Tag Archives: Super Awesome Wife

#0321: Clone Pilot

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

CLONE PILOT

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES

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Sure, having two different scales of Star Wars: The Black Series operating under the same name is a bit confusing, but you have to admit they both have their merits. While I still prefer the larger scale figures for the Original Trilogy characters, I don’t mind picking up the few Prequel figures here and there at the smaller scale, and by extension, the smaller price point. In particular, I’m a decent fan of the Clone Troopers, which has led me to pick up a few of the line’s offerings on that front. Today, I’ll be looking at the Clone Pilot.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

ClonePilotWilsonThe Clone Pilot is figure #08 in the first assortment of 3 ¾ inch-scale Star Wars: The Black Series. The figure is based on the “phase I” version of the pilot, initially seen in Attack of the Clones. The Clone Pilot is 3 ¾ inches in height and features 26 points of articulation. From a sculpt standpoint, the Clone Pilot is the exact same figure as the Clone Sergeant in all areas but the helmet. Aside from the un-helmeted head being a bit on the small side, it’s a really well sculpted figure and it captures the basic clone look quite nicely. Hasbro obviously wants to get their mileage out of this new clone mold and I can’t blame them. The figure’s new helmet is in keeping with the quality of the rest of the figure. It’s got nice, crisp detail lines, and all the proportions and such look right on the mark. The paintwork on the Clone Pilot isn’t quite as nice as that on the Sergeant. For starters, there’s no accent work on the body, which is less interesting. It’s true to the design, but it’s a bit bland. The figure also has some odd red staining on his left shoulder and right knee, which is distracting. The skin tone on the face is also a lot paler and makes him look lifeless. That being said, the rest of the paintwork is nice and clean, and this figure doesn’t have the same eye issues as the Sergeant. The Clone Pilot’s only accessory is a small blaster rifle, which is a bit disappointing after seeing the two rifles with the Sergeant.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I got the Clone Pilot at the same time I purchased the Clone Sergeant. It’s not as good a figure as the Sergeant, but it’s still a pretty great figure in its own right. I’m glad to see Hasbro making strides to improve the smaller scale Star Wars line. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more clones appearing on the new base body as well. All in all, not a bad figure!

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#0320: Clone Sergeant

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

CLONE SERGEANT

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES

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So, remember how Star Wars: The Black Series was supposed to be a deluxe 6-inch line of figures, sort of as Hasbro’s big move to please the fans? Yeah, well apparently, that was just a little too un-Hasbro of them. It was a move that wasn’t confusing at all, and that didn’t work. So, to make up for this, they decided to simultaneously release a 3 ¾ inch line under the exact same name, to the detriment of fans and ill-informed retail workers everywhere. On the plus side, the line does promise a more diverse line-up than the larger scale figures, as well as some improvements over the previous 3 ¾ inch figures. Today, I’ll be taking a look at the line’s version of the Clone Sergeant, who interestingly enough was just announced for the 6-inch line as well. Prepare for the confusion everybody!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

CloneSergeantWilsonThe Clone Sergeant is part of the first assortment of the 3 ¾ inch scale Star Wars: The Black Series. The figure is just a basic Clone Sergeant, not any character in particular, and the figure is in the clone’s original “Phase I” armor. If I recall correctly, the Sergeant rank is not seen in Attack of Clones, so this is officially a Clone wars figure. The Sergeant is about 3 ¾ inches in height and features 26 points of articulation. While the articulation is still a little bit stilted in a few areas, the level present in these new figures is incredibly impressive. Hasbro’s done quite a few Clone Troopers over the years, with lots of shared parts between them, but I think that the newly engineered articulation means this figure sports an all-new sculpt. The details of the sculpt are nice and sharp, and the figure’s proportions look pretty good. The helmet is removable. The helmet is properly scaled, but in order to make it fit properly, the head had to be a tad under-scaled. The underlying head also bears little resemblance to actor Temuera Morrison, which is too bad. However, I can’t see many people leaving the helmet off, so it’s not much of a loss. The paint work is basic, but also key in differentiating the Sergeant from the other Clones. The Sergeant has an olive green accent on his armor, which looks really great, and definitely makes the figure stand out. The paintwork is all nice and cleanly applied. The unmasked head has some slightly odd eyes, but they aren’t horrible for the scale. The Sergeant includes both long and short blaster rifles, which allows you to add just a touch of customization.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The Clone Sergeant was purchased at a Walmart, nearby my girlfriend’s college campus. I don’t usually shop at Walmart, but she needed to get a few things and I went with her. Me being me, I took a look in the action figure aisle, where I found this guy and a few other SW:TBS figures. I hadn’t initially planned on getting any of them, but Super Awesome Girlfriend is a terrible influence on me (okay, not really. She’s just incredibly supportive!) So, I ended up getting a few figures from the line. I really like the Sergeant, mostly due to the green accents, which are just really cool!

