Rant Review: Masterverse He-Man figure (Revelation series)

There's a wealth of MOTU product hitting shelves right now, resulting in an almost overwhelming amount of options for the discerning collector... if you can find it! A couple of months after they first started showing up, and well ahead of any of the pre-orders I put in online, the first wave of Mattel's new Masterverse line has begun popping up locally, and I was able to secure my first two figures. (Apart from the deluxe Skelegod, of course.) With any new MOTU line, of course, you've gotta have a He-Man. Is this new plastic incarnation worth your hard-earned money? Read on...

I'm pleased with the sculpting on this figure, for the most part. The overall shape and style of the body is a bit of a departure for MOTU figures, particularly the torso. This is a slightly leaner, more athletic take on He-Man, rather than the virtual tank of muscle we're accustomed to. There's still plenty of brawn here, to be sure, but it's definitely scaled back a bit compared to most versions we've gotten in the past. We'll likely be seeing this body a lot, so it's fortunate that they did a good job with its design. 

One of my gripes with this sculpt is the nearly total lack of detailing on much of the outfit. While this could be explained away as a concession to the animated design upon which this figure is based, that detail in the furry portions of the outfit puts that to the lie. Aside from the fur, there is no attempt made to give a sense of texture to any of the figure's clothing. This would have really helped on the leather straps on the left bracer, for example. The plastic used on most of the figure has a semi-rough texture itself, which does help a bit with the boots. Still, a leather-like sculpted texture would be preferable, and some small dents and dings on the bracers would have helped quite a bit with the figure's overall look. 

The head sculpt is another issue, as it has a smiling, rather dopey expression that is much more Prince Adam than He-Man. It's not a bad sculpt, just inappropriate for the character. It's also a bit on the small side. For those wondering, Classics and Origins heads will fit on this figure's neck post. The Origins heads pop right on. The holes on the Classics heads aren't exactly the same size, but with a bit of heat, they'll pop into place. They do look a bit odd, however. I think the mismatched skin tones are mostly to blame for that.

The paint apps are sparse indeed for something that purports to be a "collector's line." Most of the pieces have been molded in the appropriate color, and given no paint work at all. The only traces of paint washes or airbrushing to bring out the sculpted detail are on the hair and loincloth. What's here is neatly applied, at least. When a company is trying to keep costs down on a line, paint apps are always the first things to go, and that certainly seems to be in effect here. Things like paint washes and detailed painting are pretty damn easy to correct, but the fact is that we shouldn't have to fix it ourselves, especially on a so-called "collector's line." 

With the articulation, things start looking up again. For the first time, we have a Mattel MOTU line with an articulation model that is actually competitive with other collector lines on the market. (As much as I love the Classics line, let's face it: Its articulation model was outdated even when the line debuted in 2008.) The package proclaims that the figure has 30 points of articulation, and it's no idle boast. Depending on how you count the swivel & hinge joints, you could come up with an even higher total! He-Man has swivel & hinge shoulders, wrists, hips, and ankles, double elbows and knees, swivels at the boot tops, thighs, waist, and biceps, and a ball-jointed head and torso. Nearly all of these points of articulation move smoothly and hold poses well, though there is a bit of weirdness with the hip construction. Eveything works as you'd expect until you hinge the legs outward, at which point the barbell piece inside the crotch drops down. This allows a greater range of outward motion for the legs, but the problem is that the barbell doesn't always want to pop back up when you move the legs inward. If you're unaware of this, you could easily end up trying to force it and damage the barbell over time.

The design team also made the decision to sculpt the actual elbow pieces with an inward curve, so you can't completely straighten the arms out. This hasn't bothered me nearly as much as I thought it might, as the arms can still straighten nearly all the way, and look very natural when they do. So, while it hasn't been a drawback for me, it's something to be aware of. Overall, while it's not without its issues, this is a good articulation model that works quite well, and it's a huge step forward for the brand. With a few tweaks, Mattel has a shot at matching the excellent articulation models their biggest competitor employs for most of its collector lines. (The addition of butterfly shoulder joints would go a long way toward that!)

He-Man has all the accessories we've come to expect, with one glaring exception. He has his chest armor, Power Sword, shield, and a swappable set of grasping hands, in case you're not enamored of the fist and pimp slap hands that are attached in the package. The left bracer also slides right off when the hand is removed, so you could also claim it as an accessory, if you're so inclined. The armor matches the source design, fits well, goes off and on with no issues, and has a slot to store the sword and shield. There's been a bit of furor over the removal of the traditional templar-style cross on the breastplate, but I have no issue with the HM symbol with which they've replaced it. That symbol has been part of the MOTU mythology nearly as long as the cross, and it looks good on the armor. 

