Tag Archives: McFarlane Toys

#3425: Deathstroke

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

DEATHSTROKE

SUPER POWERS (MCFARLANE)

Hey, remember a week ago, when I was talking about McFarlane’s Super Powers. Well, I don’t. No, seriously, I don’t. That was a fill in review that I wrote back in March. Hang on, let me refresh myself…

…okay, I’m back. Boy, that was a wild ride, huh? Well, umm, I got another one. It’s Deathstroke this time. So, uhh, let’s look at that?

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Deathstroke is part of the third series of McFarlane’s Super Powers line, which wound up being the last assortment to be Walmart-exclusive. Deathstroke was the one truly new character in the assortment (since Dick Grayson was in the vintage line as Robin), and is honestly one of the best choices for a continued line, since he was amongst the figures in the works when the original line ended. More over, he’s actually seen here in the proper attire of the era, which he would have been wearing had the vintage figure been released. The figure stands about 5 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation. Deathstroke is, like the rest of this line, about half an inch too tall to truly fit with the vintage line, which remains a baffling choice. At least with Deathstroke, the height isn’t quite as glaring an issue as it was with Nightwing. Slade has in the past been depicted as a larger guy, so you can just pretend that’s the case here, I guess. Deathstroke has an all-new sculpt, and, I can’t believe I’m gonna say this: it’s actually really good. Most of the issues I had with the Nightwing sculpt are not present here. The legs have the proper stance (making him a more stable figure as well), and his detailing feels far more authentic to the vintage line. The only issue that really still remains is the knee joints, but I guess I just have to let those go.  Deathstroke’s color work is generally pretty well handled, but it winds up with a quirk; the light blue that should be at his mid-section is instead on his shoulders.  It’s a mix-up, but one that sort of works, and feels like the sort of on-brand mix-up for the Kenner line.  Deathstroke is packed with his sword, which he can hold in his right hand.  As with the rest of the line, he’s without an action feature, but it’s not the end of the world.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Nightwing and Deathstroke were the only figures from this line I had any interest in.  Nightwing had issues, but he was honestly better than I was expecting, so when I found this guy marked down, he was an easy sell.  I’m still annoyed by the scale issue, perhaps even more so, because other than that, this guy is really, really good.  It just showcases that Todd *could* be making a really strong line, but just doesn’t, which is honestly even more frustrating than when it seemed like he was just bad at toys.

 

#3420: Nightwing

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

NIGHTWING

SUPER POWERS (MCFARLANE TOYS)

Kenner’s Super Powers line is perhaps *the* defining DC toy line, but at three series totaling 34 figures, it’s also a relatively short-lived one.  So, it’s rather surprising that it took so long for anyone to really look at revisiting the line, to fill-out the roster a bit.  For better or for worse, McFarlane has stepped up to bat on that one, producing something that’s supposedly a direct follow-up, but with…mixed results.  I’ve finally gotten around to snagging one of  them for a review, so let’s have a look at Nightwing!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Nightwing is part of Series 3 of McFarlane’s Super Powers line, a line that has up to this point been a Walmart-exclusive.  The Series 3 line-up also includes Deathstroke and Wonder Woman.  Nightwing is an interesting case of “new,” since Dick Grayson was in the original Kenner run, but as Robin, rather than Nightwing.  Nightwing is seen here in a modern take on his costume, which is a bit of a bummer for a character that existed during the original line’s run, and therefore has more vintage-appropriate options.  I don’t dislike the design chosen, but it just doesn’t fit the vibe, and feels like a missed opportunity to break out the disco suit.  I suppose that’s not edgy enough for Todd.  The figure stands just shy of 5 inches tall and he has 7 points of articulation.  First and foremost, he’s too tall by about a half an inch.  It’s a line-wide problem; for some reason, McFarlane went for a hard 5-inch scale instead of the 4 1/2 inch scale that the vintage line maintained.  It’s not an immense jump, but it’s enough to throw everything off just enough for it to be noticeable, and, in the case of Nightwing, it makes him taller than the vintage Batman.  It hinders the ability to mix this stuff with the old line, which sort of defeats this line’s whole point.  The sculpt looks to be all-new, and it’s honestly better than I expected.  It foregoes a lot of the weird McFarlane-isms, in favor of something cleaner and more like Kenner.  He technically gets more details than he should, since he’s got sculpted lines for his gloves, boots, and trunks, but those actually feel like details Kenner might have added, rather than McFarlane’s propensity for over complicating things.  It’s not perfect; the legs should really have a wider stance (which would also aid him in standing better than the figure actually does), and the knees having visible pins gives him more of a Toy Biz vibe than a proper Kenner one.  I don’t dislike the head, but there’s something about it that feels just a bit too modern.  All of the vintage figures were based on Jose Garcia-Lopez’s style guide, and this doesn’t feel like something he’d draw.  But, it still looks a lot better than McFarlane’s prior Nightwing head sculpts.  The figure’s paint work is basic and clean, which works fine by me.  There’s a little bit of fuzz on some of the edges, but nothing too terrible.  He’s backed with his eskrima sticks, which are just basic cylinders, as they should be; no weird clubs this time around.  As with the rest of the line, Nightwing doesn’t get an action feature.  It would be fun, but it’s the change for which I feel they get the easiest pass.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