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#0319: Bruce Lee(s)

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

BRUCE LEE(S)

BRUCE LEE’S TEMPLE OF KUNG FU

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I’m not the world’s biggest fan of Bruce Lee, but I certainly have an appreciation for him. I first learned of him thanks to Playing Mantis’s re-launch of Captain Action in the mid-90s. Green Hornet and Kato were among the selection of characters available, and I happened to come across a Kato figure at KayBee toys. I was intrigued by the figure, so my dad tracked down a few episodes of the 60s Green Hornet show. I thought that Kato was just the coolest and was delighted to find out that Bruce Lee had made a large selection of other movies.

In 2012, Round 5 put out a selection of block figures based on Bruce Lee’s career, entitled Bruce Lee’s Temple of Kung Fu. The figures were sold in a blind box format, meaning you don’t know what you’re getting until you open the box. Today, I’ll be looking at Kato, Formal Wear Bruce Lee, and MMA Bruce Lee from that line.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

BruceLee2The three versions of Bruce Lee were released in the first series of Bruce Lee’s Temple of Kung Fu. Kato was 1 in 35, Formal Wear Bruce was also 1 in 35 and MMA Bruce was 1 in 80. The figures each stand about 3 ½ inches in height and feature a whopping 3 points of articulation. They have sculpted lines that make it look like there might be more movement, but nope, it’s just cut joints on the shoulders and a ball joint for the neck. I had no idea what the articulation would be going in, so I wasn’t disappointed or anything. Each of the figures is built on the same basic body with a few additional pieces. Kato is the lightest on the sculpting, with just a hat/mask combo. It’s a good piece though, and suits the character well. The other two each feature a hairpiece and two pieces for the hands. Formal Bruce gets shirt cuffs and MMA Bruce gets padded gloves. The rest of the detail is handled via paint. All three feature relatively clean paint apps, with nice crisp lines and no real slop. Once again, Kato is the simplest, with all of his detail being on his face and torso. Still, he looks pretty sleek, so no complaints. Formal Bruce is the next most basic. He’s got detailing for the face and the basic outlines of his outfit, but not much else. MMA is easily the most detailed, with some pretty nice detailing for his muscle tone and such. I should also point out that while Kato gets his own face, the other two are forced to share the same one. It’s like they’re the same guy or something. Yeah, I know, so’s Kato. Shut up!

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

While helping move my girlfriend (of Super Awesome fame)into college, we decided to visit the nearby outlets, just to see what was there. We came across an overstock store by the name of Oops!, and they had these guys. I wanted the Kato figure, so I figured I’d buy one and see how my luck worked out. However, my girlfriend pointed out that my chances of getting Kato would be better if I bought three. Because she’s a terrible influence. As luck would have it, Kato was in the very first box I opened. I’m happy to have Kato in any form, and the other two are fun enough, so I consider the purchase a win.

#0309: Amy Pond

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

AMY POND

DOCTOR WHO

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Continuing the Guardians of the Galaxy theme, I’ll be moving on to a figure of one of the movie’s main baddies, Nebula. What’s that? …I’m being told there’s no Nebula figure. Ummm, well this is awkward. Hmmm. Perhaps I can arrange some sort of replacement! Wouldn’t you know it, Karen Gillan just so happens to have an action figure from another toyline? That sure is convenient!

