Review of Daredevil 1/4 scale action figure

Introduction

NECA is the master of the quarter scale action figure. Companies like Hot Toys or Enterbay may do higher end versions, and companies like Sideshow or Pop Culture Shock might do statues that rock in this scale, but for a true 18" action figure, no one can match NECA.

Their latest release is Daredevil, the Man Without Fear. Yep, it's a comic based version, much like their recent Deadpool, and has a bit of their own flair as well. But there's no doubt it's Daredevil, and he fits in nicely with the rest of their 1/4 scale releases.

He'll run you around $105 or so, depending on the retailer, and has just started shipping in the last week.

Packaging - ***
They've begun branding this under the label 'Epic Marvel', and this is the second release to be called such. The box is very attractive, with some nifty comics based graphics. The large window shows off the figure and accessories well, and it's quite sturdy and solid. However, this is NOT a collector friendly design, and you'll need to tear this baby apart to free everything.

Sculpting - ***
In a particularly cool move, you get two portraits with this figure. I wish they'd done that with Deadpool!

There's the masked head, with a stern, stoic, determined expression. There's plenty of skin texture, maybe too much considering the scale. The edges on the mask are very sharply defined, and the wrinkles on the surface match the expression nicely.

In grand comic book fashion, the head does seem a tad small to me. The second unmasked head is a better scale, and is their comic version of Matt. There's a lot of the excessive skin texture again, but I really like the scarring around the eyes. It's not over the top, but fairly realistic in design. The hair is nicely detailed, and with a jaw that could cut glass, it's certainly a heroic portrait.

The sculpted body looks terrific as well, with lots of smaller details and perfect wrinkling and folds. This is a NECA sculpt, which means the musculature is super obvious even through the suit, and the design of the belts, body armor, and baton holster look great.

He comes with several hands, and these are sculpted in scale and work nicely with the batons.

This is a quarter scale figure, and stands about 18 1/4" tall. The heads (and hands) swap easily, and stay in place.

Paint - ***
They've used a wash to highlight the details, and it works quite well on the suit. It gives it a gritty, realistic look without making it appear dirty or damaged.

The wash on the faces is a bit much though, but I suspect that's partly due to the extreme skin texture. It's catching more of the paint, creating a darker, more obvious look. The masked head has some pretty dark lips, and even a weird smudge on the left side of his chin.

The unmasked face looks a little better (and lacks the weird smudge on the chin), but the lips are still too dark. I would have also liked the eyes washed out a bit more, making his affliction a bit more apparent, but that's a minor nit.

Articulation - ***1/2
Once upon a time, the articulation on figures this size was fairly limited. They were usually rotocast, and the joints were simple cuts. Over the years, they've gotten more and more like a standard action figure - just bigger.

That's what we have here. If you're looking for Marvel Legends like articulation in an 18" action figure, look no further.

The ball jointed head works pretty well, even with the thick neck. You can get some lean and tilt, especially forward and back, which makes the well done ab-crunch and cut waist joints even more useful.

The rotating hinge shoulders and cut biceps are tight, but very mobile, and the ratchet elbows and rotating hinge wrists allow for some great arm poses. You should be able to use them with the various baton configurations to get some excellent fighting stances.

The hips, double pin knees, and pin ankles allow for short to wide stances, although I couldn't get much rocker movement out of the ankles. Still, the tight leg joints will maintain even deep stances long term, and the overall quality of the joints is very high. I had no worries about breaking anything with normal handling.

Accessories - ****
He's seriously loaded up for a quarter scale figure, where accessories can be few and far between.

I already mentioned the second portrait, which is a big add for him. The heads swap easily, and they stay in place when you're posing him.

He has has four extra hands to go with the pair of fists he comes wearing. There's a set of grips designed for the batons, a splayed left, and a gripping right that works perfectly with the mask itself.

Yep, he has a mask that he can carry when you're using the second portrait. It isn't intended to be worn, but it looks great in hand and provides for some interesting poses.

Then there's his batons. They are separate, and can be carried in the holster on his left hip. You can use them as just two sticks, or you can attach them to each other nunchuk style. There's two adapters for this - one short, one long. Between the plastic plugs are actual metal wires, stranded like cable. There's a third one which is very long, and can be attached to only one baton. The other end is a grappling hook, perfect for climbing tall buildings.

He has one final piece, a solid extension for the batons. You can use it as it's own thing, or you can create an long solid staff by attaching it to both batons.

Fun Factor - ***
There's enough articulation - and plenty of accessories - for you to come up with a dozen different poses, and then come up with a few more. He's a fun figure on the shelf, but you'll need some serious shelf space.

Value - ***
Somehow NECA has been able to keep these huge figures around $100 for years now, while improving the articulation, adding accessories, and increasing the overall quality. It's not cheap, but you are getting a solid value.

Things to Watch Out For -
When you insert the cable extensions into the batons, it's a tight fit. Pulling them out can be tricky, and you don't want to pull on the wire itself. I managed to dislodge one of the wires, but it was pretty easy to repair thanks to the heavy duty metal they used. Still, better to avoid repairing it if you can.

Overall - ***1/2
This isn't a figure where the sculpt or paint itself really wowed me - I like it, but I don't love it. However, the quality of the articulation and the quantity of the accessories really makes up for it, and boosts this guy above the average.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has a great price at $100 plus free shipping!

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
The most recent 1/4 scale NECA Marvel figure I checked out was Doctor Strange, but you should also check out Deadpool, Captain America, or Iron Man.

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!