I still don't love the Power Sword design they went with, but it's okay. This matches its look on the show, which was the intent, so I can't fault them for that. The shield follows the overall look we're accustomed to, though I still find it odd that nearly every iteration of this shield that we've gotten has less detail than the vintage version! The hands pop into and out of the wrist with no trouble, and work as they should. By now you've surely noticed the glaring exception I mentioned earlier: He-Man lacks his axe. It's been a crucial part of his standard set of gear from day one, and it's really odd to get a new standard He-Man figure without it. Many collectors also display their He-Man with the axe instead of the Power Sword, so this is doubly troublesome for them. Hopefully Mattel will get us that axe in a future release. 

The Masterverse line has been the subject of much debate and conjecture, but in the end, it's only by having the figures themselves in-hand that they can be judged. While these first few figures aren't the second coming of MOTU Classics that some were hoping for-- and honestly, I always felt anyone with those  expectations were needlessly setting themselves up for disappointment-- the line has strong merits of its own, and I feel confident that it will carve out a niche of its own in time. There are a few issues Mattel needs to address, but as they are, these figures have made great strides in the right direction. Let us not forget that many of the Classics figures had issues as well, the first release of He-Man in particular. Any new line will have growing pains, and after spending some time with these first few figures, I'm optimistic about this line's future as it moves beyond them. That's it for today, but head back in three days, when we'll return to Origins, then next Tuesday, for more Masterverse! Until then, stay safe out there, and happy hunting! 

The 007 Re-Read Project: Colonel Sun by Kingsley Amis

Published in 1968, Colonel Sun by Kingsley Amis (using the pen name Robert Markham) is the first non-Fleming Bond novel, and continues the story of the intrepid agent quite well. As mentioned before, I had no idea this book existed before I happened upon it in a used book store, despite hunting down all the 007 books I could. (That may seem odd, but was easy to be missing key information like that in those days-- the internet existed, sure, but it wasn't ubiquitous, and I certainly wasn't able to access it whenever I wanted.) I devoured it, blazing through the entire book in an evening. I liked it quite a bit, and deemed it a worthy follow-up to the work of Ian Fleming himself. That was more than two decades ago. When I revisited it a few days ago, I remembered almost nothing from the story, and had no idea how well it would hold up. (That will certainly be an ongoing theme as these re-reads proceed!) Fair warning, while I always endeavor not to blow the whole plot in my reviews, there are SPOILERS AHEAD! 

The novel follows Bond as he pursues a group of mysterious kidnappers into Greece, seeking to recover his boss, the head of MI6, M. The opening is one of the best and most memorable from any Bond novel, Fleming's included. After that, the story does sag a bit. There are some nice bits of action in the middle portion, but that section of the novel is rather slow overall. Fleming had a way of imbuing his stories with a sense of headlong energy that propels the reader forward, affectionately referred to by fans as "the Fleming Sweep." Amis does a good job with this novel overall, but it is definitely lacking that crucial trademark of Fleming's. Fleming had a way of delivering numerous details without it seeming like an infodump, a skill that is very difficult to duplicate, and Amis doesn't really pull it off here. That said, there are some pretty strong characters, and as the scope of the conspiracy Bond is trying to unravel widens, they serve to keep the story centered. Ariadne is a much better-developed heroine than we get in most of the Fleming stories, and Litsas serves more than adequately in the "sidekick" role. Both prove to be crucial to the plot, which is always nice to see, as such supporting characters are often little more than window dressing.

Any lingering gripes about the story's slowness in the middle portion of the novel are easy to overlook once the final section is reached. In the titular villain, Amis has delivered a fiend worthy of standing alongside some of Fleming's best. His odd admiration, almost affection, for Bond even as he sets about destroying him in the most sadistic manner he can conceive of is extremely unsettling. The torture scene is quite possibly the worst Bond has ever been subjected to; only the infamous carpet beater scene in Casino Royale is even in the same league. The 2015 film Spectre drew from this novel for its torture scene. Witness this passage, and its similarity to the monologue delivered by Blofeld in the film: 

    "So, then. Where? Where does a man live? Where's the inmost part of a man, his soul, his being, his identity? One can do very unpleasant things to a man's fingernails, for example. Or to his genitals... but all this happens, so to speak, somewhere else. A man can watch himself being disemboweled and derive great horror,  as well as pain, from the experience. But it's going on at a distance. It isn't taking place... where he is."

    Sun came over and knelt beside Bond's chair. He spoke in a half-whisper. His throat was trembling. "A man lives inside his head. That's where the seat of his soul is. And this is true objectively as well as subjectively. I was present once-- I wasn't directly concerned-- when an American prisoner in Korea was deprived of his eyes. And the most astonishing thing happened. He wasn't there anymore. He'd gone, though he was still alive. There was nobody inside his skull. Most odd, I promise you. 

    "So James, I am going to penetrate to where you are, to the inside of your head."