Okay, so it’s actually just dumb luck that Amy was the next on my list of figures to review. I totally hadn’t realized until I sat down to write the intro that Karen Gillan was also in Guardians. That amused me. If nothing else, this site is here to amuse me. So, yes, today I’ll be looking at a figure of Amy Pond, the first companion of the 11th Doctor!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

AmyPondWilsonAmy was released as part of the first series of 11th Doctor-themed figures in Underground Toys’ Doctor Who line. The figure stands roughly 5 inches tall and features 18 points of articulation. Amy had a few different appearances on the show, but the figure seems to be based on what she wore right after she started travelling with the Doctor. I don’t know specifically when she wore this, but it seems to properly capture the essence of Amy. Amy features an all-new sculpt, and it’s a pretty good one. The proportions on the body look pretty good, nothing being too exaggerated. The likeness of the sculpt seems to be pretty spot on to Karen Gillan, but it is a bit difficult to tell, thanks to the paint. Ah, the paint. If I had one real complaint about the figure, it would be the paint. It’s not bad, mind you. No, it stays in the lines, and offer some pretty good detail work. The biggest issue is that her skin tone just seems off. It’s got a sort of a greenish hue to it, which makes her seem unnatural. It doesn’t ruin the figure, but it makes her seem…off. Amy included no accessories, though given my experience with Doctor Who figures, this is no surprise.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

So, in addition to what was brought up in the intro, there’s another connection between this figure and the Guardians figures. This figure also was given to me by Super Awesome Girlfriend! She’s the one that gets me all my Doctor Who stuff, and this was no exception. Although the 10th Doctor is my favorite version of the Doctor, Amy and Rory are my favorite companions. Sadly, Amy carries quite the hefty price tag on the aftermarket, which meant I didn’t think I’d be getting one anytime soon. While walking through the dealer’s room at Shoreleave, my girlfriend pointed out the figure for a reasonable price and seemed dead-set on me getting it. Eventually she gave up trying to convince me to buy it and just bought it for me. Because she’s awesome.

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#0308: Star-Lord & Ronan

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

STAR-LORD & RONAN

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

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Okay, just one more Guardians of the Galaxy review you guys. Well, until the Minimates are released. And there’s rumors of a second series of the two lines Hasbro’s got. Okay, so one more for the time being. Anyway, the 2 ½ inch line from Hasbro has been an unexpected treat, I must say. I didn’t have super high expectations, but I was drawn in by the broader character selection. While the main Guardians may not be the most exciting figures, the line is really investing in those side characters! Today, I’ll be looking at Star-Lord and Ronan, the movie’s main hero and main antagonist, respectively.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

This duo was part of the first, and currently the only, series of the 2 ½ inch Guardians of the Galaxy line. It’s currently the only way to get Ronan in non-Minimate form.

STAR-LORD

StarLord&RonanWilson1Wait a second, didn’t I just review this guy yesterday? Oh, a different version, you say? Yep, this is the long coated version of Star-Lord, which is the version that’s been seeing all the marketing. Surprisingly, it’s only in the first few minutes of the movie, which means it doesn’t actually fit with the rest of the characters (except for Korath). Still, it’s the look everyone’s associating with the character. The figure stands right at 2 ½ inches tall and features 5 points of articulation. The figure shares his arms and legs with the previous version of Star-Lord, which isn’t really that surprising. He gets a new torso, with his backpack sculpted on, plus a helmeted head, and an add-on piece to represent the bottom of his coat. These pieces all look pretty great, and seem accurate to the movie design. The helmeted head is definitely a step up from the unmasked one of the previous Star-Lord. Fortunately, the figures pop apart at each joint, so swapping the heads is no issue, should you so desire. The paint work on Star-Lord is a real improvement too. He’s got a fair number of details, and I’d say the paint on this mask is cleaner than the 6-inch version.

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RONAN

StarLord&RonanWilson2Ronan seemed like a pretty big omission from the 6-inch line, but he did find his way into this line. He’s right at the 2 ½ inch mark and he has, wait for it, 5 points of articulation. How about that? Ronan only had the one look (other than at the beginning when he was naked, but I don’t see that going onto a Target shelf…), so that’s the look they went with. He’s got an all new sculpt, and it’s a pretty good one. He has some nice heft to him, which fits the character, and his armor is all nice and detailed. The head is pretty good. It doesn’t scream Lee Pace, but it’s not bad given the scale. He’s got a few add-on pieces for his skirt-piece and his “cape”, both of which do their job nicely. The paint work on Ronan is actually quite detailed and it’s mostly free of any instance of bleed over or slop. He’s even got the properly painted hands that Gamora was so sadly lacking!

