Tag Archives: Minimates

#0911: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Minimates

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

LI MU BAI, YU SHU LIEN, JEN YU, & LO

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON MINIMATES

CTHD1

And now for something completely different…

In the year 2000 (and early 2001), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became a rather surprising success. Despite being entirely in Mandarin, the film was a smash hit in the United States. It was so much of a success that its director Ang Lee even nabbed a job directing 2003’s Hulk (the less said about that, the better). The measure of true success, in my book at least, is how many action figures you got. Art Asylum picked up the license. They released a set of four 7-inch figures, as well as releasing a few of the characters in this little line they were starting, call Minimates. Despite the film’s success, the figures just did alright, not great, and not enough to get more than the same four characters released in two styles. Today, I’ll be taking a look at the four Minimates based on the movie.

Also, I feel I should note at this time that I’ve never actually seen Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Yeah, yeah, bad Ethan. Let’s just see how this goes.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

These four make up the first (and only) series of Art Asylum’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Minimates. They were released in September of 2002, right around the same time as the Bruce Lee Minimates and Rock Minimates, making them some of the very first Minimates.

CTHD6All four ‘mates are built on the original, 3-inch body. Unlike the 2 ½-inch body, which is a pretty straight up-sizing of the 2-inch body, the 3-inch body is actually a little different: the peg hole in the head is not centered, but rather towards the back; the torso is made up of three pieces, fixed together, rather than being a single molded piece; the elbow and knee joint are in the center, and have a separate pin going through them; finally, the hands are side specific and look more like actual hands. Functionally, it works about the same as the smaller bodies, with the same basic 14 points of articulation. It’s just a tweaked structure.

LI MU BAI

CTHD2Okay, so Li Mu Bai is Chow Yun-fat’s character from the movie. I know that much. Yay me! Mu Bai gets 6 add-on pieces for his hair, shirt, sleeves, and footwear. The older ‘mates are a whole different level of detailing than what we see today; stylization was pretty high, and they made do with as few details as possible. This is most evident in his hair, which is fairly flat at texture-less (and ends abruptly at the top of his head), though the braid is pretty well detailed. The rest of the pieces are actually surprisingly detailed; they’re still fairly simple, but there’s a fair bit of detail on the shirt and feet, and the sleeves are nowhere near as static as some of the later, smaller-scale pieces. Mu Bai is mostly molded in the appropriate colors, but he has a bit of detailing on his shirt and feet, as well as the expected detail lines for his face. The face is made up of just of black line work (no additional colors for his eyes or teeth), and his face is very, very stylized and geometric. There’s definitely not a real likeness in that face. Mu Bai includes his sword, the Green Destiny, as well as a weird puzzle piece thing that was included with all the early Minimates.

YU SHU LIEN

CTHD3Yu Shu Lien was played by Michelle Yeoh, who, amongst other things, was a Bond girl during Pierce Brosnan’s tenure in the role, as well as being in the criminally under-rated Sunshine. She was also a pretty big deal in Hong Kong action movies during the 1990s, which one assumes is what got her a role in Crouching Tiger. Her figure has 7 add-ons: hair, shirt, skirt, sleeves, and leg wraps. Where Mu Bai’s hair was rather square and stilted, Shu Lien’s has a nice flow to it, and looks pretty organic, if still stylized. The rest of the parts are all pretty good too. The chest cap presents a fairly unique feature amongst Minimates: a sculpted bosom. Well, sculpted suggestion of bosom, anyway, similar to what Palisades did on their Palz figures. The actual chest cap seems a little bit bulky, but nowhere near as bad as some of the smaller ‘mates. Shu Lien’s paint is a little more complex than Mu Bai’s. The base colors are okay, but a little fuzzy in some spots. Her face is still pretty simple, but she at least gets one extra color for her lips. Yu Shu Lien includes a sword and the weird puzzle piece.

JEN YU

CTHD4Jen Yu was played by the relative newcomer Zhang Ziyi. The only thing I know her from is 2007’s TMNT, where she played Karai (who also has a Minimate, but it’s not from the movie). Jen Yu has 7 add-ons: hair/mask, robe, skirt, wrist bands, and boots. They’re all pretty decent pieces, though they don’t seem to sit as well as the parts from the other two. That doesn’t mean she looks bad, though. It appears to be a pretty good recreation of the look from the film, and she’s a pretty neat, basic ninja. The paint is fairly basic. Mostly she’s molded in black, with a bit of red and gold detailing here and there. Under the mask, she’s got a fully detailed face, on par with the rest of the set. Jen Yu included a sword and sheath (as well as the puzzle piece), but mine doesn’t have them.

