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!