Like every other set in the line, this set comes packed with an accessory tree, and a missile launcher. The launcher is shaped like the big gun used by Star-Lord and Drax, so that’s cool. On the tree, is a hammer for Ronan, and some sort of blade for Star-Lord, as well as a missile, and something I can’t quite identify.

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THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This was the third of the three sets of Guardians figures that were bought for me by Super Awesome Girlfriend. This is definitely the best of the three sets, though I don’t know if it quite tops Groot, Rocket & the Nova guy as my favorite set. This is definitely one of the most essential sets in the line, so I wouldn’t recommend passing it up. All in all, this line is pretty darn great. I don’t have all the figures yet (still need that Sakaar Trooper) but I love the set I have. I really hope Hasbro makes a few more of these, as I’d love to get Yondu, Nebula, and the Collector to round them out!

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#0307: Star-Lord & Gamora

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

STAR-LORD & GAMORA

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

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You know what was awesome? Guardians of the Galaxy. You know what’s even better? There are tons of toys based on the movie. I am in toy bliss, I kid you not. I was a pretty big fan of the 6-inch figures and I’m liking what I’ve seen so far of the Minimates. What caught me off guard was how much I’m enjoying Hasbro’s 2 ½ inch line. I’ll be looking at another of those sets today, with Star-Lord and Gamora. This set is the first set not to offer someone unavailable in the 6-inch line, although this is the only way to get this particular version of Star-Lord.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Star-Lord and Gamora are part of the first, and so far only, series of 2 ½ inch Guardians of the Galaxy figures from Hasbro. As the two most prominent characters in the movie, they share a fair bit of screen time, so I suppose this makes sense. Still, I feel like it might have been better served to spilt the two to allow for less popular characters to be paired with them, but what do I know?

STAR-LORD

Gamora&StarLordWilson2Star-Lord clocks in right at 2 ½ inches tall and features 5 points of articulation. The figure is based on Quill’s look from the majority of the film: short coat and no mask. He features a mostly unique sculpt. A few pieces are shared between this figure and the other version of the character in the line, but I’m looking at this one first, so he gets the credit of using them first! The sculpt is pretty decent. Not quite as detailed as some of the sculpts we’ve seen in the line, but I’d say it’s better than Drax. The resemblance to Chris Pratt is passing at best, but it’s no worse than the 6-inch version.  The body is better than the head. It’s got a nice assortment of details, and everything looks pretty spot on to his movie appearance. Star-Lord is molded in three separate colors: dark gray for his lower half, a maroon for his upper half, and flesh-tone for his head and neck. He’s got paint for his hands, shirt, and the details on his head. It’s okay, though not spectacular. The paint for his hair doesn’t quite cover all of the sculpted hair, so he’s got a bit of a receding hairline going on. Everything else is pretty straight forward.

GAMORA

Gamora&StarLordWilsonGamora is a little on the smaller side, coming in a little under 2 ½ inches. She features the standard 5 points of articulation for the line. The figure takes it’s look from Gamora’s design from the first half or so of the movie. It’s the design that all of the merchandise has, so it’s not a surprise to see it here. She gets an all new sculpt. It’s pretty good. I’d say she has one of the better likenesses in the line. The proportions aren’t too bad, aside from those giant man-hands, which is pretty decent at this scale. Unfortunately, the figure is virtually impossible to stand. This is the second figure of this character which features this as a defining trait. Is Hasbro trying to send us a message about Gamora? The paint on Gamora is okay, but nothing outstanding. She’s mostly molded in a dark blue plastic. They’ve applied paint for her skin, hair and boots. The skin is a bit thick and gloppy, and has a few areas of bleed over. Also, they’ve missed painting her fingers, which leaves her hands fully gloved. Also, most of her uniform has been left the blue color of the plastic. Not only is this wrong for the design, it’s also rather boring. On the plus side, they’ve actually done a pretty great job translating her multicolored hair, so it’s not all bad.