LO

CTHD5Last up is Lo, the dude I know the least about. He was played by Chang Chen, whom I’ve never actually seen in anything. Apparently Lo’s a desert bandit, which sounds pretty cool, and he’s got one of the cooler looks. Lo has 7 add-on pieces: hair, jacket, sleeves (my figure lacks one of them), skirt, and boots. His sleeves are noticeably a bit more geometric than the others, but the rest of his parts still have a pretty decent flow to them. As a whole, the pieces look pretty good together, if slightly dated. Lo has one of the more detailed paint jobs seen here. It’s nice and clean, and all of the colors work together pretty well. His face is once again pretty basic, but at least he gets a mustache to change things up a bit. Lo had the most accessories of the set, with a sword, an extra wristband (w/ mounted eagle, though, once again, my figure lacks this), a cape, and the previously mentioned puzzle piece. Sadly, my figure lacks his extra pieces.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Since I’ve not seen the movie, it’s not a huge surprise that I didn’t get these four new. I will admit to at least contemplating getting them a few times over the years, due to the whole “some of the earliest Minimates” thing. Of course, they aren’t the easiest things to come across anymore. So, when I found them back in January at a flea market (on the same trip that netted me Gimli, the Orc Scout, Big Guy, and Perseus), a snapped them up pretty quickly. They were pretty filthy when I got them, so I had to spend a good two hours cleaning them up. Despite not having seen the movie, I find myself really enjoying these four. They’re definitely a different style of ‘mate, but it’s really fun to own figures that are an important step in the evolution of Minimates.

#0908: Bruce Wayne & Pilot Batman

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

BRUCE WAYNE & PILOT BATMAN

DC C3 CONSTRUCTION

Bruce&PilotBat1

After the rousing success of the Marvel characters in the Minimates format, other comicbook companies wanted in on the action, including their main competition DC Comics. However, thanks to all sorts of licensing mumbo jumbo, Diamond Select and Art Asylum couldn’t directly produce DC products. Fortunately, Play Along, who also worked with Art Asylum on the Lord of the Rings Minimates line, had the rights to produce DC-based construction sets, which they were able to leverage into a way to produce Minimate versions of DC characters as part of the sets. The line was only moderately successful, but it did manage to produce a nice handful of prominent DC mainstays. Today, I’ll be looking at two of the figures the line offered, Bruce Wayne and Pilot Batman.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Bruce and Pilot Batman were included with the SDCC 2004 Stealth Batwing set. The set was a re-deco of the main line’s regular Batwing set. Batman was similarly a re-deco of that set’s Pilot Batman, but Bruce Wayne is wholly exclusive to this set.

BRUCE WAYNE

Bruce&PilotBat3This was one of the two Bruce Wayne Minimates offered by the C3 line. The figure is a little under 2 ½ inches tall and has 14 points of articulation. While the more widely released version (included with the Batcave set) opted for a more traditional Bruce, this figure is based on Bruce’s more modernized design from 2004’s The Batman. Bruce has add-on pieces for his hair and jacket, both re-used from prior ‘mates. The jacket is the same piece used on the Batcave Bruce and the hair comes from Marvel Minimates Series 1’s Hulk. The pieces are pretty close matches (if you want to get really picky, Bruce’s jacket was always buttoned on the show, but that’s pretty minor). They’re far less detailed than most modern pieces, and have a much more squared-off appearance, but that actually works well in the context of his cartoon-based design. Paint is used fairly sparsely on Bruce, but what’s there is both clean and sharp, and he makes for a good translation of the animated design. I like the decision to give him a grin, as it gives us a Bruce that truly sells the whole millionaire playboy charade. Bruce included a cowl, cape/torso cover, and gloves, which allow him to be quick-changed into a pretty decent Batman Minimate (though he’s smiling, which is slightly odd).

