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Sculpting - ***1/2
I'm a big fan of 95% of this sculpt, but there is one issue that pulls
it down slightly for me.
I
believe that this is the first time we've gotten an exposed brain with
a Dead figure, and I'm loving it. The skin is peeled back over the
forehead too, leaving a flap that hangs down by his left eye. That's a
great touch that adds quite a bit of nasty to the look of his
open wound.
Along
with the exposed brain, there's some exposed skull, and the sculpted
distinction between the various parts - flesh, skull, skin - is obvious
and clear.
So what's the issue? That
tongue! What's going
on there? Is he blowing raspberrys? Telling me "neener, neener?" I'm
not feeling it, whatever it's supposed to be about. I would have been
much happier with something a bit more traditional, like exposed teeth
and gums.
Both
hand sculpts are new, and done in a dried up, almost mummy-like way.
The right hand is designed to hold the included Bible, but it looks
good without it as well.
Paint - ***1/2
This priest has definitely seen better Sundays, and the paint work
compliments the sculpted rotting flesh quite well.
Like
the sculpt, the paint is used to differentiate the various layers -
skin, rotting flesh, exposed bone, exposed brain. They've even included
some graying hair, indicating that this fella was a bit older than some
of the previous Dead converts.
The best paint work is on the
eyes. Unlike most sixth scale figures, these should have a dead,
mannequin appearance. Sideshow did that, but added that faded, almost
translucent look to the iris' and pupils, adding to the corpse-like
appearance.
The
paint work isn't perfect, and some of the blood is applied with a heavy
hand. There's no attempt to make the forearms or neck match
the
rotting flesh
color of the face and hands, which can be a bit distracting in certain
poses.
And the finish is a bit glossy, which some might not like, but for me
it actually works, giving the skin a sickly, wet look.
Articulation - ***1/2
This guy is on the Prometheus body, and yea, he probably doesn't HAVE
to be, but I'd expect to see that body on every new release from
Sideshow at this point. There's no excuse - or reason - to release
anything on the Buck now, even if the figure doesn't require
quite as much articulation.
I'm
liking the Pro more with each release. Gone are the floppy joints we
had with Indy, resulting in a much higher score here. To reach the full
four star level, similar to a TrueType or RAH, the joints still need to
tighten up *slightly*. I didn't have any trouble getting him to take a
variety of poses and hold them for extended periods without any
trouble, and a good example is the poses where he is holding the Bible
(a relatively heavy accessory) above his head without issue. But the
body isn't quite as tight as I'd like, although your mileage may vary.
The
Pro has a very natural hang to it, and the narrow shoulders don't
create a visual issue with a character like this. The hands swap
easily and with little risk of damage, although that won't be an
issue either since this guy doesn't have any extra hands.
Accessories - **1/2
The regular figure really only comes with one accessory, other than the
always included display stand of course. That's his huge, antique
appearing Bible. The sculpt on it is terrific, and I love the texture
and cross on the cover. No, it doesn't open, but it looks great
nonetheless.
It's
also designed to fit perfectly in his right hand...or more accurately,
the hand is designed to hold it. The zombies in the Dead series have
been given some of their most important possessions to continue to
clutch
in their undead lives, and the inclusion of the Good Book is a perfect
addition here.
But
that's it, and if I were reviewing the regular
version, this score would be down another half star at least, maybe
more. But the exclusive includes an extra goody that makes it worth the
effort and time (and probably the extra five bucks) to hunt it down - a
crow sitting atop a severed human hand.
The
crow is a big one, but you know how those mid-west crows can be.
There's some minor sculpt issues, like the mold line clearly visible on
the neck and wing, but the feather detailing is good, and the hand is
appropriately gruesome. Better yet, it's not just any crow...it's a
zombie crow! Look at the dead, lifeless eyes - that's a very
cool
touch. This is a great example of an accessory that doesn't necessarily
mean much with just the figure it comes with, but will add quite a bit
to a larger display of zombies.
I
did have some issues getting him to stay standing. I had to press down
and shift him a bit to his left to get him to stay upright, and you
might want to make the change a bit more permanent with a quick hot
water/cold water bath.
Outfit - ***1/2
The
Harbinger is wearing fairly traditional vestments, not the ceremonial
kind but more 'every day man of the cloth' sort of clothes.
He's
wearing black pants of course, as well as black shoes. I'd be surprised
if we haven't seen this shoe sculpt before, but I didn't instantly
recognize it. Sideshow does a great job with footwear though, and these
look realistic and fit properly.
He is wearing an outer robe,
with nicely scaled round buttons in front. They went above and beyond
with this piece of clothing, adding in wires around the sides and
bottom of each of the 'flaps', so that they can be individually posed
around his legs. They also add some mud and dirt to the bottom, giving
him a little more of that disheveled appearance.
Over this he's
wearing a sash/cumber bun that ties at his waist, and includes the
sculpted rosary. The sculpted Christ looks quite good, and the overall
rosary hangs fairly
naturally from the sash. I would have preferred one that was removable,
but I'll live. I suppose.
He has the plastic cleric collar
of
course, which can be worn either tucked in to both sides or half
hanging out. I tucked it in for a couple shots, but preferred it
hanging
out. This figure is a little too clean overall for me considering the
level of rot and damage to the face and hands, and pulling out the
collar at least makes him appear a little more messed up.
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Yea, he's not likely to end up in any toy boxes, but the fact is he'd
be a mighty fun figure for kids who love monsters, and are into sixth
scale figures.
Value - *1/2
I love my zombies, and I love the Dead series. But this guy is
definitely overpriced at $70 - $75. Considering what you got from
Sideshow with their new Stormtrooper at $90, there's just no comparison.
Get
the regular guy for $60, and you can add another easy half star. Get
the exclusive down around $60, and you can bump him up another full
star to an average rating here.
Things To Watch Out For
-
When I first opened the box, my priest's collar was
sticking out from both sides, with a cut in the middle. I didn't think
that looked exactly right, since a real clerical collar either buttons
in back or just slides in to the front of the collar on both sides with
the break in the back.
Looking
at the photos of the Harbinger on Sideshow's site, I noted that they
had only one end sticking out, which makes more sense, and gives him a
bit of a disheveled look. I simply pulled one end forward to hide the
other end.
I'm bringing this up here,
because once you do it,
it's almost impossible to return it to the original look i.e. both ends
sticking out. It's possible, but it's a lot of work, so be sure how you
want it before you go down that path.
Overall - ***
I love zombies, particularly sixth scale zombies, and this guy is going
to make an excellent addition to the display. The exclusive accessory
is a nice add too, regardless of who else is on the shelf.
I'm
glad to see the Pro body working better, and this makes me feel more
confident that future releases using it will continue this trend of
improvement.
He is a bit overpriced however,
especially at the
full retail tag. I know the days of the decent quality $40 12" figure
are gone, but this guy really shouldn't be over $60, considering the
number of accessories and the lack of any licensing costs. Still, as a
big zombie fan, I didn't hesitate to add him to my display. I love the
exposed brain, and having such a unique character - a priest! -
zombified is a real treat. Yea, I'm sick, but knowing is half the
battle.
Score Recap:
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - **1/2
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - *1/2
Overall - ***
Where to Buy -
Options include:
- Both are available direct from
Sideshow right now. The regular version sells for $70,
while the exclusive is
$75. This is the only way to get the exclusive in the States other than
ebay.
- Alter Ego Comics
has the regular version for $63.
- for the UK collectors, Forbidden
Planet has him at 50 GBP.
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