Just like the last two sets from this line, these two are packed with a selection of accessories on a “tree.” They’re a bit more descript this time, at least. Star-Lord gets one of his Element Blasters and Gamora gets her sword. In addition there’s a larger gun, a jet-pack looking thing, and a spring-loaded missile launcher for the two to share.

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THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This set was another set purchased for me by Super Awesome Girlfriend. I think I like this set more in theory than in actuality. I’m glad to have Gamora, as she’s an essential part of the team, and it’s cool that somebody gave us Quill in the shorter coat that he spends the majority of the movie wearing. That being said, this two pack is probably the weakest set in the first series line-up. Still, it’s a pretty essential set, and the figures aren’t bad. If you want the rest of the figures, there’s no reason to skip this one.

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#0306: Drax & Korath

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

DRAX & KORATH

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

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I sure hope you guys liked Guardians of the Galaxy, because the GOTG reviews are just beginning! The cool thing about the merchandise for the movie is that there’s several different options scale and style-wise. Hasbro has two main scales: 6 inch and 2 ½ inch. I’ve already taken a look at all the figures in the 6 inch line, so I’ve moved on to the 2 ½ inch. I already looked at Groot, Rocket, and a Nova Corps Officer, all of which I quite enjoyed. Now I’ll be looking at Drax and Korath. Let’s see if they live up to the first set.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES
These two were part of the first, and right now only, series of Hasbro’s 2 ½ inch Guardians of the Galaxy line. The two don’t have a whole lot of interaction in the movie, but they had that one fight scene, so it’s not a bad pairing.

DRAX

Drax&KorathWilson1This marks the fourth time I’ve reviewed a Drax figure on this site. I don’t think I saw that coming. Drax clocks in at just over 2 ½ inches in height and features 5 points of articulation. Drax’s sculpt isn’t bad, though it’s not quite as good as Groot or the Nova Officer. The details are a lot simpler. For instance, the tattoos are completely painted on this figure. It’s understandable at this scale, but it does make him a bit more generic looking. The legs provide a bit more detailing, which is nice. Curiously, he has a knife sheath on his right leg, but not his left. He has a sheath on both legs in the movie, so it’s odd to see only one present. Drax’s top half is molded in a pale green, and his bottom half is molded in a maroon, with a few paint apps to fill in the missing colors. There seems to be an inconsistency with the shade of Drax’s skin. On the Minimate it seemed to dark, and here it seems too gray. The painted details all seem pretty good. The tattoos are nice and clean, and there doesn’t seem to be any slop or bleed over.

KORATH

Drax&KorathWilson2Poor Korath. He’s a fairly important character, and this is his only action figure throughout all of the Guardians lines. I suppose that’s bound to happen with a cast as large as GOTG’s. He made out better than the Collector or any of the named Nova’s, so he’s got that going for him. Korath is almost 2 ½ inches exact in height, and he features the standard 5 points of articulation. Where Drax has a simple sculpt, Korath’s is a great deal more detailed. All of his armor is properly decorated, and the rest of his uniform has some pretty great texturing too. Korath is molded in three differently colored plastics: flesh tone for his head, silver for the torso and arms, and a dark gray for the legs. The rest of the coloring is painted, and the paint apps seem to be pretty decent. He’s got no real slop or bleed over, nor obviously missing details like the Nova Corps Officer.

Like the previous set, these two included a selection of random accessories. There looks to be a blade, an axe, and the obligatory missile launcher. I think the blade goes with Drax, but other than that I don’t have a clue. At least I could make out what most of them were this time!

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THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

After getting Groot, Rocket & the Nova guy, I was definitely interested in getting more of this line. While walking through Target with Super Awesome Girlfriend, I came across most of the remaining sets from the line. However, we walked down the next aisle, and I discovered the Star Wars: The Black Series Speeder Bike (Check out the review here). I only had money for one or the other, so I went to put the Guardians figures back. Living up to her name, yet again, Super Awesome Girlfriend informed me that I wouldn’t be putting them back, because she would buy them for me. Yay!

Drax is kinda meh, but I actually really like how Korath turned out. Like the Nova Corps Officer, he’s surprisingly detailed, and makes up for the lack of the character in the 6-inch line. Hasbro really pulled in their A-game on the secondary characters, and it’s what makes this smaller line really work!

