Review of Iron Fist - One:12 Collective
Action Figure

Introduction

The latest Marvel themed release in the One:12 Collective is Iron Fist. This is a comic themed release, not based on the short lived Netflix series. That means it's more Mezco flair as well, although it remains pretty true to the character.

He just started shipping, and was $80 originally at retail. Finding one now is getting tougher, but you can get on the wait list at the Mezco online store.

Packaging - ***
Nothing too unique here, but the simple design and logo looks great. The box is sturdy as well, and the interior plastic trays hold everything safe in a collector friendly manner.

Sculpting - ***1/2
This figure comes with two portraits, the norm for One:12 figures. One is masked, the other unmasked.

The masked head is very realistic, with a nice textured pattern on the mask itself. The long tails or ties flow off the back look good, but they aren't articulated in any way. The skin has a very realistic texture as well, and the expression is stern but not extreme.

The unmasked head has nicely sculpted hair, and a very life-like skin texture. The expression isn't too dynamic, but it avoids looking like a mannequin. The hair strands are a smidge thick, but remember - these are very tiny portraits. The figure itself is only about 6 1/2" tall.

All the hands have unique sculpts, designed specifically for this character. The sculpting work on the footwear is of particularly note, with a really realistic looking fabric texture and an excellent two piece design that leaves plenty of ankle mobility.

Paint - ****
Both portraits are super clean, especially the eyes and lips. The hairline is clean, and the dirty blonde hair works well with the rest of the costume palette.

Of particular note is the black areas on the mask against the overall yellow. Black and yellow are traditionally tough colors to do with consistency, even tougher when one is next to the other. They did an excellent job here, with super clean edges and an even consistency to both.

Like the sculpt, the paint work on the wraps on the feet and hands lends a lot to the realism as well. And the emblem on the chest has the super tiny, fine lines running through it, which adds a lot to the visual appeal.

Articulation - ***1/2
The overall body works quite well, and the ankles are of particular note.

The heads swap easily, and the ball jointed neck has lots of lean and tilt. The shoulders, elbows (double pins), and wrists allow for great arm poses, and the crunching, leaning, tilting waist and chest give you the ability to break up any straight lines in the torso.

The hips, knees, and ankles all work great, but because he's wearing the tall wraps, the ankles could have been a problem. They designed a great looking two piece answer to the problem, and the ankles have way more rocker than most.

There's one other area of articulation - the waist band or belt. The ends have wires, allowing you to add some dynamic flow to the cloth in more extreme poses.

Accessories - ***1/2
As I mentioned earlier, there's two portraits. Getting two always adds to the score here quite a bit. They swap easily, and they both look terrific.

There's also an assortment of hands to go with the pair of fists he comes wearing. There's a gripping set, plus three posed sets for various fighting stances. These also swap easily, and sport the same great sculpt and paint work as the rest of the wrapped areas.

The gripping hands can hold the three piece staff, which is connected with real metal chains. It's a nice size, and you can easily pose him holding it in a variety of ways.

He also has five 'chi' energy blasts. These are actually hands - there's a sculpted hand in each one, and they attach to the wrist peg. The large one, or Shou-Lao fist, has the head of a dragon blasting from his hand. Again, swapping these in for the hands is easy, and going this route, rather than making them fit over the existing hands, is a much smarter design decision.

As always, there's the round display stand with either the simple foot peg, or the clear plastic support rods for jumping or leaping poses.

Outfit - ****
Sometimes the simplest of costumes end up with the best results.  While this is really just a one piece suit, the work they did on the wrappings on the feet and hands, along with the terrific work on the vinyl emblem and highlighting, take this one well above the average.

Mezco has really perfected the cutting and application of the vinyl on these suits. The tiny sharp edges on the emblem are perfect, and it's attached exactly where it should be. I've already raved about the sculpted wraps on the hands and feet, but it's worth noting here again, as they go a long way to creating a super realistic appearance.

The tailoring is also exceptional here, with no baggy crotch or weird shoulders. The early marketing photos also showed this figure without the belt or sash - adding it was a huge improvement to the overall look of the costume.

Fun Factor - ****
Lots of good articulation, a nice assortment of useful accessories, and a character that can make a splash on the Marvel shelf. It's all good, and adds up to plenty of re-posing potential over time.

Value - **1/2
This guy is at the base price of $80. That's currently the average for One:12 releases, at least when there isn't a special feature.  Considering the overall quality of the costume and accessories, I'm good with giving them an average value rating.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Everything was sturdy, well made, and unlikely to break. If there's one spot to take a little care, it's with the strips on the back of the mask.

Overall - ****
This is one of those figures that people probably didn't pay too much attention to when it was first announced, but turned out fantastic on release. I'm glad I pre-ordered up front, and even though I'm not a huge fan of the character, he was well worth picking up.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth also had him at $80, but appears sold out on pre-order. It might be worth checking back in though once they start shipping, as there may have been cancellations.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other recent One:12 reviews include Superman, Two-Face, Dr. Zauis, and KGBeast.

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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