Review of Wolverine - One:12 Collective Action Figure

Introduction

Mezco has really been cranking out their One:12 Collective figures over the last few weeks, and I just got notice of another one shipping this week. I'm still trying to catch up, and unfortunately, my completist mentality got slapped by the exclusive Wolverine from last fall.

But I did manage to pick up the regular brown suit Wolverine, and he's been waiting patiently for me to review. This guy is available at a wide range of retailers for around $80.

Packaging - ***1/2
The brown packaging looks great, and is made from a nice, heavy card stock. It's not super complex or heavily adorned, but it is well made and completely collector friendly.

Sculpting - ***
As with most One:12 figures, there's more than one portrait included with the figure. He comes wearing the snarling, dynamic portrait, and there's a second, calmer, more determined expression that can be popped in place.

I really like the extreme look. This is the comic book Wolverine, with just a twist of Mezco attitude. The proportions are good, and the curved mask and gritted teeth look terrific.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is the second portrait. I get what they are going for, and I like it when there's a real difference like this between the two (or three, in some cases) heads. But the stern look comes off as...bored. This would work better with a character like Batman, but with Wolverine, it's just not a great look.

The various sculpted hands look great, and are in proper scale. They work well with the various accessories, and swap easily. The claws are plastic, but sturdy and strong.

Wolverine is a little shorter than the other figures in the line, as you'd expect, coming in at about 6" at the top of his head.

Paint - ***1/2
Remember, this guy is only 6" tall. The quality of the paint on the overall line has been pretty impressive, with clean lines and sharp colors the standard.

There is a little slop this time - just a smidge. Black and yellow are tough colors, all the more so when they are next to each other. The small details on the belt look amazing, but the edges along the nose and ears of the mask could be a little cleaner.

Other areas look great, including the white eyes and lower face. The gritted teeth look particularly good, especially considering the scale.

Articulation - ***
The joints are tight, and they allow for some good fighting poses.

The ball neck is a little restricted, and I couldn't get quite as much tilt and lean out of the lower joint at the torso as I'd like. Still, you can add some personality to just about any pose by adjusting the neck.

The rotating hinge shoulders, cut biceps, pin elbows, and rotating hinge wrists allow for great arm poses. I wish the elbows could get a tighter bend, but they work well enough for traditional Wolverine stances.

The torso and waist don't have a lot of movement, with the tight costume making holding any turn or lean poses hard to maintain. But the hips, knees, and ankles make up for it, especially with the rocker movement in the ankles. You should be able to keep the feet flat on the ground even in deeper stances.

Accessories - ***
I already mentioned the second head, but it's worth mentioning it again here. It greatly improves the Accessories score, at least for me. I certainly hope that the series continues to include these additional portraits with every release.

He has 6 hands - three sets. There's a set of wide grips, a set of bladed hands, and a set with one fist and one tight grip for the sword. The hands swap easily, and I wasn't worried about breakage or damage.

Yep, there's a sword. It's thin and clean looking, and fits neatly in the scabbard. Not sure what to do with the scabbard...since there isn't a place to wear it on his body, and there isn't a hand to hold it separate from the sword, but I'm sure I'll figure something out.

Like all One:12 figures, he comes with a round display stand that can be used with the long, clear support rod or a simple foot peg.  There's also a plastic baggie, perfect for holding these extras when you toss the package.

That's not a ton of extras for a One:12 figure, but what's here is top quality stuff.

Outfit - ***
The outfit is pretty straightforward - no way to mistake who this is, even with the Mezco twist.

The yellow and brown body suit fits tightly of course, and the big winged boots and gloves look great. There's lots of detail work on the belt, but the underwear on the outside is a bit too big for my tastes. I think the shorts need to be about a 1/4 inch shorter, which would allow the belt to ride lower as well. It's a minor nit, but it holds back an otherwise excellent costume.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
Even with a little restriction on the neck and torso, you should be able to get plenty of poses out of this guy, and he'll look fantastic with the other One:12 figures on your shelf. You'll find yourself posing and re-posing, searching for the next great look.

Value - **
This guy is $80, which is a bit higher than the average last year. I'm hoping this isn't the new norm, but the exclusives have been staying in the $80 range as well. I'm still holding out hope that we'll see the $75 price tags again some day.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***
While I love the look of the main portrait, the second portrait left me cold. I think that's the first time with any One:12 figure, but there's always a first time. I still love the overall look, and the costume and accessories are great.  I'll be sticking with the dynamic portrait for my display, but I'm still happy they are including the multiple heads. Hey, even when they aren't perfect, they're still better than anything else on the market.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ***1/2
Outfit - ***
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is at $80, but has free shipping.

Related Links -
I've covered a lot of One:12 figures, including Deadpool, X-Men Deadpool, Deathstroke, Suicide Squad Harley, the regular Red Skull, classic Superman, the Morales Spider-Man. I've also covered the the exceptional classic Punisher, the regular release Punisher the Toy Fair exclusive version, Shazam, the classic Daredevil, the Flash and Reverse Flash, the BvS Superman, the comic based Joker, Green Arrow, the Frankenstein Monster Diorama, Frankenstein Monster, the BvS Batman, the Bvs Armored Batman, Captain America, Star Trek Kirk, the Mirror, Mirror and Cage variants of Spock, Sulu, the Toy Fair exclusive Spock, and the regular release Spock as well. Other One:12 Collective figures released so far include Dredd and his Lawmaster, the NYCC exclusive Judge Dredd, the DKR Batman and Mutant two pack, the Batman exclusives, and the initial DKR Batman.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!