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#0303: Scunner

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

SCUNNER

PACIFIC RIM

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There’s been plenty of movies that have come out since Pacific Rim that have delivered on the awesome quotient, but it’s a movie that had its own definitive style, and it left a very lasting impression on me. That impression was mostly: Holy crap those robots fighting those giant monsters were SO AWESOME!

NECA picked up the license to do figures for the movie. The first two series of figures weren’t bad, but they weren’t quite as awesome as the movie. Most notably, the monsters, or Kaiju, were lacking in detail, articulation, and especially size. Beginning with Series Three, NECA set out to fix this, going so far as to split the Kaiju off into their own sub-line so that they could truly be the gargantuan creatures they deserved to be. Today, I’ll be looking at one of the Kaiju from the film’s climactic underwater battle, Scunner!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

ScunnerWilsonScunner was actually not part of a series-proper. He ended up being a single release in NECA’s Pacific Rim Kaiju sub-line, hitting just a few months after Series One. The figure is about 8 inches standing tall, and it features 29 points of articulation, plus a bendy tail! That’s certainly an improvement over the original Knifehead’s less than 7 inch height and 15 points of articulation. Scunner makes use of the new and improved Knifehead body from the first series of Kaiju. It’s a sensible re-use, as the creature designs used many of the same elements, and it’s also a key plot-point that the creatures are all manufactured by mixing and matching parts. If you’re going to get extra mileage out of a sculpt, this is definitely a good one to do so with. The sculpt is well-detailed, well-proportioned, and well-articulated to boot. In addition to the Knifehead parts, Scunner gets a brand new head sculpt and a torso overlay to reflect his slightly tweaked design. The pieces match the quality of the body pieces very nicely, and accurately reflect the design of the creature in the movie. Scunner has been molded in a dark gray/brown plastic, with paint to add texturing as well as Scunner’s bioluminescent features. The paintwork is mostly good, and is definitely a step up from previous Kaiju offerings, but there are still a few areas of slop, most noticeably around the edges of the bioluminescent green. Fortunately they aren’t too distracting, but it would be nice if it were a bit cleaner. Scunner includes no accessories, but given the lack of any real accessories to include coupled with the sheer size and mass of the figure, this is forgiveable.

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THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Scunner was picked up from a small toy store called All Time Toys, located near where I live. While Super Awesome Girlfriend was visiting, she and I went out and about to explore the area. We stopped by the store, and I was definitely intrigued by their impressive Pacific Rim display. I resisted the urge to buy anything, and we continued exploring. However, we had to pass the store on our way back to the car, and Super Awesome Girlfriend, living up to her name, encouraged me to go back in for one of the Kaiju. I decided on Scunner, as I felt he offered the most unique look of the possible options. He’s really a fun figure, and it’s nice to finally have a Kaiju that matches the quality of the very impressive Cherno Alpha from the most recent series of Jaegers.

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#0286: Tenth Doctor’s Companions

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

ROSE TYLER, SARAH JANE, MARTHA JONES, DONNA NOBLE, ASTRID & K-9

DOCTOR WHO

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After yesterday’s brief break, we return to the Birthday Reviews with Part 6! I’ve wrapped up my Power Rangers (well, the ones I received as gifts, anyway…) so I’ll be moving on to some of the other gifts I got this year. This time around it’s Doctor Who themed, which is something I’ve looked at only once before on this blog. This time I’m not looking at the Doctor himself, but rather several of his companions.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

These six were released as a boxed set, based on the companions of the Tenth incarnation of the Doctor. All of them were previously released on their own, but this is the first time I’ve seen any of them, so I’ll be treating them as new.

ROSE TYLER

10Companions6Rose is the new Doctor’s first companion, a hold-over from the Ninth Doctor’s time. The figure is about 5 inches tall and features 11 points of articulation. She’s based on Rose from the Tenth Doctor’s first season, specifically from the episode where he fights Satan in space. Yeah. The sculpt is all new, as far as I can tell, and it’s pretty good. The body seems well proportioned, and the face is a pretty great likeness of Billie Piper, so that’s cool. The hair is a bit chunky, but it’s not terrible. The arms lack elbow articulation, I assume to prevent the sculpt of the bare arms from being interrupted. It looks nice, but it does mean the arms are very limited in what you can do with them. The paint work is nice and clean, no bleed over or slop, which is all pretty good.