PILOT BATMAN

Bruce&PilotBat2The C3 line ended up doing what most Batman-based lines do, and included a bunch of non-canon Bat-variants. On the plus side, Pilot Batman is actually a pretty sensible idea, especially when the Batwing is in question. Pilot Batman has add-ons for his helmet (with hinged visor), torso, and gloves, and at one point there was also a cape attachment for the back of the torso, but mine’s gone missing. All of these pieces (aside from the cape) were shared with the normal release version of Pilot Batman, but aside from that they were all-new. They aren’t based on anything in particular, but they fit pretty well with the line, and they look pretty cool. They also feature a lot more sculpted detail than most Minimate pieces of the time, meaning that this figure doesn’t look too out of place, even with current ‘mates. The difference between this figure and the regular release version is the paintwork. Mostly it’s just swapping out yellow accents for the blue ones, but there are also some slightly different details on the legs. Under the helmet, there’s a pretty Bruce Wayne face, clearly meant to be comics based, and under the torso piece, there’s a bat symbol, which could have easily been left out. Pilot Batman included no accessories, though I suppose an argument could be made that the normal Batman parts are for him, since they were also included with the regular Batwing.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Well after the C3 line had ended, Cosmic Comix, who had not carried any of the sets up to that point, received a case of this set, and was selling them for well under their original price. I bought one, mostly for these two figures. Over the years, I lost most of the parts to the actual Batwing portion of the set, but I still have these guys. They’re both pretty solid ‘mates, though neither of them is exactly a necessity for anyone’s collection.

#0890: Captain America & Scarlet Witch

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

CAPTAIN AMERICA & SCARLET WITCH

MARVEL MINIMATES

Cap&ScarletWitch1

When Minimates first started out, getting just one Avenger was a pretty big deal.  It’s less of a big deal now, especially when it comes to heavy hitters like Captain America and Iron Man.  That said, it’s still kind of cool to get those slightly less well-known Avengers, like Scarlet Witch.  Although, it’s hard to imagine Scarlet Witch being quite as overlooked following her fantastic appearance in Age of Ultron and upcoming appearance in Captain America: Civil War.  Time will tell.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Cap and Scarlet Witch were released as part of the 16th series of Toys R Us exclusive Marvel Minimates.  They were done to sort of tie-in with the release of the Marvel Now!-themed Series 51.

CAPTAIN AMERICA

Cap&ScarletWitch2This figure is Cap’s 29th foray into the world of Minimates (although it’s only the 27th for Steve Rogers as Cap) and it showcases Cap’s redesign following the Marvel Now! relaunch.  The design still shares most of the pivotal details of Cap’s traditional costume, while also working in a few more movie-esque parts.  Cap makes use of add-on pieces for his helmet, gloves, and belt.  Each of these is a brand-new sculpt, and they are all quite well handled.  The helmet is a very adept recreation of the comics design, and it features etched in lines for the ‘A’ and the head wings.  The gloves are bulky, but not overly, and they offer a more intricate, stylized take on the character’s traditional flared gloves.  The left glove has a peg allowing it to be used with the shield, and it can be swapped out with a non-pegged hand for display sans-shield.  Lastly, the belt is a fairly straight forward piece, which does its job without being obtrusive.  Isn’t that what belts are for?  The painted detailing on Cap is really quite good.  Some of the white areas on the helmet miss their mark just a slight bit, but the detail work, specifically on the figure’s torso which features an intricate hexagonal design, is very sharp and brings a lot of dimension to the figure.  Also, even after all this time, I still marvel (heh) when Diamond gets the eye placement perfect on a figure.  The eyes here line up exactly with the painted face, and it just looks really cool.  For accessories, Cap includes the standard clear base, as well as his mighty shield, and a hairpiece that allows him to be displayed unmasked.

