Tag Archives: neca

Jun 6 2017

Marvel Comics: Quarter-Scale Deadpool by NECA

I know, yesterday was Marvel Monday, and that’s the day I set aside for all my Marvel Comics toy rambling, but sometimes I’ve got to make exceptions, and NECA’s amazing Quarter-Scale Deadpool seems like one of those times. While this is certainly not NECA’s first Marvel character in this enormous scale, previous efforts, like Iron Man and Captain America, have been grounded in the MCU. On the other hand, Wade Wilson here represents their first foray into the comic-based characters, and I was really excited to see what NECA would do with it. You think you can handle 18-inches of rock hard ‘Pool? Well, I know my little photo stage can’t, so pardon me while I go make some modifications to accommodate this beast of a figure.

The line is called EPIC MARVEL and Deadpool is appropriately Figure #00. The massive figure comes in a standard window box, much like previous releases, but this time it’s positively littered with art, quotes, and gags befitting The Merc With A Mouth. Before I even opened the figure, I had a great time looking over every square inch at the box to see all the creative stuff they plastered on it. Putting this much effort into the packaging art is love of the craft, plain and simple, and nobody does it quite like NECA. I have looked at several of NECA’s Quarter-Scale figures before, but if you’re new to this line and want a little help conceptualizing how big this figure really is, check out a shot of the box next to Hasbro’s 6-inch Marvel Legends Deadpool…

Yeah. It’s big! The package is collector friendly up to a point. You can get the figure out by clipping all those wire ties, but the accessories are all sealed to the sides of the cardboard tray with bubbles. This is unfortunate, because there’s a lot of great art on the inside of the tray too, and while some time, patience, and careful slicing with a razor can get these pieces out with minimal damage, it’s not really ideal for preserving the packaging. I tend to keep these figures in their boxes, so I spent a lot of time getting the accessories out. But now that he’s out, let’s start with the figure itself…

Sweet Chimichanga-Eatin’ Jesus… Just check him out! As I already mentioned, this design is based on the character’s comic book appearances, but clearly NECA had some artistic license when designing him, similar to what Sideshow did with their Sixth-Scale ‘Pool. The design here is absolutely superb and the way its conveyed in the sculpt is pure poetry. The suit itself is a mix of textured matte red plastic, some smooth black matte plastic, and some high gloss black paint on the shoulders. Frankly, I think the shoulders might have looked better left matte like the rest, but it still looks fine. There’s so much detail here that I’m just going to take us on a tour around Deadpool’s magnificent body and call out some of the highlights. Where better to start than with…

The crotch! It wouldn’t be Deadpool without a ton of pouches and he’s got a nice selection of these on his belt for storing his tchotchkes, Kleenix, Polaroids of Siryn sleeping, and Bea Arthur’s toenail clippings. There’s more sculpted detail on any one of these pouches than your average off-the-peg 3 3/4-inch action figure. All the eyelets and fasteners are painted in metallic silver, and you get a nice wash over the brown to make them look like rich Corinthian leather. He also has his signature Deadpool belt-buckle and some canister grenades. This shot also gives a nice view of the texturing on his uniform as well as his manly ‘Pool bulge.

If we come around a bit to check out his right thigh, we can see some more pouches and the holster for his sidearm. The sculpted straps look great, along with more silver painted fixtures. I like the brush marks on the panels of the holster itself, and the sculpted screw heads.

Just below his holster is a sheath for his knife. Again, nice job here on the sculpted screws and paint. It all looks really convincing.

Checking out Deadpool from the back shows off his impressive sword rig. The crossed scabbards hold his twin katanas as well as a sai. The sword rig is the one real complaint I have with this figure. It’s held on with two pegs and thick tabs that fit into recessed areas on his back. I found it a little tough to get it in all the way, especially with some fear of snapping those little pegs. It seems to work best on my figure when I put the bottom peg in first, then insert the top, and press the whole thing in as hard as I can. It seems to hold fine when he’s standing there on display, but when I’m playing around with him, it will tend to pop out again. To avoid frustration, I’ve found it best to take it off when messing around with him a lot.

And just to show you how much love and attention NECA put into this guy, check out the soles of his boots. God, I love this!

And here’s a shot of Deadpool’s handsome mug. The mask features some wonderful depth to the sculpt, from the texturing to the tiny rivets, and the recessed eye panels. You also get a very expressive look, with his one eye popped and the other eye squinting and his brow rumpled. Some might cry foul that there’s only one noggin in the box, but I can easily forgive that when I consider how many other goodies are included with the figure. But before I get to all the accessories, let’s do a run down on the articulation…

The arms have rotating hinges in the shoulders and wrists, swivels in the biceps, and double hinges in the elbows. The legs feature rotating hinges in the hips, swivels in the thighs and double hinges in the knees. The ankles are hinged, have lateral rockers, and the feet are hinged about halfway to the toes. There’s a swivel in the waist, an ab crunch hinge in the torso, and the neck is ball jointed. The joints on this guy feel fantastic and he’s a lot of fun to pose, although sometimes it feels like wrestling with a small child, because he’s just so damn big. He’s also extremely well balanced. I hardly have any trouble getting him to stay standing no matter what pose I put him in.

Deadpool comes with a total of seven different hands, most of which are tailored specifically for holding his various weapons. Although you do get this sweet left hand with his branded knuckles. Oh, Deadpool, don’t ever change. Let’s look at some guns…

‘Pools prolific arsenal of prodigious pew-pews includes a pistol, a sub-machine gun, and an assault rifle.

The pistol reminds me of RoboCop’s Auto 9, which was a modified Beretta 93R. I love the design of this thing and the sculpt is outrageous. It’s cast in black matte plastic and features some silver paint apps. It’s an entirely static piece, so there’s no working action or removable clip. It’s interesting that NECA went with a single distinctive pistol like this, rather than the usual twin automatics that we often seen Deadpool wielding. I’m actually glad they went this route as it just makes this version of the character all the more distinctive.

The sub-machine gun is another great looking weapon. Like the pistol, it’s cast in black plastic, and is static with no moving parts or removable clip. It does, however, have some great notations by Deadpool on one side and ‘Pool’s symbol stamped on the other. Oh yeah, there’s even a tiny Deadpool charm hanging off the back sling ring.

And the final entry for the guns is this assault rifle fitted with a scope and a grenade launcher. This sucker has a lot of character and includes some sculpted and painted tape on the stock, a couple of magazines taped together to one side and another pair of magazines, which are removable. All three of these weapons make for a strong statement, but sometimes you want to add a little personal touch to your killing, and that’s where the edged weapons come in handy…

‘Pool’s assortment of cutlery includes his twin katanas, a sai, and a fixed blade knife.