SARAH JANE

10Companions2Sarah Jane is only one of Ten’s companions in the loosest sense of the term. She appeared in a few episodes of his tenure, but she was never his sole companion. She was, however, a long-time companion to the Fourth incarnation of the Doctor. She stands about 5 inches tall and features 13 points of articulation. She’s based on her appearance on the show during Ten’s first season, which seems sensible for the set. The figure’s sculpt is pretty good overall, though she may actually be a little too young looking for the actress at the time of her appearance with Ten. That seems preferable to the opposite, so I can’t complain too much. The body sculpt looks pretty reasonably proportioned and detailed, and her hair looks more accurate than Rose, so that’s good. The paint work on Sarah is pretty clean, nothing amazingly impressive, but not bad by any means.

MARTHA JONES

10Companions7Martha was Ten’s first major companion following Rose (Donna showed up first, but she was only in the one episode). She only lasted a season, but she continued to appear for the following season, and also made a few appearances in spin-off series Torchwood. The figure sports 13 points of articulation and stands 5 inches tall. Martha’s sculpt is really quite good, probably the most accurate in this set. The likeness is definitely there, the proportions look great, the detail work is nice, and the articulation doesn’t interrupt too much. That makes for a really good figure. The paint is nice and clean, and accents the sculpt very well, and I like the differences in the finishes on different materials.

DONNA NOBLE

10Companions5Donna first appeared in the episode following Rose’s departure, originally meant as a one episode character before Martha appeared. However, the producers liked Catherine Tate’s performance, and decided to bring her in following Martha leaving as full-time companion at the end of the season. The figure is about 5 inches tall and features 13 points of articulation. She’s based on Donna’s appearance in her first episode as full time companion, which may not have been the best idea. Purely viewed through the window of show accuracy, it’s not a bad sculpt. She looks quite a bit like Tate, and the outfit she wore has been transferred pretty well. The issue at hand is that it’s not very flattering. Under the coat, they’ve accurately conveyed her build, but you can’t tell thanks to the bulky coat. It’s really a shame. The paint work on the figure is pretty good. Everything is cleanly applied, and there aren’t any issues of slop or bleed over.

ASTRID

10Companions8Astrid is the companion in this set with the shortest tenure on the show. Her only appearance is in the Christmas special following Martha’s departure. The figure stands about 5 inches tall and has 16 points of articulation. She’s in the only outfit that Astrid ever wore, so I suppose that’s fair. Her sculpt is okay, though not phenomenal. She looks a tad too old to be Astrid, and the proportions seem slightly off. In contrast to Rose, she has elbow joints. Functionally, it’s better, but aesthetically, I’m uncertain. I wonder if there might be some middle ground. The paint work on Astrid is pretty good overall, but the legs do show a little bit of slop.

K-9

10Companions3K-9 is kind of a joint-companion with Sarah Jane. He has pretty much the same amount of interaction with the Tenth Doctor, and was also a long-time companion to the Fourth Doctor. K-9 is about 3 inches tall and 2 inches long, with no articulation. It would have been nice to get some neck articulation, but otherwise, the lack thereof is understandable. The figure is based on K-9’s more beaten up appearance in the first season of Ten’s run. The sculpt is pretty good, and looks to be about spot-on to the prop from the show, so that’s cool. K-9 10Companions4features a removable plate on his right side, allowing a glimpse of his inner workings. The plate can be popped off by pressing the button at the top of his body. The paint work on K-9 is okay. I do wish that some of the scuffs and rust spots were a bit more subtle, but the rest of the paint seems to pretty cleanly applied, which is pretty cool.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The Companions set was a super awesome gift from my super awesome girlfriend, given to me for my birthday. She got them for me to compliment the set she gave me for Christmas, and she couldn’t have done a better job picking them out. She was very excited to give them to me, and I was absolutely thrilled to get them! Like the Doctor figure, a lot of these figures have little minor flaws, but as a whole they’re pretty great, and I’m glad my Doctor’s not lonely anymore!