When first watching that movie several years ago, I had no memory of the events of Colonel Sun, so I didn't immediately get the reference. The scene, specifically the dialogue, seemed dimly familiar, but I had no idea where I'd heard it, or something similar, before. My jaw dropped when I reached this scene on my re-read! It's utterly chilling, and it made for one of the strongest scenes in the film, as well. I'm sure it's old news to anyone who'd read this book more recently than I had at the time, but I was pleased to see that the filmmakers had actually drawn from one of the continuation novels! 

After Bond manages to escape from the absolutely brutal torture, he and his allies manage to unravel the enemy plot, as well as the enemies' lives, naturally. Sun himself gets an epic sendoff worthy of a villain of his stature. The final scene is a scream, as a high-ranking member of the Russian government thanks Bond for his assistance, with veiled references to the countless times Bond has run afoul of them (often totally screwing up their plans) over the years. This is all in the subtext, but given the epic clashes they've had over the course of his career, it's a very amusing undercurrent to their conversation. This scene also signals that their governments are acknowledging that they are no longer enemies as they once were, and Bond is even offered an award for his service to the Russian government! It's a fascinating scene, and Amis handles it very well. 

Notable quotes:

Bond looked round the unpretentious room with its comfortable benches in dark-blue leather, its decorous little groups of business and professional men - quiet men, decent men, men who had never behaved violently or treacherously in their lives. Admirable men: but the thought of becoming indistinguishable from them was suddenly repugnant.

Bond was hiding a grin at the memory of having read somewhere that hatred of tobacco was a common psychopathic symptom, from which Hitler among others had been a notable sufferer. (Yikes! I don't know where Bond [or Amis] read that it was a psychopathic symptom, but I certainly couldn't find anything about it anywhere! It is true that Hitler hated tobacco, though.) 

From the air, [the island] Vrakonisi looks like the blade of a sickle drawn by a very drunk man.

There was an interval just long enough for the thought that the cessation of pain was an infinitely more exquisite sensual thrill than the wildest spasms of love.

Even with a middle section that often drags, Colonel Sun is a very good novel. Its riveting opening, well-developed characters, fantastic finale, and fascinating villain make it a strong read. It's generally regarded as one of the very best, if not the best, of all the non-Fleming Bonds, and revisiting it has reminded me why. Recommended.

The Bond book bonanza barrels, uh, forward next Monday! Be here! 

Rant Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Faker figure

I was all set to wax poetic about the concept of the villainous double that occurs repeatedly throughout entertainment, all the way back to the myths that were passed down orally millennia ago. But c'mon, when you get down to it, Faker came to be because he was a figure Mattel could crank out quickly and cheaply to help capitalize on the surprise hit their MOTU line had become in 1982/3. This oddly compelling blue duplicate of He-Man proved to be elusive for many of us back in the '80s. I personally have no memory of ever seeing him in a store, and my own childhood Faker came from a garage sale. Only one of my friends had one. His appearances in media were also pretty rare, including a single appearance on the Filmation animated show, with an off-model (though far more effective for his intended purpose) appearance. This rarity gave the character a certain mystique even back in the day, and that has only grown in the decades since. Faker is often doomed to be an exclusive in modern MOTU lines, as his ease and low cost to produce makes him an ideal candidate for such low-run items. It's nice to see him back in a normal retail wave of toys, where he belongs! 

The sculpt is identical to that of He-Man, of course. The head is the vintage-style sculpt that made its retail debut with Battle Armor He-Man earlier in the year. I'm glad they went with this option, as that head is my favorite of the current options. (I do like the head on the original release He-Man, but I like this one more.) The head isn't a perfect match to the vintage one, but it's pretty close, and certainly an improvement on Mattel's earlier attempts. (Take a gander at the commemorative reissue from 2001 to see what I mean!) This sculpt has become very familiar, but it remains a good sculpt, effectively capturing the essence of the vintage toy while embellishing the details a bit here and there. 

As is standard for this line, most parts are molded in the appropriate color, so only a few paint apps are necessary. What's here is neatly applied, and the black belt and bracers have a nice gloss sheen. Faker also has a tampo on his chest that emulates the control panel sticker found on the vintage figure. Like the figure's sculpt, it doesn't duplicate the original exactly, but it captures the overall design while riffing on it a bit. 

Faker has the line's standard articulation, with swivel & hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, swivels at the waist and boot tops, and a ball-jointed head. As always, this is a very good articulation model, and the figure is a lot of fun to pose. The pieces pop apart in the usual areas for easy swapping, though I recommend heating the elbows, hips, knees, and ankles before popping them. 

