Review of Judge Q Sixth Scale Action Figure
Star Trek the Next Generation

Introduction

It's truly a fantastic time to be a Star Trek fan. We have multiple shows available to us, including the truly amazing Strange New Worlds, which finished up the first season with one of the best Trek episodes of all time.

At the same time, we are being treated to the finest sixth scale action figures based on the many Trek properties by EXO-6. Not only are the figures high quality, the pricing is far more reasonable than other companies currently in the market. They are covering a broad section of Trek, not just one or two shows. And they are doing it quickly, with the turn around time from pre-order to shipment amazingly short. They are setting industry standards at this point that others should follow.

I reviewed their first release, the First Contact Data, about a year ago. In the last 12 months, we have received SIX new figures. No sixth scale company has ever managed their production cycle with such efficiency, and sadly we have grown accustomed to companies announcing multiple figures, putting them up for pre-order, and waiting months or even years before we see any. EXO-6 has proven this doesn't have to be the way.

The pre-order for Judge Q went up at the end of January into early February. And here we are, just six months later, and he's shipping. The turn around is getting better the more experience they get, and I expect we'll see another six figures before Christmas.

Judge Q will run you around $205, depending on the retailer. EXO-6 doesn't have a set price, but rather varies it depending on the figure and its complexity. Some, like Seven of Nine, will be more expensive due to the need for a new body. Others will be cheaper, with less expensive costuming or accessories required. But I know one thing - EXO-6 will do everything it can to produce the highest quality Trek figures at the best price.

A side note - you'll notice a chair in a couple of the photos. This does not come with Q, and is not designed for him. Rather, this was the chair that came with McGonagall, in the Star Ace Harry Potter series. It works okay for Q, but isn't ideal.

Packaging - ***1/2
The packaging is completely collector friendly, and they've added additional features to ensure your figure arrives safe. To protect the artwork box, they added four heavy duty plastic corners inside the outer brown shipper. To protect the trays inside, they added an extra very stiff tray just to add extra strength and stability.

Sculpting - ****
I thought I'd already seen the best sculpting work from EXO-6, but I was wrong. This version of Q crushes it.

One critical aspect is the realistic attributes. With a fine skin texture, subtle eyebrows, and textured lips, he is clearly life-like. The slightly wet, glossy eyes emote nicely, and with the hat completely covering the hair, it removes any worries about the hair sculpt.

They've also captured the look of John de Lancie. He has a very unique look, and the shape of the eyes, nose, and lips create a dead on ringer.

They went with a moderate expression, not too extreme, but not too zombie either. He looks slightly sad, as though Jean-Luc just did something to disappoint him. I can almost hear him say "I believed in you. I thought you had potential..."

The character is one of the tallest on TNG, coming in at 6' 4". The big hat makes him even taller, and he comes in at about 13" tall overall. They added some of the height where most tall humans add the height, in the legs.

Paint - ****
One of the most critial areas for any sixth scale company attempting to reach the upper echelon in the market is the production paint. Poor paint can ruin a fantastic sculpt - great paint can elevate a mediocre one.

EXO-6 continues to show improvements in their paint application. The skin tone is realistic and natural, and the eyes, eyebrows, and lips are clean but life-like. The eyes are particularly impressive with their natural catch lights, but you can't underestimate the critical nature of the skin color. They even included the slightly lighter edge of skin around the lips, a detail that makes a huge difference.

I have one minor nit, although it won't be one everyone shares. I don't love the 'lip line' as a I call it. This is the black line painted between the lips, used to add some depth and shadow to the mouth, and I have to admit they did a really clean job with it. You probably won't notice it in hand, and you'll only notice it in macro photos when it's pointed out. Because of that I cut them some slack, but I'm not a huge fan of the technique in general.

Articulation - ****
The underlying body works great, and the costume is not particularly restrictive.

The big change here is the double jointed neck. They figured that since the neck would be completely covered below the jawline, there was no reason to do a single head/neck sculpt. This allowed them to add articulation, and you can get a ton of great tilt and lean out of the head. This is particularly useful for Q, who needs it to create personality in every pose.

