Review of The Flash - CW TV Show Action Figure

Introduction

The CW has a plate full of tasty DC shows, from Arrow to Black Lightning. One of the first - and still a major fan favorite - is the Flash. There hasn't been a ton of show specific merchandise for these CW series, but Star Ace is looking to alter that.

Most folks will know them best for their sixth scale action figures, but the company branched out last year into a smaller scale - 1/8th. For math challenged out there, that means a six foot male would be about 9" tall. They've dubbed the line the 'Real Master Series'.

It's a bold move because it's a relatively unique scale. Right now, 1/18, 1/12, and 1/6 are the norm, each with their own strong market share.  Mego once dominated in 1/9th scale, but no one has ever really broke the 1/8th scale open in a major way. Going after it with a high end, clothed figure, mimicking what Mezco did with 1/12th, is a big gamble.

They started with the Harry Potter license, but are now moving into the DC franchise. Up first, you guessed it, the Flash!  They also have Supergirl and the Arrow in the works (you can already pre-order the Arrow), and other licenses like the Lord of the Rings are on tap.

The Flash will run you around $115 - $120, depending on the retailer, and should start shipping very soon.

Packaging - ***
The small box is attractive, and as you'd naturally expect, it's entirely collector friendly. No need to damage anything when removing the figure and accessories, and it all pops back in for storage neatly and easily. There's some very basic instructions, and the plastic interior tray keeps the contents safe and sound. They also included some key pieces of plastic to avoid staining or damage on the suit.

Sculpting - ***
This is based on the TV show of course, and they've included two portraits - masked and unmasked.

Let's start with my favorite, the masked version. The exposed areas - lower face, eyes, lips - are very realistic, particularly for this scale. There's a subtle skin texture, and the variation in that texture around the eyes and on the lips creates a much more life-like portrait. The expression is stern but not silly, and the slightly squinted eyes give him a determined look.

I also really like the sharp, deep edge between the mask and face. Too often, such edges are soft and less realistic. Here, the sharp edge creates the impression of an actual mask over a real face, and the sculpted details are clean and neat.

The masked version isn't super recognizable as the actor, but enough so that you recognize it as the TV version. The second unmasked portrait maintains the realism, but does fall a little short on the accuracy.

Again, the subtle skin texture and variation on the lips and eyebrows adds a lot to the mask-less face. The hair has good detail work, and while the spiky hair style is tough to reproduce in plastic, they managed a reasonable job with very nice stranding. The masked head is a one piece neck/head design, but this second version is two piece, which means it's more articulated...but does have a joint line below the jaw.

While the realism and life-like quality of both sculpts is excellent (particularly for this scale - remember, this guy is only about 8 3/4" tall), I'm not digging the accuracy of the bare face. The actor has a pretty unique facial shape, very triangular, and I'm not picking that up here.

The preferred portrait for me is the masked version, and that's what I'll be going with on the shelf. Your mileage may vary, of course. One nice thing about having the second head sculpt is the potential to kitbash a TV Barry Allen.

Paint - ***
Star Ace paint work has varied quite a bit in their sixth scale line. Glad to report that the work here, in a smaller scale, is on the better side of the bell curve.

Let's start with the unmasked portrait this time. The hair and hairline look great, and there's a subtle transition from the skin to the hair.  The work on the eyebrows is good, with soft edges rather than hard cuts, and the eyes are straight and clean. The lashes might look a bit much in macro photos, but are very tiny and barely visible in hand, lending a little more realism to the portrait. The skin tone is good and matches between the face and neck.

The masked head is the one I have a few issues with this time. There's some slop around the edges, and the gold details aren't quite as clean as I'd like at this price point. There's even a mark in the white of the emblem, a very eye catching area.

While the work isn't bad overall, there's enough nits to pull the score down slightly at this price point.

Articulation - ***1/2
This is the first time I've worked with the Star Ace 1/8th body, and it's very well articulated.

The masked portrait has a ball joint in the torso, but the unmasked version has two ball joints, thanks to the two piece design. You can get decent tilt and lean action, and the head can be posed properly for most running stances.

The shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and torso all have very good mobility. The hands and heads swap easily, and the only limitation in these areas is from the tight suit. While it's stretchy, it is still a bit restrictive, particularly in the knees and hips. However, it's not any more so than I'd expect if a real person were wearing something like this.

