Review of Birdman, Avenger action figures

Introduction

Okay, I'm going to be completely honest. I didn't plan on reviewing this set of figures tonight. But the packages I expected to get today didn't come - not a single one. And being a smart boy, I had a backup plan.

And that's where Birdman and Avenger come in. They're my backup plan, which isn't truly fair because this is a great set of action figures. This is Birdman before he became Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. Back when he didn't file briefs, but wore his on the outside of his tights.

Actually, the attorney gig is his third career. Ray Randall was originally a secret agent, then he became a supernaturally altered hero, and now attorney.

His sidekick was Avenger, the huge blue falcon. You'd think he'd be the Blue Falcon's sidekick, but no, that would make too much sense. Or be too much blue.

Toynami has been producing a series of action figures based on old sixties cartoon staples like these. This set shipped with another duo, the aforementioned Blue Falcon and his buddy Dynomutt. These figures also go great with the Space Ghost series produced by Toycom, and look excellent on the shelf as a group.

This set originally sold for $30 a pair! Not cheap by any means, but the sales have begun, and you may be able to find these for far less.

2015 Update: As I clean up older reviews (pre-2010 stuff) as part of my overall site update in 2015, I have been doing a brief update on the figures, looking at them through a backward lens. The Hanna-Barbera figures were very expensive for their time, although by today's standards they were pretty cheap to buy, at least initially. This particular set doesn't show up on ebay a lot, and when it does, it runs $150 - $200 MIB, a pretty decent return.

A big part of that is because the figures have a classic style in a popular scale, and include reasonable articulation. This is a line that didn't get a lot of love at the time, but has become more in demand as the years have passed. While others have taken a shot at the license since (although not these particular characters), no one has done quite as nice of a job as Toynami.

Packaging - ***1/2
These are terrific looking boxes that capture the feel of the old show, and offer a nice view of the figures for the MIBBers. They also include a cardboard backdrop that I wouldn't call an accessory, but rather a nice feature of the packaging. The one downside are the amazing twisty ties, some in places that no human can reach.

Sculpting - ***1/2
The sculpts on both figures fit the cartoon style extremely well. They also fit in very nicely with the Blue Falcon/Dynomutt set, the Thundarr the Barbarian figures, or the whole Space Ghost series. That's a big plus, since you'll probably want to display these together.

Avenger is the better of the two. His sculpt works great with the articulation, retaining clean lines and artistic style, but providing plenty of play value. Harvey is good, but two things hold him slightly back. First, you've seen this body before. It's awfully similar to the Space Ghost and Blue Falcon bodies, so much so that even a casual observer is likely to notice. Second, and I'm sorry but someone has to say it, Harvey's head is too small. The poor guy seems to have a pretty small noggin' up there on those broad shoulders.

His big plus is his wings, well sculpted with just the right amount of detail to stay true to the cartoon style.

Paint - ***
The paint ops are fairly clean, although not exceptional.  The plastic is cast in the major colors, but there's bleed with some of the painted sections, particularly between the red and yellow on both figures.  That's a tough color combination, but at this price point folks will be expecting perfection across the board.

Articulation - ****
I'm giving these figures four stars in this category not because they are 'super poseable', but because of the care and attention that went into the work on both sets of wings. The rest of the articulation is fairly straightforward, but the wings are quite impressive.

Birdman has neck, ball jointed shoulders, elbows, left wrist (the right isn't articulated due to the 'action feature'), waist, hips, knees and ankles. He stands great on his own, even with the huge wings. The wings are jointed at his back, and can move both in and out, AND up and down. That extra range of motion is a nice touch.

Avenger has neck, top of the leg, and mid-leg articulation. He also stands great, and the leg articulation works extremely well. His wings are jointed at the body, and mid-wing, and can fold into his body completely, or fold out for a very impressive wingspan.

Accessories - **1/2
There's not a lot in this department. Avenger gets jack, but since he's a bird, he probably doesn't need much. Birdman has an extra left hand in the open position, and the hands pop on and off easily. He also comes with his 'solar' shield, which was actually created from solar energy in the old cartoon. Here it's solid, and clips on his arm. The paint ops on the shield are very plain, but that matches the cartoon exactly.

Light Feature - **1/2
Most of Toynami's figures have some sort of action feature. Birdman comes with a light up right fist. This mimics his 'solar blasts' that he could shoot from his hands. It works with the press of a button on the underside of his arm, and is fairly bright and consistent. I don't know how long it will last, but it's a cute effect and at least makes sense for the character.

Fun Factor - **
Actually, these figures are VERY fun.  Only problem is, what kid knows who they are?  Harvey has had a resurgence in popularity with adults and older teens due to the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law cartoon, but kids aren't likely to appreciate the character.  Still, if they are a fan of the old cartoons, or just love playing with well articulated and nifty looking super heroes, they may find these to their liking.

Value - **
I'm grading this based on the original MSRP of $30 for the pair. That's a pretty steep price, even considering that there are two figures. Yep, they're nice, but to fork over thirty smackers you're going to have to be a pretty big Birdman fan.

Fret not though, since many stores are now putting these on sale, making them much more attractive.

Overall - ***
If you're a huge fan of sixties cartoons, particularly Hanna/Barbara, then you'll love this set. Toynami has done a wonderful job capturing the look and feel of the old show. Unfortunately, the high price tag probably scare off a lot of fans and collectors, but with these sets going on sale at various stores, now is the time to be looking to pick them up.

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

Where to Buy 
I picked up this set at Toyzz.com for less than ten bucks, but don't rush over there just yet - they are all out. I know that many Media Play and Sam Goody stores still have these in stock as well, and I'm betting we see them going on clearance there soon.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
If you like these, you should check out the Space Ghost Coast to Coast figure, as well as his sidekicks!

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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