As a very big fan of the vintage line, any form of continuation of Super Powers is something I’ve been hoping to see for a long time.  McFarlane rarely gives me much confidence on really any venture.  So, them being the ones to handle the relaunch didn’t exactly thrill me.  The first two series did nothing for me, but Series 3 showed a bit more promise.  I wound up in a Walmart for other reasons, and they had this guy, so I opted to give him a try.  In fairness to McFarlane, the figure’s better than I expected.  Of course, my expectations were really low, so that’s not saying a ton.  There’s definitely some major issues at play, and I can’t see this line finding its market in its current state.  At least he was decent enough that I don’t feel like I wasted the money I spent on him.

#3357: The Demon – Demon Knights

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

THE DEMON — DEMON KNIGHTS

DC MULTIVERSE (MCFARLANE TOYS)

“Jason Blood, once a mortal man who lived centuries ago, was bound to Etrigan after the Demon was summoned by none other than the wizard Merlin. Jason was rendered immortal and granted the ability to swap places with his demonic counterpart upon saying the magic words. Though Jason has tried many times to exert his will over Etrigan while he is transformed, the Demon is too powerful to be completely contained. Still, more often than not, Etrigan, despite his nature, is interested in the greater good—even if his motives and methods remain suspect.”

It seems quite a mistake at this time to craft a bio that features no rhyme.  Could it really be that hard, I ask of you, to describe the character in a way that rings true?  I suppose I’ll have to try my own hand, and see just how the words may land.  Behold the figure in front of you, which I must now rightly review.  It is a creation of McFarlane Toys, and they frequently avert my joys.  The DC line is often off the mark, due to its focus on the Knight who’s Dark.  This Man of Bats often leads the sales, but it’s not only his stories from whence each toy hails.  In this toy’s case, he’s more obscure, but a fan favorite you can be sure.  He’s brought forth with the proper chime of the summoning words that are a rhyme.  Gone, gone, the form of man, rise the demon, Etrigan!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Demon who’s of Demon Knights inflection is from McFarlane’s DC Multiverse collection.  The time in which this figure was done was the early part of 2021.  Demon Knights of the New 52 was the version that they chose to do.  It seems to me to be quite odd to not launch the character with a more classic nod.  But although it may be on the verge of odd, it could also just be Todd being Todd.  Although the design might not quite ring true, at the very least, he’s something new.  The figure stands just over 7 inches tall and his articulation is 35 points counted in all.  To the line’s other figures his movement matches, although it’s not without its own little scratches.  The ankles could be more secure, to keep him from falling to the floor.  The figure’s sculpt is one that’s completely new, and is really one that gives what’s due.  The character’s look is well reflected, and texturing is well perfected.  The figure’s head is my favorite piece, and really catches the character for this release.  The figure’s paint is well applied, and certainly feels as though they tried.  The color scheme is different there, then what he’s usually known to wear.  It’s very definitely a lot of silver and grey, which not the most eye catching, I have to say.  Still, it’s true to the source, so it’s only fair to let it run its course.  The Demon has amongst his cares a stand and sword, which are his wares.  His sword is hard for him to hold, and takes tricky wedging into his hand’s mold.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The Demon’s a character I greatly enjoy, and so I’d like to have him as a toy.  His costume choice is not my preferred, but still my interest was not deterred.  Getting the figure was no real chore, I just waited for his arrival at the store.  In the end, the figure’s fine, which seems the curse of this whole line.  Even when it’s at its best, it struggles rising above the rest.  The Demon’s cool, that much is true, but as always, odd choices still come shining through.

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.

