Packaging -
****
I had some problems with the packaging this time. These
damn twisty ties get on my nerves at times, and this time the tie around
Billy's neck and shoulders had gotten wedged down in the neck joint,
making it very difficult to take off.
But I gave them four stars - what's
up? It's simple. These boxes are the most visually appealing
they've produced so far. The front flap graphics are stunning, and
varies for each character, showing their face in the top corner.
The inside flap has a nice background on
each character, with a good explanation of the outfits and
accessories. If they do this nice of a job every time with the
graphics and text, I can overlook the damn twisties. At least today.
Sculpting - ****
These sculpts are based on period photos, so naturally there has to be
some level of interpretation. Old tin types don't have the greatest
detail. But Mat Falls has done
another great job. Both sculpts highlight the facial features that
are particular to these men - the thin nose and thin face of Bonney, the
strong jaw line and piercing stare of Earp. These are great looking
figures, and they'll scare the hell out of the others on the shelf. Paint - ***1/2
The paint ops aren't quite as nice as the sculpts, but they are still
very good. My eyes on Billy are a
little off, hurting his stare a bit. His face wash also is a little
heavy, giving his skin greater variation than it should have. The
coloring on Earp's hair and beard is darker and more uniform than in the
early pictures, where it appeared to have some highlights. I prefer
the highlights, particularly since he looks to be in his 40's. But
if you're careful when you pick yours out, you should be able to find one
that will make you happy. Clothing - ***1/2
These outfits are almost perfect. There are no short cuts here,
and the quality of the material and stitching is excellent. Billy
has a complete outfit, with great knee high boots, pants, red bib front
shirt, vest, sweater, hat, and neckerchief. All
of the clothing is great, with little buttons, solid snaps, and accurate
styling. This outfit is based on the infamous photo of Billy the
Kid, the only known positive photo. The design on the shirt isn't
clear in the photo, so the design they used is a best guess on what can be
seen. Wyatt Earp comes with a frock
cut, shirt and excellent vest (not one piece but two this time!), pants,
and short dress boots. And let's not forget the hat! Yes,
the hats - remember those Yamato western figures and the awful floppy
hats? Sideshow proves you can do a fantastic hat. These are
sculpted hats, with a fuzzy material applied over it. They fit
great, and look absolutely perfect. A
couple other notes on Wyatt - the vest has a nice silk front, with a metal
watch chain attached to the pocket. There is one oddity
though. He has no socks. Considering how many other figures
have had socks, and that with his short boots it is possible to see his
ankles, I'm surprised they skipped them. Accessories - ****
Both figures are well outfitted with new accessories. Both come
with similar gun belts and 'slim jim' holsters. These holsters are
designed to ride very high on the hips, so some folks may not like them as
much, but they are relatively accurate, especially for Billy the Kid. Wyatt
Earp also has a 10 gauge double barrel shotgun (good if you have a custom
Doc Holliday), a Colt Army Revolver (in his right hand in the photo) and a
'confiscated' S&W Scofield revolver. Tombstone outlawed weapons
in town, and confiscated them. The sculpting on the weapons is excellent,
with great paint washes to make them all the more realistic. William
Bonney has three weapons - a Colt revolver, Winchester lever action rifle,
and standard 'range' knife. The knife fits into a scabbard (although
very tightly) on the belt. The loop for the scabbard though is one
of the cheaper items, made of pleather. The
small Colt 'Lightening' revolver that Billy is carrying is a great looking
little gun, and is one that you won't see very often. The only
moving parts on the weapons is the lever on the Winchester rifle, and the
shotgun breaks down.
Both figures also come with an extra hand
to hold the rifle correctly. Unfortunately, it's very hard to pop
the hands on and off, and you should be extremely careful when doing so.
Articulation:
****
I think Sideshow has the best 12" body out right now.
It's certainly as good as Dragon and bbi, the two other contenders for the
top spot.
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