Faker has his orange version of the Power Sword, and it is the full version, rather than the half-sword that has been packaged with most of the He-Man figures released so far. While I've always liked the "two halves of the power sword" concept, Mattel has never really done a great job realizing it in toy form, so I'm glad they went with the full version here. Faker also has the wave five minicomic, in which he serves as the main villain. As a figure that is 100% re-use, he really should have included more accessories. He-Man's other weapons in Faker orange are an obvious inclusion, one of the energy blasts seen with the battle armor figure, or even the wave one He-Man head in Faker blue. Like his wave mate Evil-Lyn, he just feels lacking in this area. Wave five as a whole is mighty light on new tooling, and there's really no excuse for not giving this figure something more. 

Despite his lack of accessories, Faker is a figure I have really enjoyed posing and photographing. The character is intriguing, and the figure is just cool as hell. There's something very appealing about the evil duplicate concept, and even in a cast as eclectic and colorful as MOTU's, Faker stands out. His recent appearance in the Revelation animated series has undoubtedly raised his profile, so if you have the chance to grab one for a decent price, I recommend you go for it. He likely won't be getting any easier to find, and he makes a nice, colorful addition to the shelf. That's it for today, but be sure to head back in four days for more! Until next time, stay safe out there, and happy hunting! 

Rant Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Roboto figure

The MOTU line made a habit of creating characters who were good/evil counterparts, and Roboto fits into that category pretty well. With his moving jaw and trio of interchangeable weapons that plug into his arm, I pegged him as Trap Jaw's nemesis right away, and it's always surprised me that most don't seem to see him in that light. Whoever you match him up against, Roboto is among the most visually interesting characters in the MOTU mythos, and often pops up on "top ten" lists. He was never my favorite, but his bright colors, cool clear torso, moving gears, and swappable weapons made him a constant presence in my play scenarios. He also has the distinction of having one of the very best redesigns in the 2002 iteration of MOTU. Is this newest incarnation of the classic character in the same class as what's come before? Read on...

It's clear that much of this wave's budget went toward tooling for Roboto, as he features all-new parts from the waist up. The arms have some very nice detailing, and would serve well as the arms for an Origins-style New Adventures Skeletor, if Mattel were so inclined. (Let's hope so! I'd love some NA space mutants in this line!) The head has a slightly different shape from the vintage toy, most noticeably with the jaw piece. This isn't a bad thing, as it's still clearly Roboto, and it looks quite sharp. The torso has fewer gears than the vintage toy, and while that has been the subject of much complaint, I can't say it hurts the figure's appearance at all. The legs, inherited from Trap Jaw and Man-E-Faces, have the same stubbiness that bugged me with those figures. They were smaller for a reason in the vintage line, but now the design team is simply recreating a shortcoming of the '80s toys for no good reason, and it's annoying. These legs also have the issue of being slightly turned inward, and with no thigh cut, there's no way to fix this. It's not a huge problem, and it seems that most people don't even notice it, but once you do, it's impossible to not see it. 

Roboto has the sparse paint apps that are typical of this line, but what's here is applied very neatly by the standards of a mass-produced toyline. The red-on-blue combination can sometimes be problematic, but the red on the left arm is applied thickly enough that the bold blue doesn't show through. The silver on the thighs is also very neat, and the underlying red does not bleed through. Roboto has swivel & hinge shoulders, elbows, left wrist, hips, knees, and ankles. a hinged jaw, and swivels at the calves, waist, right wrist, and neck. The action feature necessitates the removal of the ball-jointed head that is present on most other figures in the line.

What's that? An action feature on a basic Origins figure? That's right! Just like the vintage figure, as you turn Roboto's waist, the gears inside his torso turn, and his jaw opens and closes. It's a neat feature that's fun to mess with, but whether or not it is worth compromising a key point of articulation is something that will vary from person to person. Roboto includes his standard trio of weapons that plug into his arm. The gun, claw, and laser axe are all molded in a bright silver, and swap out with no trouble. Unfortunately, the pegs are significantly shorter than those on Trap Jaw's attachments. You can share their attachments, but the fit isn't perfect, as seen below. The wave three minicomic is also included. 

As a fixture in most iterations of MOTU, Roboto was always going to be a much-desired figure, so it's nice that Mattel did a good job with him. I'd like to see them correct the issues with these legs, but I really don't see that happening, sadly. This is Mattel we're talking about, after all. It also would have been nice to have the normal range of motion in the head, but I get why this was compromised. Neither of those issues are major ones, and they don't hold Roboto back much. This is a well-made figure, and regardless of how important the character is to you, he's a standout figure in the Origins line. With all his parts, and even an honest-to-god action feature, he's almost a deluxe figure masquerading as part of the basic line. With some of these figures coming in mighty light in terms of accessories, you could do a lot worse than prioritizing grabbing a Roboto for your collection over some of his fellow figures. That's it for today, but pop back over in three days for more! Until then, stay safe out there, and happy hunting! 

