Review of Mr. Spock - Star Trek Action Figure
One:12 Collective Toy Fair Exclusive

Introduction

Over the course of action figure history, there are events that shift the industry.  Obviously, G.i. Joe started it all, but a couple decades later the move to 3 3/4" was a major change. McFarlane introduced amazing sculpts and paint work to take the industry to the next level. Hot Toys changed the game with super realistic licensed sixth scale. And in 2015, Mezco pushed the industry in a new direction, looking to provide that sort of quality in a 1/12 scale.

The entire industry has been focusing on the 6 - 7" size over the last year, and it will solidify as the scale du jour in 2016. Hasbro and Mattel have made a major shift, and even McFarlane has announced their previously 5" Walking Dead line is moving up in size after wave 9. There's no doubt that Mezco has timed the introduction of this line perfectly, but they have something extra to add.

Their One:12 Collective line is in that 6 - 7" scale area, but it brings the level of sculpting, paint, and costuming of the high end 1/6th world to the smaller scale. That's the general idea anyway, and with their releases in 2015 around the DKR Batman and Judge Dredd, it's been quite successful. But they are now moving into 'real' people, where these features are all the more critical, and the true test begins.

Whether the advancements they make in soft goods, sculpts and paint operations with this line truly shift the industry remains to be seen, but it certainly has the potential.  Toy Fair is currently underway, and they are showing off a number of new licenses and releases, and they are giving away - yes, giving away - their first Mr. Spock to some of the media attending. This is not a regular release, and this isn't really a surprise, since they did the same thing last year at Toy Fair with a black and white version of the DKR Batman.

There's a couple important things to note about this release of the figure. First, it was not for sale through them.  It was given away to press at their pre-Toy Fair event or as part of their daily drawings at Toy Fair. Second, the actual release will come with a buttload of accessories that this quick and dirty version does not include.  I'll mention what those will be when I get to the Accessories section, but will give them a N/A there for this release.

They've already shown off Kirk and Sulu prototypes, and the rest of the STOS crew can't be far behind. When the regular release hits retailers in 2 - 3 months, he'll cost around $70.

Packaging - ***
Spock comes in a small, square, sturdy white box.  On one side is the One:12 Collective and Star Trek logos, while the other has a shot of Spock. Inside is a sturdy plastic tray holding the figure and accessories, and everything is completely collector friendly. There's no indication on the package that this is the Toy Fair exclusive, but the final release package is supposed to be significantly different.

Sculpting - ****
It's important to keep in mind the size of this figure. Spock stands about 6 1/2" tall, and the first thing you're going to think when you hold him in your hand is "wow, he's tiny!". That's because he looks so damn good in photos, you naturally picture him larger than he really is. Remember, this is the scale of Marvel Legends and Star Wars Black. Yes, he is *slightly* bigger than they are, but when it comes to quality there is simply no comparison.

This is a fantastic, life-like, realistic sculpt that is also tremendously accurate to the actor and character.  People often associated Mezco with more caricaturized sculpts and designs and forget that they also do some fantastic life-like work, particularly in tiny scales. Remember this Hellboy? Or this Jason?

Spock is bigger than that of course, but the detail work in the facial sculpt is still truly impressive. You're paying for it, but that's no different than any other scale - you get what you pay for. And here Mezco is really delivering on the quality.  While there are still tweaks to the nose and lips that would make it even more accurate, they are truly minor nits.

It also helps that they've given him an excellent, life-like, truly Spock expression, with a perfect squint to the eyes. This doesn't look like a mannequin or a wax museum duplicate - it looks like the real deal.

This figure only has the pair of hands he's wearing, a Vulcan pinch left and a 'live long and prosper' right.  The actual release will including multiple sets in a variety of poses.

Paint - ****
The sculpt couldn't shine if it wasn't for a superb paint job unlike anything we've seen in this scale. The skin tone is amazing, the hairline sharp and clean, the tiny lips and eyebrows perfect, and most importantly, the eyes are dead on. Spock had an eyeliner thing going on, with some darker makeup above the eye, and they captured that look even in close ups.

