Review of Captain Sisko - Star Trek Deep Space Nine
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

I am a lifelong fan of Star Trek. I was too young to appreciate TOS during it's first run on television, but by the early 70's it was in syndication, and I ate it up. I've been a lover of the franchise ever since, and I've consumed every iteration.

In fact, I'm currently on a multi-year rewatch of every part of the franchise. I completed TOS of course, as well as TAS, moving on to TNG. I've just finished up the sixth season of DS9, with one more to go, then on to Voyager, Enterprise, Discovery, Picard, Strange New Worlds, Prodigy, and Lower Decks. Don't worry, I'm saving the entire run of 13 movies until the end, after finishing all the series. Assuming I live that long.

One of the many benefits of being able to stream and watch the shows back to back is gaining a greater appreciation for episodes, runs, or even an entire series than you had before. When the shows were originally aired, I watched TOS religiously and TNG every week, but by the time I got to DS9, my viewing was less structured, more random, and less focused. And guess what? After this full rewatch, it just might be my favorite series of the entire franchise.

You can imagine my excitement when EXO-6 announced their first DS9 figure, Captain Benjamin Sisko. Also known as the Emissary, and sometimes "The Sisko", he is an exceptional captain, combining many of the key elements of those that came before with a compassionate, parental side that was unexplored with captains before this series.

EXO-6 is trying something new with this release, creating a "Standard" version that includes all the accessories, and a "Essentials" version that strips the figure down a bit to his core extras at a lower cost. What makes this interesting is it's a slightly different way to look at it. Most companies produce a figure they consider the 'standard' for X dollars, then add in extras to create a 'deluxe', charging more. Instead, EXO-6 is saying "here's the full version that we consider the regular release, but we know not everyone wants all the accessories or cares about them, so here's a version at a lower cost with just the essential extras'. While the overall outcome is the same, the psychology is different.

The Essentials version will run you around $180, while the Standard version, reviewed here tonight with the extras, will cost around $215, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***1/2
Sisko was technically produced before the recently reviewed TMP Kirk, and uses the same style of packaging as the earlier releases. The outer box is attractive and sturdy, and everything inside is packed in a collector friendly manner, easy to remove without any damage to the packaging itself. I am hoping that we see future releases switch to the style we saw with the recent Kirk however, as I feel it's a better presentation overall.

The standard release is called the SX version on the outer box, while the Essentials version is the EX.

Sculpting - ****
Every sixth scale collection is woefully short of Black characters. EXO-6 has now given us three (Sisko joins Tuvok and Burnham). And all have exceptionally accurate sculpts.

This is very clearly Sisko, done in the most iconic style with the shaved head and Van Dyke. Regular readers know I judge portraits on three aspects - likeness, realism, and expression. They've nailed it in all three areas.

The realism of their sculpts continues to improve, even when it was already excellent. This subtle skin texture and wrinkling, the sculpted detail in the facial hair, the life in the eyes - all these things add up to make a realistic portrait.

But it also has to look like the character. And capturing Sisko isn't easy, but they've done it thanks to two key areas. First, it's in the eyes. And second, it's in the unique shape of his head. Sisko has a pointed head - he really does. Obviously, that's because Avery Brooks does. While they often obscured it on the show, cutting off the top of his head in close ups, and shooting him from a lower angle, he did have a very distinctive shape to the top of his head, and the artist recognized that and captured it here.

The expression is relatively neutral, but it doesn't look like a mannequin. There's enough life in the eyes to create a stern, serious look, but it's not over the top, and it works well for a wide variety of poses.

Most of the EXO-6 sculpts are a single head/neck piece, but Sisko is a separate head and neck. That improves the neck articulation of course, but it also can interfere with the realism for some folks. I don't have an issue with it, but YMMV.

Paint - ***1/2
The production paint work from EXO-6 has been improving, and is at a point where it can rival almost any sixth scale producer out there.

They are using the freckling technique to create a life-like and realistic skin tone, and it's even trickier with the darker tone. They have a nice variation in the color that matches actual human tones, rather than a consistent, even color that would be unrealistic.

The eyes are sharp and clean, with natural catch lights, and they are even - no lazy eye here. And while it's hard to see in photos, the palms of the hands are slightly lighter in color than the backs of the hands, a very realistic detail we don't see from other companies.

