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! 

Rant Review: Masterverse Skelegod figure (MOTU Revelation series)

Unlike many other '80s properties that have maintained a steady presence on retail store shelves, it's been either feast or famine for MOTU collectors over the years, and we've endured many long dry spells with little to no product. We've bellied up to the table and strapped on our extra large bibs lately, however, with the Origins line rolling mercilessly along, and a brand new line hitting stores right now! (And yet another one on the way!) The Masterverse line presents us with figures in the style of the new high-profile Netflix series, and in honor of its debut today, we're taking a look at my inaugural figure in the line, the deluxe Skelegod! Will he convert you into a devoted follower, or make you wish you were agnostic of this line? Read on...

The figure appears to have a 100% unique sculpt. There are a few parts that may be shared with some of the standard Masterverse figures, but as I don't have any of those yet, I can't verify that. In any case, the sculpting is very well done, capturing the animated style very well, while adding some additional detail in a few areas. The horns, in particular, have some nice texture work, though the level of detail almost makes them look as if they belong to another figure. The segmented armor and large pauldrons help make this tall figure appear even larger, giving him an imposing appearance on the shelf. It's not always apparent in photos, but the stylized "H" on the figure's chest is actually sculpted as well, not just painted on. The green flames surrounding the figure's neck are molded in a nice translucent plastic, which adds to the cool factor. The neon green neck sticking out of this piece is nested within the flames enough that it doesn't look too odd. The "face" is, well, Skeletor, in keeping with the skull design we've seen in the trailers for the show. This line's figures have been criticized for having pinheads, but the large horns help make this figure's head appear more proportional. There's a fairly large three layered cape, in two shades of purple, and a pair of plastic diamonds on the ends of the second layer. The overall design of the cape is very cool, but it's made of fabric that looks and feels as cheap as it undoubtedly is. 

The paint apps are more complex than what we get on the Origins figures, yet remain very neat. Lines are sharp and clean across the board, even in areas with tricky color combinations such as the purple and neon green on the chest. The one bit of slop is with the neon green paint in the nostril section of the right leg, and it's so tiny that I only noticed it because I was really looking for it. There's also a nice paint wash on the figure's "skin," lending it a nice battle-worn look. The only issue with it is that the wash was apparently applied after the figure was assembled, so when you bend the elbows or knees, interior areas lacking the wash are exposed, which is a little jarring. This can be easily fixed, of course, but it shouldn't have to be. 

Skelegod has a nice quartet of accessories: A pair of swappable hands, a cool energy effect, and the Sword of Power. The hands swap out easily, and fit into place snugly without a tendency to fall off. The energy effect can fit over any of the hands, and looks like Skelegod is about to launch one nasty hadouken. I'm not crazy about the sword's design, but it matches its onscreen counterpart very well. The plastic use isn't overly rubbery either, so there shouldn't be any issues with it drooping over time. It fits well into the grasping hands, and thankfully, it stays in place far better than its counterparts in the Origins line. 

Mattel has been touting a higher level of articulation for the Masterverse line, and this figure delivers with swivel & hinge shoulders, wrists, hips, and ankles, swivels at the biceps, thighs, calves, and waist, what appears to be a ball-jointed torso with a limited range of motion, a ball-jointed head, and, thank Grodd, double knees and elbows! Those have been standard points of articulation for well over decade now across many lines, yet Mattel has dragged their feet about implementing them in most of their collector lines. I've seen a few collectors complaining about it, but aesthetically, they don't look any worse than single joints, and they work far better. This is a win as far as I'm concerned, and it's been a long time coming! 

The Masterverse line has proven divisive among MOTU collectors, and only time will tell what kind of legs it has. For me, the jury is still out on the basic Masterverse figures, as I haven't yet found any of them, but this one has me hopeful. Skelegod is very cool indeed! That's all for today, but swing back by in four days for more. Until then, stay safe out there, and happy hunting! 

