Review of Judge Dredd action figure
One:12 Collective NYCC black, white exclusive

Introduction

This weekend is another New York Comic-Con, and geeks from all over the world converge to celebrate their favorite obsessions.

All the toy companies show up of course, and bring with them lots of new product announcements and cool goodies. I couldn't make it this year, but my buddy Chris is supplying photos, and I have his NYCC coverage up right here.

Mezco has a number of exclusives with them, but the only one that really grabbed my attention was the black and white version of their new One:12 Collective Judge Dredd. The regular edition hasn't hit quite yet (I got my shipping notice from BBTS on Friday), so this is our first chance to see how the production version turned out.  He's limited of course, although I haven't seen them publish a number.  Usually it's around 500 for something like this, but it may be higher, thanks to the popularity of the first One:12 Collective releases.

You remember those - the Dark Knight Returns Batman in several different color schemes. I reviewed the regular release as well as a couple of the exclusives. You'd assume these figures were in a 6" scale, hence the "1/12", and you'd be right, although they are a little larger than some collector lines in this scale.  I've included a shot of Dredd with a 6" SWB Trooper and a 7" MOTUC He-Man for comparison.  Dredd comes in at 6 1/2" tall.

These guys are available at the con right now for $65, or you can order them at the Mezco online store. The usual online retailers have the regular color edition for $65 as well, and don't forget that they are doing a Dredd on his bike for $250.

Packaging - ***
This guy comes in a slightly smaller box than the earlier releases, with a basic black and white design. There's a 'exclusive' sticker as well, and the figure and accessories are nestled in a couple layers of plastic trays. The instructions are adequate, and it's all collector friendly, but it lacks the pop of the DKR packaging.

Sculpting - ****
This is not a Karl Urban, or God forbid, Sylvester Stallone version of Dredd. And yes, I prefer the later adaptation to the first. This is a comic book version, which fits with the theme of the line so far.

Like most comic characters, how Dredd looks tends to be based on who's the artist.  That's going to be true with this figure as well, and Mezco has put their own style on the comic hero. I'm really digging the work they did here, particularly because of the detailing on the armor pieces. Just check out the gauntlets and you'll see what I mean in the cut details and textures.  Of course, the stark black and white color scheme really helps these details pop, but the details have to be finely cut for that to work.

These figures really are a mixed media platform too. Obviously the costume itself is cloth, and I'll discuss that further in the Outfit section. But the armor material varies as well, with a very hard plastic used for the shoulder pads and a softer, more pliable and adjustable material used for the belt and pouches. The trick is getting the final result to all match, which they've done perfectly.

The work on the face is terrific, with a nice skin texture and comic book expression. There's a full face under there, and the visor is translucent. The head might appear a little small, but that's a result of the comic design and the huge shoulder pads.

Which might be an issue - I know that the armor on the right shoulder is a little bigger than I expected.  But the eagle sculpted on the edge looks terrific, and the magnetic attachments they've used were a brilliant idea.  These are VERY strong magnets - no worries about the pieces falling off with simple handling.  They also allow for some adjustment of the pads, and don't interfere with the overall look.

Those aren't the only magnets, with another in place to hold the badge on his chest. That means you can also adjust the placement of the badge a bit (in some of the photos you'll see it dead straight, in others slightly tilted thanks to handling), but this is another very strong magnet, and the badge won't simply fall off.  Even if it did, it's attached to the suit by a large metal chain. This chain might appear out of scale at first glance, but it is usually drawn on the character quite large as well.

Paint - ****
This is a black and white (with some gray of course) color scheme, designed for the comic-con variant. The regular release will be full color.

The colors, or lack thereof, bring out the sculpting details extremely well. It also reminds me of an 80's independent comic, like early TMNT or Bone, or Dredd himself. Unlike the DKR Batman, who also had a black and white variant, this one makes good sense for the character and fits with his comic history.

The work on the face is also worth noting. The beard stubble translates to this palette well, and there is only the slightest slop on some of the edging around the helmet. Overall, it's a terrific piece of work.

Articulation - ***1/2
The most important note here is that this is NOT the same body we had with Batman.  While the arms and legs are likely the same (tough to be sure under the armor and costume), the torso is definitely a new piece.  This one is much trimmer, with a more traditional V shape. It looks terrific under the tight black costume.