Rant Reads: The 007 Re-Read Project

As longtime Rant readers remember, this blog began as a classic horror blog. It quickly expanded to encompass pretty much anything that interested me, and has been taken over by toy reviews in the past few years. While there's nothing at all wrong with that, I've been wanting to expand the range of content again recently. As part of that, the 007 Re-Read Project was born.

I've been a Bond fan for decades. My fascination with the character and his world extends nearly as far back as my love for MOTU, dinosaurs, and Batman. Roger Moore is the first Bond I remember seeing; I have hazy memories of watching The Spy Who Loved Me when I was very small. I would come across the movies on TV every so often, and would usually drop whatever else I was doing so I could watch. While I enjoyed the goofy excess of the Moore Bonds, Sean Connery was darkly charismatic in a way unlike anyone else I had ever seen, almost like a charming villain who was on the side of the "good guys." He quickly became my Bond of choice. I remember seeing trailers for License to Kill when I was 10, and I badly wanted to see it. Trips to the theater were rare, however, so I didn't get to see it until I got a VHS copy of it a couple of years later. (And it didn't disappoint! Contrary to the dismissive views of it you'll find scattered across the internet, I think it's one of the best in the series. It also ranks with Dr. No and From Russia with Love as the movies that are closest to the Fleming novels.)

I was vaguely aware that there were James Bond novels, but I don't remember ever seeing any of them in stores. During the six year gap of the early '90s, which saw no Bond movies, and very little media featuring the character at all, Bond kind of faded into the background for me. I would still watch the occasional movie on TV, but that was pretty much it. Then, 1995 rolled around. A new Bond was on the way! Goldeneye was the first Bond movie I got to see in the theater, and it reignited my love of the franchise. I was talking about it with a friend at school some time later, and suddenly remembered that there were all these books I'd never read. I mentioned this to my friend, and he revealed that he had actually read some of them, and proceeded to rave about how awesome they were! I resolved then and there to track some of them down.

This was easier said than done in the US in the '90s. The original 007 novels by Ian Fleming were inexplicably out of print, so one was limited to any remaining stock that might be lingering at local bookstores, along with whatever they could find at the library. I managed to find a paperback copy of a single book at the local Books-a-Million. Thus, my first Bond novel was The Man with the Golden Gun. Definitely not the best choice, as this is generally considered some of Fleming's weakest work, but it was good enough to make me want more. A trip to a the local library turned up another half dozen or so novels, and I resumed my reading with the novel version of my favorite movie: Goldfinger. I was hooked.

Over the next couple of years, I tracked down all 14 of Ian Fleming's Bond books, even accruing a couple of first editions along the way. Thanks to a gift from a friend, I discovered that there were an additional fourteen novels and two movie novelizations penned by John Gardner, who picked up 007's adventures beginning in 1981. (The gift was a hardcover copy of Seafire, which he had come across while perusing the BAM sale tables. As much as I had dug through those myself, I have no idea how I missed seeing it!) I hunted all of these down in short order, though his novelization of the film License to Kill took a bit of doing. 

A year or so later, I had started working at BAM, and had a customer ask me if we had any copies of Zero Minus Ten by Raymond Benson in stock. I checked to make sure that we carried it-- BAM had no inventory system, you could only check the microfiche to make sure that we carried a title before going to look for it on the shelf, a system that was woefully outdated even in the late '90s-- and took him to the fiction section to show him where it was. Removing it from the shelf, I saw that it was a James Bond novel! (I'm still shocked that the publisher's promotion of the books was so poor that even someone like me, who made it a point to buy and read these novels, and even worked in a bookstore, had no idea that it even existed prior to this!) Handing the customer a copy, I grabbed the other one for myself. I quickly devoured it, and while it wasn't on par with the best of Fleming, I enjoyed it quite a bit. A quick search of the author's name on the BAM computer revealed that Benson's second Bond novel had recently been released in hardcover, so I ordered a copy, and the collection continued to expand.

In the midst of this, while in a used book store in town, I came across a paperback Bond novel I had never heard of before. It had nice pulpy painted art on a white background, with the title Colonel Sun emblazoned across the cover in large block letters. Written by Kingsley Amis under the pen name Robert Markham, it was a curiosity to me. It had been published only a couple of years after Fleming's final Bond book, yet the lists of books I'd hunted down had not mentioned it. As I commence re-reading the Bond continuation novels, we'll begin with it. Be here next Monday! 

Rant Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Clamp Champ figure

One of the best aspects of Mattel's MOTU Origins line, in my mind, anyway, is how they're mixing up the release order of the figures. This has drawn a good bit of ire from some collectors-- How the hell can we get Ninjor before we have Moss Man, for instance-- but, as I've said before, this is a good thing because it allows for some excitement about what may be in future waves. If Mattel were just lazily following the vintage rollout, we'd know exactly what was coming, and when. That's just no fun. It also allows those of us who count some of the later figures among our favorites to get the Origins incarnations of them much sooner than we otherwise would! All that is a rather long-winded way of saying that we've already gotten the mighty Clamp Champ less than a year into the life of the Origins line! 

