Packaging - ***1/2
These are in the new style Mcfarlane clamshells, which take up much less
space and have a lot less waste. They are also tri-lingual, indicating
perhaps that the strength of the line is the International market, not the
U.S.
Even though these are shrunk down, they still managed to put all the
goodies on the back of the insert, including some lines from the episode, a
brief synopsis, and other specific information about each set. That
ain't easy to do in multiple languages, and for those of us in our
'mid-life', you might find the need for some ocular assistance to read it.
But I gotta say I'm impressed they kept it!
Sculpting - The Raven, Clowns ***1/2; RM/FB, Good/Evil ***
As has been the case for the whole series so far, the sculpting here is top
notch. When it comes to the technical quality, there's very little to
complain about.
These are done in a 4" scale, just like the rest of the series from
McToys. The scale between characters is good, much better than most
attempts at animated kids and adults in other lines. They're too small
to fit in with most of the World of Springfield figures, but I can live with
that.
Once you get past technical quality, how good a sculpt is (or isn't)
becomes a matter of art and taste. Either a pose and style speaks to
you, or it doesn't. For me, this set is a bit of a mixed bag.
The Raven set is easily my favorite. Fans have wanted figures from
this THOH short for years, and Mcfarlane delivered with a very visually
interesting and unique design.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the RM/FB set. It's got
enough of a dynamic appearance to still score a decent grade, but the
overall impression is still a bit boring.
The Good and Evil Homers actually don't look quite as much alike in the
face as you'd expect. It is Homer after all, but the Good version
seems a tad too slimmed down overall, especially in the face. He's my
least favorite of the Homer variants McToys has done so far.
The Good version is, well, gooder! He looks just like Homer should,
and the posing on both figures is interesting. The fact that they can
stand on their own is also a plus.
The Clown set has some very nice details, including more clown crack than
you probably care to see. While you might think that the hair on top
of the head is the only way to tell Homer and Krusty apart, you'd be wrong -
they took the time to get the subtle differences in the size and shape of
the nose correct as well.
Homer can actually be removed from Krusty's back, if you're so inclined.
I'm not sure what possibilities that opens up, but perhaps I'm not being
creative (or perverted) enough.
Paint - **1/2
Unfortunately, Mcfarlane's paint woes with animated figures returns with
this series. There's slop all over the place, poor cut lines,
inconsistent coverage (especially with the black lines, which go from thick
to thin to non-existent around the same area), heavy rub marks, stray marks,
and just a general lack of quality.
They had some troubles with this earlier, but then with the Movie figures
and with the recent Hibbert playset and
Grinch figures, things seem to get back on track. That makes the work
here all that more disappointing. Of course, that may be because these
figures were put out at the cheapest possible cost, due to low demand.
Whenever costs get cut at the time of manufacture, the paint is always the
first place it shows.
Of the four, the issues were the least problematic on the Raven and
Good/Evil sets. The Clowns and Radioactive man had much worse work,
but I'm betting that the overall quality is inconsistent, so that you might
find a Radioactive man that looks great and a Raven set that doesn't.
You're going to have to be careful picking them out, and pray to whatever
Gods you believe in if you've ordered online.
Articulation - Good/Evil **1/2; Raven **; RM/FB *1/2; Clowns Bupkis
These are dioramas, intended to be displayed in a particular way. If you
know that up front and are cool with it, you probably won't be too concerned
about the Articulation score.
The least articulated of the bunch is the Clown set. There's
nothing moving here. Fortunately, you can pose the boys either going
up the ramp or going down the ramp, so there's some personalization.
Yea, it ain't much, but some times you grasp for whatever you can.
Surprisingly (at least to me), the Good/Evil set is the most articulated.
Both figures have cut necks, and the Evil Homer also has cut wrists to
position his maracas. The Good Homer also has cut wrists, as well as
cut shoulders.
The Raven set doesn't have much, but what's here is surprising.
Homer has nothing, but both Maggie and Lisa have cut necks, so you can get
them in just the right spot for looking down at Homer.
Finally, there's the RM/FB set. RM is a solid PVC figure with no
articulation, but FB has a cut neck and cut ankles at the top of the boots.
The ankle joints don't help in his quest to stand without the base, but it
does allow you to try to align the pegs and holes a bit better.
Accessories - Raven ***; Clowns **1/2; RM/FB, Good/Evil *1/2
There aren't really 'accessories' as generally defined, but I'm considering
the diorama/bases as an accessory for the purposes of this review.