Most of the articulation is fantastic as well, with excellent upper body posing.  The torso can twist and lean, the shoulders are limited only by the armor, and the elbows and wrists work great.  On the plus side (an improvement over Batman), the ball jointed neck has a good tilt and lean movement, and is less restricted than it was with Batman.

However, the ankles do not have as good of a rocker movement, making them the one spot that was a little disappointing. The boot design and less articulated ankles makes getting realistic wide stances a bit more taxing.

Accessories - ***1/2
Dredd is nicely outfitted, and everything is appropriate and sensible.

He has Lawgiver of course, including two magazines. One magazine goes in the gun, one in a pouch on the back of his belt. They don't stay in the gun quite as well as I'd like though, so be careful when you're handling him. They can drop out and get lost without you noticing.

He also has a small knife, which fits nicely in the scabbard on his leg.  I didn't mention it, but the Lawgiver also has a leg holster which works quite well.  He has a daystick, and he can hold this in his sculpted gripping hand, but it doesn't work particularly well with the loop provided on the belt. It's an awkward fit, and an awkward hang, so I skipped it in the photos.

The two grenades do fit properly in the loops on the back of the belt, but it's a tight fit. The rubber loops could tear under repeated use, so I'd just put the grenades in place and leave them there if I were you.

He has six hands in total - a left gun grip, one open grip right, a left and right fist, a pointing left, and a choking right. These work pretty well with the accessories, although a slightly tighter left grip hand would have been helpful.  The hands swap smoothly, with little fear of damage.

He also comes with some really cool handcuffs, which open and close, as well as fold up at the center. They are perfect for posing this guy with another six inch scale figure under arrest.

Finally, there's the clear plastic display stand.  It's similar to the one we got with Batman, and will allow you to do leaping or jumping poses, but obviously doesn't include the extra supports for the cape. I'll be covering the regular release when it his the porch, and I'll show off the stand with that review.

Outfit - ***
The outfit has one glaring issue that highlights the complexities of working with material in this scale.

I've already espoused the wonders of the armor and belt, and the paint and sculpting look great. The use of the magnets was genius, and by permanently attaching pieces like the elbow and knee pads, it's much easier to work with the figure overall. That works because they got the pads in exactly the right spot to begin with, and they don't interfere too much with the articulation. They did things differently with the belt, going with a soft rubber material and not attaching it to the suit, allowing you to adjust it for each pose.

The stitching and tailoring on the underlying stretchy body suit are excellent, but there lies the obvious problem - that zipper. It's certainly sturdy and well made, but it's too large, and this is always a problem when trying to put cloth outfits on smaller figures. Getting things like zippers, buttons and other standard closures in scale can be very difficult. 

The collar does fold down, and it is folded down in back. The zipper tends to make the front edge pop up, however, thanks to the thickness of it. If you want it folded down in front, all you'll have to do is place something on it to hold it in place over time, and it will stay there. Even while shooting it I could tell that with some time it would stay in place - I just didn't have that kind of time.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
There's lots of posing potential here, which is critical for collectors to enjoy a figure like this. You'll be able to change up his look on a regular basis, add him in with other displays, and have law on your shelves.

Value - ***
They still have the $65 price tag on these, and that's a solid value. While the scale is smaller, the quality is excellent, and these really are something unique and interesting.  If this were the regular release figure, I'd be going with an average **1/2 stars at this price, but this isn't - it's the exclusive version. And how often do you get an exclusive con figure for the exact same price as the regular release?

Things to Watch Out For -
The instructions warn you not to pull the zipper down on the suit by pulling o the chain - I'd heed the warning. Otherwise, you should be good to go!

Overall - ***1/2
I'm really loving this line so far, and I hope we see some other classic characters in the style. Mezco showed up a number of potential figures at last summer's SDCC, including some Universal Monsters, and I'd kill for a line up like that.

If the black and white color scheme is not for you, fear not. The regular color version will be hitting soon, and you can always hold off buying an individual figure and go for the big release of Dredd and his bike.  It will cost you a hefty chunk of change, but it's sure to be an attention getter on the shelf.

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

Where to Buy 
NYCC was the obvious place to pick this exclusive up, but you can still order this exclusive through the Mezco Store for just $65. Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is also at $65 for tue regular.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other One:12 Collective figures include the regular Dark Knight Returns Batman, as well as several exclusive versions.

Other Dredd merchandise includes the PCS Judge Dredd statue, and their Judge Death statue.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!