SCARLET WITCH

Cap&ScarletWitch3Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, hasn’t received anywhere near as many Minimates as the good Captain.  However, this was her third Minimate and it was even released in fairly close proximity to the second.  That’s not bad for a character most people hadn’t heard of before Avengers: Age of Ultron.  Like Cap, Wanda is presented here in her first Marvel Now! costume.  Unlike Cap, it moves a bit further away from the “classic” design.  YMMV on how well that works out, but there were far worse redesigns during Now!  Wanda has additional sculpted pieces for her hair/headpiece and the bottom of her jacket.  These are new to the figure.  The headpiece is similar to the two prior Wandas, but it sits a little lower, and the hair is a little fuller.  It makes for a good rendering of John Cassidy’s illustrations of the character in Uncanny Avengers, which I feel certain is what they were going for.  The bottom/skirt of her jacket is similar to Cap’s belt; it’s not the most thrilling piece ever, but it does what it’s supposed to.  It’s nice that it has a more organic shape and flow to it than a lot of skirt pieces, so there’s that going for it.  Wanda’s paint is mostly a mix of reds, befitting a character named the Scarlet Witch.  The metallic red of the head piece certainly pops, although there’s a fair bit of bleed over from her hair, made more noticeable by the aforementioned popping of the metallic red.  Aside from that, the paintwork is relatively clean.  The detailing on the torso block is fairly sharp and does a fairly nice job of giving her a more feminine figure.  Wanda is accessorized with a clear display stand and a pair of spell-casting hands, which were first introduced on the AvX Scarlet Witch.  They were cool there and they’re cool here.  They’re a great representation of her powers as they are usually depicted in the comics, and they make the figure stand out a bit more on the shelf.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I got these two from TRU’s online store.  Things actually went pretty smoothly that time.  Generally, I overlook variants of A-listers, and I wasn’t super thrilled then Cap’s Now! redesign was unveiled, but I find myself very impressed with the quality of this figure.  He reminds quite a lot of the original Wave 5 Cap, and that’s a very good thing.  Wanda is one of my favorite Avengers, so I’m always happy to see her turn up in the various Marvel toylines.  The Now! look isn’t my favorite, but it’s unique and it is certainly a valid choice for a figure.  Being released in close proximity to a more classically inspired Wanda, this one comes across as a little less exciting.  Still, it’s a solid Minimate and a decent version of the character.

#0881: Captain Kirk & Yeoman Rand

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

CAPTAIN KIRK – “THE TROUBLE WITH TRIBBLES” & YEOMAN RAND

STAR TREK MINIMATES

Kirk&Rand1

Star Trek has had rather a storied history with the Minimates brand. It was one of the earliest licenses Art Asylum picked up (back when the figures were on the much larger 3-inch bodies), and it’s a license that DST and AA do really try to keep going. The era of the show with by far the most representation is The Original Series, which not only got the entire main bridge crew, but also a few variations of the “power trio.” Today, I’ll be looking at one of the variations of series lead Captain James T. Kirk, along with one of the show’s less prominent regulars, Yeoman Rand.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

These two were released in Series 5 of the first 2-inch Star Trek Minimates line. Series 5 was the last series of the line, and this was actually the last TOS set to be released.

CAPTAIN KIRK

Kirk&Rand2This was Kirk’s sixth (and final) Minimate, but it’s probably his second most important look to be released. It’s officially titled “Trouble With Tribbles Kirk,” signifying that he’s based on the episode of the same name. Of course, there’s not really anything that makes him specifically from “The Trouble With Tribbles,” so he’s really just a basic figure of Kirk in his “casual” uniform. The figure is 2 ½ inches tall and has the usual 14 points of articulation. He uses the standard ‘mate body, with add-ons for the hair and the pant-cuffs. Both these pieces are re-used from the first Kirk ‘mate, which is certainly a good re-use. They’re noticeably more geometric and less detailed than later pieces, but they certainly fit with the rest of the line. The painted details are pretty sharp. By the end of the original line, the figures had actually started getting pretty detailed. Kirk’s whimsical expression was a nice change of pace, and the details of his uniform are nice and sharp. There are some nice subtle touches, such as the shoes being shinier than the rest of the blacks. Kirk included a basic phaser, a communicator, and a phaser rifle. What he does not include is a single Tribble, which seems like a missed opportunity.

YEOMAN RAND

Kirk&Rand3Rand isn’t as well remembered as other cast members from the show, due to her being written out and pretty much never mentioned again following the show’s first season, after only appearing in 8 episodes of the show’s run. Also, not in “The Trouble With Tribbles,” making this an odd pairing, but hey, at least she got a ‘mate. She’s built on the usual body, with add-ons for the hair and skirt. The skirt is the same piece used for Uhura and Chapel, which keeps the uniformity going, even if it is oddly boxy. The hair is unique to Rand, and does an alright job of translating her hair from the show into the ‘mate aesthetic. The details seem a little rough and unfinished, truth be told, but it’s not terrible. The paint on Rand is pretty clean overall. The face is a bit generic, but doesn’t look unlike Grace Lee Whitney. The rest of the details are fairly basic, but what’s there is sharp. For some odd reason, the arms are painted red, rather than being cast in red plastic. In addition, the paint doesn’t seem to have held up very well to time, resulting in some slight scraping here and there. Rand was packed with a tricorder and a data pad.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Just before Record & Tape Traders started their downhill turn, I found these two, along with the rest of Series 4 and 5, as well as several other lines of Minimates, at a pretty large discount. I was never a super faithful collector of Trek Minimates, but ended up with a full set, which included this pair. They’re not super exciting, but they’re a pretty solid offering, and probably one of my favorite sets from the line’s original run.