The sai is very simple, although it does have a cool sculpted wrap handle and I really love how it has that hole in his scabbard rig for storage.

The fixed-blade knife is a marvelous little piece. The detail on the grips is amazing. I do, however, find it to be a little diminutive for Deadpool. I doubt I will display him holding it very often, but it sure looks great in the sheath on his leg.

His katanas are really the showpiece here. They feature fully sculpted wrapped hilts with a red and black pattern, because Deadpool knows how important it is to accessorize. The tsubas are also fashioned to look like Deadpool’s iconic symbol. The blades are beautifully painted in metallic silver and feature some Japanese lettering sculpted right into the blades. These fit perfectly in the scabbards, are easy to draw, and he’s got a pair of hands that grip them splendidly.

Deadpool retails at $109 and I’ve got to say that’s a mighty good value for what you’re getting here. The figure alone is an absolute work of art and uses a full four pounds of plastic. Add to that plenty of great articulation and a ton of extras and it’s easy to see where all the money went in a release like this. It’s also easy to see where all the love went. Quarter-Pool feels like nothing less than a passion project, which granted is the case with a lot of NECA’s releases. With four of these Quarter-Scales already on my shelf, I have to be careful about how many I buy. Space is always a premium for me, but Deadpool here was an instant purchase the moment I saw him.

May 23 2017

Predator: Ultimate Jungle Hunter by NECA

It wasn’t too long ago that I checked out the aptly named, Ultimate City Hunter from NECA. Yes, the Ultimate Pred from the second movie was actually released first, and now hot on its heels comes the Jungle Hunter from the original flick. I need not gas on about how much I’m in love with NECA’s Ultimate figures. To the uninitiated, these are basically characters that NECA has released before, but now they’re given the utmost attention when it comes to articulation, accessories, and overall presentation. They’re not only wonderful action figures, but the line touches on all those wonderful nuggets of cinematic nostalgia from my youth. Needless to say I am super excited to dive right in and check this ugly sunovabitch out!

If you’re like me and already own City Hunter, you’ll be happy to know that Jungle Hunter’s package pairs up with it perfectly on the shelf. Hell, it pairs up beautifully with all the other Ultimate figures on my shelf from Terminator to Commando, to the slew of 80’s horror figures. Seeing these boxes all lined up is a beautiful thing and it reminds me of the VHS cassette cabinet that I had in my room with all the same titles on the spines. The package consists of a seemingly enclosed box with an opening front flap that reveals a window and allows for a good look at the figure inside. You get the Predator title running down both side panels and a whole mess of pictures of the figure on the back. Of course, everything is collector friendly and the only thing standing between me and my new Predator is a piece of cello tape and some twisty-ties.

Jungle Hunter comes out of the box with his shoulder cannon off, but I’m starting out with it attached to the figure and with the masked head on. Remember how I gushed over the City Hunter? Well, all that gushing goes for this guy too! The detail on display here is just crazy. I adore the creepy plastic they use for the Predator skin and how convincing the body net looks, even though it’s sculpted as part of the buck. I also love that I’m getting high off the fumes of this fellow even though he wasn’t sealed in a clam shell. Despite seeing both Predator and Predator 2 more times than I can imagine, I was never really aware of how many differences there were between the Preds until I had these figures in hand to compare. In fact, it’s worth noting that I’m hard pressed to find any parts shared between this guy and the City Hunter.

Some of the wonderful details on this Pred include the leather loin cloth, the beautiful pitting in the leg and thigh armor, the alien carvings in his belt buckle, and the strings of bones that hang off of his shoulders. Oh, and let’s not forget the sculpted sandals. Am I the only one who thinks that Preds wearing sandals is weird? Well, this one does so I should probably just get over it. Where was I? Oh yeah… the details! So good! I know I use the phrase “work of art” a lot when I talk about NECA stuff, and here’s yet another example where it’s appropriate. I can just get lost in every little loving detail that NECA put into this figure. If you want better than this, you’re going to have to go to Sixth-Scale and shell out a whole lot more money. Or maybe just go for one of NECA’s Quarter-Scale Predators.

The shoulder cannon is a lot beefier than what we saw on the City Hunter and it is a beautiful piece. It tabs in at the shoulder and again in the back, making it pretty easy to put on and take off. It also holds in place quite well. I love the segmented armor running down the back of it like a crustacean shell. The piece also mates nicely with the armor sculpted into his left arm as well as the hoses. It all makes him look more formidable, and yet a little more primitive, than his urban-hunting successor. The hoses have a habit of pulling out when I’m posing this guy, as you may notice in some of the pictures, but they can be stuck right back into place.

NECA included an effect part that pegs into the shoulder cannon. It looks OK, but the added weight is too much for that little ball joint to take, so it doesn’t really work that well. I can usually get it to sit right for a little while, but then it just droops. I guess it’s the thought that counts.

The masked head is a lot cleaner than the pitted and weathered City Hunter’s mask, although it does have a few painted blast marks and some light scratching and scarring. I really like the detail in the laser tracker just above the right eye slit. But in the end, it’s the dreadlocks that impress me the most with this head. Each one is individually sculpted and painted and boy do they look great. And while I do enjoy the masked head a lot, it’s hard to go with it when the other display option is this…

Fantastic! Once again, I’ve got to say how great this plastic is. It’s very glossy, giving the Pred a slimy look and it takes the coloring very well. The sculpting on the mandibles is beautifully done and again we get the individually sculpted and painted dreads hanging off the back. The deep set piercing eyes, which are practically buried under that prominent brow are also superbly executed.

In addition to the shoulder cannon, Jungle Hunter includes the retractable blades on his right gauntlet and the self-destruct computer on his left gauntlet. Once again, both of these are completely different sculpts from City Hunter.

Probably my favorite extra included in the box is the mask, which obviously doesn’t fit over the face, but allows you to display him as if he’s taking it off for that memorable moment in the film. It’s especially nice if your torn between displaying him masked or unmasked, because it gives you the best of both worlds without having to buy a second figure.

And finally, you get some trophies! The skull with spine is the same piece included with City Hunter, only this time without the gore. You also get an extra skull. Jungle Hunter also comes with an extra set of hands, which are designed to hold the spine.