I do wish the beard was a little less consistent, a little more realistic, but it's a very minor nit, and doesn't detract from the overall quality of the work in any way.

Articulation - ***1/2
The underlying body has all the articulation you expect, and he can easily take a natural, flowing stance and maintain it without any display stand. He's not a character you'll put in ninja poses, but he can take deeper action stances, as well as normal duty poses that appear life-like and realistic.

The shoulders are wider on this body, better suited to the character. The torso crunch and twist is a bit restricted by the thicker coat or vest, but you can still break up most of the unnatural straight lines in the torso with a little effort.

As I mentioned earlier, the head and neck are separate pieces, giving him a little more tilt and lean in the head as well. It's not a ton, but it does work to add a little personality to the pose.

Accessories - ***1/2
I'm looking at the standard version, with the full set of accessories. The essential drops a few, and I'll call out the differences.

Both versions come with six basic hands, designed to work with several of the other accessories. They swap easily, and stay in place while posing the figure. There's no extra wrists pegs.

Both versions also come with the phaser and holster, tricorder and holster, and P.A.D.D. While you didn't see Sisko wearing the tricorder a lot, or even the phaser for that matter, they are pretty essential. Like other EXO-6 Trek figures, the details on these are amazing, and the holsters use strong magnets to attach to the pants. The tricorder itself is a two piece affair, again using magnets to hold the pieces together either open or closed.

The P.A.D.D. is definitely essential - he was always using one on the station. Another essential is the baseball. His love for the game was a key part of his personality, and played into the theme of a number of episodes. The baseball could be a little weathered, but otherwise the sculpt and paint are on point, and one of the hands is specifically designed to hold it,

The similarities between the two versions finish up with the standard octagonal base, with two different inserts (one for a single transporter, one for building a larger transporter pad with multiple bases), connectors to attach bases together, a crotch support stand, and the 'signature card', you can attach to the base.

The standard has several more extras. There's three additional hands, to work with these extras, bringing the total to nine.

One of these extras is the phaser rifle, with shoulder strap. He can grip this one or two handed, and the scale and sculpt are excellent.

The other three extras can work together to create a very specific scene, or work individually. There's the vest, a second long sleeve zippered shirt, and a clear whisky glass. For those that remember the exceptional episode "In the Pale Moonlight", Sisko wore the vest over the long sleeve shirt while drinking from this very glass, and telling the tale.

Outfit - ****
The standard outfit includes the boots, pants, two long sleeve shirts, vest, and jacket.

You can wear the vest under the jacket, but it's a very tight fit. The vest is really here to go with the long sleeve shirt, which was a key look. All of the clothing is perfectly tailored, with an excellent fit on this body. No bagging, no weird wrinkling, no sagging, yet the figure can pose easily and naturally.

The materials and construction are all top quality too, and EXO-6 is really hitting on every cylinder with their costuming. No one is doing it better.

Fun Factor - ****
We're getting enough figures from enough different shows that you're getting all kinds of great posing and displaying options. You'll be able to swap these figures up over and over, and create all sorts of excellent looks. We know that Quark is coming soon, and there will be more DS9 figures to add from the show. C'mon, Jadzia!

Value - ***1/2
Getting any sixth scale figure under $200 is getting harder and harder. Getting one of this quality? It's damn rare. The Essentials version is just $180, and any Star Trek fan can be happy with the accessories they provide. The Standard really adds in some specific items for specific scenes, less 'essential', but perfect for fans looking to change their display over time.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Everything is sturdy, well made, and I had no worries about damage or breakage.

Overall - ****
With my new found love for DS9, Sisko has been a must have in the EXO-6 line up. I was really anticipating this one, and they didn't let me down. He's a great addition, and I while I plan on getting every release, the figures from this show will be some of my favorites. I can't wait for Quark, and I'm hoping Jadzia, Kira, Bashir, and others aren't far behind.

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

Where to Buy 
You can always pick the figures up directly from EXO-6 at their website. Other online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has the standard for #215 and the essentials for $180, but with free shipping.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other EXO-6 Star Trek releases include TMP Kirk, Tuvok, Janeway, EMH, Mirror Mirror Spock, Mirror Mirror Sulu, Saru, Burnham, Judge Q, First Contact Picard, and First Contact Data.

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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