#0879: Orc Scout

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

ORC SCOUT

LORD OF THE RINGS MINIMATES

OrcScout1

Though it was rather short-lived in the grand scheme of things, the Lord of the Rings Minimates line certainly had big dreams. After the pretty huge success of Toy Biz’s line of more realistic figures, I guess AA and DST thought they’d get a lengthy run. This resulted in a number of rather important characters getting left out (Why couldn’t they get to the Witch King? Why?), but it also meant we got some more minor characters and looks we might not have seen otherwise. This included several different varieties of Orcs, such as today’s focus figure, the Orc Scout.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

OrcScout2The Orc Scout was released in the second series of Lord of the Rings Minimates two-packs. He was originally packed with Grishnakh, one of the few named Orcs. Unlike the first series, the second round of figures were mostly new, so collectors weren’t forced to double up on previously released figures. The figure stands just shy of 3 inches tall and has 14 points of articulation. Yes, you read that height right; as a “normal” sized person in the LotR line, the Orc Scout uses a larger scale body. More or less, it’s the same as the regular body, but scaled up. In addition to the scaled-up body, the Orc Scout has add-ons for his cap/ears, and torso cover, as well as unique pieces for his gloves. When I reviewed Gimli, I noted how, as an earlier ‘mate, he was lacking in a lot of details. This isn’t the case with the Scout; his extra parts are actually quite nicely detailed, if perhaps not as jam-packed as some later figures. The pieces fit nicely, and generally do a nice job of capturing the Orc’s design, which is really great. Paint-wise, this figures a bit on the drab side, but that’s actually accurate, so you can’t really complain. The general application is pretty clean, and there are some nicely detailed bits, with the full face under the cap being a real standout. The Orc Scout included a bow and arrow, which are a bit difficult for him to hold the right way, but still cool.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The first series of two-packs from this line were a bit of a turn off, being somewhat hard to find and half made up of figures I already had. The second series fixed the line-up issue, but sadly was even more difficult to get, resulting in me never getting a single one of them. I found the Orc Scout at the same flee market that got me Gimli, Big Guy, and Perseus. I can’t say I’d had an undying need for the figure, but he’s actually pretty fun, and I’m glad to have found one.

#0874: Gimli

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

GIMLI

LORD OF THE RINGS MINIMATES

Gimli1

Over the years, Minimates have covered a whole ton of different properties, of all sorts of differing genres. The Marvel line has been DST’s flagship for quite some time, but they’ve experimented with other potential “seconds” at various points. One such experiment was Lord of the Rings, which they launched right after the release of Return of the King, in hopes of striking while the iron was still hot. At the time of the Lord of the Rings Minimates, DST/Art Asylum were still figuring out exactly what was the best way to distribute ‘mates, so they were available a few different ways. Initially, they were released as boxed sets of four, but the line eventually re-configured into the more standard two packs to which we’ve all become accustomed. Unfortunately, the characters from the boxed sets ended up getting re-packed, resulting in extras of those figures for the more faithful fans who still wanted the new characters in the packs. Today, I’ll be looking at one of the unique figures from the two-pack assortments, Gimli.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Gimli2Gimli was released in the first series of Lord of the Rings Minimates two-packs. His original pack-mate was Legolas (a logical choice), who was a repack from one of the larger boxed sets. The LOTR line is an oddity amongst Minimates, in that it isn’t in scale with the Marvel Minimates body that would go on to become the standard body for the brand, or even the earlier Star Trek/Music/Bruce Lee ‘mates. They were a scale all their own. However, being a dwarf, Gimli is actually an exception to this, and makes use of the body we’re all so familiar with. As such, he stands roughly 2 ½ inches tall and has 14 points of articulation (though the movement is restricted a bit by some of the sculpted parts). Gimli has sculpted add-ons for his helmet/beard, cape, skirt, and boots. Given how early on in the life of Minimates these figures came, the sculpts on the add-ons are a fair bit simpler than more recent stuff. That said, they capture the general look of Gimli pretty well, if perhaps in a more cartoonish style. Whether or not that particular style works for Gimli is another story entirely, but he certainly fit well with the rest of the line. He does seem a bit on the lean side for Gimli, especially at the arms and torso. Gimli’s paint is also pretty simple; it’s pretty clean and sharp, which is good. The colors are a bit brighter than you might expect, but it does the simplistic style some favors. The detailing on the helmet is pretty cool, and is definitely one of the stand out parts of the figure. Under the helmet/beard, there’s a full face, complete with…another beard. Hey, dwarves are supposed to be hairy. He doesn’t have the most striking resemblance of John Rhys-Davis, but he doesn’t not look like him either. Gimli included an small axe, which could be stowed on either side of his belt.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

