I grabbed a few deals during Sideshow’s Spooktacular Event this year. I don’t know that the deals were all that amazing, but clearly they were good enough to make me drop some coin. One of those purchases was Asmus Toys’ Ash from Evil Dead 2. I was really hoping this figure was going to arrive in time for me to review on Halloween, but obviously that didn’t happen. He showed up the day after, and while I tried to get a review in the can for Wednesday, I needed an extra day to finish it, so here we are on Thursday!

This is my first experience with a figure from Asmus, so I am both excited and a little apprehensive. They are probably best known for their Lord of the Rings Sixth-Scales, and while I don’t collect the LotR figures, I’ll admit I’m still considering picking up their upcoming Gandalf the Grey. Anyway, Ash’s box is pretty nice, with a lift off sleeve that reveals a window box. The cardboard is pretty flimsy, but that seems to be the case with a lot of higher end Sixth-Scale boxes these days. The figure I’m looking at today is the Standard Release, he was also available as a Luxury Edition, and I’ll talk a bit about that at the end.

Here’s Ash freed from his tray and ready to take on an army of Deadites! …And I dare say he’s looking pretty groovy! When I’m taking a look at Sixth-Scale figures made by some of the smaller companies, I often feel obligated to point out that they are not Hot Toys and that I should keep expectations in check. Some may say that’s unfair, but these days if I’m paying over $200 for a figure in this scale, such comparisons are going to be made! And so, I have a lot of praise for this figure, but I’ll also point out aspects where I think it falls a little short of what to me has become the industry standard. Or at least what the standard should be. OK, with that behind me, this is clearly ash from Evil Dead 2, donning his brown slacks, brown hiking boots, and a somewhat distressed blue button down shirt. He also has his shotgun rig, with the scabbard angled across his back and the catch for the chainsaw rip-cord in front of his right shoulder. The tailoring on the clothing is excellent, and the fit is pretty good. You get some very tidy stitching, and none of that puffiness you see with some companies (*cough* Big Chief *cough*) Indeed, my only gripe with the outfit is the pants seem to ride a bit high, and it’s not really possible to pull them down. At the same time, it’s nice to have a Sixth-Scale figure that I am really comfortable playing with, and not worrying about damaging the costume, as is often the case with Hot Toys releases. It also helps that the figure’s joints are easy to work with and are a far bit better than the loosy-goosy joints I’ve experienced with some Sideshow Sixth-Scale figures.

The head sculpt is a decent likeness with a dash of caricature thrown in. And in the case of Bruce Campbell, I think that formula works really well. I genuinely like this portrait a lot better than the one Sideshow did a little while back, but I’d still love to see Hot Toys take a crack. I think the likeness is perhaps weakest when viewed from dead on, but angle a little to the left and right and I can find the sweet spots. There’s some extremely good texturing showing the pores of his skin, which I did not expect, and the overall coloring is spot on as well. The scars aren’t terribly convincing, but then they really weren’t in the film either. I do, however, like the blood along his hairline and on his left ear. The prominent brow and epic chin are pure Campbell, and the sculpted hair is on point. I am very happy with how this turned out. Let’s look at accessories!

We might as well start with the Boom Stick! The sawed-off, double-barrel shotgun slides in and out of the scabbard with ease, and looks great with the stock peeking up behind his right shoulder. It’s a beautifully crafted little weapon, with a simulated wood stock and foregrip, and the finish on the breech and barrels are pretty convincing as blued steel. which breaks open at the breech for loading, although you don’t get any teeny-tiny bullets. Ash has a right trigger hand, but he also has a left trigger hand, which is great in case… oh, I don’t know… something should happen to his right hand. He also has a left hand to cradle the foregrip.

Next up, is the Kandarian Dagger, which is also an impressive piece. The sculpt is excellent and it’s cast in soft plastic, so you don’t have to worry about snapping any of those bones. It does seem kind of big, but I might be misremembering the size of it from the movie. The spine-like blade is very cool and the tiny skull mounted in the pommel is creepy as hell.

And what would an Ash figure be without the Necronomicon? The gruesome tome is bound in soft plastic rather than human skin, but it does open and has a hefty number of pages, all illustrated with the images from the book in the film. I really wish I could show you, but the binding is really tight, and I’m afraid if I try to open it too wide it might tear. You’ll just have to take my word for it! Ash comes with hands that are designed to hold the book.

And speaking of hands, it’s time for Ash to lose one of his. You can pop it off and attach a bandaged stump. He also comes with the demonic severed hand.

And last, but not least, is the chainsaw, which attaches to Ash’s right wrist. This is a beautifully detailed piece with a good bit of heft. The blade is made of diecast metal and looks suitably worn and weathered. You can even pull the ripcord and the blade will shake. That’s an unexpected gimmick, and I’d rather they left it out. It doesn’t add much to the accessory and it makes it difficult to attach the cord to the fixture on his harness, because it’s always pulling itself back into the chainsaw. With that being said, the chainsaw makes a sturdy connection to the wrist with no worries of it falling out or oven weighing down his arm.

Ash does come with a very cool figure stand. It’s got a hexagonal base with his name on the front along with the title of the flick. The top panel of the base resembles blood stained floorboards, and even the post has a bit of an ornate design to it, which is a really nice touch! The figure is secured with the usual crotch cradle and Ash looks damn good displayed on the stand!

At about $40 off and free shipping, Ash was an impulse buy. I have been totally happy having NECA’s excellent work represent this beloved character in my collection, but this was a deal that made me bite, and I’m very glad I did. The figure is regularly priced at around $235, which is approaching Hot Toys pricing. And while this release certainly falls short of Hot Toys high standards in a few areas, the accessories are top notch and I think this is an all around excellent figure. I should note that there is a Luxury Edition out there, which absolutely has to be seen to believed. It includes enough stuff to display ash from the beginning of the movie and the end. It also comes with a crazy detailed base with all sorts of wonderful display options. It was priced at $350 and I might have been tempted once I saw all that stuff, but it seems to have sold out at all my usual retailers. But that’s OK. The point here was to get a cool Sixth-Scale Ash at a good deal, and that’s what he is!