The Raven set is easily the big winner here, with a nicely engineered
version of the wall and Lenore's painting. I had the least trouble
getting everyone in the proper place with this set, and the delicate string
between Maggie and Lisa is quite a bit sturdier than I assumed.
The Clown set isn't bad, although I'm unclear as too why the Simpsons
logo is on the top of the ramp. EDIT: Turns out there's another
magnet in the top of the ramp, and the logo is hiding it! You can have
the figures suspended upside down...that's pretty cool.
It's still a bit too basic - there's
absolutely nothing, not even a texture, on the red base or blue ramp - but
the general concept works. There's a magnet in the base itsefl, and
two metal pegs on Krusty's feet, so he can attach tightly and easily.
EDIT - helpful readers found out why there's a sticker on the top!
There's actually a magnet hidden in the top of the ramp too, so that the
guys can hang upside down from the ramp! Isn't that cool? Don't
you think that would be something you'd put on the package as a selling
point?
The other two bases are pretty much worthless. In fact, since the
Good/Evil Homers can stand on their own, there's no reason to even use it
with that pair. Unfortunately, Milhouse can't stand up without it, so
you'll need to use the very, very plain plastic stand for the RB/FM set.
Even worse, the holes on the feet and the pegs on the base do not line up
well, particularly with Radioactive Man, and you should be careful not to
snap them.
With Pie Man, we got the cool roof top and dynamic posing. That
makes this base all the more disappointing in comparison.
Fun Factor - **
These aren't really meant to be played with, so this category will have very
little effect on my overall, but it's worth noting in case you were thinking
that a 6 year old might have fun with these. If you know someone who's
a big fan of the show, they'll enjoy putting them on their desk. But
there isn't a whole lot of 'play' potential here for anyone.
Value - Raven, Clowns **1/2; RM/FB, Good/Evil **
Most licensed Mcfarlane figures have slipped into the $12 range at mass
market outlets, but you can still get these for around $10, even at
specialty retailers. Don't believe me? Check out some of my
sponsors that have them for sale!
Still, $10 - $12 for the RB/FM and Good/Evil sets (which are basically
two decent sized PVC's in a package) is a bit of a stretch for even this
Simpsons nut.
Things to Watch Out For -
On the shelf (if you can find them at the LCS) you'll want to be picky with
the paint. Once you have them out and about at home, be particularly
careful getting the figures on the pegs. As I mentioned, some are very
tight and/or not lined up properly with the holes on the feet, and forcing
them can break the pegs pretty easily.
Overall - Raven, Clowns ***; RM/FB, Good/Evil **1/2
The paint is the real killer here, and had we gotten the kind of paint
work that we saw with the Grinch or the Hibbert
set, I would have added another half star easily to the scores across
the board.
The RM/FB and Good/Evil sets are also hurt by the truly dull bases.
At this price point, you expect something a bit more, and with the work they
did on wave 1, I was expecting more.
That more is what we got with the Raven set. This one is a winner,
and even with the paint issues I recommend picking it up. They did a
great job of designing a set that incorporates all five family members in a
small space and stays true to the cartoon.
I like the Clowns set as well...I just can't get too worked up over it.
The bad paint plagued it for me, and I can't help but feel a bit Homer
overloaded. He's been the focus of one of the deluxe sets, been
included in three more deluxe sets, and was in three of the four wave 1
regular sets! Say what you will about Playmates, but they gave us a
tremendous variety in their series right from the start. Other than
the five family members, characters have been mighty scarce in the McToys
line ups.
Score Recap:
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpt - The Raven, Clowns ***1/2; RM/FB, Good/Evil ***
Paint - **1/2
Articulation - Good/Evil **1/2; Raven **; RM/FB *1/2; Clowns Bupkis
Accessories - Raven ***; Clowns **1/2; RM/FB, Good/Evil *1/2
Fun Factor - **
Value - Raven, Clowns **1/2; RM/FB, Good/Evil **
Overall - Raven, Clowns ***; RM/FB, Good/Evil **1/2
Where to Buy -
Online (or your lcs) is the best bet right now:
-
Clark Toys has the singles at $11, but the full set of four at just $40!
- CornerStoreComics has
them in stock for about $11 each, or the set for $43.
- Amazing Toyz has them in stock
as well, with some at $11 and some at $13, but the full set is just $43.
- Or you can take a shot at finding a deal on Ebay using MyAuctionLinks.com.
- Related Links -
When it comes to Simpsons links, I have a
page set up special for them.
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