Review of X-Force Deadpool Action Figure
PX Exclusive One:12 Collective

Introduction

Mezco sure does like to get mileage out of their releases. I can't really say I blame them, since it's an excellent way to keep prices down and create exclusives that diehard fans will be interested in.

Case in point: Deadpool. We have a regular release of course, as well as the Mezco exclusive that included an extra accessory (Headpool!). Then there was the 'summer exclusive', available through their store or at SDCC. This second version was based on his X-men look. And now we have the Previews Exclusive version, this time calling up his X-Force style.

This exclusive is only an exclusive in the sense that it's available only through comic shops, not Mezco themselves. You can expect to pay around $80 at most retailers.

By the way, I don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to what Mezco shows off at Toy Fair in a few days. I can't wait to see what the upcoming pre-orders have in store for us!

Packaging - ****
The exclusives Mezco produces come in one of two packages - cheaper, flimsier boxes than the regular releases (bad), and super cool, high quality metal boxes (good). This Deadpool comes in the latter.

While the graphics are basic, I really love the gray color. The tin is heavy duty stuff, and the figure is packed safely in two layers of plastic trays inside. This is one of those rare occasions where you can re-purpose the package to hold your change, or keys, or whatever various detritus you have around.

Sculpting - ***1/2
With this exclusive you get not one but two extra portraits, a big selling point for me.

The head he comes wearing is very, very close to one of the extras in expression. There's a minor variation in the eyes, but that's about it. We got these two heads with the other One:12 Deadpool's, and like then, I'm still a bit disappointed that the expressions aren't better differentiated.

However, the sculpts are still great. There's lots of fine detail considering the scale - remember, this guy is only about 6 3/8" tall - and the wrinkles and folds in the mask mimic interesting expressions perfectly.

The third head is a new add, and might be enough to drive you to pick this guy up. It has the lower masked rolled up, exposing his chin and mouth. There's some great detail work on the rotted skin, and the puckered mouth and wide eyes add another great expression to the mix. You can always repaint the mask too, if you want to use this one with one of the earlier releases.

The heads swap easily, but stay put when in place. The hands do the same, and they are sculpted to work with the various accessories.

Paint - ***
The overall paint quality is good...but there are some issues this time around.

I like the work on all three portraits, but there's a few rub marks and slips on the masks themselves. The best work is on the damaged skin and lips of the half unmasked portrait, but even there, the gray mask has a few blips.

The real problem though is the silver harness. This is the same harness we had with the X-Men Deadpool (aka 'Kick Ass Deadpool'), re-purposed here. Silver is always a tricky color to get consistent, clean coverage, and it shows.  I'm also not really digging the bright, shinier look, and the duller dark gray they used on the prototype would have been a better choice.

Articulation - ***1/2
The underlying body works as you'd expect, and the costume is not particularly restrictive.

The ball jointed neck allows you to add plenty of cocky personality and realism to any stance. The rotating hinge shoulders, elbows, and wrists work together nicely to create great two handed and one handed gun poses, with the torso and waist giving you enough twist, lean, and turn to create more realistic lines.

The rotating hinge hips and knees work great, but the ankles have less rocker movement this time out. It must be a manufacturing issue, because we know from past releases that this design can allow you to put the feet flat on the ground even in deep stances. But with this particular figure, I had a lot more trouble.

Accessories - ****
As with most exclusives, 're-use' is the theme for the accessories. But while you've seen most of these items before, the sheer quantity is impressive.

As I already mentioned, there's not one, not two, but three portraits. I've already discussed their paint and sculpt in the earlier appropriate sections, but their mere inclusion greatly boosts the score here.

There are also eight hands. There's a set of fists, a set of gun grips, a set of sword grips, a wider grip right (perfect for the grenades), and a shaka symbol left. They swap easily, and stay in place while posing.

Deadpool is a man of many weapons, and they've outfitted him nicely. The only one he can wear on his body, technically, is the sword, which slips into the sheath on the back of the silver harness. It looks great and is properly scaled, and fits neatly inside.

He has lots of firepower, starting with two machine pistols. They have extended magazines, and come with two extras, just in case. There is also one Glock style handgun, with a removable magazine and a spare as well.

If you're looking for something a bit larger, he also has the automatic rifle and grenade launcher that we saw with the regular release Deadpool. Added in is the larger grenade launcher that came with the Punisher, complete with eight grenades which you can load into the cylinder. Finally, he has a rocket launcher as well, with appropriate doodles and logos.

Speaking of grenades, there are six of the smaller grenades, similar to those we got with the regular Deadpool. However, this time there's no place on his harness to hold them. He also has four traditional hand grenades, painted up in the proper color scheme for this release.

As with all One:12 releases, he has the display stand (with proper logo) and tall, clear, plastic support rod. You can also use this stand with a simple foot peg. And don't forget, there's a plastic baggie included to store all these extras if you throw out the package. But with a cool metal tin, who would do that?

Outfit - ***
The body suit is another re-use, but it's done in gray and black this time around. It looks great, and I'm still a huge fan. The colors remind me of a Batman: Black and White statue...

The boots are more restrictive this time, but like I said in the Articulation section, I'm betting this is a manufacturing issue, and will vary from figure to figure. The diaper crotch issue was fixed some time ago on costumes like this, and it's nice to see it's has remained a thing of the past.

But then there's that harness. I wasn't a huge fan with it before, and the toy-ish silver color isn't helping. It sits a little better on the shoulders and waist this time, but it's still not perfect, and it will ride up on the shoulders in just about any pose.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
With a ton of extras, you should have no trouble finding a million different poses for this guy, and then find a million more in a week or two. This is the sort of figure you can return to over and over again, which greatly increases the score here.

Value - **1/2
He's an 'exclusive', so there's no surprise on the $80 price tag. Unlike some of the exclusives, he comes with a ton of extras, even if they are re-used from other figures. That makes the price a whole lot easier to swallow, and garners him an average here from me.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. There are some mighty small pieces though, so be sure to keep them safe when you aren't using them.

Overall - ***1/2
You can never have too many Deadpools - that's my slogan. I love this color scheme, and I love the half unmasked portrait. He also has a metric ton of extra goodies, plenty to outfit him and everyone else on the shelf. I'm still not loving this particular plastic harness - and the silver color isn't helping - but overall I'm very, very happy I picked him up.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I just covered the Mezco exclusive Deadpool a couple weeks ago, and don't forget the One:12 X-Men Deadpool that was a 'summer' exclusive, as well as the recent 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.

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