While I had both of the boxed sets from the LotR line, I never actually got any of the two-packs. It was in part due to not wanting to double up on the characters I already had, but also due to the two-packs being a bit harder to find. So, I never had Gimli, which was a darn shame. Fortunately, I found him on his own at a flea market last month, allowing me to get one more member of the Fellowship for my collection. Sure, he’s not quite as exciting as some more recent ‘mates, but he’s certainly not bad either.

#0871: Captain Marvel & New Thor

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

CAPTAIN MARVEL & NEW THOR

MARVEL MINIMATES

ThorCapMarvel1

Change is kind of a constant thing in comics. However, as quickly as things change, they’ll just as quickly revert right back, because status quo trumps just about everything. Seriously, for all the times a popular character has been replaced by another iteration, you can probably keep count of the ones that actually stuck on one hand. So, today, let’s look at two new(ish) incarnations of classic Marvel characters, Captain Marvel and Thor. One of them’s likely to be one of the few changes that sticks, while the other’s probably only got until Chris Hemsworth’s Thor graces the big screen next year.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Captain Marvel and Thor are part of Series 64 of the main Marvel Minimates line. This is one of the two sets only available in the specialty assortment of figures. While Carol and the new Thor don’t have a ton of history together, they are both Avengers, so the pairing certainly makes more sense than Howard and Dazzler. Plus, how often do you get two female characters in one set? That’s pretty cool.

CAPTAIN MARVEL

ThorCapMarvel2Captain Marvel is a title that Marvel has passed around a lot over the years, mostly because none of the characters really hit it big and Marvel was reeeally determined not to let the name lapse. Carol Danvers spent a large portion of her career as Ms. Marvel, and after managing to hold her own series under that title, Marvel finally realized that easiest way to keep the Captain Marvel name going would be to give Carol a much deserved promotion. She’s actually been Captain Marvel for a while now, so it seems like this one’s gonna stick. Carol’s had pretty much the same look during her entire tenure as the Captain, so that’s the look here. The figure is the standard 2 ½ inches tall and has 14 points of articulation. She uses the basic body, with add-on pieces for the hair and sash. Both pieces are new to this figure and they do a pretty good job of capturing her in-comic look. The hair’s peg is a little long, so it sits just a bit high, but other than that, it looks okay. The paint on Captain Marvel is pretty decent overall. The only real issue is that the dark blue is the base color, so the red and gold are just a touch murky in a few spots. Other than that, the colors look pretty smooth, and everything’s nice and clean. For accessories, the good Captain includes her helmet (which she only seems to wear very occasionally), as well as a flight stand and a standard clear display stand.

NEW THOR

ThorCapMarvel3New Thor seems like an odd idea. While the concept of someone else wielding Mjolnir certainly isn’t new, and New Thor hit right in the midst of change-ups to other popular characters, it was weird to see another person called “Thor” since it’s not a title, it’s his actual name. However, the character seems to have been pretty well-executed, and I’ve especially loved her in Mark Waid’s run on Avengers. While she’s sure to be a temporary replacement, she’s certainly a fun take on the character. Thor makes use of four add-ons for her helmet/hair, cape, gauntlet, and belt/skirt. The cape is re-used from the MvC Thor (which is certainly appropriate), but the rest of her add-ons are new. The helmet is a pretty awesome piece, with some really cool detailing, and the skirt and gauntlet are pretty cool too. Thor’s paint is nice and sharp, and has some nice, bold work. Under the mask is a nice depiction of Jane Foster’s sickly appearance, with a nice, stern look to it. Thor is a bit light on the accessories, but she has what’s important: her hammer Mjolnir and a clear display stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

While I wasn’t quite as excited for this set as I was Dazzler and Howard, I do really like both of the character designs included. Captain Marvel is a long time coming, and she turned out very nicely. Definitely worth the wait. And Thor is a solid ‘mate of a pretty cool design, and a very good choice for this set.