Is it any surprise that City Hunter turned out so fabulously? Well, it shouldn’t be, because NECA has been working their magic on Predators for what seems like forever now and they know their stuff. Their regular release Predators are fantastic in their own right, so it’s only natural for me to have high expectations from the Ultimate Preds, and all those expectations have been fulfilled here. It’s the crazy level of detail and all the differences between the City and Jungle Hunters that make me want to start collecting NECA’s regular Predator line. And yet it’s still something I’m trying to resist. Both my wallet and limited space do not need me to dive down that rabbit hole. Now, I’m just counting the days until the re-releases of Dutch come out, so I’ll have someone for Jungle Hunter to fight. Sadly, still no Lt. Mike Harrington figures on the horizon, but a fella can still hope.

Apr 25 2017

Predator 2: Ultimate City Hunter by NECA

It’s been a couple of months since I last checked in with NECA’s amazing line of Ultimate figures, and that just won’t do! Luckily, I happen to have their Ultimate City Hunter from Predator 2 hanging around and waiting to be opened. I should first go on record by saying that I really dig this movie a lot. Taking the franchise out of the jungle and into the city was a great idea, and Danny Glover was a great choice as the lead. It wasn’t just more of the same, but rather felt like something new and different. And so, while I’m not really collecting NECA’s regular Predator line, I am all-in on the Ultimate figures, and I was really excited to get this one.

The Ultimate line’s packaging features beautifully illustrated boxes with a front flap that opens to reveal a window and the figure inside. There are some great pictures of the figure in action, and the name of the franchise is printed on the side panel, so you can line these boxes up on the shelf as if they were chunky VHS tape sleeves. Everything is collector friendly, so let’s carefully take this guy out and start with a look at the figure itself.

NECA has been doing Predators in this scale for what seems like forever, so it should be no surprise that they’ve nailed the sculpt. Indeed, I think you’d be hard pressed to find another figure in this scale that has more loving attention to detail and is this screen accurate to its source material. I’m sure a veteran Predator collector could point out some parts reuse on this guy, but the only other Predator I own is from the Aliens Vs. Predator 2-pack, so this is all new to me. I don’t know what flavor plastic they use for the skin, but it’s incredible stuff. It has a glossy and almost translucent sheen about it that takes the various painted skin patterns and makes it look real and it also contrasts beautifully with the pitted and ancient looking armor pieces. The net body suit is part of the sculpt as well, and he even has that bone handbag-looking thing hanging off his side. Anyone know what that is?

From the back, you can get a better look at some of that armor detail. Again, the pitting and wear in the sculpt, along with the aged patina, really sells these plastic parts as well-worn metal. As for the rest of the detail, just check out the intricate scaled pattern in his right shoulder guard, or the medical kit pod on the center of his back. Oh, and see that track running down from his left shoulder. Is something missing there? Well, I’ll get to that in a bit.

The helmeted head is equally fantastic. It looks like it’s made out of hammered copper, thanks to the intricate pitting in the sculpt and the beautiful paint wash. The dreadlocks spill out the back and sides, and each one is an individual piece with its own unique detail and paintwork. Now, as much as I love and respect the amount of work that went into this masked head, this is the last time you’re going to see it on the figure in this review, and that’s for two reasons. First, the ball joint piece has a habit of coming out inside the head and is a bitch to get out. This makes swapping the heads a pain in the ass. Second, the unmasked head is so damn great that I want to keep it on the figure all the time.

Because just look at it! I can never decide whether the markings on the Predator’s head reminds me of a snake or a cockroach, but either way it’s deliciously repulsive and recreated here just perfectly. The beady little eyes can just barely be seen under the pronounced brow ridge, and those mandibles? If those aren’t a work of art, then I don’t know what is. He may be one ugly sonofabitch, but I’m most definitely in love with every bit of this portrait.

This line has been a champion of solid articulation and City Hunter is no different. The arms feature rotating hinges in the shoulders and wrists, swivels in the biceps, and double hinged elbows. The legs have rotating hinges in the hips and ankles, swivels at the hips, and double hinged knees. There’s a ball joint in the torso and another in the neck. Not bad!

Before moving on to the accessories, City Hunter has a few tricks up his sleeves… literally! His right gauntlet features a twin set of vicious looking blades with some nasty serrated edges. These will extend a little bit just by pulling them out. These are also among the many aspects of the figure that I would recommend being careful with. They are fairly rigid and probably pretty easy to chip or crack.

His left gauntlet features his self-destruct computer, which hinges open and shows the alien characters on the displays. The hinge on this device is another part of the figure that feels extremely delicate. It’s also an area that I find myself gripping when changing the right hand, which is probably not the best of ideas. Of course, as a release in the Ultimate line, The City Hunter comes with a ton of stuff and a bunch of extra hands to interact with all the accessories. But before I go on, I do have to circle back to that empty track on my figure’s left shoulder. Unfortunately, my City Hunter came without his shoulder cannon. I have been able to rectify that with a replacement from the retailer, but it hasn’t arrived yet, and I firmly believe in pressing on with the review based on how the figure arrived. When the replacement does arrive, I’ll update this review appropriately. Now, let’s get to what my figure did come with.

First off, he comes with his spear, in both its retracted and deployed forms. The retracted spear can be clipped to his back, which points to one of the many things I love about this figure, that being his ability to carry all his weapons at once. He also comes with left and right hands designed to hold the weapon. I’m glad they went with two different pieces, rather than try to make the spear telescope. This route allowed for better sculpts of both and probably a much sturdier extended spear.

Next, he comes with his Net Launcher. This piece can be pegged into his lower left leg for storage. He also comes with a left hand specifically designed to hold it. The fingers are flat and they go right into the groove on the back.

The Smart Disk, or Glaive, can be stored on his right hip, and it’s a damned fine sculpt, complete with little gears on the back and finger holds.`

The final weapon in City Hunter’s arsenal is the retractable laser on his left gauntlet. You get two covers for this, one that pegs in flush with the gauntlet to depict it closed and another that depicts it deployed and ready to fire. As subtle as it is, I think it’s fantastic that NECA included these little pieces. It really shows how much thought and love goes into designing these figures and what kinds of extra features they can include.

The last accessory isn’t a weapon, but rather a trophy in the form of a skull and spine. This is a brilliant sculpt, especially for this scale, and the paint features a grisly red wash that suggests it’s a fresh kill. This piece looks so great, it really makes me want to go back and pick up the Predator accessory kit that NECA released a little while back.