#3208: Blue Beetle & Booster Gold

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

BLUE BEETLE & BOOSTER GOLD

DC MULTIVERSE (MCFARLANE TOYS)

Look, I’m not gonna pretend like this is anything more than it is, guys.  Yes, I’m reviewing something else from McFarlane’s DC Multiverse line.  I know.  I’m not surprised either, just disappointed.  Okay, not really disappointed.  Honestly, it’s really not all that bad, I suppose.  Todd’s decisions with the line have generally been middling at best, but there is the occasional offering that sort of accidentally stumbles into being sort of a good idea.  While things are very firmly planted in edgelord territory for most of the line’s offerings, perhaps in an effort to offset that just a little bit, we’ve actually got something that goes pretty anti-edgelord-y, in the form of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold.  Central to the Giffen, DeMatteis, and McGuire “Bwa-ha-ha” run of Justice League, Beetle and Booster have never been A-listers, but they’ve certainly picked up quite a cult following, especially given they’re more jovial nature and their long-term friendship.  They’ve gotten quite few figures over the years, mostly pairing off, since it sure does feel weird to do one without the other.  And, in a move uncharacteristic to McFarlane’s DC run up to this point, they’re actually both available at once, in one concise package even.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are a two-pack release from McFarlane’s DC Multiverse line.  They were announced at the end of July and had a rather quick turnaround, hitting in early September.  As with the rest of the two-packs, they’re their own thing, shipping on their own, which is probably for the best.  Keeps those Bat-variants just a little bit further away.

BLUE BEETLE

“Over the course of a century, three different men from very different backgrounds have taken on the heroic mantle of the Blue Beetle, each making their mark in different ways. The original Beetle was an archaeologist named Dan Garrett, who discovered an ancient Scarab in an old Egyptian tomb that gave him superpowers which he used to fight crime. He was succeeded by the brilliant Ted Kord, who had no powers to speak of, but carried on the Blue Beetle legacy with just his wits and his fists, along with a whole lot of gadgets and a sharp sense of humor.”

You gotta love the bio calling out that there are three notable Blue Beetles in the last century and then only talking about two of them.  And not even the most notable of the two, at that.  I know, a McFarlane bio being poorly written.  Who’d have thunk?  Ah, well, I think I’d rather talk about the figure than the bio, so let’s do that.  The figure stands just over 7 inches tall and he has 35 points of articulation.  As with all the McFarlane figures, the articulation scheme is pretty set and predictable.  It works better on some than on others, but this one is admittedly on the “better” end of the spectrum.  The wrists are a little awkward, and the elbows and knees are still requiring you to break up the flow of the sculpt, but it’s not awful.  The sculpt is actually not half-bad.  The head is a decent rendition of Ted in costume, right down to that slightly goofy smile, which is really perfect for the character.  The body sculpt is pretty basic, and honestly surprisingly clean for a McFarlane sculpt.  With one exception (which I’ll touch on a little more in the next figure’s section) only details are the actual details for Ted’s costume, as depicted in the comics, even.  No weird extra lines or piping, or armor plating, or odd texturing.  Just a nice, basic sculpt, with a fairly sensible set of proportions.  The paint work on this figure is also pretty sensible, which is likewise surprising.  The colors are generally a good match for his usual depiction, the application is overall pretty clean, and there’s no weird washes or anything to dirty him up.  I do miss the clear goggles like earlier figures have had, but the solid finish isn’t terrible, and I do quite like the slight accenting on the face, just to give him a bit more color.  Ted is packed with his BB gun, the same circular display stand that comes with all of the figures, and a collector card.  The gun is an okay sculpt, but for some reason there’s what looks like a grapple line permanently attached to it, which kind of limits its uses when it comes to posing.  I guess maybe they were worried that Warner might ask for it to be cut from the set if it didn’t have the permanent attachment?

BOOSTER GOLD

“A college football star of the 25th Century who earned the nickname ‘Booster’ on the field. Even though people assured him a professional career of fame and fortune was in his future, he decided he couldn’t wait and wagered on his own games. The scandal ruined his dreams and reputation. Taking a job as a security guard in the Metropolis Space Museum, Mike saw another opportunity after studying the early age of superheroes. With future and alien technology stolen from the museum, and a time machine that was on display, he realized he could not only become a superhero himself in a past era where his criminal history was unknown, but he could also make his good deeds profitable.”

