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Introduction
One of the most influential episodes of Star Trek The Original Series was Mirror, Mirror. Not only was it one of the first on screen examples of the concept of a multi-verse, but it would go on to be integral in future Trek themes and episodes.
It was also a fun episode for viewers and actors alike, as the characters got to step outside their normal behavior. This was no more apparent than with Sulu, who went from dedicated, morale, Star Fleet officer to back stabbing, dangerous, conniving Terran officer.
EXO-6 has already produced a terrific version of Spock from the episode, and have followed it up with their first Sulu. They have not yet announced any additional characters specific to this episode, but they have plenty to choose from, with Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, and Chekov all being critical to the story line.
This guy is just now shipping, and folks should see him arriving starting this week. He retailed for about $200, depending on the seller.
Packaging - ****
EXO-6 continues the style of packaging for their Trek series,
including a cool shot of the captain and first officer of the
specific show on the front, and nice graphics all around. The box is
reinforced inside with a second thick plastic tray, and the exterior
shipping box includes four sturdy plastic corner pieces to add some
additional security. They realize collectors want nice boxes, and
are doing what they can to ensure they arrive undamaged on your
doorstep. Of course, it's all collector friendly too, and you can
remove the figure and accessories with no damage to the packaging.
Sculpting - ****
Back about three to four years ago, Quantum Mechanix, or Qmx, did a
series of sixth scale action figures based on Trek. The last one
they produced was Sulu, and at the time, I was pretty damn
happy. You see, I've loved Trek since I was a child in the sixties,
and I've loved sixth scale for the same amount of time. To get the
two together? It doesn't get better than that.
But comparing that Sulu to this one...wow. There's simply no real comparison at all. This new sculpt captures not only the look of Sulu, but the very specific evil expression from this episode. The slightly tussled hair looks great, the subtle skin texture is realistic and life-like, and the detail work on the facial scar - a critical aspect - is amazing.
I also have to give them credit for doing a very episode specific sculpt, instead of one that you could just re-use for any old version of Sulu. This is clearly his evil twin.
Another issue for all the Qmx figures - giraffe neck. They all tended toward elongated necks. That's not an issue for any of the new EXO-6 figures, and it's quite obviously corrected with Sulu.
He stands about 11 3/4" tall, fitting in nicely with the rest of the line. I've included a shot with the Spock later in the review, and while they don't look too different in height, that's because of the lower angle of the camera. In hand, the scale is good.
Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is almost perfect - with one minor issue that holds
this back slightly.
The skin mottling is particularly nice. In macro photos you'll notice the freckling, but in hand it is quite subtle, creating a life-like appearance without being obvious. All the other standard features, like lips, hairline, and eyebrows, are clean and realistic.
The other critical spot is the facial scar. Getting that 'angry' look to the skin and damage is tough, and relies completely on the paint application. And they've nailed it, creating a scar that's clear but not extreme, that's realistic without being gory.
Ah, but there is one issue that became apparent while I was shooting and editing the photos. He has a slightly wonky eye. It's subtle enough that I didn't notice it when I was handling him and posing him at first, but thanks to the macro nature of the photos, it became more clear. In other words, it's a minor issue, but still an issue. I'm betting it's also a one off, and the odds are I just got one that's not the norm.
Articulation - ****
While this is the same body we've seen them use before, I upped the
score slightly this time. I was able to get pretty much any pose out
of him, thanks to the soft boots and stretchy costume.
The one piece head doesn't have quite the mobility of a two piece head/neck, but you can still get plenty of personality defining tilt and lean. The shoulders include the 'butterfly' style joint, which gives them much more forward and back movement, and allows for more realistic arm poses, particularly when used with the cut biceps, double pin elbows, and rotating hinge wrists.
The ab-crunch works great as well, with lots of turn, tilt, lean, and crunch, and the stretchy tunic does not get in the way. The hips, knees, and ankles can take shallow to deep stances, and a sitting pose is easy-peasy. The soft boots make the ankles quite useful, always a big plus.
Accessories - ***1/2
There's a nice assortment of extras here, all extremely well done,
but there's also a lot of re-use.
There are six additional hands to go with the pair of relaxed hands he comes wearing. These include a set of fists, a phaser holding right, a knife holding right, and a communicator holding left. There's also a right designed to do the Terran salute. Swapping is easy, and they stay in place while posing.
As with all the figures, he comes with a transporter shaped stand, which includes two different decorative sheets for the top. It employs a crotch support, and there's the usual plastic clip to attach it to another display base.
As you'd expect with any TOS release, there's the classic communicator and both the type 1 and type 2 phaser. The detail work on this is amazing, and they use magnets to hold them to the costume. The bond is good too, thanks to employing pretty strong magnets. I didn't find any spot on the back to connect the communicator, which I think is correct for the Terran versions, but you can connect the phaser on one hip, along with the other weapon, the dagger, on the other hip.
The dagger fits inside a sheath, and this sheath then attaches to the costume. While this is also a re-use - Spock had the dagger as well - it's a more critical extra with Sulu.
Outfit - ****
The mirror outfit includes the tunic with Terran emblem and medals,
pants, sash, and boots.
The fit and tailoring on the tunic is excellent, and it looks great on the slim body. The medals and emblems on the chest are nicely done and tightly attached, and the gold sash is made from high quality material. It can be adjusted on the waist and hips as well.
The boots are a highlight, made from a soft material that will hopefully stay nice over time. They allow both the knees and ankles to do their thing, which greatly improves the Articulation score.
I still don't love the slightly baggier nature of the Terran pants,
but they look better on Sulu than they did on Spock. I think it's
due to the tailoring of the shirt, and the way they come together at
the waist.
Fun Factor - ****
Now that we have two Mirror Mirror figures, the fun can begin!
Posing Sulu and Spock together makes for a much more interesting
display, and I really hope we see them add at least Kirk and Uhura,
both with very unique costumes, to this mix.
Value - ***1/2
Who is doing two hundred dollar sixth scale figures at this level of
quality right now? Not many people. The love EXO-6 has for the brand
is apparent in every detail, every nuance, every decision. And yet
they are doing it at a price point collectors still have a chance to
afford. While some of the releases will be more expensive - Seven of
Nine has a specially designed body, and I have no doubt the complex
Locutus will cost more - if they can keep a price point below others
in the industry, collectors will rejoice.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing
Overall - ***1/2
Most of the people that receive this figure are going to get a four
star release. The costume is great, and I like it better - thanks to
the tailoring - than the Spock release. The sculpt blows away the
previous Sulu, and the accessories are both beautiful and useful.
You won't find a better release at this price point.
But I did have one slightly - and I mean slightly - wonky eye. For me that pulled him down a half star, but your mileage will most certainly vary, as I don't expect this to be a real issue with the majority of the shipment.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ****
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ****
Accessories - ***1/2
Outfit - ****
Fun Factor - ****
Value - ***1/2
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy
You can pick up the EXO-6 figures directly from them at their online store. Other online options
include these site sponsors:
- Entertainment Earth has him at $198 with free shipping.
- or you can search ebay for a deal.
Related Links -
Other EXO-6 releases include the Mirror Mirror Spock, Judge Q, Saru and Bernham from Discovery, First Contact Data and Picard, and from Voyager, the EMH and Janeway. And you'll want to check out my
review of the Qmx Sulu as well!
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 provided for the review by the manufacturer. Photos
and text by Michael Crawford.