I went on at length about this in my review of the MOTU Classics iteration of the character, but Clamp Champ was an instant favorite of mine back when I was a kid. As many have pointed out, he seems like a throwback to the early days of the MOTU line, with his reuse of basic parts with only a new head. The later years of the line were dominated by increasingly bizarre and gimmick-dependent figures, while the Champ seemed almost like an early figure that had been held in reserve for later. Rather than being designed to accommodate a play gimmick, he was a solid "meat and potatoes" figure whose action feature was supplied by his weapon. And what a weapon it was! The massive clamp was easily one of the most intimidating weapons in the vintage line, and its function was great fun to use. My vintage clamp still works, and I found myself unable to resist clicking the button down repeatedly when I got it out for the photo comparison. How does this new incarnation of the figure and his weapon measure up? Read on...

The sculpt is identical to He-Man from the neck down, and as a deluxe figure, the Champ gets a pair of new heads. One has a stern expression similar to that of the vintage figure, though his mouth is slightly open in a He-Man style grimace. It's a good sculpt that communicates the character's determination, and definitely gives off the vibe that this is not a person to be messed with. The alternate head has a big grin, and works equally well as the Champ enjoying a good joke, or exulting in his prowess in the heat of battle. The paint apps are typically sparse for this line, though what's here is applied neatly, for the most part. There's a bit of overspray on the belt, and the eyebrows on the grinning head are misaligned with the sculpt. It's rather tough to notice unless you look very closely, and thankfully, it doesn't make the head look silly or odd like the misaligned paint apps on many of the yelling heads that were included with Battle Armor He-Man. Still, it does change the overall appearance from what the sculpt intended, and it's a shame this happened. Every one of these heads I've seen has this issue, so it appears to affect a much larger portion of the run. There is also a variant of Clamp Champ that has much lighter skin, which seems to have been mostly found in Canada when the figure was first popping up. 

The Champ has the line's standard articulation, with swivel & hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, swivels at the boot tops and waist, and a ball-jointed head. Every point of articulation moves and holds poses well, and they pop apart in the usual spots for easy part swapping. As always, I recommend heating the elbows, hips, knees, and ankles before popping them off. As ever, this is a very good articulation model, and I enjoy posing these figures quite a bit. 

As a deluxe figure, the Champ has a nice suite of accessories. Aside from the aforementioned extra head, there's the armor, a swappable grasping left hand, the famous clamp, and a set of pincers. The deluxe wave one minicomic is also included, and is the same one we got with the Battle Armor figures. The armor is a repaint of Fisto's-- though, as this figure was released first, I reckon that makes it a "pre-use"-- and the pincer is based on a weapon that was intended for the Champ's 2002 iteration, if that line had survived long enough for him to be released. A version of it was previously seen in the Classics line. 

The clamp itself is closely modeled on the vintage version, though the sculpting is noticeably softer in a couple of areas. The indentation for the thumb on the underside, present on the vintage clamp, is missing here, which makes it a bit more difficult for the figure to hold. It also functions slightly differently; whereas a press of the button on the vintage clamp released the pincers, and they sprang back into the clamp when the button was released, the pincers on the Origins version are released at the press of the (now silver) button, and they remain deployed until manually retracted. Which method is best is really down to personal preference, but personally, I prefer the way the Origins clamp functions, as it makes it easy to pose the Champ with another figure trapped within the pincers. With the vintage clamp, you'd have to come up with a way to block the pincers from retracting. 

While many collectors won't consider Clamp Champ an essential character for their collections, he is essential to mine, and I'm damn happy to have him included in the Origins line at such an early stage. Whatever your personal feelings about the late-wave stragglers of the vintage MOTU line, this is a figure that includes a robust assortment of accessories, and a pair of head sculpts that rank among the line's best. The Champ is a worthy addition to any Origins collection, and with his profile hopefully being raised by his inclusion in the MOTU Revelation animated series(I wrote this review before it premiered, not knowing that, sadly, he'd only appear in the show for a few seconds), this figure is likely to become more and more desirable. If you're on the fence about this one for some reason, I recommend grabbing one while you can. That's it for today, but head back over in four days for more! Until then, stay safe out there, and happy hunting! 

Rant Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Evil-Lyn figure (version 2)

Mold reuse is one of the most efficient ways to keep costs down in a toyline, and Mattel has gotten more mileage out of that practice than many of their competitors over the years. The original MOTU line was created with mold reuse in mind, even molds from other toylines. This design philosophy enabled the MOTU Classics line to prosper for over a decade, and it's been apparent in the Origins line from the beginning. (Its first release was a two-pack of figures using the exact same parts, with only a few accessories to mix things up, for Grodd's sake!) When Mattel has an opportunity to release a figure that is 100% mold reuse while also giving us a fan-demanded variant, it's a win/win situation! Is that enough to make this 2002-inspired Evil-Lyn an essential purchase for the discerning Origins collector? Read on...