The skin also has a very life-like appearance, matching what we see in larger scales and at much higher prices from other companies. I'm extremely impressed with what they managed to do here, and I have no fear that they can pull off future human portraits just as nicely.

Articulation - ***1/2
The underlying body works quite well.  I'd strip it down for you, but it's not that easy...more on that in the Outfit section.

The ball jointed neck works well, but it does sit a little forward on the torso, at least with this figure. From the front it looks great, but some profile angles make it appear like he has a bit of a hump.  Be aware, and you can adjust it around to reduce the effect.

The shoulders, elbows, wrists, chest, waist, hips, knees and ankles all work great with a solid range of movement. I would like a little more bend with the hinge elbows, but it's not a major problem.

Then there's the ankles which have both the normal rotating hinge movement and rocker movement. You should have no trouble getting fluid, flowing, realistic poses, and all the joints are tight enough to hold those poses indefinitely.

The hands are intended to swap, and I popped these off to ensure it would work easily. No problems there, and no worries about damage.

Accessories - N/A
This figure does not have the normal compliment of accessories.  He only has a display stand, compete with clear plastic support rod and Trek logo base. There's also a standard foot peg on the base, along with a hole in both heels, so you don't have to use the support rod to keep him standing. If you want to swap to the clear rod you must first pop out the tiny foot peg, but this combo is a genius idea.

The actual release will kick some serious ass in this category.  He is scheduled to include a second portrait with questioning raised eyebrow, four full sets of hands (or more - I've seen some promo photos with 5 1/2 sets), a phaser, a communicator, and a tri-corder, along with the display base.

Outfit - ***1/2
The outfit consists of the shirt and pants. That's not a lot, but that's just what it takes.

The quality of the material and stitching is excellent, and the tailoring is just about perfect. There's a loose thread here and there at a hem, but they rushed this one out for the show. Considering the scale, the fit is really impressive, especially with the shirt.

As I mentioned, I'd take it all off to show you the underlying body, but that's not as easy as it sounds.  I'm sure it's doable, but there's no Velcro, no snaps, no zippers.  To get that perfect fit, it looks like the final seam was was sewn up after the clothes were put on the body. I'm sure this increased manufacturing costs, but it's the only way to avoid the weird lumps created by any other closure method. Even the applique symbol/communicator looks about the right size.

The boots are sculpted, and the articulated ankles can look a bit skinny from certain angles. But that's about the only nit I can find to pick on an otherwise excellent costume. We'll see how they do with multiple layers, but with single layer costumes, Mezco is crushing it.

Fun Factor - ****
Yea, this guy is a ton of fun. He's one of those figures that you just can't stop posing and re-posing, trying different looks and different set ups. Any STOS fan is going to be in heaven with this line, and we really, really, really need a bridge set to go with them. Pretty please?

Value - N/A
It's impossible to put a value score on this particular release, since he's a special figure that had no original price. You'll end up paying what the market will bear, but I'd recommend hunting one down now if you want him, and not waiting six months.

If this were a regular release figure, I'd probably go with an average score here. While $70 is pretty steep, the number of accessories is quite good, and the overall quality is unlike anything we're seeing in this scale.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ****
This is going to be a very, very good year for action figures. We are seeing some amazing things at Toy Fair, and every company - including Hasbro and Mattel - are pushing the level of quality across the board.

Of all those lines, I think I'm most excited about the One:12 Collective.  They have some terrific licenses, and the potential for truly amazing action figures of some of my favorite characters is almost too good to be true. C'mon, Universal Monsters!

One of the features about the Star Trek license that should make it viable for them to complete the bridge crew is the amount of re-use. I'm hoping we see something unique with each character, like the second portrait for Spock, but I'm also happy with getting a buttload of phasers, communicators and tr-corders. And with the potential for Uhura, will that mean the Collective gets a female body added to the mix?

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

Where to Buy 
If you want to grab this Toy Fair exclusive, then you should search ebay for a deal. Online options for the regular release (as well as Kirk and Sulu) include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is also at $70 on pre-order.

Related Links -
Other One:12 Collective figures already released include the DKR Batman and Mutant two pack, the Batman exclusives, the initial DKR Batman, and the NYCC exclusive Judge Dredd.

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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