Well, at least Booster’s bio is a bit more on-point.  Given Ted’s, I was half expecting a “Super Nova” mention.  Small victories there.  Though he’s packed with a very much classically-inspired Ted Kord Blue Beetle, Booster goes slightly more modern, by virtue of ditching his somewhat absurd collar from his ’80s appearances.  I suppose I’ll allow it.  Like Beetle, the figure stands just over 7 inches tall and he has 35 points of articulation.  Booster’s sculpt is…well, it’s actually largely the same as Beetle’s.  Booster gets his own head, hands, wrist pieces, and a slightly different pelvis piece, allowing for his slightly different costume design.  The new head is on par with Beetle in terms of quality, but it’s also quite distinctly different.  The flow of the hair is quite nice, and I definitely dig the cheesy grin.  By virtue of the shared base body, Booster’s perhaps a touch too small, but not terribly far off.  What *is* rather off is the boots, which get the tops of Beetle’s boots, which are an entirely different shape.  There’s still the slight shaping of Booster’s boot sculpted above the cuff, which was also present on Beetle.  It was less obvious on Beetle than Beetle’s boots are for Booster; since Booster was getting saddled with the extra detail anyway, I’m not entirely sure why they attempted at double duty here, but at least it’s a minor detail.  Booster’s paint work is okay; not quite as good as Beetle’s, but not terrible.  There’s the obvious painting over of the boot details, which is a bit goofy looking.  Additionally, thanks to the paint on the shins, plus the molded yellow higher up, and then the slightly different material on the knees, there are no less than three different yellows in the space of about an inch.  From the knees up, however, he looks pretty great.  His goggles are opaque, just like Ted’s, and the face likewise gets some really nice accenting to give it a little more life.  Booster is packed with a smart phone (with a yellow case to match his costume), a blast effect to clip onto his wrist, and his robot buddy Skeets, a display stand, and a collector card.  Skeets, rather than getting his own stand or attaching to Booster directly, plugs into the larger base shared between the two of them.  It’s a rather short arm, and not removable from Skeets.  It’s also completely opaque, and it doesn’t plug into anything other than the very large base, which proves rather limiting for him.  But, at least he’s included, which is certainly more than can be said of other Booster Gold figures.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I’m less and less enamored with McFarlane’s DC Multiverse as it continues forward, but I’ll admit that these two immediately caught my eye.  Our first preview had no release info, so I was worried they, like pretty much everything else “classic” from McFarlane, would be an exclusive.  I was very glad they weren’t, as it made it much easier for me to actually, you know, get them.  Ted’s the better of the two for sure, but honestly they’re both a lot better than I’d expected.  As with anything McFarlane, there are some drawbacks, but they’re honestly minimal, all things considered.

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

#3174: Parallax

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

PARALLAX

DC MULTIVERSE (MCFARLANE TOYS)

“As a Green Lantern, Hal Jordan served the Guardians of the Universe and saved all of existence from great peril countless times. But, when Hal was unable to save him hometown, Coast City, from obliteration because he was off-world, he was shattered. He flew straight to Oa, the Guardian’s home planet, and asked for their help to resurrect Coast City. When the Guardians refused, Hal absorbed the energy of Oa’s Central Power Battery, along with Parallax, a yellow entity made of living fear that was imprisoned within the battery for millennia. Parallax then drove Hal mad and fueled him to decimate the entire Green Lantern Corps!”

