Packaging - ***
Hmmm - well, we've gotten our new packaging, and I think I like it.  I like the greater amount of red, and I like the use of the character faces from this particular wave on the front.  I'm assuming those circles on the front will change with each wave.

It's still going to take a little getting used to though.  There seems something more simplistic in it's design, more straight edges and confined photos.  While I don't like it as much as the All Star Voices packaging, I do think it's a good change, and opens the door for them to do the re-issues more easily this year.

Sculpting - ***1/2
The sculpting on this series makes it one of the overall strongest waves.  All the characters are well done, portrayed very close to the source material.

Wolfcastle has the appropriate size, and yes, he wore those 'zoot suit' style pants on the show.  He's sculpted wearing a watch, and has a sly grin on his face.

The blue haired lawyer is probably the most obscure of this wave, yet his scale and sculpting are solid.  There's no zombie look here either, and this trend toward more expressive looks on the faces is certainly welcome.

You'd swear Larry burns is just about to say "ooo, ooo", he looks so much like Dangerfield (who voiced him) and the character.  With another excellent expression, the disheveled tie, and the slightly bent knees, Playmates is doing a great job of giving character to the figures through the sculpt.  Many in the past have simply stood with straight arms and legs, and no expression - that's certainly no longer the case.

Gil could be my favorite of the line, again with a very disheveled look and pleading expression.  You can almost hear him begging.  I do know that the use of the red jacket, which he only wore in the real estate episode when he worked with Marge, will annoy some folks.  It works fine though, and the red is a welcome color on the shelf.

Kirk Van Houten makes a great addition to your display, adding him right next to Milhouse.  Of the sculpts, he's my least favorite, having something slightly off about the head.  I'm not sure it it's too think, or simply not quite the right shape, but he doesn't ring as true as the other figures.  Still, I'm again very happy to see the more expressive look on his face, and the addition of great squinty eyes under the glasses is a nice touch.  The glasses are removable - they aren't glued on - but the posts are fairly deep in his head so it takes a little effort.

Last but not least, we have Plow King Barney.  With Mr. Plow Homer coming up, it only made sense to get this version of Barney.  And let's face it, there's not too many great variations you can do on this character.  His scale is good with the other Barney, and he has a slightly less drunk and disorderly appearance.

But no clipboards here.  Kirk comes with four accessories - his folder full of divorce papers, tissue box, doodle pad with his picture of Dignity, and his demo tape.

Larry Burns has a small picture of a much younger Monty Burns, the Springfield sign, a sign that says 'Gone Drinkin', his briefcase, and a bag of squash candy.

The Blue Haired Lawyer has his glasses (they might not be considered an accessory by everyone, but they do come packaged separately), evidence tape, briefcase, yellow legal pad with some terrific doodles, pencil and bottle of Colonel Kwik-E-Mart's Kentucky Bourbon.  He has five or six, depending on how you count the glasses.

Ranier has a dumbbell, award trophy, Radioactive Man script, and Powersauce bar.

Plow King Barney has his crown, baby bottle, champagne bottle in ice bucket, cel phone (how many different phones does this make now?) and baseball bat.

Gil has some of the best accessories though, with a very cool Doleco computer (with a sticker on the back detailing the hardware), bottle of Promo Seltzer, tongs and stinky socks, foot ruler, and pile of gambling chips.  These accessories cover many of Gil's failed employment opportunities.