Rant Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Mer-Man figure

Today, in a special bonus review, we're looking at one of the earliest and most beloved MOTU villains, that scaly scalawag himself, Mer-Man! Originally called Sea Man (wonder why that name didn't stick?) during development, Mer-Man has been present since the earliest MOTU media, though his appearance was slightly different in the first minicomics. He has been an ever-present figure since, and is practically guaranteed to make an appearance whenever MOTU characters pop up in any sort of licensed product. There's quite a lot of debate over which incarnation is superior, but Mattel have stuck to the vintage toy's design in his Origins debut. How does it match up against earlier iterations? Read on...

As expected, the figure's sculpt is Skeletor from the neck down. It replicates the vintage figure with a bit more detail, with the calves, in particular, displaying some nice texture work. The head retains the "cat head" design of the vintage figure, though his expression has been altered. Mer-Man's face now looks more aggressive, rather than the "surprise prostate exam" look of the vintage toy. There are numerous details that could have been integrated from other Mer-Man designs that we've seen over the decades, but the design team set out to slightly update the vintage toy with this figure, and it certainly succeeds in that.

Mer-Man's paint apps are limited, but very neat. The belt is painted in light green, as with the early runs of the vintage figure. The work on the head is particularly good, with sharp, clean lines and almost no slop or overspray, even on the tiny sharp teeth. However, it's worth mentioning that the extra figure I bought for my little niece to play with has some glop around the eyes, so it's always advisable to take a moment to choose the figure with the best paint apps if you're able to do so. 

Mer-Man has his standard accessories in his sword and armor. The sculpting has some nice detail, and the little points on the top of the armor are surprisingly sharp. The little "bow" over the figure's belt is actually a part of the armor now, rather than a separate piece, which solves the issue many vintage Mer-Man figures have with that piece falling off over time. The sword fits easily in the figure's hand, and unlike some of this line's accessories, is not prone to falling out. The wave three minicomic is also included. As always, despite the limitations imposed by the miniscule page count, it's awesome that we're actually getting minicomics with these figures! Mer-Man has the line's standard articulation, with swivel & hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, swivels at the waist and calves, and a ball-jointed head. All points of articulation work very well, and the head in particular has an excellent range of motion. The pieces pop apart in the usual spots, though I do recommend heating the elbows, hips, knees, and ankles before trying to pop them apart. 

This figure doesn't innovate or do anything other than the expected, but what the team did with this figure, they did very well. I still feel that figures with only one accessory should include little bonuses like energy, or in this case, water blast effects, or a swappable hand or two. Despite the very reasonable $15 price point, some of these figures feel mighty light. Still, it's a very well-executed update of the vintage toy, and in the end, that's enough to make him a desirable addition to any given Origins collector's collection. It's also nice to see Beast Man joined by the other original henchman! As the cast of characters continues to fill out, it's nice to have the pair that started it all serving as the bedrock of Skeletor's team, as they were from the beginning. That's all for today, but swim back next week for more! Until then, stay safe out there, and happy hunting! 

Rant Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Tri-Klops figure

 Another core member of  Skeletor's  evil warriors has arrived! Released during the second year of the vintage line's run, Tri-Klops (along with Trap Jaw) was packaged with a cool glow-in-the-dark "warrior's ring," a presentation which gave the figure a "deluxe" feel in my mind. As most of Skeletor's group had monstrous or ghoulish appearances, his human look made him stand out among them. My immediate impressions of Tri-Klops were that he should probably be helping He-Man and his allies against Skeletor's legion of monsters, but that he must be especially bad since he was allied with the Lord of Destruction instead. The included minicomic presented a different scenario, portraying Tri-Klops as a mercenary hired by Skeletor to eliminate his hated foes. He was highly skilled and dangerous, and possessed a sense of honor. I found this intriguing, and it quickly became my preferred characterization for Tri-Klops. Subsequent portrayals have rarely embraced this interpretation, but it remains who the character is in my mind. The figure has been a favorite of mine since that day when I first saw him, so any new version has much to live up to. Does this newest version manage it? Read on...

