Review of Lion-O - Thundercats Statue

Introduction

It might not seem like it, but He-man wasn't the only cartoon on during the 80's. Rankin-Bass noticed how well Masters of the Universe was doing, and in 1985 released Thundercats. This cartoon ran 5 years, was successful in its own right, and is loved by many adults who remember it fondly.

There are plans for a new cartoon on the Cartoon Network starting next year, and that announcement has helped fuel a number of new collectibles. For those with the big bucks, Hard Hero is doing a series of statues, but they'll cost you almost as much as a Sideshow PF.

If you're looking for something a bit more reasonably priced, Icon Heroes is producing smaller scale statues. These are around 6" tall, similar to the Batman Black and White series by DC Direct, and they are even a little cheaper, coming in at around $50 - $60 depending on the retailer.

Tonight I'm looking at the first regular release, Lion-O. He's a limited edition of 1500.

There's also a second version of this statue that was produced for last summer's San Diego Comic-Con. It had a short knife and slightly different base - you can see it here.

Packaging - ***
The box has some decent graphics, and the inside trays are made from high density, sturdy Styrofoam. There's no Certificate of Authenticity, but the edition number is on the bottom of the box and the underside of the base.

Sculpting - ***1/2
Lion-O has been sculpted in a dynamic, flowing pose, with his wild mane of hair slipping off to one side. He's battle ready, with the Sword of Omens waist high in his right hand, and his Claw Glove on the left.

The style is very similar to the work by the Four Horsemen on Masters of the Universe. That's probably not too surprising, since the overall style of both cartoons was pretty similar as well. There's one big difference between these statues and the new Masters of the Universe Classics series, however - size. MOTUC is about 7", while these are about 6". That might not sound like much, but it makes a big difference.

I suspect that's going to disappoint some fans who where hoping to display them together. You can still do it - they just won't be in scale with each other.

The statue and base are separate pieces, and the posts are on the feet, not the base, so you can't stand him on his own. The base looks great though, much more detailed than the SDCC version. This is a forest floor, complete with stump, rocks and moss.

The sword blade is also a separate piece that you'll attach. It fits tightly, and appears to be made of pewter. That means it can bend slightly without breaking, but if you put enough pressure on it you can still end up damaging it.

Paint - **1/2
The paint is not quite perfect, with some sloppy edges between colors. It isn't awful, especially considering the low price point, but it's a bit messier than I like.

The hair line is great though, as are the all important eyes. His funky mascara-like coloring looks great, and the eyes are straight and in line with each other.

The costume is bright, and fairly consistent in coverage. Again, there's some poor cut lines between colors, but you'll have to look pretty close to find them.

The majority of the small detail work is on the base, where each stone, each mushroom, looks great. This is a big difference from similar statues in this scale, where the base is generally plain.

Value - ***1/2
This statue is similar in size to the Batman Black and White series, with a fairly low edition size. Those statues have risen slightly over the last couple years, and are now running around $65 each.

These are around $50 each, certainly an above average deal on the current market.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***1/2
These statues are well done, especially at this price point. Collectibles in a similar scale from other companies and with much larger edition sizes cost quite a bit more, making these a very good deal.

I do wish the paint quality was a bit better, but Icon Heroes is a new company just getting their feet wet. Hopefully as this series continues they'll get the cut lines a big cleaner.

I suspect that some folks are going to be upset about the difference in scale with the Masters of the Universe Classics figures. However, for Thundercats fans, these are a much more affordable alternative to the larger Hard Hero statues. With the low edition sizes, I suspect these will go pretty quickly, and Lion-O is such a key character, that this is one of those occasions where getting in early is probably a good idea.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - **1/2
Value - ***1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has him on preorder for $60.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've never covered any other Thundercats items, but with all the interest in the new cartoon, I expect plenty of additional collectibles hitting the market.

If you like Lion-O, you really should check out the next release from Icon Heroes, Jackalman. He's going to be limited to just 500 pieces, and THAT is an actual limited edition. With a run that low, and a price still at just $50, he won't last long.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!