Review of Merle - The Walking Dead
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

I'll admit it - I haven't watched the last season of The Walking Dead. After loving it for all those years, sticking with all the loss, the death, and the often repetitive story lines, I was having a tough time sliding back into season 7.  I will get around to it...eventually.

But that doesn't mean my love for the overall show is gone. In fact, I can't wait for the new ThreeZero sixth scale figures to hit, including Michonne, Daryl, and even Negan. The latest release is Daryl's less than lovable brother, Merle. He did get more...human, if not quite lovable, and he was a great character portrayed by a great actor in Michael Rooker.

This guy just started shipping, and will run you around $165, maybe a few bucks less, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***
The slim box takes up very little space, and there's very little waste. That's a positive of course, and the overall design is very collector friendly, but there's not a lot about it that's inventive or exciting.

Sculpting - **
I never thought the prototype was dead on, but I'm not sure what exactly happened here. The figure takes a pretty massive hit for the portrait, but there's another issue with the body that pulls it down another half star for me.

Let's start with the portrait. It is realistic, in the sense of the skin texture and finely detailed hair. It could be a little better - this certainly won't rival Hot Toys at their best - but it's reasonable. The best work is around the eyes, with the life-like bags and wrinkles.

I can also live with the expression, and I'd go a B when it comes to the emotive property of the portrait. He's serious, and he's not to be messed with. The down turned mouth and the slightly squinted eyes allow his special personality to come through.

But then we get to accuracy, and things go wildly awry. Even the prototype had issues with a tall, long head, and that hasn't changed here. But what has changed is the light bulb look to the shape - my God, he looks like a GE 60 watt! I swear that Gwyllum was his dad.

There's actually a little of Rooker in there, particularly in the eyes and mouth. But that weirdly shaped head makes it awfully hard to see. Still, if that were the only problem, I'd probably go **1/2. But it's not.

They also went with skin coverings on the arms. It doesn't actually hide the wrists, the most obvious arm joint, but it does cover the elbows. And it's old school stuff, stiff and hard. It reminds me of something a G.I. Joe would have had 20 years ago. This hard material pooches out big time when you bend the elbows, and if you have the bladed hand replacement on his right, it can even cause some issues. Add the cheap feeling skin in with the bulbous head, and you end up with a pretty bad score from me.

Paint - ***
The paint work on the head is solid, but not exceptional. They have a lot of speckling to imply sunburn and exposure, and the hair is properly highlighted. Even the beard looks good, but the very, very dark lips are throwing it off for me. In photos it doesn't look quite as bad, but in hand it's really obvious.

The eyes are very blue, with a little bit of bleed. The work on the additional knife 'hand' is good, but the handgun is mighty basic and unimpressive.

Articulation - ***
If you've gotten other ThreeZero figures, then the articulation won't be much of a surprise. The neck has a ball joint below the jaw line, but there was nothing at the torso. Again, it's a solid, thick skin that gives him more of a one piece appearance.

The shoulders work well, but felt a little weak when I was adjusting them, and the elbows have the hard skin cover. Bending at the elbow isn't too much of a problem, but the way the skin folds out looks as unrealistic as the usual rotating hinge joint.

The wrists work well, and the hands swap easily. The ab-crunch, waist, hips, knees, and ankles all are tight and allow for solid leg poses and stances. The boots are a bit restrictive, making the ankles a little less useful, but it's not unusual or surprising.

When you have a normal hand on the right arm, the elbow works well. It looks funky, but it works well. But when you put the bladed attachment on and bend the elbow, the hard skin pushes out to the side, against the metal brackets. It ends up reducing the angle and amount the elbow can bend.

Accessories - **1/2
There's not a lot here, but the basics are covered.

There's six hands in total. He comes wearing fists, and he has a set of gun grips and a set of relaxed hands. Each has their own wrist post, and they swap easily.

He also has the special right hand replacement with the bayonet attachment. The brackets that run up the sides of his arm are metal, and are articulated to move with his arm. It's his nicest extra, and they put a lot of work and attention into it. But while the brackets are metal, the blade is not - be careful you don't snap the thin plastic.

His last accessory is a hand gun with removable clip. The sculpt and paint are weak here, falling short of the sort of detail and realism we expect on the current market.

Outfit - ***
Nothing too complex, but ThreeZero does a great job with wear and dirt.

He has his boots, his pants (with belt and holster), t-shirt, and outer shirt.  All are made from good materials, and the tailoring and fit are nice. Scale is good too, with properly sized buttons and zippers all around.  The boot sculpt looks great, and while it's a little restrictive, I can live with it.

It's the dirt and grime that makes the costume more than it is. They have a knack for getting these guys just the right amount of dirty, and once again they've worked their magic.

Fun Factor - ***
While he has some serious forehead issues, he still has plenty of articulation to make him fun. You can find some good poses, especially with the right hand replaced. Add him in with Rick, Michonne, and the others, and you should have less issue with him looking...weird.

Value - ***
Again, there's definitely some issues...but that weird head isn't a matter of money. It's a matter of skill, or the lack thereof. The price tag here is well below the current sixth scale market, and it's in areas like the accessories where it shows. He's a good value, but you'll notice the difference in overall quality.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - **1/2
None of the humans from ThreeZero have had great portraits. They tend to be slightly cartoony, slightly caricaturish, and I didn't expect Merle to be much different. But they went beyond that with the weirdly shaped noggin, and it takes away a lot from the figure.

Of course, with a price point $50 less than most other companies right now, they can get away with a lot of sins. Still, I suspect most people will be very disappointed by the final result.  I've got my fingers crossed with Michonne and Negan, but I worry that Daryl won't be much different, based on the photos of the prototype.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Their last Walking Dead figure was Rick Grimes, and the two Pet Walkers that belonged to Michonne. McFarlane did a Merle in their much smaller action figure line 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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