Hey, did you guys like seeing me tear into McFarlane for a bit yesterday?  Well, I guess I’m gonna do it again.  I swear, I keep meaning to be done with McFarlane DC, but, you know, then I keep not being…done…with..McFarlane DC.  Look, I just get weak sometimes.  Anyway, recently, McFarlane has been slightly breaking away from the heavy Batman-focus, and there’s been some Green Lantern stuff coming through, which certainly appeals to me.  Amongst those GL-related releases is today’s focus, Parallax, a character of whom my opinions are almost as conflicted as those of McFarlane’s handling of the DC license.  Let’s see how this goes.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Parallax is another “Platinum Edition” figure in McFarlane’s DC Multiverse line.  As I noted yesterday, exactly what “Platinum Edition” means varies from figure to figure, but in the case of Parallax, it means that he’s a Walmart-exclusive, alongside fellow ’90s-themed “Platinum Edition” release Azrael Batman.  This is Parallax’s first figure under McFarlane, and in fact the first Hal Jordan Parallax figure we’ve gotten since DCD’s old Rebirth release.  That’s quite a gap in figures there.  Sure is fun that it’s a Walmart exclusive.  That certainly won’t be a frustrating turn of events for most people.  The figure stands 7 1/4 inches tall and he has 37 points of articulation.  On the topic of sizing, McFarlane’s difficulties with consistent scaling across their figures kicks in here, as Hal stands 1/4 inch taller than yesterday’s Martian Manhunter, which is definitely off, as J’onn has consistently been depicted as one of the tallest DC heroes, and Hal is usually middle of the pack.  The sculpt for Parallax is an all-new one, and…well, it’s got its ups and its downs.  First and foremost, the box specifically cites this figure as being from “Emerald Twilight,” and it’s just not.  Heck, not even the illustration on the back of the box is from “Emerald Twilight.”  It’s actually from the Convergence crossover series, some two decades later.  The figure proper is a decent enough sculpt from a technical stand point, aside from some slight oddities this the back of the head having a slightly odd shape.  Beyond that, the issues largely stem from a multitude of inaccuracies.  The hair’s short and spiky, rather than the more classically parted hair that Hal usually has.  The arms don’t have the stripes running down the sides, instead having the shoulders come to a point, the way they do on Hal’s classic costume.  The torso, specifically the circle on the chest, is three dimensional, and the surrounding elements are totally different in their shaping than what’s shown on the page.  The tops of the boots are also totally different in their shaping, and there are a ton of extra details on the boots that aren’t there either.  Why all the differences?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Todd’s gotta Todd, maybe?  It’s been a recurring issue with the DC line, but on this one in particular, it sticks out because he’s specifically called out as being based on a specific story.  Parallax’s color work is also notably off.  The most glaring issue is the total lack of the white steaks on his temples, but his hair is also generally too dark, with almost no brown at all.  There’s a slight hint of grey, but it’s far too subtle, and also almost entirely at the back of the head.  The greens are also rather drab, and generally too light.  Beyond that, the application is at least clean, and I do quite like how the clear green hands look.  Parallax is packed with a collector card, two energy effects for the hands, a power battery, and a display stand.  The accessories are at least pretty cool, so he’s got that going for him.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

While I’ve always had my issues with the story that spawned him, I also have this odd soft spot for Parallax, going back to the Total Justice figure being my only way to get a Hal Jordan figure back when I was a kid.  I loved that figure, and it’s resulted in me really growing to like the Parallax design.  I had the DCD figure back when it was new, but it was always a rather fragile figure, which isn’t very fun.  I had hoped Mattel might get to him during DC Universe Classics, but they never did.  Then the pictures of this guy surfaced, and I realized he was really my best bet at getting a halfway decent Parallax.  I wasn’t looking forward to the difficulties of getting a Walmart-exclusive, but as luck would have it, someone traded one into All Time, making getting one super easy.  Ultimately, my feelings on this figure, much like the actual character, and the overall toyline he’s part of, are very conflicted.  He’s not a bad figure from a technical standpoint, but there’s a lot of issues in terms of accuracy, with lots of changes seemingly being made purely for the sake of change.  It’s an issue I’ve run into before with the line, and I’m sure it’ll crop up again, but you just keep getting this sense that Todd thinks his designs are just better, and, well, he’s wrong, and it gets in the way of figures being as good as they could be, which is a real shame.

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.

#3173: Martian Manhunter

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

MARTIAN MANHUNTER

DC MULTIVERSE (MCFARLANE TOYS)

“J’onn J’onzz, the mysterious Martian Manhunter, is one of the last survivors of the planet Mars, and was accidentally transported to Earth not long after the majority of his people were wiped out. Martian Manhunter is thought to be as strong as, or possibly stronger than, Superman, and has a variety of powers including super-strength, super-speed, flight, telepathy, telekinesis, shape-shifting, phase-shifting, regenerative abilities, and near-invulnerability. Manhunter also has genius-level intellect and strong leadership skills. Using his vast powers and skills, Martian Manhunter strives to protect the citizens of his new home, Earth.”