The figure is the basic He-Man figure with a new head and armor, of course, which is no surprise. Those familiar parts are as well-sculpted as expected, and the newly tooled parts similarly hearken back to the vintage toy in most respects. The vintage figure famously had at least three distinct faces, and this one pretty much splits the difference between a couple of them. As with many of the core villains in this line, he has a more expressive face sculpt, a grimace that is well-suited for a mid-battle pose. The tiny teeth are distinctly sculpted. If you're expecting the cool little details the Four Horsemen hid underneath the visor on the MOTU Classics figure, however, you'll be disappointed; as with the vintage figure, his brow is devoid of detail. The visor itself is very faithful to its vintage counterpart, and rotates easily, though it's not so loose that it won't stay in position once you've fixed it where you want it. Each eye is traditionally supposed to represent a different vision-based ability-- x-ray vision, dista-vision, etc.-- but I, and I imagine many others, always used them to represent Trike's moods. Blue was when he was calm, red was for combat situations, and the fully red one only got broken out when he was seriously pissed off and ready to wreck someone! The tech-based details present on the 2002 and Classics figure are omitted in this vintage-based sculpt, so the eyes have the more organic appearance you'd expect from that approach.

The figure's paint apps, while few, are kinda all over the place in terms of quality. The teeth are perfect, and the eyes are very neat overall, but there's plenty of slop on the orange bits, and where the face transitions to the black headpiece. The armor also needed another coat of paint, as the green shows through the orange in several areas. There's a spot on the belt where the paint was apparently scraped off sometime before the figure arrived here. Things like this are pretty easy to fix, but then, they shouldn't have to be fixed. The stripes on the back of the armor are unpainted. It also would have been nice to have a slight gloss coat over the black area of his headgear to differentiate it from the black hair, but again, I get that they're not really doing things like that with this line. 

Unless you count his armor, Tri-Klops only has one accessory: his trademark sword. It improves on the vintage sword's sculpt by doing away with the holes that were molded into one side of the original one, and the plastic is stiff enough that it shouldn't wilt over time. It fits into a strap on the back of his armor, as expected. Alas, there is no warrior's ring. A doomseeker would have been an awesome inclusion. And yes, it's a 2002 element, but the line has included such things on occasion, so that sort of thing is clearly not off the table. Just one real accessory seems a little light for this line. The wave four minicomic is also included, and it's in line with what we've come to expect. There's just not much you can do when you have to feature so many characters in just a few pages. I still love that we're getting them, though! Tri-Klops has the standard articulation, with swivel & hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, swivels at the waist and boot tops, and a ball-jointed head. He also gets an extra point of articulation with his swiveling visor. All of these joints work well, and the parts pop apart easily at all the usual areas. As always, I recommend heating the elbows, knees, and hips beforehand if you want to pop those apart. 

This is a pretty simple figure overall, so it would have been tough for Mattel to screw it up. I still feel they're playing things a little too safe at times with this line-- not including appropriate accessories from the 2002 era, for instance-- but at the end of the day, this is mostly a vintage-based line, so I can't really fault them for sticking to that mission statement. Tri-Klops remains as cool as ever, even without any extra frills. I would have loved some of those extras mentioned above, but I love this character and the figure all the same. Anything extra, while nice, would just be window dressing. He's a core character, and I know I'm not the only one who likes to pair him with Trap Jaw as a team, so it's definitely nice to be able to complete that duo. That's it for this week, but use your dista-vision to find your way back here next week for more! Until then, stay safe out there, and happy hunting!