This figure's sculpt is exactly the same as the original release from last year, for better and for worse. It's a straight update of the vintage figure with slightly sharper detailing in most areas, apart from the head. The facial expression is different, and it looks more like the vintage Evil-Lyn's sister than the vintage Lyn herself. Again, this slightly different look isn't really a bad thing, but it is worth noting. (Also be aware that there is a running change with this figure that features improved knees. They're far less ugly than the original design. Mine, sadly, has the old ones.) Unfortunately, the 2002 incarnation of the character had a unique outfit, rather than getting her outfit at the same store Teela shops at, so a simple repaint of the same mold is not enough. This figure needed a few newly tooled parts, but Mattel took the cheap route and settled for a repaint. It sucked when they did it in the MOTU Classics line, and it sucks now. I also had the same quality control issue my first Origins Lyn had, as the damn helmet is crooked! Check out the photo below. 

Evil-Lyn has a slightly more complex paint job than many of the figures in this line, and it's applied neatly. Lines are crisp and clean, with minimal overspray. The lighter lavender apps over the darker purple and black areas are particularly well done, are thick enough that the darker color does not show through. The articulation is standard for the line. Evil-Lyn has swivel & hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, swivels at the waist and boot tops, and a ball-jointed head. All of the joints move and hold poses well, and pop apart in the usual spots for easy swapping. 

As with this figure's first release, Evil-Lyn comes up short on the accessory front. She has her magic staff and the wave five minicomic, and that's it. As a release that is 100% reuse, Mattel really should have given us something more here. An alternate head, a cape, the dagger that came with the 2002 figure upon which this color scheme is based, a staff that looks more like the 2002 version, a swappable hand or two, magic blast effects, even a couple of paint apps on the staff to make it look less bland... the possibilities are endless, yet Mattel took the cheap way out once again. That seems to be the biggest ongoing theme with this line, and it's a damn shame. 

Like I said, we're well used to repaints in MOTU lines. With this figure's resemblance to such a popular version of a very popular character, Mattel had a chance to do something special here, but they played it safe and pinched their pennies even more than usual, and the figure really suffers as a result. Despite my love for the 2002 iteration of MOTU, I really can't recommend this figure unless you don't yet have an Evil-Lyn at all. This one will fill that role perfectly well if it's to be the one and only in your Origins collection. If you already have the previous release, which felt too light on accessories itself, there's really no need to part with your cash for this one unless you absolutely must have every release. Mattel let us down here, and with so many more cheap repaints on the way, let's hope that this won't be their standard practice going forward. Many of us are ready to stick with this line for the long haul and do our best to ensure it enjoys a long life, but Mattel needs to hold up their end by delivering product that is worth our investment in time and money. That's it for today, but cast a spell to remind yourself to swing back by in three days for more! Until then, stay safe out there, and happy hunting!

Rant Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Mer-Man figure (Lords of Power)

 As many figures as Mer-Man has been given, many of us have never gotten the exact early minicomic version we wanted. As seen in the first three Alfredo Alcala-illustrated minicomics, this design was based on the character's B-sheet design and prototype figure. The 2002 version was a step in the right direction, giving us a head sculpt that was directly based on the cross sell art for the first time. The Classics figure got us much closer, looking as if he had stepped right off one of the vintage cardbacks. Still, as it drew directly from the cross sell art, it had some key differences from the Alcala version that so many of us had wanted for decades. Now, at last, Mattel has finally give us this figure. (Well, sort of.) There was a bit of a stink when it became clear that at least two of the figures from last year's horrifically expensive Lords of Power convention exclusive set would be reissued in the retail line, but the general reaction has been surprisingly positive. It seems that the color differences, as well as the lack of the exclusive version's amazing packaging, is enough to satisfy most. 

The sculpt utilizes many parts we've already seen many times over, with a few key newly-tooled pieces. The head sculpt is fantastic, capturing the design's distinctive look. The goofy expression is just perfect. There are also new forearms and calves, and smooth MOTU WWE trunks are used in place of the traditional furry loincloth. This should have a scaly pattern, but Mattel went the cheap route here. It's unfortunate, but an easily overlooked detail. The hands are a bigger issue. Instead of tooling new webbed four-fingered hands, the standard He-Man hands were reused. They also neglected to include a new "gills" piece, as the Classics figure had. Looking at the art and prototype, it's something that was clearly needed for total accuracy. This is a great-looking figure, but it's frustrating to have it fall just short of perfection thanks to cost cutting.