It’s a remarkable thing that NECA can keep the prices of these Ultimate figures just under the $25 mark. The sculpt and paint are incredible and they really pack a crazy amount of stuff into the box. Granted, my figure was missing one of those extras, but it was easy to resolve, as I’m getting a second figure as a replacement and I’ll happily use the extra one to display the masked head. If picking up this figure has a downside for me, it’s that it really makes me want to start collecting more of NECA’s lovely Predators. It’s an urge that I’m trying to stave off, because there are so many of them and the last thing I need is another line to collect. hopefully, I can last at least until the Ultimate Jungle Hunter comes out. What’s that? It came out yesterday? Dammit!

Mar 21 2017

Kenner Aliens: Gorilla Alien by NECA

Yes, Gorilla Alien, my friends. What more of an introduction do you need to make you want to venture forward with today’s review? NECA went all the way back to Kenner’s Aliens figures from the 90’s and worked their magic with some of those wacky designs to bring us this spectacular wave. If you want the full preamble, I’ll refer you back to my look at the Mantis Alien from last month. On the other hand, if you’re like me and can’t wait to have a look at this bad boy, then let’s get started…

Oh, shit. I got a little ahead of myself and opened this guy up before taking the packaged shot. Well, can you blame me? I tried to put him back on his tray, but I have no idea how they had this huge figure folded up to fit in there. At least you can still enjoy that rad artwork and there’s still some lovely plastic fumes left for me to snort. Check out how they re-worked the NECA logo to match the old Kenner logo on the bottom right hand corner. Cool!

And just check this fellow out! Kenner’s line was all about coming up with different cross-species of Xenomorphs and the name of this guy says it all. Now, unlike the Mantis Alien, the host animal on which this Xenomorph is based isn’t quite as apparent. Nope, nothing really about this guy screams Gorilla to me, but that’s OK. He’s still a bigger, beefier Xeno, and he’s got plenty of unique design elements. Just check out those pronounced tubular nodes coming off of his forearms as well as a triple-spiked tail. Also, check out all the beautiful work they put into his claws! While the snazzy translucent green plastic of Mantis makes that figure stand out a little more, there’s no denying that this one is just as much a work of art.

Yup, no matter how many of NECA’s Xenos I open, I never tire of taking in all that incredible detail that they sculpt into these bodies. Every little element of HR Giger’s infamous bio-tech design comes alive in this plastic and all of it is picked out by sumptuous blue paint wash, which invokes the crazy colors of the original toy and comic, while still managing to stay grounded in the realism of NECA’s re-imagining. Damn, I just adore the coloring on this Xeno! In addition to the black and blue deco, you get some silver highlights here and there.

And of all that isn’t enough to make you Xeno-Fans cream your jeans, just check out the head on this sexy beast! Yes, I called him sexy, because look at it! The contours are beautiful and there’s a wonderful contrast between the smooth dome and the intricate bits of the lower head and jaw. I really dig how the head sweeps up at the end and crowns with four prongs, giving him a powerful, regal look. Naturally, the mouth opens up and you can pull out the secondary set of jaws within. All this is great stuff, but rather than rest on their laurels, NECA included a second dome, offering another display option. But before I swap them, let’s take this one off and see what’s going on under the hood.

Nightmare fuel! Removing the stock dome reveals a very ape-like skull with tubes protruding from its empty eye sockets. The skull stretches back the full length of the head and it is magnificently painted. By the way, did you know that NECA just released a life-size foam Xenomorph skull? It’s huge and almost $300, and I hate the fact that I would have nowhere to display it if I bought it. Anyway… the alternate dome is a clear, somewhat smokey plastic.

Popping it on gives you a nice homage to the Big Chap from the original Alien film. It’s a nice tease, as you can just barely make out the details inside. I should point out that while I stuck with the black dome for most of the pictures, that shouldn’t be taken as any indication that its my favorite of the two. Truth be told, I haven’t decided which one to display the figure with yet, and in the end I’ll probably just buy a second so I don’t have to decide.

The articulation here is everything I’ve come to expect out of my NECA Xenos. You get rotating hinges in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and ankles. The legs are double jointed, there are swivels in the biceps and at the hips. There’s a ball joint in the chest and another in the neck. The tail is made of the usual bendy plastic, presumably with a wire in it so that it can hold whatever position you put it in. He’s a pretty well balanced figure and I was able to get him to hold a lot of neat poses, but you can always rely on using the tail to prop him up if you have to.

In case you’re still not convinced that you need this figure, NECA also threw in a facehugger painted to match this guy and a mini comic book showcasing this beast in action on the infested jungle planet of Zeevan.

I feel as if the Gorilla Alien is one of those cases where I could have just posted a bunch of pictures followed by the command, “BUY IT!” While I love gassing on about NECA’s beautiful Xenos, the truth is that with how beautiful this figure is, he practically reviews himself. Keep in mind, I was barely aware of Kenner’s Aliens toys back in the 90s, so nothing about my love for this figure is being driven by nostalgia. It’s all about the gorgeous workmanship that NECA put into him. And at about the price of one of Hasbro’s 6-inch Black Series figures, you’re getting a lot more craftsmanship for your toy buying dollars.

Mar 9 2017

Ash Vs. Evil Dead: Bloody Ash FacesThe Demon Spawn by NECA

I’m still in a Transformers dry spell, so no quickchangebots today. I promise, Transformers Thursday will be back soon. I’m really pushing for one next week. In the meantime, let’s turn our attention to NECA and Ash Vs. Evil Dead. I’ve already looked at the rest of the initial figures from this masterpiece of a TV series. If you need to get caught up, check out my reviews of Hero Ash and Eligos as well as the Value Stop Ash. The Hero Ash review is recommended reading, since most of it is applicable to the figure in this box and I’m not going to rehash it all here. Ready? Groovy! Let’s go…

This set is one of those “you gotta buy a variant of a figure you probably already have, so you can get something new” deals. I’m not being snotty about it. It’s just a reality that toy companies, especially smaller ones like NECA, need to get their money’s worth out of molds so they can cost out new ones. As a result, this three-pack includes a repainted bloody version of Hero Ash and two of Lucy’s hell-spawn children. The set comes in a window box, it’s collector friendly, and features a deco that matches the previous releases in this line. Let’s start with Ash…

And yes, as already mentioned, Ash is a straight up repaint of the Hero Ash figure only all bloodied up with a delicious new paint job. This was already a great sculpt and I’ve said all I have to say about it in the original review. I’ll just add that the blood is done really well and it totally sells the figure. I mean, with how much time Ash spends splattered with blood, this figure becomes less a variant and more an essential for any Evil Dead collection.