Rant review: Masters of the Universe Origins Land Shark

Today, in a special bonus review, we're taking a look at the Cadillac of MOTU vehicles: The Land Shark! Part of the 1984 lineup, the original Land Shark was an instant hit among my prepubescent peers. While I always felt like it should be Trap Jaw's ride, what with the chomping jaws and all, Skeletor claimed it for his own. In fact, between all its appearances in minicomics and package art, it really seemed to have supplanted Panthor as his main method of conveyance for a time.  I never got one as a child, but Origins has brought us a new iteration of the classic carnivore car! Can it possibly measure up to decades of anticipation? Read on...

Broken record time: The package this thing comes in is adorned with gorgeous art! If Mattel doesn't compile this stuff into an art book, or sell prints of it or something, they're really leaving a lot of money on the table. Anyway, once you tear your gaze away from that and open this sucker up, you can appreciate its size. While it's not as big as some of the absolutely massive vehicles we got in MOTU Classics, it's significantly larger than its vintage counterpart. While it's pretty close to being just a scaled-up version of the '80s version, there are some very fun added details. My favorite: The tips of the gun barrels are little shark heads! 

With its added size, pretty much any figure from the Origins line can fit into the driver's seat with no issues. (The usual exceptions for Ram Man and Orko may apply, though you can kinda get them in there.) It's tough to get the figures to actually hold the control levers unless you scoot them way forward, though, so it can be tough to get the driver in a pose that looks right. 

There are no paint apps, as everything is molded in the appropriate color. There is plenty of sculpted detail that can be painted if one so desires; Mattel just didn't choose to do so. There are some stickers to spice things up a bit, however. The largest are on the control panel and the vehicle's rear, and there are two small ones for the shark's eyes. These are all applied out of the box, thankfully, as I probably wouldn't have gotten them on so evenly. The eyes are already beginning to peel off of mine, though, which is a bad sign. This thing hasn't suffered any heavy play, or otherwise been manhandled. I'm not sure if it's due to the heavy humidity here or what, but I'm wondering if this is widespread. 

One of the most distinctive features of the vintage vehicle is intact: The chomping jaws! Roll the Land Shark backward or forward, and its jaws open and close, chewing up anything unfortunate enough to lie in its path. There's plenty of room to stick most of an Origins figure in there, or it can swallow some Imaginext figures whole. It's a fun feature, and the vehicle rolls freely with little force, so your little ones (if applicable) should be able to roll it across the kitchen floor with no difficulty. 

One of the benefits of having a MOTU line back at retail is the abundance of vehicles and steeds-- less than a year into the line's life, we've already gotten five!-- and the Land Shark is definitely one of the highlights so far. Whether Trap Jaw is its designated driver, or you decide to default to ol' Bonehead, or else you want Fisto to steal it for his own, it's loads of fun, and a worthy addition to your collection. As of this posting, Amazon has it for retail price, so snap one up now if you haven't already! That's it for today, but chomp your way back in three days for another review! Until then, stay safe out there, and happy hunting! 

Rant Review: Masters of the Universe Origins Castle Grayskull playset with Temple of Darkness Sorceress figure

Whenever MOTU is revived in toy form, there are a handful of questions you can count on hearing repeatedly. One of the foremost: Do you think we'll get a Grayskull? Whereas this seemed like a pipe dream in a line structured the way MOTU Classics was, we even managed it there. But with Mattel making a major push to return the brand to prominence by blitzing the retail aisles? It was a no-brainer! Still, with the chaos of the past year, the tedium of trying to order online via some of Mattel's retail partners, and, let's face it, Mattel's knack for generally finding a way to muck things up, finding this thing has been a good bit tougher for many people than it really should be. When you get down to it, many of us collectors already have a Grayskull or two in our collections that would work perfectly well with the Origins figures, so is this new version worth the trouble? Read on...

