Review of Daredevil Classic action figure
One:12 Collective Exclusive

Introduction

The One:12 Collective series is cranking along right now, with a ton of new releases over the first quarter. These include regular releases as well as exclusives, and one of those is the subject of tonight's review.

Mezco already produced not one but two versions of Daredevil. There was the standard release, available widely, that sold for $80. Then there was the 'shadowland' variant, with his black suit and new armored bits, which was also $80.  The third version is now shipping - the classic variant. This guy is a Previews (or 'PX') exclusive, which means he'll be available through most comic shops and online retailers. Again, the price tag is $80.

This is another of Mezco's own designs of course, but it is based on his old school look, hence the 'classic' label.

Packaging - ***
As always, the box is extremely high quality stuff, made from heavy duty stock and designed to last. The red and yellow color is about as basic as you can get, but it does follow the general theme. There's some good shots of the figure on the back, and everything is safe and sound inside the double plastic trays.

They did resort to using the tape circles again to hold the smaller batons in place inside the trays, but hey, it's a minor nit at best. Everything is completely collector friendly otherwise.

Sculpting - ***
If you have either of the other two Daredevil figures, then you have these three head sculpts. The portraits weren't changed for the old school style.

He comes wearing a stoic, stern looking portrait, perfect for just about every occasion. The sculpt seems a little softer to me this time, particularly around the lips, but the skin texture is still impressive. Remember, these are about 1/12 scale, and Daredevil is just under 6 1/2" tall. Getting this much detail in such a small sculpt is pretty amazing.

The second portrait is 'battle damaged', with one side of the cowl torn off and a cut under the eye.  I'd be happier with this version if not for the goofy mouth - while the down turned edges and open lips isn't an unusual comic book expression, it's not one I've ever really liked. While getting serious battle expressions can be tough, we know they can do it - just look at the terrific work on the Punisher. They set the bar high with that release, and for me, this beaten Daredevil portrait doesn't quite live up to it.

The final portrait is an unmasked version. Again, the skin texture is good, and the work around the eyes, eyebrows, lips, and nose looks great. The hair is a bit clunky though, and doesn't strike me as all that much better than some current Marvel Legends.

The many hands are sculpted in various poses, and they look terrific and are in proper scale. They also swap easily, as does the three heads.

Paint - ***
This was a weird situation, where the production paint work should have scored much higher, but due to some quality issues with the yellow cowls, it took a hit. Hopefully these issues are not consistent, and you will avoid them.

Let's talk about the good stuff first. The slightly translucent skin tone looks great, and doesn't suffer from the washed out appearance we had with Superman. Most of the edges are sharp and clean, and the damage to the beaten face, especially around the bruising, looks great.

The unmasked head has paint issues with the hair similar to the sculpt - not a lot of detail. A slight dry brushing does add some lighter color, but it's not particularly well done. But the best overall paint feature on the heads is most evident on this portrait, although it's true on the battle damaged version as well - the eyes aren't simply white, but have the washed out, milky blue iris'! That's the sort of attention to detail that sets this line apart, and if not for a few nits, this would have driven the paint score way up.

Those nits involve several marks and inconsistencies with the yellow cowls. Both have rub marks and damage near the forehead or horns, and this isn't part of the 'battle damage'. The yellow edges along the lower face are a bit sloppy too, and there's some inconsistency in the coverage of the yellow. It's a tricky color to work with - like gold and silver - and getting an even, clean look can be very difficult.

Articulation - ***1/2
The underlying body works great, and there's nothing unusual or new here.  The ball jointed neck allows for plenty of posing, and the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles all operate as we've seen with past releases. The ankles could use a little more rocker movement, but the boot design restricts them slightly.

The only real restriction is in the chest and waist, where the thicker costume does limit the posing a bit. It's a pretty minor issue however, and you'll be able to get very natural, flowing stances from the arms and legs.

Accessories - ****
If you have the other Daredevil releases, there's nothing new here. But because there's simply so much, even with the re-use, I went with a full score.

He comes with the three portraits that I've already discussed in detail. These swap easily, and all three work with just about any display.

He has a standard set of batons, which slip inside the holster on his belt cleanly. He can also hold them in the provided hands.

Speaking of hands, there's a whopping 6 sets!  He comes wearing fists, and the other five sets are sculpted in various poses. These also swap easily, and provide a ton of potential for different looks.

Along with the standard batons, Daredevil comes with a second set attached to each other by a long, thin wire. This will allow you to pose him throwing them, catching them, and doing various gymnastics with them in mid-air poses.  The large base, complete with clear plastic post, can be used to pose him in jumping and leaping form. Add in this posable weapon set, and you'll have a very dynamic display.

The final accessory is the translucent red 'sonar' plate. This can be attached to the clear posing post on the display base and rest behind his head. Or he can use it as a serving dish for Thanksgiving dinner.