Most of the figure's paint apps are on its head, and they're very neat and clean. Mer-Man has the line's standard articulation, with swivel & hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, swivels at the calves and waist, and a ball-jointed head. All joints move easily and hold poses well, and pop apart easily at the shoulders, wrists, waist, calves, and neck for easy part swapping. With a bit of applied heat, you can separate the other parts, too. Mer-Man has the same sword as the previous figure, and two new pieces of armor to replicate the prototype's appearance. The sword isn't totally accurate, but it's close enough, honestly. These new armor pieces are great, though the little shoulder flaps recall the vintage toy more than the prototype, to my eyes. Given Mattel's reluctance to invest in new tooling any more than absolutely necessary, it wouldn't have shocked me if they'd simply re-used the existing Mer-Man armor, so it's very nice to see that they went the extra mile here. It helps make up for the cost-cutting in other, less vital areas. The wave five minicomic is also included, but poor Mer-Man is relegated to simply standing around in a couple of panels. 

Any figure with so much anticipation is bound to disappoint some, but even with a few imperfections, I'm damn happy to finally have it. It's not 100% accurate, but it's the closest we've ever gotten, by far. The imperfections are small enough that I can overlook them. It's unfortunate that costs were cut at all, but since they were, at least the design team chose the right pieces to focus on. I won't be ditching the wave three version, but this will be the standard Mer-Man in my Origins collection going forward. It's very cool that the Origins line has a Mer-Man for you, whatever your preference! That's all for today, but head back this way in four days for more! Until then, stay safe out there, and happy hunting!

Rant Review: Masters of the Universe Stratos figure

 

Another of the original eight figures from the vintage MOTU line has made his Origins debut! Stratos, everyone's favorite winged jetpack-wearing ape man, was something of an anomaly in the MOTU line, as he included no weapons. Sure, he had his armor and wings, but all of the other figures had some sort of armor, plus weapons, to boot! This made him rather unpopular among my peers back in the day, as we would tend to choose a figure with more gear whenever we were able to pick out a toy. This relegated Stratos to the status of a "gift figure." I don't know how widespread this was, but practically everyone I knew who had Stratos had gotten him as a gift because he was never one they picked out themselves. Unlike most of my MOTU toys, I have no memory of when I got my Stratos. It was very early on, though, and I had the more prevalent red wing/blue armor version. I always liked him, though he wasn't a favorite. Still, as one of the original eight, he's practically guaranteed a place in every incarnation of MOTU toylines. How does this newest version fare? Read on...

The sculpt is no surprise, as he remains Beast Man from the neck down. The same fur detail is present, and it remains a good sculpt. The smooth "baby booties" he has for feet still bother me, though. Obviously, this line is heavily based on the vintage toys, but improving on aspects of the design such as this falls well within its purview. Stubbornly sticking with these smooth, bland feet just feels lazy. The spiked weapon on the back of the right hand is also present. (As some lines have dispensed with this for Stratos, it's worth pointing out.) The wings have some nice detailing, with some nice fine texture work on the feathers. The head is a bit of a departure from the vintage figure. It has a slightly different expression, and is wider, particularly at the base. I imagine the wider base is to allow for a good range of motion, but it changes the look noticeably. It's not a bad thing, just worth noting. 

As usual, there aren't many paint apps, but what's there is applied very neatly for a mass-market retail toy. The light blue used on the goggles pops nicely, though it's worth pointing out that the eyelids are not painted gray, as was the case with many runs of the vintage figure. Mattel opted for the blue wing/red armor color scheme for Stratos's debut in the line, and the parts are molded in the appropriate colors. This isn't my preferred color scheme, but I don't dislike it. If you have a MOTU WWE Rey Mysterio handy, you can do a quick and easy swap to get the red winged version, if you like. 

Speaking of those wings and the armor, well, that's all Stratos comes with. The armor fastens at the front, and the wings clip onto the wrists. This is a simpler method than the vintage figure used, and sidesteps some of the problems the original figure had. This wave's minicomic is also included. This is another figure that feels mighty light, and he really could have used an energy blast, a Grayskull mace, or, y'know, the Staff of Avion. The staff is even featured in the included comic! Would it have killed them to include it? It just feels a little chintzy. The standard articulation is present, with swivel & hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, swivels at the waist and calves, and a ball-jointed head. 

Despite not being the most exciting figure, Stratos has become a fan favorite over the decades, and I'm glad to see him pop up in the line early on. Given the possibilities for color variants and army building, we'll surely be seeing him again. When that happens, hopefully the design team will improve on some of the figure's shortcomings. I'm pretty sanguine about this figure's lack of any weapons, but I won't be so forgiving if it happens a second time. That said, these figures retail for $15, so you're still getting a decent value, and adding a core character to the collection. Stratos has only gotten cooler over the years, so I definitely don't regret adding this fella to my Origins collection. That's it for today, but fly back over for more in three days! Until then, stay safe out there, and happy hunting!