The fortress of mystery and power has an absolutely iconic facade, and each version has tried to capture its mystique in its own way. Many of us were hoping for a design that hearkened back to the Alcala art, and were promptly disappointed when the final design was revealed. I saw several describing it as having a Playskool quality, and honestly, I can see what they mean. This iteration of Grayskull has a more symmetrical, almost friendly look compared to the haunted, crumbling ruin of the vintage version. That said, it's not bad... it just takes some getting used to. The sculpt has some nice detailing that is right in line with the figures that are meant to inhabit the castle, and this even extends to the interior: The floors actually have sculpted floorboards and nails, with some nice wood grain detailing. The bottom floor has sculpted bricks, as well. No matter how much I love my vintage Grayskull, this is an objective improvement. Assembly is very easy, and you'll have the whole thing together within minutes. 

The paint apps are simple and sloppy. This isn't much of an issue when it comes to the nose and eye sockets, as the paint masking doesn't need to be precise; the paint apps on the vintage Grayskull facades were all over the place, so the bar is set pretty low on that score. The wooden roofs actually get some brown paint apps, but they don't cover the entire area. It looks worse than leaving them unpainted, frankly. There are also some odd light green highlights on the facade that don't seem to be there for any reason other than to look strange. These are easy issues to fix, thankfully. There are a few paint apps on the computer, which are much neater. That's right, the computer is an actual piece of plastic, rather than a piece of cardboard. The hanging banners are actual fabric, and the double-sided flag is a pair of stickers that are applied on either side of a plastic flag. This is much sturdier than just wrapping a sticker around a plastic rod, as with the vintage version. Other accessories include the throne, laser turret, combat trainer, ladder, and two weapons racks. There are pegs on some of the floor sections to attach the flag, turret, and trainer, and the throne snaps easily into place on the main floor. It's cool to have a pair of weapons racks, but unfortunately, Mattel didn't include enough weapons to fill even one of them. I suppose they want us to use some of the weapons we already have to fill them out. There are notches into which the ladder can fit, which makes for much sturdier play. There is also a sticker sheet, which features art that is clearly inspired by the vintage playset without copying it exactly. They're nice enough, but some of them lack the cool psychedelic quality of the vintage ones.

One "accessory" deserves its own paragraph. The Sorceress is included in her all-white incarnation as seen in the Temple of Darkness minicomic. I've seen a lot of grumbling about this, but as this is my preferred version of the Sorceress, I'm quite happy with her inclusion! Her sculpt is exactly what can reasonably be expected from a Sorceress figure in this line, adhering very closely to the vintage figure, with slightly sharper detail in a few spots. The falcon headpiece is the standout here, with some nice texture work on the feathers. Her wings, molded in translucent plastic, are separate pieces on hinges, independent of her arms. Considering the monstrosities we ended up with on the MOTU Classics Sorceress, it's nice to see this issue handled so well here. The paint apps are minimal, but neat. The face is pretty much perfect, though there is a tiny bit of slop around the edge of the headpiece. Still, this is well within the bounds of what I consider acceptable for a mass-produced retail toy. The line's standard articulation is present, with swivel & hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, swivels at the waist and boot tops, and a ball-jointed head. The head's range of motion is severely impaired by the falcon headdress, which is unfortunate, but not surprising. 

Unfortunately, I did run into a couple of significant quality control issues with the figure. First, when I removed the Sorceress from the packaging, she couldn't keep her legs together! Now calm down, this isn't a judgement on her character, but an issue with the figure's construction. I finagled the hips for a minute and managed to get them to click into a better position, but whenever I adjust her pose, they lock back into the splayed position. I'll have to heat & disassemble the hips to figure out what the problem is. The other QC issue will be tougher to fix. There's a little piece of excess plastic stuck to the front of the figure's abdomen. I've seen this sort of thing before; it likely happened when the pieces were removed from the mold at the factory. The sprue has a bit of melted plastic on the tip when it's removed from the mold along with the pieces, and sometimes some of this sticks to one of them. This one went unnoticed, and it's stuck quite firmly to the figure. It won't be easy to remove it without damaging the figure. This really shouldn't have made it past QC. 

