness of having these characters as Minimates does a lot to make up for the short comings, but Leo does present a bit of disappointment. Fortunately, he’s one of the characters guaranteed to get another release, so he may get a chance for a better figure. Until then, this one isn’t bad, just disappointing.

#0405: Footbot

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FOOTBOT

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MINIMATES

Time for part two of my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates reviews. I have to admit, after the Comic Turtles last week, I kinda figured I’d be taking a break from TMNT. It’s not like they make up a particularly large portion of my collection. But, alas, Diamond had other plans. I can’t turn down Minimates, right? Today, I’ll be looking at one of the Turtles’ foes, the Footbot.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Footbot is a variant of the Foot Ninja, which is the quintessential TMNT army builder. He was released in the first series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates. This figure is specifically from the K-Mart Blind Bag assortment, which means he’s got one extra piece to differentiate him. The Footbot is about 2 ½ inches tall and he features 20 points of articulation (those extra arms sure do help!). He’s based on the character’s design from the current cartoon. The figure is built on the standard Minimate body with non-standard upper arms, upper legs, and hand attachments, as well as an add-on belt piece with two duplicate arms attached. All of the sculpted parts are new to this figure (though the upper arms and legs are shared with the standard Foot Ninja) and they all work very nicely. Each of the hand attachments is different, which certainly adds some variety. Where the paint on Raphael was a bit of a disappointment, the paint on the Footbot is nothing short of exceptional. There’s plenty of detail work, and all of the lines are clean and crisp. The eyes in particular are a fantastic example of conveying dimension through creative paint. The Footbot includes a sword, a sheath and strap, and a spare set of hands, allowing him to be converted into a standard Foot Ninja, as well as a clear display stand and the K-Mart exclusive-ish keychain attachment.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Like Raph, the Footbot was purchased from K-Mart. He’s actually the only one I knew I was getting ahead of time, as the package was slightly opened. If I’m honest, he’s my favorite figure in the series by far, and he may very well be one of my favorite Minimates, period. About the only downside of this figure is that the extra pieces kind of make the normal Foot Soldier redundant, but I’m hardly complaining!