The figure only comes with the one head sculpt, but NECA tossed in the rest of the accessories included in the original release. So, you not only get his trusty Boomstick, but you also get his mechanical hand that swaps out with the chainsaw. And if you want to give either your regular Hero Ash or your Value Stop Ash a bloodied up face, the heads are interchangeable between all three of the figures. Moving on to the new stuff!

Lucy’s horrible kids! These demon spawn share the same disgusting diapered bodies, but feature individual paint washes to make them look like they’re covered in filth. Articulation includes rotating hinges in the shoulders, hips, and wrists. Double hinges in the elbows, single hinges in the knees and ankles, swivels in the waists, and ball joints in the necks. A word of warning, the paint wash on my figures meant that every joint had to be carefully worked loose and each one made a scary snap when it did. That having been said, nothing broke, but the ordeal was just a little scary.

You know what else is scary? These god damned kids. Look at the soul-less voids they have in place of eyes. One has an open mouth and the other is gritting its teeth. These demons creeped me the hell out in the show, and NECA has succeeded in translating that same sensation into the figures quite splendidly. Thanks for the goddamn nightmares, NECA! I’m not sure I can sleep in the same house with these two. I may have to bury these two in the back yard.

NECA put this set out there for just under forty bucks, but it’s been kicking around Amazon for considerably less. It’s a really nice deal for three figures, but it’s an even better deal if you missed out on the first Hero Ash release, which is now selling for double the original MSRP. Either way, I’m on board and All-In on anything and everything that NECA puts out for this series. And yes, that even includes the Ashey-Slashey puppet! Hey, it’s the least I can do to make sure this line succeeds and keeps on producing figures. And just to spread the love around, NECA also has a Ash and Deadite Ed two-pack coming from Evil Dead II. Ah, it’s a great time to be an action figure collector!

Feb 21 2017

Kenner Aliens: Mantis Alien by NECA

As most toy collectors know, Kenner and the Alien franchise go way back to 1979 when Kenner attempted to produce a line of Star Wars-style figures for the original Alien move, but backed out due to some parental uproar over the large Big Chap figure they released. Fast forward to the 90’s, a Golden Era, where parents stopped caring about being outraged over R-Rated movie toys. Cartoony versions of RoboCops, Predators, and Aliens were all over the toy shelves and Kenner finally had their way with Aliens. Fast forward again to now and we find that NECA is incorporating some of those Kenner Aliens designs into their own insanely popular Aliens figures. And that brings us to today’s figure… The Mantis Alien!

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Kenner’s Aliens line debuted a little too late for me. I was off at college believing that learning was good and toys were dumb, little aware that in a few years I’d be plunging head first into buying toys again. The line took advantage of the idea that Xenomorphs could spring from all sorts of different hosts and the result was a delightfully diverse collection of Aliens cross-bred with various beasts. Exactly how a Xeno springs out of an insect, I have no idea. Even the mini-comic included in the package doesn’t divulge these answers. Maybe they’re from a species of giant Space Mantis? Either way, I’m not going to argue when the results are this amazing. As always, the Aliens figures come in sealed clamshells, but there’s a few things to point out here. First, it comes with a mini-comic and a Chest Burster. Second, the artwork on the insert is delightfully colorful. Finally, don’t let the size of the package fool you, because when this thing is unfolded in all its glory, it’s huge! And so without further ado, I’m going to razor this baby open, huff some glorious plastic fumes, and we’ll check this guy out.

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OK, I’m going to try really hard not to go into full on hyperbole mode here, but I am so absolutely gobsmacked by this figure that it’s going to be hard not to gush like crazy. I mean, I often refer to the wizards at NECA as fine craftsman, but holy hell if this figure isn’t an absolute work of art then I don’t know what is. I’m not one to get all weak in the knees at the sight of translucent plastic in my toys, but the marrying of regular plastic and the green translucent stuff on this figure is sheer poetry. It looks absolutely stunning in person. As for the design? Well it’s sheer nightmare fuel. Regular Xenos are bad enough, but this guy is just down right terrifying.

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Part of that comes from the fact that adding bug parts makes anything creepier. Look at the tail and stinger on this thing! The detail work in the sculpt is magnificent and when you couple that with the silver and black paint, the translucent plastic, and that brown sting, it’s just totally over the top.

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What also makes this Xeno all the more terrifying is that it’s elongated mantis arms and jumping legs means that if this thing wants you, you’re screwed. I imagine this guy is a quadruped, but he can also stand up on his haunches and use those extended arms to do some horrific damage. Standing up, we can also get a better look at his anatomy. The bulk of his body is comprised of that translucent plastic while the feet, forearms and undercarriage are fortified with silver Alien-style exoskeleton. The barbs on those claws are particularly fierce. This thing probably doesn’t even need to grab its pray, it can just embed them on those spiked mitts of his. And just when you think things weren’t bad enough… let’s check out that head sculpt…

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Sweet Jesus have mercy! He’s both breathtaking and hideous at the same time… even by Xenomorph standards. I have no words for how awesome this head is, but I’ll at least mention that I’m in love with that silver, barbed cranium. Also, check out those nasty teeth and black gums. And yes, if you were wondering, there is indeed a secondary mouth in there that extends out. And much to my delight, it’s cast in translucent plastic!

 

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I don’t even know where to begin when talking articulation. This thing is loaded with points. The arms have rotating hinges in the shoulders, double rotating hinges in that first elbow, another rotating hinge at the next joint, another one at the wrist, and finally one more at the pincer. The legs have rotating hinges at the hips, double hinges at the first knee, rotating hinges at the next joint down, and finally another at the ankles. There’s a ball joint in the torso, another in the neck, the jaw is hinged, and the secondary mouth can be pulled out. I’d also like to point out that not once did I have to use a figure stand to get this fella to do what I wanted. He has a remarkable balance for such lanky design and his joints can hold his weight surprisingly well.

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As already mentioned, you get a couple of cool extras in the package. The first is a cool mini-comic that showcases the Mantis Alien battling some marines. The second is a little Chest Burster with a bendy tail and OMG, LOOK AT HIS ADORABLE LITTLE ARMS!!! He looks like he’s begging for a treat!