Three years into their run with the license, McFarlane Toys’ handling of DC can still largely boiled down to “wow, Todd sure does like Batman, doesn’t he?”  And when it’s not that, it can often be boiled down to “wow, Todd sure does like squeezing extra uses out of a mold in often frustrating ways, doesn’t he?”  Today’s the second thing.  But I’ll get to that in a bit.  For the big super hero teams, I like to discuss the term “quintessential,” for those characters that may not be the heavy hitters, but whom the team kind of feels lacking without.  For the Avengers, I long maintained that character is Hawkeye.  For their equivalent team over at the Distinguished Competition, my vote goes to Martian Manhunter.  He’s just very important to the line-up, and it never feels quite right without him.  J’onn can be hit or miss when it comes to toy coverage, but he generally does alright with his figures when he actually manages to get them.  And hey, by virtue of being not a girl, and therefore unlikely to drive any boys to become serial killers, he gets two whole figures from McFarlane!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Martian Manhunter is one of McFarlane’s “Platinum Edition” figures for DC Multiverse.  As usual with McFarlane, the branding of “Platinum Edition” is one that has a confusing meaning, since he doesn’t seem to be very consistent in how he’s using it.  In the case of Manhunter, it means he’s a Target-exclusive.  So, I guess there’s that.  This Manhunter is the second figure under McFarlane’s tenure, with the first one, based on J’onn’s New 52-era design, hitting mass retail just about the same time that this one was announced.  You know, just to really split that market on the poor guy.  This one, on the flip side, is a “classic” Manhunter, or at the very least a mid-to-late ’80s Manhunter, given he’s still got the heavy brow and red eyes. The figure stands a little over 7 inches tall and he has 39 points of articulation. The articulation scheme on this figure is pretty much the same one on every McFarlane figure, and as with other releases, it’s clearly been inserted into a finished sculpt, which has its ups and downs. Much like the Peacemaker figure, getting the full range out of some of the joints, especially on the elbows and knees, requires breaking the flow of the sculpt entirely. Not exactly a great look. Additionally, there are a few instances of the sculpt getting in the way of movement, most notably on the hips.  As far as the quality of the actual sculpt, it’s honestly not a bad one.  The upper half of the figure, is mostly shared with the other Martian Manhunter.  He gets a new lower half, as well as new chest harness, and a slightly tweaked cape.  The head is more on the alien side for J’onn, but not out of character.  I like the inhuman and stoic, but still slightly friendly expression of the face, and the angling of the brow is a cool look.  The body sculpt does a respectable job of capturing J’onn’s stockier build, with a fairly realistic set of proportions, that still retain that somewhat heroic look.  There’s some pretty decent texturing at play, especially on his skin.  The cape is generally okay looking, but the collar, which wasn’t on the other release, feels a little haphazardly added; it doesn’t actually connect all the way around, so certain posing will have it clearly disconnected from the rest of the cape, which definitely looks odd.  The color work on Manhunter is nice and bright, which is honestly a refreshing change of pace for the Multiverse figures.  It’s largely molded colors, which keeps it fairly clean.  The greens of the elbows and knees are a slightly different shade from the rest of the body, but beyond that, the plastic coloring works out okay.  The paint work is kept to a minimum, but it looks pretty clean, and there’s not slop or bleed over.  Martian Manhunter is supposed to come with a collector card and a display stand, but mine doesn’t have the stand, and didn’t even have the spot for it in the package.  I mean, it’s just a black disk, and I have a bunch of them, but still.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I’ve got a soft spot for a decent Martian Manhunter figure, so when McFarlane showed off their original, more modern Manhunter, I was very tempted to pick him up, and was *this* close to doing so.  Like, he had arrived at All Time, and I was planning to take a look at him in person to make my final call.  And literally that exact day, McFarlane announced this guy, which kind of took all of the wind out of my sails on the other one.  The timing on that announcement was pretty darn rotten.  Also, with a character that’s not a heavy hitter, it feels like splitting an already niche audience isn’t the smartest call.  This was clearly the look that most everyone wanted, so why not just make this the main release.  Was Target really clamoring that much for a Martian Manhunter variant?  Whatever the case, while I’m not one for really hunting anymore, Max was kind enough to give me an assist on this one, so I was able to get him without much trouble, at the very least.  Stupid decisions about his release aside, the figure’s actually pretty darn good.  There’s still some weirdness, but it’s minor, and I really do like how this figure turned out.

#3149: Inigo Montoya – Bloodied

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

INIGO MONTOYA — BLOODIED

THE PRINCESS BRIDE (MCFARLANE TOYS)