#0870: Disco Dazzler & Howard the Duck

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

DISCO DAZZLER & HOWARD THE DUCK

MARVEL MINIMATES

DazzlerHoward1

The success of the Marvel Studios movies has translated to a pretty big success for all of the associated merchandise, including Marvel Minimates. While the line has far outpaced its original intent, and far more ‘mates see production in any given year than ever before, the line has also placed more of a focus on variants of Marvel’s big guns. This means that the percentage of new characters has taken a bit of a dip over time. However, DST still does their darnedest to throw long-time fans a few bones here and there. Most recently, they took advantage of Marvel’s recent Secret Wars event to produce some of the more “out there” characters, such as today’s set, Howard the Duck and Dazzler!

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

These two were released as part of Series 64 of the main Marvel Minimates line. They make up one of the two sets in Series 64 not to be included in Toys R Us’ equivalent assortment. The pairing’s a bit out of nowhere, but I’m hardly going to complain.

DISCO DAZZLER

DazzlerHoward3This marks the second time that Dazzler’s gotten a Minimate, which is actually pretty darn impressive, what with her being, you know, Dazzler. Not exactly high profile (as hard as Marvel tried to make her so). Her first mate reflected her later “flashdance” look, but this one takes her back to her classic disco roots. The figure is a little over the usual 2 ½ inches tall and has 14 points of articulation. Dazzler makes use of the standard ‘mate base body. She has add-ons for her hair, bracelets, collar, and roller skates. Yes, she has roller skates. All of these pieces are brand-new to Dazzler (though the hair was shared with Series 65’s Siryn) and they do an excellent job of capturing her look from the comics. Dazzler’s paint is some of the cleanest I’ve seen on a ‘mate in quite some time. The colors are vibrant, and the line work is incredibly sharp. This figure has a serious “pop” factor to it, which makes her stand out pretty darn well. For accessories, Dazzler includes a microphone and a standard clear display stand.

HOWARD THE DUCK

DazzlerHoward2Howard the Duck makes his Minimate debut here. One assumes this is at least somewhat linked to the character actually being in the public spotlight for the first time since the line’s inception, thanks to on ongoing comic and a cameo in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. He’s based on his modern, Disney approved appearance, and clearly takes direct influence from Joe Quinones’ work in the current series. The figure stands just shy of 2 ½ inches tall and has 10 points of articulation (he lacks any movement in the wrists or ankles). The only standard pieces used by Howard are the pelvis and upper arms. That’s not to say that every piece is all-new, though. He uses the shortened arms introduced by the Thunderkittens, as well as the smaller torso introduced by Shock and Lock from the NBX line, to help keep Howard appropriately small. Howard makes use of arms in place of the usual legs, with a unique set of “lower legs” and feet, which are certainly duck-like. He also gets his own unique head, to adequately represent his bill. The hat is permanently affixed (presumably it’s to do with Marvel’s pre-existing deal with Disney in regards to how he’s allowed to be depicted), which is a bit annoying, but doesn’t look terrible. Howard’s paint is fairly muted; mostly warm, brownish colors. It’s a good representation of how he looks in his current incarnation. The detail lines on the head and torso are nice and sharp, and the eyes have a lot of character to them. Howard’s only accessory is a display stand. The peg is smaller than the usual stand’s, to fit Howard’s smaller feet.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This set is probably the most excited I’ve been for a Marvel Minimates in quite some time. I picked them up from my local comic book store when they first hit. Dazzler may be a repeat character, but the two looks are sufficiently different that this figure still feels totally new. Add in that she’s just a solid ‘mate all around, and you’ve got a definite winner. Howard is a pretty awesome addition to the line and an all-around fun character to get. The permanently attached hat is a bit annoying, but it could definitely be worse. Not a bad ‘mate.

#0851: Dr. Bunsen Honeydew & Beaker

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

DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW & BEAKER

MUPPETS MINIMATES

HoneydueBeaker1

Over the years, the Minimates brand has covered some pretty out there properties, in addition to the more conventional ones. Recently, DST has begun pushing the boundaries of the Minimate body, seeing just how far they can take that base body, to create ‘mates of properties that might not seem to scream “Minimates” at first glance. One such property is The Muppets, which is very much defined by the unique, non-standard looks of the characters. So, let’s see how well this translation worked, starting off with two of my personal favorites, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his unfortunate assistant Beaker!

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Honeydew and Beaker are part of the first series of Muppets Minimates. There are two versions of them: clean and “lab mishap.” This review covers the “lab mishap” versions, but both versions of the pair are exclusive to Toys R Us.

DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW

HoneydueBeaker2The “talker” of the two, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, is the typical absent minded professor, cheerily bumbling through his various wacky experiments. He is shown here after the “fall out” of one of these experiments, with his clothes slightly singed, and his glasses out of place. The figure is about 2 ½ inches tall and has 12 points of articulation (no ankle movement here). In addition to the normal base body, Honeydew gets a slightly larger head and a slightly shorter set of lower legs. The head unfortunately has a peg hole at the top, so I guess this piece has been used before for someone with hair. It’s too bad they couldn’t seal off the hole, but oh well. He also has an add-on piece for his lab coat, which appears to be a new piece.  It’s closed up, which is a first for ‘mate lab coats. Honeydew’s paintwork is actually quite impressive. His face is fairly simple, but sums up the character pretty perfectly. And yes, he has a nose. It’s kinda weird, but seems kinda key to the likeness, so I’m okay with it. The skewed glasses are definitely cool, and the patterns on the shirt and tie are really great. The front of the figure has been misted with a brownish grey, making him look like he just got caught in the explosion. For accessories, Honeydew is packed with an Erlenmeyer flask filled with a purple liquid and a clear display stand.

BEAKER

HoneydueBeaker3By far the more sympathetic of the pair, Beaker is memorable for his signature “meep meep”s, and his propensity to get blown up and thrown through things. And just look at that adorable mug. How could you not love him? Beaker uses more of the standard body than Honeydew, with only his head being a special piece. It’s the same extended head that was first used on Sinestro, back in DC Minimates Series 8. He also gets an all-new hair piece, as well as the same lab coat used on Honeydew. The hair piece is definitely a highlight, and it’s very well detailed, though I wish the mold line was a little less present. Given Beaker’s rather slight frame on the show, translating to the ‘mate body is a bit tricky, but the figure manages to be a pretty good approximation of Beaker’s build. The paint on Beaker is fairly similar to Honeydew’s. He too possesses a nose, but it works, and the face is undoubtedly Beaker’s. The shoes are a little sloppy, but not terrible, and the patterns on his clothes are even nicer than Honeydew’s. Beaker is packed with another Erlenmeyer flask (the same mold as Honeydew’s), this time in green, and a clear display stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I found Honeydew and Beaker at my local TRU while on the prowl for Star Wars stuff just after Christmas. I wasn’t sure about getting them, but Super Awesome Girlfriend was with me, and she was having none of that, so she bought them for me. Beaker’s always been one of my favorite Muppets, so I was pretty happy to get him, and you can’t have him without the good doctor. Since my store only had the “lab mishap” set in-stock, that’s the one I got, but I actually think it’s my preferred one of the two. All in all, a good start to the new line.

#0841: Farmer Zombie

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

FARMER ZOMBIE

THE WALKING DEAD MINIMATES

FarmerZombie1

I have *a lot* of Minimates. The vast majority of them were purchased because I actually wanted them, or was invested in the character presented. However, some of them I have for no other reason than “they’re Minimates.” Today’s focus, the Farmer Zombie, is one of the latter.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

FarmerZombie2The Farmer Zombie was released in the third series of The Walking Dead Minimates. He was double-packed, and could be purchased with either Prison Hershel or battle-damaged Tyreese. The figure is about 2 ½ inches tall and has the usual 14 points of articulation. The Farmer Zombie is based on a zombie that appeared in issue 49 of the comic. He uses the basic ‘mate body, along with an add-on piece for his hair/the saw-blade stuck in his shoulder. The add-on piece attaches from the bottom of the head, slipping over the neck peg, rather than plugging into the top of the head like most ‘mates. The piece works reasonably well, though it does greatly limit the posability of the head, since the whole thing’s all one piece. As with most Minimates, paint is this figure’s strongest suit. The base colors are suitably drab, and the detail work is exceptionally well-handled, with some great texturing and depth, which makes the guy actually look pretty darn creepy. The Farmer Zombie’s one accessory was a clear display stand, though my figure was lacking his.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Series 3 is actually where I stopped really picking up Walking Dead Minimates, so I didn’t get this guy new, nor did I feel any huge need to track him down later. I ended up getting him when I ordered a random loose “Mystery ‘mate” from Luke’s Toy Store, along with a few other items. I wouldn’t have gotten this guy otherwise, but I’m glad I did, because he’s actually a pretty well-put-together ‘mate.