10Companions9

#0097: Doctor Who – Doomsday Set

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

THE TENTH DOCTOR, CYBERMAN & DALEK SEC

DOCTOR WHO

So, apparently, there’s a part 13 to my “post-Christmas review.”  It came as a surprise to me as well.  Good surprise, though.

So yeah, this time around it’s a first for me.  I’ll be reviewing a set of Doctor Who figures, which are my very first set of Doctor Who figures ever.  So, on to the review!

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

The figures in this set were released as part of the Doomsday set.  It’s a three-pack based on the second series finale, “Doomsday,” and I believe it was released in 2012.

THE DOCTOR

First up, it’s the titular Doctor.  This is the Tenth Doctor, which means he’s based on David Tennant’s version of the character.  He’s shown here in his usual pinstriped suit, and he’s also wearing his 3-D glasses which are important to the plot of the episode.  The Doctor stands about 5 inches tall and has 14 points of articulation.  The articulation is actually pretty decent over all, though I di kind of wish he had more than simple cut joints on his shoulders.  However, the rest of the articulation works really well, which makes up for the somewhat limited shoulders.  The sculpt is pretty decent over all, but the head is where this figure really shines.  I’ve seen pictures of some of the earlier Tens and the likeness to Tennant is only passable at best, but this figure seems to have really improved in that area.  The 3D glasses are a separate piece, which is really well scaled to the figure, which is super cool.  The body sculpt is pretty good too, if not quite as good as the head sculpt.  The separate piece used for the suit jacket is a little bit too bulky, but not too terrible.  The paint is all really sharp, with no noticeable slop or bleed.  Of note is just how well handled the pinstripes on the suit, which are all very small and evenly spaced.  The Doctor includes one accessory, his trusty sonic screwdriver.  It’s a decently done piece, and matches the quality of the figure, and fits perfectly into his hand.

CYBERMAN

Next up is one of the Doctor’s recurring foes, the Cybermen.  This is just one of the basic Cyberman drones, based on the revamped design from the Russell T Davis era.  The Cyberman stands a little over 5 inches tall and features 16 points of articulation.  The articulation is actually a bit better here than on the Doctor, as he’s got a ball jointed neck and shoulders, which really adds to the posing options.  The sculpt looks fairly spot on to the design of the character on the show.  The detailing of the wires under the armor plating looks particularly interesting and gives the figure some nice dimension.  The paint is decent, though, due to the nature of the design, it is a bit simpler than the Doctor’s.  It’s all very cleanly done and nothing is out of line or sloppy.  There’s also a bit of airbrushing to help bring out the details of the sculpt.

DALEK SEC

Last up is one the Doctor’s greatest enemies, the Daleks.   In particular, it’s Dalek Sec, the leader of a group of individual-ized Daleks created to better fight the Doctor.  The group was introduced in the two-part second series finale where they proved quite pivotal to its plot, so the inclusion of Sec in the set makes a lot of sense.  Sec stands about 4 ½ inches tall and features 4 points of articulation (9 if you count the wheels on the bottom, I suppose).  Obviously, he’s nowhere near as articulated as the other two figures in the set, but that’s totally understandable, since the real Dalek props only had a few moving parts.  The sculpt is pretty much just one of the Daleks shrunk down, with pretty much all of the details handled exactly the way they should be.  The paint is really cool.  It replicates Sec’s unique color scheme, which is super awesome.  He’s all black, but the figure has paint of various different finishes, which really adds some neat detail to the figure.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I was kinda late to the whole Doctor Who thing.  I’ve only in the last 3-4 months really started watching the show, but I’ve gotten pretty well hooked.  I’m most of the way caught up, and Tennant was definitely my favorite, so I wanted to track down one of the many figures released based on his interpretation of the character.

While I was visiting her this weekend, my super awesome girlfriend presented me with a wrapped package containing these guys and informed me it was a slightly late Christmas gift. I was super excited to get these, and they’re one of the best gifts I received in an already pretty awesome selection of gifts.  The Doctor is my favorite in the set, even with his minor flaws, just because of how much fun he is to mess around with.  However, the other two are pretty awesome too, and really neat additions to the Doctor figure.  My Doctor Who collection just went from 0 to 3 super fast, which is really nifty.