You can also get some good tilt, lean, and crunch out of the ab-crunch. This allows you to break up straight lines in the torso.

The shoulders, elbows, and wrists work together to create natural arm poses, and the costume does not restrict them in any real way.

The legs, knees, and ankles work great, and while the long inner cloak is tight, it is also held together with sturdy snaps. To create a sitting position you can just unsnap the bottom snap, and you'll be able to bend the knees and hips appropriately.

The ankles have good rocker movement too, even with the short boots. There's enough clearance around the joint to allow for great shallow to medium stances, perfect for this character.

The other critical area of articulation is actually in the cloak itself. There's a very fine wire along all the key edges - the cuffs, the bottom, and the front edges. Using this wire is very easy, and it's thin enough to just hold the material, and not create further problems. You'll want to spend plenty of time working with it, and pay particular attention to those sleeves, where you can create a much more natural look using it.

Accessories - **1/2
The one area where Q comes up a little short is with Accessories. Unlike most of the other EXO-6 releases, he doesn't have a plethora.

He does have a few extra hands, posed in classic Q ways, including a perfect finger snap. These swapped easily, and stayed in place while I was posing.

He also has his Chain of Office. This is designed to lay flat around his neck and on his chest, and doesn't bunch up or kink.

The figure also comes with the small 'signature card', an ID card of sorts that can be used to get the autograph of the actor and display it alongside the figure.

As with the other figures, there's a display base, with his own unique floor pattern. The support rod is a crotch style. There are small black plastic connectors to attach this base to the others, as well as a small clear plastic support for the 'signature card'.

And that's it. As I said, it's a lot lighter than some, but you get the key needs here to create some good poses.

Outfit - ****
The outfit consists of his pants, inner robe, hat or hood, and outer robe.

The outer robe is clearly a highlight, and I've already discussed the excellent posability. It's made from very thin but very high quality materials, and the tailoring is excellent.

While the pants aren't going to be something you spend a lot of time checking out, they do the job. The inner robes are also very high quality, and I mentioned the strong snaps. This robe fits the torso tightly, but didn't overly restrict the articulation.

But perhaps the best feature is the hat. The big flat top looks great on him, something that's pretty rare with sixth scale head wear. They got the scale just about perfect, and it remains tightly fitted during posing. I had no worries about it coming loose, or having to re-fit it as I was working with him.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
While he doesn't have a ton of accessories, you'll still return to him again and again to re-pose. There's lots of possibilities, especially when you add in Data and Picard.

Value - ***1/2
As we watch the cost of a regular Hot Toys release hit $300, and other companies like InArt charge up to $500, I'd say this figure is a solid deal. While he's not quite as heavily outfitted as some, the complex costume makes it well worth the price tag.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Take some time to work with the robe to get the best look, and you should be good to go.

Overall - ****
The sixth scale market remains very healthy, with companies pushing the boundaries of what they can produce. They are also pushing the boundary of cost, and whether the market can survive at average price points close to $300 is yet to be seen.

EXO-6 is the most exciting company out there in this market right now. They are producing high quality figures that can rival any on your shelf, yet they are doing it far below the cost of others. They are also doing it with one of the most beloved and prolific licenses in the history of tv and movies - Star Trek.

While I've loved every release so far, Q has quickly become my favorite. With several more shipping shortly, including both Burnham and Mirror Mirror Sulu, his lead might be short lived, but he will remain a perfect example of everything the company is doing right.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has him for $205 with free shipping!

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
EXO-6 is doing an amazing job releasing these Star Trek releases. I just reviewed Burnham a couple weeks ago, and before that we had Mirror Mirror Spock, Captain Janeway, EMH Doctor, First Contact Picard, and First Contact Data.

Qmx also did some great sixth scale Trek that will fit right in with these, including Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Sulu, Khan, McCoy, and Picard. They also did a great Captain's Chair for Kirk!

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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