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Back when NECA revealed the first Kenner-style Aliens, I was almost tempted to take a pass. I have absolutely no nostalgia for the Kenner line. But knowing that it was NECA and seeing as how I already collect their Aliens line, I took the plunge and I’m so thankful that I did. The Mantis Alien is impressive in every imaginable way and he’s easily one of the most amazing looking figures that I’ve opened in recent memory. I’m seriously considering picking up a couple more of these simply because it’s not every day you can get a figure this awesome for about $22. And you know what else is awesome? He came with a friend. And hopefully next week I’ll be able to make the time to open up the Kenner-style Gorilla Alien!

Feb 7 2017

Terminator 2 Judgement Day: Ultimate T-1000 (Motorcycle Cop) by NECA

It’s always a great day when a new one of these NECA “Ultimate” figures arrives on my doorstep. Today, I’m opening up the fourth figure in this series from Terminator 2, which also happens to be the second release of the T-1000 from that film (check out the first release here!). This time he appears in his motorcycle cop disguise with a bevy of accessories, some old and some new. I’m always thrilled to pick up another figure from this movie, because it was so groundbreaking and I think it stands as one of the best Summer Sci-Fi-Action flicks of all time. Hell, I can still remember how pumped I was coming out of the theater after seeing it for the first time!

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I’ve gushed on and on (and on!) about how much I love the packaging for this line. The figure comes in a collector friendly box with a front flap secured by velcro. Open it up to reveal a window that offers a great look at the contents. As always, the box evokes the feel of a VHS tape in its sleeve, only a lot more chunkier. NECA also does a wonderful job of matching up these packages, so they look great all lined up on the shelf together.

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And here’s why they call these “Ultimate” figures. As you can see from the tray, you get a lot of stuff. The other great thing about these figures is they really serve to enhance each other. Having either one of these T-1000’s is cool enough, but if you own both of them, you can mix and match parts to recreate whatever you want.

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But make no mistake, this isn’t some minor variant release. With the exception of the belt and maybe the pelvis, this body is an entirely new sculpt. The torso features a motorcycle jacket that is brimming with detail. Besides the usual stitching, pockets, and wrinkles, you get some meticulously detailed shoulder patches and a tiny, but beautiful, badge. I’m really blown away by how much attention NECA spent on this jacket. The trousers feature piping on the sides and he’s wearing tall boots. Finally, the familiar belt features a sculpted walkie-talkie, handcuff pouch, two magazine pouches, and a working holster for his pistol.

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The stock head features the helmet and sunglasses. This noggin looks amazing, and I particularly love the glossy paintwork on the helmet itself.

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In addition to the helmeted head, you get two more portraits. One is just a standard one with a fantastic sculpt of Robert Patrick’s “determined to kill you” mug. It’s very similar to the one that came with the last T-1000 and I’m honestly not sure if it’s the same sculpt or not. This one seems to have more of an intense stare, I’m talking crazy peepers! But that could just be the paint. Either way, the likeness is fantastic and it’s an amazing piece of work.

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The other is a nice compliment to the “zipping up” head that came with the previous release. Here the head is totally blown apart and the effect is fantastic. Some may remember that I had a tough time swapping the heads on the first T-1000 because of a super tight fit. I’m happy to say that these go on and off very easily. And if you’re keeping score at home…

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That’s a total of six Robert Patrick heads so far, assuming you own both releases. That’s a lot of Robert Patrick!!

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The articulation here is pretty standard for the line. The arms have rotating hinges in the shoulders and the elbows, and the hands are attached with ball joints. The legs feature rotating hinges in the hips and knees, with the knee joints actually being slightly below the knee to conceal the joints in the boots. The ankles are hinged and feature lateral rockers. There’s a ball joint in the waist and another at the base of the neck. OK… let’s talk accessories!

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For starters, you get two guns. The first is the same service pistol, which I believe is a Beretta 92FS, that came with the original release. You also get a pair of gun-holding hands and the gun will fit in the holster on his belt. The other is the H&K sub-machine gun that the T-1000 used during the motorcycle chase.

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In addition to the relaxed hands and gun-holding hands, you also get a pair of the extended metal finger hands. These are the same ones that came with the last T-100 release, with one a little longer than the other.

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Finally, you get the sword arm, which attaches at the shoulder. I really like how they did this piece, since despite it morphing from the jacketed arm, it still works and looks just fine on the first release.

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It’s impossible for me to end any review of a NECA “Ultimate” figure without remarking on what a great value these are. If you’re lucky enough to have a TRU or an FYE in your area, you should be able to grab these for about $22-25. And when you consider the attention to detail and craftsmanship that goes into these releases, that’s one of the best deals going in the action figure aisles today. Not to mention all the extras and the premium packaging. What’s even better is that NECA isn’t done with this film yet. They’ve already teased another T-800 release, this time with the flower box and shotgun from the beginning of the film. Just keep making them, NECA, and I’ll keep buying them!

Jan 25 2017

Prometheus: Engineer (Pressure Suit and Chair Suit) by NECA

Trailers are up for Alien: Covenant and I’m mighty excited, because it’s looking very much the sequel to the grossly underappreciated, Prometheus. Yeah, Prometheus is what one would call a derisive film. It generated a lot of curiosity and excitement leading up to its release and then a lot of those feelings gave way to scorn. I imagine a lot of that comes from how problematic some people found it to place the film in the context of the Alien universe. It wasn’t a film that connected the dots for you and the marketers didn’t seem to know what to do with it. Nonetheless, I found Prometheus to be a stunningly gorgeous film and I’m a huge fan. Believe me, folks, the full extent of my unpopular film opinions would blind you all! But, hey, I’m not here to talk about movies, I’m here to talk about action figures!

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NECA (who else?) produced an unfortunately short-lived series of figures based on Prometheus and I’ve had a bunch of them sitting around waiting to be opened for a few years now. Why open them now? Because NECA just announced that the other figures they designed for the film will finally be getting a release later this year and I’m pretty damn excited about that. As you can see, the figures come in the standard sealed clamshells that NECA has been using for their Alien line. Both figures are based on the imposing and god-like Engineers, one in a Pressure Suit and the other in the infamous Chair Suit that hearkens back to the original Alien. Let’s start with that one!

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Hot damn, look at this guy! One of the most intriguing, compelling, and enigmatic things in Alien, the Space Jockey finally gets a proper action figure. Of course, this guy also appeared in Prometheus, mostly as a hologram and later a decapitated mess. I’ve wanted a figure of this fellow since forever and NECA really delivered on this sculpt. The armored suit is loaded with beautiful lines and that wonderful intricately detailed exo-skeletal look. I can’t help but think the feet are assembled in reverse on mine, although I’ve seen two others that are the same, so maybe it’s an optical illusion or maybe a running flub.