The castle has a few cool action features. There is the trap door, of course, which has a much simpler mechanism than its vintage counterpart. It works well, and my little niece and I have had no issues with it functioning as it should. Unfortunately, this can not be said for the elevator. This damn thing works about as well as a submarine with a screen door. It constantly hitches when going up, and does it even worse when descending. All play involving the elevator stopped pretty early on, as my little niece got sick of struggling with it. I've checked to make sure it's assembled properly, and it is. It's just lousy. Thankfully, the jaw bridge works perfectly. Inserting the Sword of Power (or anything that fits into the slot, really) triggers a spring-loaded mechanism that unlocks the bridge, allowing entry into the castle. This is a fun feature that my niece loves playing with, and so far it has held up over dozens and dozens of uses without any issues. 

Putting aesthetics aside for the moment, there are quite a few little improvements over the vintage Grayskull. I've already mentioned the additional sculpted details on the interior, better versions of accessories that were formerly made of cardboard, and additional paint apps. There is also an additional bit of floor space, as the right hand turret actually has a back half now. This is a nice touch that improves the overall look and adds a bit more play, or display, space. The jaw bridge is molded in different colored plastic, so you don't have to repaint it or rationalize having a green wooden door. (Personally, I never had any problem believing that there were green trees somewhere on Eternia, but this has long been a sticking point for a lot of people.) Accessories such as the laser turret and combat trainer are better built, and feel much less flimsy than the vintage versions. The hinges and latches are also vastly better, and look to be far sturdier than the vintage designs. 

Conversely, there are still a few things the vintage castle has over the new kid. Most obviously, the plastic quality of the new castle is simply not as good. You can feel how flimsy some of the parts are, and the middle floors are already sagging slightly. The vintage castle had a little lever on the inside of the jaw bridge, which was very handy for closing it without having to reach around to the front of the castle. This is totally absent on the new version. The vintage castle also included enough weapons to actually fill the damn weapons rack. Items like the space suit are missing from the new version (unless you lucked out on the Power Con exclusives, but I'm not about to open that can of worms here), but as it was just a piece of cardboard with the '80s Grayskull, I think we can consider that a wash. Bringing aesthetics back into it, the facade and sticker art looked much cooler. Like I said earlier, the new castle's facade doesn't look bad at all, it's just that the vintage one looked about a billion times more foreboding. 

With all that said, I still recommend hunting down an Origins Grayskull if you have the slightest urge to own one. The vintage one is still cooler, but the new one is no slouch, and it does have quite a few features that are objective improvements. If you have any children in the family, you can let them play with it without constantly suffering from a clinched sphincter over worrying that they'll break your badass vintage Grayskull. So, it's got that going for it! It also has a very cool pack-in figure, whether or not it's your preferred version. The price is also quite reasonable; I expected we'd be shelling out at least $100 for a Grayskull in this line. Playsets in toylines are a rarity these days; reasonably priced ones are damn near nonexistent! It's also worth mentioning the beautiful box art, which pays homage to the Rudy Obrero original while remaining its own thing. The side panels also recreate the photos on the sides of the vintage box. It feels weird to be touting packaging as a reason to shell out $75 for a toy, but here we are! When you get right down to it, any Grayskull is a good Grayskull. The Origins Castle Grayskull may not be the coolest one ever made, but it's still pretty damn cool. They're currently popping up with increasing frequency at Walmarts across the country, so if you haven't seen one yet, remain vigilant, and your luck is bound to change. If you don't want to hunt for it-- and I really don't blame you if you're in that camp-- BBTS is always an option! That's it for today, but keep scrolling for plenty more photos, and be sure to cross the jawbridge next week for more! Until then, stay safe out there, and happy hunting!

(And yeah, the interior of my vintage castle is dusty as hell. Cut me some slack, I never look inside the thing anymore!)