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Introduction
One of the newer yet older licenses for NECA is the hit 90's cartoon Gargoyles. This isn't the first toy for the show of course, and the original from Kenner was a really nice series. But NECA is revisiting the show with a fervor and style that it deserves.
The latest two releases, Brooklyn and Broadway, have been dribbling out slowly, and have shown up at some Targets weeks ago. Mine just finally shipped from BBTS, and I received both on the same day. Expect to pay around $40 each for these, depending on the retailer.
Packaging - ***
The boxes are attractive, using cartoon graphics rather than figure
photos. The boxes are sturdy, with an opening fifth panel and window
so you can see the figure and accessories inside. It's all
relatively collector friendly too, although you will have to cut a
few plastic tie downs with these to free the figure from the tray.
Sculpting - ****
Both of these guys look great, with sculpts that bring the old
cartoon style to life in three dimensions.
It was pretty critical that we get Brooklyn - he was second in command behind Goliath. They've captured the more hawk-like features and thinner body quite well, and his wings are a very unique style and size. He has a massive wing span, but the wings are more svelte and narrow than his colleague's.
He has two heads, with one sporting the white eyes indicative of anger. This head also has the mouth sculpted open in a battle yell, while the second head, with normal pupils, has a hinged jaw. Both have the flowing white hair, which does cause an issue in another area coming up.
Broadway has the more portly, pudgy body, and the round face. Again, he has two heads, one smiling and serene, and the other (with white eyes of course), screaming in rage. The heads all swap easily, and either works great on the shelf.
The body work on both has a ton of detail in the musculature and definition. But it's really the heads that set them apart for me, pushing Broadway just a smidge past Brooklyn. It's not a matter of quality - both are excellent - but rather of taste, as there's something about Broadway that appeals more to me.
Both stand about 6/12 inches tall, depending of course on how much you bend the knees and ankles. Brooklyn's wing span is almost 20 inches spread out, and I hope we get a folded wing accessory at some point.
Paint - ***1/2
While Brooklyn has a more rufous color, Broadway has the stone-like
coloration of some of the others.
There's some very nice detail work here, particularly on the eyes and teeth. The clothing has highlights and there's plenty of wash on the body, used to create shadowing and bring out the details of the muscle definition.
There's also a good consistency and evenness to the skin tones, making them look much cleaner and sharp. It's great to see NECA putting this level of effort into a nostalgia cartoon, and I'm hoping we see something similar with their Dinosaurs releases.
Again, although both are getting the same score here, I have to admit that Broadway is my favorite of the two.
Articulation - Brooklyn **1/2; Broadway ***1/2
Both figures have the same design when it comes to their
articulation, but it works much better with Broadway thanks to his
lack of hair.
Brooklyn's neck is ball jointed, with a joint at both the bottom of the head and at the torso. But the long hair flowing down the back makes it a pretty useless joint, and the head can't tilt very far back. This is also because of the wings - the hair and wings collide, forcing the head further forward than I'd like. If he's up high enough on a shelf it won't matter - or if he's suspended from the ceiling - but softer hair might have made this less of an issue.
Broadway lacks the hair of course, and because of that he has a ton of mobility in the neck. Lots of tilt and lean, and that means you can add a ton of personality to every pose.
The wings have rotating hinge joints at the back, and once you pop them all the way in, they stay pretty well. With rotating hinge shoulders, cut biceps, double pin elbows, and rotating hinge wrists, the arms can take plenty of great poses, with or without the other accessories. The extra hands swap easily, and stay in place while you're posing the figure.
The torso can crunch and turn, although there's really no tilt from side to side. The legs include ball hips, pin knees, and rotating hinge ankles, with a very useful half foot pin joint. They can take shallow to deep stances, with interesting foot poses that match the style of the show.
Brooklyn actually gets an extra joint with the standard head, thanks to the pin in the jaw. You can open or close the mouth, creating some interesting looks.
The tail on both figures is attached to the body with a rotating hinge joint, similar to the wings. The entire tail is bendy as well, which can really help managing more dynamic stances without any stand.
Accessories - Brooklyn ***1/2; Broadway ****
I've already mentioned the most important accessory for both figures
- the extra head. Regular readers know that I love getting a whole
new expression, especially with characters like this that have
distinctive characteristics that a second portrait can take
advantage of.
Both figures have additional hands as well. They come wearing fists, and each has four more hands to swap in, designed to work with the various accessories.
Everybody needs a weapon of course. Brooklyn has one, a large lightning rod style sword. It looks great, and fits nicely in the right gripping hand.
Broadway gets two - an axe, and a mace. Like Brooklyn's sword, these look like they were made out of the cast or wrought iron used for decorative features in buildings. The mace and axe can actually be attached to each other at the hilt, creating a single double ended weapon.
Brooklyn only gets one more extra, but it's a goodie - his shades. These fit over the head and arms snugly rest behind the ears on either head. It's a great look! I wish we'd gotten his folded wings, but they are scheduled to come with Elisa Maza.
Broadway gets a few more extras, three food items - a turkey leg, a chunk of meat, and a box of popcorn. Now you know why Broadway has that big smile on his face!
Fun Factor - Brooklyn ***; Broadway ****
These guys are a ton of fun, but Broadway wins out here due to the
issues with Brooklyn's head and wings. I kept popping the head off
as I was trying to pose it and move the wings, which can get
frustrating. No such worried with Broadway.
Value - **
At $40, these are on the top end right now of NECA figures. With the
extra heads and huge wings, they are certainly more complex than the
usual release, but I have to admit that the price is getting high
enough to cause collectors to pause and consider each purchase.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Everything worked great, and I had no worries about
breakage or damage. Just remember that there will be a click when
the wings are fully inserted in the back.
Overall - Brooklyn ***; Broadway ****
I have pretty high expectations with these, considering how well
they've been done so far. I also have hopes that we'll see more
beyond the current pre-orders of Steel Clan Robot, Xanatos, Elisa,
Video Game Goliath, and Angela. They really need to get Lexington
added into the mix with Brooklyn and Broadway, but as a smaller
character, it's likely they'll either do him with another figure, or
really add in the extras.
Either way, there's still a ton of potential characters for them to do, and I'm currently rearranging my shelves in anticipation!
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - Brooklyn **1/2; Broadway ***1/2
Accessories - Brooklyn ***1/2; Broadway ****
Fun Factor - Brooklyn ***; Broadway ****
Value - **1/2
Overall - Brooklyn ***; Broadway ****
Where to Buy
These should hit Target and Walmart stores at some point. Online
options include these site sponsors:
- Entertainment Earth has them for $38. Use my link and get an additional 10% off on any in stock item, plus free shipping!
- or you can search ebay for a deal.
Related Links -
I've reviewed most of the NECA Gargoyles, with Bronx being the most recent.
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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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and
text by Michael Crawford.