Alright, just one more day with The Princess Bride.  Let’s make the most of it, shall we?  With variants for Westley and Buttercup already on the books, that just leaves Fezzik and Inigo.  Fezzik’s variant was just not enough for me to justify spending the extra $40 to get him, but I was able to get on board with the Inigo variant.  And, I’m gonna take a look at that variant today!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Inigo Montoya (Bloodied) is the final figure in Series 2 of The Princess Bride line from McFarlane.  He joins Buttercup as the other figure based on the end of the film, though they are notably two characters that have no real interactions, especially at the end of the film.  He’s specifically based on Inigo’s injured appearance post final duel.  And, like Buttercup, Inigo’s natural counterpart, Count Rugen, isn’t likely to get made.  That said, he’s again another figure that does alright as a piece on his own.  The figure stands a little over 7 inches tall and he has 35 points of articulation.  Almost all of Inigo’s sculpt is a re-use from the Series 1 release, with only the head sculpt changing.  Inigo’s sculpt was the best of the Series 1 figures, and his appearance remains fairly similar throughout, so it’s a good re-use.  The new head trades out the more calm and composed expression from the first release for a more intense, teeth-gritting expression.  It fits the mid-battle look, and changes up his look enough to make him more noticeably different from the first release.  It’s a good sculpt, perhaps not as strong a likeness as the first one, but still with enough of a vibe of Mandy Patinkin to be recognizable.  Inigo’s paint work takes the set-up on the first figure, and adds the blood from his injuries.  They blood splatters actually match up with the injuries in the film pretty well, and the blood on the hand in particular looks pretty convincing.  Also, notably, the figure doesn’t have the side-eye, and that certainly is an improvement.  Inigo is packed with his sword (with additional blood smears) and a display stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Inigo is definitely the least different of the variants in the main series, and I wasn’t sure that I was going to get him.  That said, in hand, I rather liked the look of him.  The blood effect is actually quite nicely handled, and it does more to change up the figure than you might expect.  The Series 1 figure is still going to be my go-to, but I certainly like this one more than I’d expected to.

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.

#3148: Princess Buttercup – Wedding Dress

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

PRINCESS BUTTERCUP — WEDDING DRESS

THE PRINCESS BRIDE (MCFARLANE TOYS)

As we make our way through the rest of the second assortment of McFarlane’s Princess Bride line, we’re entirely dealing with the variants that make up the majority of the assortment.  Yesterday, I looked at one half of the story’s central pair of lovers, and today, I’m taking a look at the other.  The last Buttercup figure focused on the “Princess” half of the title, while this release focusses on the “Bride” half, depicting her from her wedding to Prince Humperdink at the film’s climax.  Seems like a sensible enough excuse for another variant of the character.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Princess Buttercup (Wedding Dress) is part of Series 2 of The Princess Bride line.  She’s one of two figures based on the film’s climax in the second assortment, though the two don’t, like, go together or anything, since there’s no Humperdink to go with her at this time.  Still, it’s a prominent look, and the one she’s wearing during their escape at the end, so even without the Humperdink to go with her, it makes a degree of sense.  The figure stands 6 3/4 inches tall and she has 35 points of articulation.  The sculpt on this figure has a number of parts in common with the Series 1 version of the character, though not really many of the visible parts.  The head is the same (though not the hair; that’s been modified to add the crown), as are the hands, and the legs and pelvis.  The head remains a respectable take on Robin Wright, and the new crown piece sits nicely on it.  The new upper torso captures most of the features of the dress from the movie, though some of the details seem a little bit iffy on exact accuracy.  The new feet are more or less the same as the prior versions, but with extra detailing at the top of the foot; not entirely sure that’s accurate, but it at least looks a bit different.  Like the last figure, the skirt piece is cloth; the pattern appears to be the same; it’s a solid fabric, and kind of stiff, making it rather far off from the dress in the movie.  But, I guess it gets the general idea across?  The color work on this figure is okay, with the paint on the face being pretty clean in particular.  She’s still got a bit of side-eye going on, but it’s a little more reserved this time, and not matched by the squinting, so it looks a little better.  The dress seems a little too blue to my eyes, but that might just be a lighting thing.  The paint work is at least pretty cleanly handled.  Buttercup is packed with only a display stand.  While there’s a shortage of things to pack with the standard Buttercup, the fact that this one doesn’t include the dagger from the scene after the wedding seems like a silly omission, especially given that she’s still got that gripping hand.  What’s its purpose otherwise?

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I was iffy on needing this figure initially, but wound up getting the whole series, and she came along with it.  It’s at least a fairly unique design, and, issues of accuracy aside, I do think she still makes for an alright figure.  The eyes being less ridiculous this time around certainly helps her, but it’s a shame she doesn’t really match up with the rest of the cast that we’ve gotten so far.  Still, on her own, she’s quite nice.

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.

