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Packaging - ***
The packages are the usual attractive work from Mezco, with bright
Hellboy graphics and photos on the back of all the sets.
I
do wish that they'd gone a bit smaller though. While Wink and the
Soldier are clearly larger figures than the usual in this style, the
packaging is still a tad oversized.
Sculpt - ***1/2
Generally, figures in this style don't have a whole lot of detailing to
their sculpts. The are cartoony in nature, and part of that nature is
to be smooth and relatively plain.
Mezco
doesn't do things the usual way though, and they've stepped up the game
in cutesy figures here, adding quite a bit of sculpted detail to both
figures. Of course, this is particularly true with the Soldier, who has
the intricate designs carved into the arms, legs and body.
That's
not to say Hellboy is missing any detail, however. They've done an
excellent job carving in the stone texture on his right hand, and added
small elements like the buckles on his jacket or the buttons on his
pouches. These could have simply been painted on (or left out
altogether), but Mezco took the sculpted route.
While we've
gotten animated versions of Hellboy and his buds before, this time the
look and manner matches other figures in this style. Hellboy stands
about 2" tall, while the Soldier is about 3" tall. Both stand great on
their own, as well. And in case you were wondering, they fit in
perfectly scale-wise with the similar Hasbro lines.
These are
solid toys too, with some real heft. That's especially true with the
Golden Soldier, and his round nature makes him perfect to chuck at
whomever might be annoying you at the time. Not that I'd ever do that.
Paint - Hellboy ***1/2;
Soldier **1/2
Much like with the sculpt, the paint work on this style of figure is
never over the top. But as I said earlier, Mezco never just goes with
the 'usual'.
Here,
they've gone above and beyond with Hellboy. Not only are the paint ops
clean with sharp cut lines and consistent coverage, they've added small
details like the aforementioned sculpted buckles and buttons painted up
gold, as well as a nice subtle wash on the coat. Get up close and
personal enough and you'll find some issues, but with the nekkid eye,
he looks terrific.
Unfortunately, I'm not quite as
happy with the
Golden Soldier. The gold works well enough, as does the wash used to
highlight the carved patterns. But some of the paint cuts, particularly
around the small head, are a bit sloppy, and the orange/red/yellow
interior body just doesn't work for me. Yea, I know they were going for
that fiery look, but while the idea was fine, the execution leaves a
lot to be desired.
Articulation - Hellboy **1/2;
Golden Soldier **
Yep, these actually have some joints! Now, it's important to note that
you can't grade the articulation of these little figures against the
articulation of something like a 7" scale action figure. Instead, I'm
comparing them to other figures in that 2 - 3" range, particularly the
Galactic (and others) Heroes.
The
Golden Soldier has cut shoulders. That's really about all his design
can allow for, but a cut neck certainly would have been nice. Looking
at the overall design of the character, I can see all kinds of
potential for articulation in the larger figures coming as an SDCC
exclusive.
Hellboy does better than the
enemy, with a cut neck,
cut wrists, and a cut tail. Cut shoulders would have done him some real
good, but I can see where the jacket would have made that awfully tough
to pull off in a way that wasn't unattractive.
Both have just
enough articulation to allow you to get a couple nice poses, and to
allow any kid to have some fun playing with them.
Since these
small style figures are usually nothing more than unarticulated lumps,
the fact that they got any score here is a plus for them in the Overall.
Accessories - Bupkis
Nope, no accessories. That's pretty standard for this style, but it's
still worth mentioning.
Fun Factor - ***1/2
No doubt about it - these are fun. The films are rated PG-13 as opposed
to most of the Star Wars films being at the more kid friendly PG level,
so it's unlikely that little Johnny is going to have any idea who they
are. Not surprisingly (since they did it with the larger figures),
there's no mention of the name "Hellboy" on the packaging.
Still,
if your kids enjoy any of the Hasbro figures in this style, these
figures will fit in perfectly. Because these are comic
originated
characters for the most part, adult collectors are likely to pair them
up with the Marvel line, but I can see kids easily adding characters
like Wink or the Soldier to their Galactic Heroes fun.
Value - **
It's tough to find much of any thing under $10 these days, but $9 for a
pair of these is still pushing it a bit. Production runs on something
like this isn't going to be nearly the same as it is on the Hasbro
lines (which cost $7 a pair), and the quality of the figures is
generally higher, but it's still a bitter pill to swallow at the check
out stand.
Things To Watch Out For
-
Not much. Mezco is generally good about consistent paint ops, so I
wouldn't worry too much about getting a lemon. And once they are free,
they can do duty on the shelf or the sandbox, without a worry.
Overall - Hellboy ***1/2; Soldier ***
If you don't like this style of cute, adorable, animated figure, you
aren't going to like these.
But
for those of you that do enjoy fun, silly figures, these should live up
to your expectations. The sculpts are much better than most of Hasbro's
similar work, and while I'm not thrilled with the paint work on the
Golden Soldier, both really do make for some fun toys. The price tag
might make you pause, but if you have a child that enjoys this type of
figure, at least grab them Wink and the Golden Soldier. They'll fit in
great with the Hasbro lines, and they add some much needed size and
bulk to the two footed characters in the toy box.
Score Recap:
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ****
Paint - Hellboy ***1/2; Soldier **1/2
Articulation - Hellboy **1/2; Soldier **
Accessories - Bupkis
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **
Overall - Hellboy ***1/2; Soldier ***
Where to Buy -
You can find these at Toys R Us or their website.
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