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The “rib cage” chest piece and numerous hoses really drive home the shared heritage of this Engineer’s technology and Xenomorph anatomy. The entire figure is painted with a rich metallic wash that looks almost too good to be plastic.

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I particularly love the curvature of his back and the recessed spinal channel. It looks almost as if it’s designed to mesh with the giant astrogation chair.

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The portrait is spectacular. I love all the crags and pitting on the helmet, in contrast with the smooth eyes. It looks like a chitinous shell. The elephant truck protuberance from the mouth hangs down and disappears into gab behind the “rib cage.”

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Despite being about five years old, the articulation here is up to par with NECA’s modern offerings. You get rotating hinges in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles. There are swivels in the biceps, a ball joint at the waist, and a ball joint in the neck. With that all having been said, the range of motion in the hips is rather limited by the sculpt and the arms aren’t exactly super pose-able either. He isn’t going to be doing any convincing action poses, but he does lumber and look intimidating pretty damn well. Moving on to the second figure of the day…

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The other Engineer dons the Pressure Suit that we saw toward the end of the film when David released the Engineer from his cryo-chamber and he went berserk. It’s a completely different sculpt from the Chair Suit figure and it is an incredible recreation of what we saw on screen. The Pressure Suit features every bit as much detail as the previous figure, cast in an ivory colored plastic and given a lovely wash to give it a wet look.

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Again, there’s some great sculpting that carries on the rib cage motif in the chest and there are circular ports all over the suit that look like they are meant to hook up to support tubing. Just check out all that detail in his back. It looks less like a twenty dollar action figure and more like a piece of scrimshaw artwork. Simply gorgeous!

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In contrast to the hyper detailing of the suit, the portrait is smooth and simple and quite a nice likeness for the character in the film. He has a wonderfully and deceptively serene expression, not at all like someone who’s about to tear an android in half. There’s very little paint on the pale, bald head to speak of, but I love what they did with the eyes and the red shadowing around them.

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The articulation on this figure is almost identical to the Space Jockey. The only thing missing here are the swivels in the biceps. Also like the previous figure, the range of motion here is on the shallow side. I would have definitely liked to see some more movement in the hips, but what we got is still somewhat serviceable.

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After having these figures sitting around for a while, it’s great to finally get them open and now I can find a place for them on my NECA Alien shelf. They’re both absolute works of art and (probably thanks to the general unpopular opinions on the film) are still widely available at decent prices. I’ve got quite a few more Prometheus figures to open and look at, but I’m going to be saving those until we get closer to NECA’s release of the so-called Lost Wave!

Jan 6 2017

Alien 3: Ellen Ripley and Dog Alien by NECA

What’s that? You hate Alien 3? Fantastic, that just means more for me! Yes, I will stand up to be counted as one of the few true fans of this flick. Awww, but it sucks because Newt and Hicks died. DEAL WITH IT! Life in the future is a toilet and there’s a long line of Xenomorphs waiting to take a dump into it. And in space, no one can hear you flush. Seriously, though, I dig this movie a lot and it fills my heart with happiness that NECA graced it with a wave of figures. I’ve already looked at the Weyland-Yutani Commando from this wave and today I’m checking out Ripley and the Alien.

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We all know the deal when it comes to NECA’s Alien packaging. You get a hermetically sealed clamshell that keeps the baked plastic goodness fresh and hot. I like to poke a little hole in it, insert a straw into my nose and snort the plastic fumes right from the source. Seriously kids, don’t do that. As always, these packages show off the figures beautifully, but they are not collector friendly, which saves me the trouble of deciding whether to keep the packaging or not. Let’s start with Ripley…

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As you might have noticed from the package shot, Ripley comes with an extra pair of arms, so there are two display options here. Out of the package she comes with her jacket on and the rest of the fatigues that Clemens gave her. As a sidebar, I’m not entirely sure why her package reads “Prisoner,” because she wasn’t. She was just an uninvited guest there waiting to be picked up by Weyland-Yutani after her escape pod crashed on the planet. Anyway, the details in Ripley’s costume is as excellent as I’ve come to expect from NECA’s figures. You get all the tiny obligatory stitching lines and in this case some nice weathering, including torn holes in the pants. The paint detail is exquisite, from the drawstring on her pants to the individual laces and silver eyelets on her boots.

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The jacket includes a sculpted quilted pattern on the back and a hood sculpted in the down position behind her head. There’s sculpted elastic trim around the waist and cuffs of the sleeves and she’s wearing a pair of black gloves. The outfit on this figure is just another great example of how NECA spares no expense when paying attention to the tiniest details.

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The portrait here is not my favorite example of NECA’s work with Sigourney Weaver. That having been said, NECA has had a fair amount of experience sculpting her portrait and this is a very distinctive look for Lt. Ripley, especially after her haircut. I don’t dislike it, but there’s something slightly off about it. I think it may be that it strikes me as being a little more stylized than the previous Ripley figures. Still, the paint is sharp and clean and they even gave her a nasty bruise on the left side of her forehead.

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The figure’s second look involves pulling off the arms, taking off the jacket and putting the bare arms on. The swap is really easy and you get a cool variant that most other companies would have packaged and sold separately. It’s a profound enough change that this is one of those instances where I’m considering picking up a second Ripley so I can display her both ways, because I really can’t decide which one I like more.

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Ripley comes with two accessories: A flashlight and a torch. Both are decent enough extras and definitely fitting for the character and context of the film, but neither are terribly exciting. It’s also worth noting that only one of her hands is really designed to work with the accessories. I can get her left hand to hold the flashlight, but it’s obviously not the intent. Let’s move on to the Xeno!

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Awwww, shit! This thing is gorgeous! One of the things I love about this movie is that we’re back to just one Alien against a handful of barely armed prey. Xenos are so bad ass, that unless you’re the creatively bankrupt gestalt known as Hollywood, you don’t need to cram a million of them into a movie to make them scary. The Xeno in this wave was unique in having burst forth from a dog (originally an ox) and this figure is available in two colors: Brown or gray. I went with the brown one, just because I associate this entire movie’s dreary and industrial color palate with lots of browns and rusty oranges.

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The design of this Xeno makes it my second favorite in the series, right behind the original 1979 Big Chap. Because it’s birthed from a quadruped, it’s back logs are structured like a dogs’ with the extra joint below the knee and the ankle up off the ground. The other given name for this guy is The Runner, and it’s easy to see why. It also makes him extra terrifying to me, not to mention he has a spear tip on the end of his tail. As usual, NECA packed all the lovely Geiger-esque bits into the sculpt, including the creepy mix of exposed sinews and and bone-like structures. The glossy brown wash brings it all out with striking clarity. If you want an example of a work of art expressed as a $20 action figure… here it is!