#3147: Dread Pirate Roberts – Bloodied

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

DREAD PIRATE ROBERTS — BLOODIED

THE PRINCESS BRIDE (MCFARLANE TOYS)

Yesterday, I kicked back into my Princess Bride reviews with the only new character in Series 2 of the line.  Today, I continue with the first of the three variant figures that make up the rest of the assortment.  I’m going to look at them from most notable variant to least notable variant.  Most notable it is, then!  Princess Buttercup’s love Westley initially resurfaces in her life as the masked mystery man, the Dread Pirate Roberts, but after rescuing her from Vizzini and his men, he reveals his identity, before taking a bit of a beating while trekking through the fire swamp, changing up his look bit for the rest of the movie…or at the very least removing the mystery of the initial look.  That’s the look that gets the figure today!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Dread Pirate Roberts (Bloodied) is the second figure in Series 2 of McFarlane’s The Princess Bride line.  While I don’t like to harp on names on the box too much, the fact that this guy is still labeled “Dread Pirate Roberts,” despite being a post-unmasking version of the character, and thereby being pretty much exclusively Westley at that point, seems like an odd choice.  But, it’s hardly the oddest choice that ol’ Toddy boy has ever made.  The figure stands a little over 7 inches tall and he has 35 points of articulation.  As was expected for this release, a lot of his parts are shared with the Series 1 Roberts.  It’s a for better/for worse situation, since it’s consistent and all, but it’s also victim to the weird hang-ups of the original sculpt, especially that weird torso/pelvis set-up.  He gets a new head and left arm to sell his new look.  The head is a solid offering.  The likeness is even better than the masked version, and the hair is pretty much perfect for Elwes’ hair in the movie.  The new left arm showcases the damage to his shirt from fighting the Rodent-of-unusual-size, as well as the missing glove.  It’s a good change-up, marred by only one thing: they didn’t re-sculpt the right side, so he’s still got one glove, which is a look he never has in the movie.  Even just redoing the hand would at least sell it a bit better.  As it stands, it just feels a bit lazy.  Westley’s paint work is largely pretty similar to the standard version, but he’s got some blood on the shoulder, as well as more detailing on the face and the hair.  He seems rather pale for Westley, but honestly, it’s not the worst thing.  Westley is packed with his sword and a display stand, mirroring what came with the first release.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The first Westley was the weakest of the first series.  This one had a bit more potential.  Ultimately, he probably could have just been an extra head and hands with the first release, especially given that they didn’t even fully commit to the dressed-down look, but at the same time, this one does work just a little bit better than the first one.  The unmasked look is more prevalent in the film, and works better as a figure, so he’s ultimately a slightly better offering, and just the better of the two, really.

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.

#3146: Vizzini

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

VIZZINI

THE PRINCESS BRIDE (MCFARLANE TOYS)

Back nearer the beginning of the year, the first series of The Princess Bride figures from McFarlane Toys hit retail.  It covered the basics for the film’s cast, and was generally not as bad as it could have been, given that it was, you know, McFarlane, and all.  A follow-up was announced very shortly after the first, which includes variants on all of the first assortment’s characters, as well as one new addition.  I’m looking at said new addition, Wallace Shawn’s Vizzini, one of the film’s most inconceivably memorable characters, today.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Vizzini is one of the four figures in Series 2 of The Princess Bride figures from McFarlane.  As noted above, he’s the only unique character from this assortment, and, going by how the line seems to be performing, he’s probably going to be the last unique character we’re going to see from the line.  The figure stands about 6 1/2 inches tall and he has 35 points of articulation.  His height means he’s a little shorter than the other figures, but he’s not enough shorter to accurately represent Wallace Shawn.  For accurate sizing, he should be almost an inch and a half shorter than the Inigo figure, when in reality he’s only a half an inch shorter.  It’s almost an inch off.  Flip side is that he happens to be in almost perfect scale with the Fezzik figure.  So, in a line-up with the three criminals, like in the movie when they first appear, it’s Inigo who winds up looking out of place.  But, you know, he’s the one that’s actually in proper scale…so it’s weird.  Scaling issues aside, the actual sculpt is pretty solid.  The likeness on the head is on par with the rest of the line, so it’s not spot-on, but it’s also close enough to be recognizable.  The expression is a good fit for the character, with that goofy grin and all.  The detailing on the outfit is pretty sharp, with a bunch of really great texturing.  The articulation scheme is a little less awkward looking here than on the rest of the line, which is certainly a plus.  The paint work on Vizzini is on par with the rest of the line.  The base work is all pretty cleanly handled.  We’re still getting the slightly odd grey smear for the five o’clock shadow, but it’s not quite as thick.  The eyes lose the side eye thing, so that’s a plus.  I also really dig how the accenting on his tunic turned out.  Vizzini is packed with two goblets and a display stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

With the four figures we got out of Series 1, I wasn’t expecting a Series 2, to be honest.  In the back of my mind, I was hopeful for a Vizzini, so his inclusion in Series 2 is pretty awesome.  He’s a slightly better quality of figure than the Series 1 figures, so that’s actually quite nice.   And hey, they actually made a Wallace Shawn figure!  How cool is 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.