The ankles are the only real problem. The hard boots take away any rocker movement, but they did give you a mid-foot joint to make up for it a bit, which works great with running stances.

Accessories - ***1/2
I already mentioned the two portraits, but it's worth mentioning again. I'm a huge fan of getting a second head sculpt, particularly with a character wearing a mask. Even more important, this is a character from a show, where the actor likeness is so nice to have.

The two heads ain't it, however. There's also three extra hands to go with the open set he comes wearing - a set of fists and one gripping right. They swap easily, and stay firmly in place while posing.

To give him the full speed effect in running poses, he has four 'lightning' attachments. There are two for the arms, and two for the legs, and they wrap around easily. They also stay in place, and I love the translucent color.

There's a single spike made of this same fiery material, which he can hold in his right hand with a little effort.

Another speed effect is his tornado's, one for each hand. These completely replace the hands, and snap on tightly.

I almost forgot to mention it, but he has a sculpted hood to wear around his neck when the bare portrait is in place. That's a nice touch, and something most companies seem to neglect.

Finally, there's his display stand. The base is basic stuff, colored red with the usual logo. However, it has one of the high quality posable metal support rods that screws into the plastic stand. The waist gripper clamp has rubber padding to avoid damaging the figure, and it works great for creating those more unstable running and leaping poses.

Outfit - ***
The outfit is based on the show - if you don't like the look on the show, you aren't going to like it here.

I have my reservations about the design, but Star Ace has done a really nice job recreating it in soft goods and sculpted bits. This is the early design as well - I think they improved his look as the show went on. But you can't argue too much with the quality and accuracy of this reproduction.

The helmet and neck look spot on, while the mixed materials they used for the cloth costume do a great job of approximating the real thing. Stripes are where they should be, the simple belt looks terrific, and even the boot sculpt, while restrictive, matches up pretty well. The tailoring is great, with a tight fit and sleeves of a proper length to cover the wrists. The overall quality of the stitching and materials is great too, very similar to the One:12 Collective for reference.

My biggest nit is with the chest. The symbol might look too low on his chest, but it's not the symbol's fault. It's about where it should be in relation to the bottom of the smooth section of the chest. But that section is too big, coming down further onto his torso than it does on the show. As with several of the other categories, this isn't a deal breaker sort of issue, but enough to pull down the score a bit.

Fun Factor - ***
You should have no trouble finding some cool running poses, but you'll need to use the display stand. Relaxed poses were a little trickier and far less interesting, and I suspect this won't be a figure you swap up a lot on the shelf.

Value - **
The biggest issue these face is price, a similar issue that Mezco faced with their One:12 Collective. Those figures are about 6 1/2" tall and will run you $80, no small chunk of change. These are quite a bit bigger - notice the last photo where the recent Mezco black suit Spidey is standing next to the Flash - but I'm not quite sold that these are worth the full $40 more. I'd happily go $100, but that extra $20 is holding me back from going all in with any license they do.

Things to Watch Out For -
When swapping the heads, make sure you don't get the collar trapped inside. Also, slipping the bolt into his hand can be tricky, so take your time.

Overall - ***
While I wouldn't say this release is a perfect home run, it is a very nice figure with a whole lot of positivity going for it. I've been hesitant about this line, since I really don't need another scale and I'm pretty much all in with the Collective. But this figure has convinced me to pick up the Arrow and Supergirl, since these aren't figures I'm likely to get in another scale any time soon. I'm also looking very carefully at their Lord of the Rings offerings, another line I could see getting sucked into.

The costuming on this guy is almost on par with the current Mezco work - the boots are really the only drawback. The articulation is good, and the realism in the sculpt and paint is solid. The likeness needs to be a little better at this price point, and I'd love to see a few more accessories (the Arrow does better in both departments from what I've seen so far), but this is a scale and style well worth checking out if you're looking for an alternative to the much more expensive sixth scale market.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth comes in at $118 as well, but they have free shipping.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
If you want something in a high end figure that's slightly smaller, there's the One:12 Collective action figure.

And if something less mobile is your thing, check out the Justice League (movie) statue or the cool DC Bombshells statue.

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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