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Another of my favorite things about this Xeno’s design is the structure of the head. It features the smooth, transparent dome that’s reminiscent of the original Xeno design with a segmented skull visible within. The jaw on this guy is articulated and you can open it up and pull out the secondary mouth.

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The articulation is very much in line with what I’ve experienced with NECA’s other Xenos. You get rotating hinges in the shoulders, wrists, with dual rotating hinges in the elbows. The legs are ball jointed at the hips and include double hinges in the knees, and hinges in the secondary knees, and in the ankles. There’s a ball joint in the chest and another in the neck. The tail swivels at the base and is made of bendy material that can take and hold a pose. Overall, my only real nitpick here is that the head does not go far enough back to get him looking forward when he’s running on all fours. But based on the sculpt, it looks like that would have been pretty tough to do.

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The Xeno does come with one accessory and that’s this nifty stand to help keep him upright. I was actually pretty surprised at how many poses I could get him into without needing to rely on the stand, although as is the case with most of these Xenos, the leg joints can have difficulty sustaining the weight of the figure in the long term. When I do get a shelf cleared for my NECA Alien figures, I’ll definitely be making use of this one. His feet are also supplied with peg holes, so you can use the regular NECA stands with him as well.

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It’s hard to pick a favorite Wave when talking about this line, because quite frankly NECA slams them all right out of the park, but this one ranks pretty high for me. It’s not just because I’m a fan of the film, but because it’s such a wildly unpopular film that it’s surprising NECA risked making these figures at all. Although, it does seem to be performing fairly well at retail. While Ripley is readily available at a number of e-tailers for deep discounts, the Commando seems to be in high demand, particularly among troop builders, and the Xeno (which are admittedly always popular with collectors) can be really tough to find at a decent price. NECA has teased on Twitter that there’s more Alien 3 goodness to come, and I’m rather intrigued to see what that means.

Dec 21 2016

Ash Vs Evil Dead: Ash Williams (Value Stop) by NECA

Starz delivered on another superb season of Ash Vs Evil Dead this year and I continue to be amazed at not only how great the concept works as a series, but how far the creative team is willing to push it. Not to mention how attached I’ve become to Ash’s sidekicks. Of course, NECA is on the scene and delivering some figures from the series. I’ve already looked at Hero Ash and the Eligos Demon and today I’m wrapping up the initial wave with a look at Value Stop Ash!

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The package is identical to what we saw with the previous figures in Wave 1. You get an attractive, collector friendly window box that shows off the goods and has some photos of the figure and accessories on the back. I’ve been hanging on to these boxes, at least for the time being, but chances are they will eventually have to go bye-bye to make room for more figures.

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While Hero Ash was the iconic, chainsaw wielding, Deadite hunter, this version is the lowly retail stockboy. Here, Ash dons his company-approved red Value Mart button-down shirt, complete with pocket protector full of pens and his employee name badge. The detail on the name badge is particularly well done and you get all the meticulously sculpted wrinkles and stitching that we’re used to seeing on NECA’s plastic wardrobes. The articulation is identical to what we got with the Hero Ash figure, including those double rotating hinged elbows, which is a huge improvement over the single rotating hinges we usually get. Beyond that, Ash features rotating hinges in the shoulders, swivels in the wrists, rotating hinges in the knees, and ball joints in the hips. The ankles feel like ball joints, there’s a ball joint in the waist, and another in the neck.

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So, let’s deal with the elephant in the room. Somewhere along the way S-Mart got replaced by Value Stop. It’s a minor point, but I still would have loved to hear Ash spout out the motto, “Shop smart, Shop S-Mart” one more time. There’s no in-universe explanation for this, but apparently there were trademark issues, which probably involved not having the rights to the third Evil Dead film. I’d just like to think he got fired from S-Mart for lighting the place up with his boomstick and Value Stop was the next employer on his way down the ladder of retailers. Anyway, let’s get back to the figure.

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Value Stop Ash includes two portraits and as you might expect from NECA, both are excellent. The first is a pretty neutral expression, or possibly one of slight befuddlement, which is appropriate most of the time for Ash. The heads included with Hero Ash were both on point, but I think this one tops them all in terms of overall quality of likeness. It really is superb.

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The other head really works for me as either a screaming Ash or a laughing-his-ass off Ash, although as we’ll see in a minute the intent here was the former. Once again, this is a great likeness and the detail in the mouth, in particular, is fantastic right down to his tongue and upper dentures. And just to sweeten the pot, both of these heads are interchangeable with the heads that came with Hero Ash, and vice-versa, so while the overall appeal of this figure will likely not be as high as Hero Ash, you really are enhancing that figure by picking up this one. I particularly like the screaming head on Hero Ash.

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While not really an accessory, Ash also features his wooden right hand and it is removable. As long as we’re talking hands, it’s worth noting that Ash’s left hand is the same one used on Hero Ash, so it is capable of holding the Boomstick that came with that figure, or any other weapons you may want to rob from NECA’s expansive arsenal of guns included with figures in this scale. It also works pretty well as a pointing hand.

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“Looking for Tampons? They’re over in Aisle 4. Shop Smart, Value Stop!” Nope, just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

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And yes, in case you were wondering, the chainsaw from Hero Ash can be used on Value Stop Ash. It’s just an easy pop-and-swap.

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Ash comes with one accessory and that’s the possessed doll from the pilot episode. It’s crazy tiny, but nonetheless still remarkably well detailed and painted. It’s also designed to attack Ash’s face.

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Getting this to work can be difficult. I think the doll’s hand are actually intended to grip him by the nostrils, but I couldn’t get her to stick. I was able to get her to grab his nose between her tiny arms. All it takes is a little patience. It’s a surprisingly fun accessory for such a tiny piece of plastic.

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Value Stop Ash is another fantastic figure in NECA’s ever growing and always impressive stable of licensed action figures, but let’s lay cards on the table and concede that this one is for the die hard collectors out there. Most of the casual toy collectors (is there really such a thing?) are going to be happy with Hero Ash and leave it at that. In fact, I’m surprised that NECA didn’t make this one a two-pack just to make sure they could move an adequate number of Value Stop Ashes. Me? Oh, there was never any question that I needed both and if you’re on the fence, the extra heads really are worth having to get the most out of Hero Ash.