Thanks to the proliferation of film, comic book and cartoon characters, consumers are being bombarded with an incredible selection of action figures. With tongue in cheek, let’s take a peek at some of the specimens worthy of a place in Zad’s Toy Vault.
The Demon Etrigan
Mattel expands its master toy license agreement with DC Comics to create a more varied selection of 6-inch-tall multiarticulated action figures through the DC Universe Classics line.
Tapping into a selection of characters the serious comic book fan will love, the Wave 1 lineup consists of Classic Detective Batman, Orion, the Penguin, Red Tornado and Etrigan. Also, fans who buy each figure get the pieces to build Metamorpho, aka Rex Mason, the Element Man.
Figure profile: Etrigan was originally summoned from the pits of hell by the wizard Merlin to defend Camelot from the witch, Morgana Le Fey, but Etrigan in recent years has become a monster possessed by the soul of his human host, Jason Blood. He can transform between his demon and human forms only if a special incantation is read. Although adept at magic and sorcery, the demon Etrigan prefers to blast his opponents to cinders with his fire breath.
Accessories: The muscular brute has 19 points of articulation and wears an attached, slightly tattered, soft plastic cape. More important, he comes with the left arm, covered with a detachable silver mallet, of Metamorpho, one of the cooler heroes in the DC universe.
In fact, if fans are willing to drop roughly $50 to get all the pieces to the figure, they will be rewarded with a beautiful, textured, multicolored version of Rex — including a translucent leg — mounted on a hill of mud. This is easily the best-looking DC figure from Mattel to date, not to take anything away from Etrigan.
Price: $9.99
Read all about it: Sequential art master Jack Kirby created the Demon back in 1972, but the original series has yet to be compiled into a trade paperback. The easiest and cheapest chance to see Jason Blood’s alter ego in action is within the 17-issue run of the 2005 series Blood of the Demon (averaging $2.50 each for near mint copies) drawn and co-plotted by John Byrne.
What’s it worth: Beautifully detailed and sculpted by action figure designer legends, the Four Horsemen Studios, this version of Etrigan offers a durable rendition of the misunderstood hero able to satisfy both the older collector and younger fan of DC Comics. However, as already gushed about, the gem to this Classics set is the Element Man — well worth the hunt to find all five figures.
Master Chief
McFarlane Toys brings the Xbox 360’s video game universe of Halo 3 to three-dimensional life with an impressive line of 5-inch-tall action figures. The first series includes Spartan Soldier Mark VI, Brute Chieftain, Grunt, Jackal Sniper, Cortana and the grizzled hero of the game, who is also known as Spartan 117.
Profile: From the packaging: Master Chief is all that remains of the Spartan II program, an elite group of genetically superior, highly trained supersoldiers. His mission is to protect Earth against the Covenant, an alien empire threatening the world in the 26th century.
Price: $11.99 to $14.99
Accessories: Master Chief comes with a well-worn assault rifle and a peg to stick into his back to mount the weapon when not in use. I would have liked more weapons from which to choose, like in the game, but the authentic, textured battle armor, weathered paint scheme and his 18 points of articulation almost make up for it.
Read all about it: Marvel Publishing is putting out the final issue of Halo: Uprising ($3.99 each) next month. The four-part sequential art series offers a story connecting the second and third video games and features stunning art by Alex Maleev.
What’s it worth? I bet collectors buy the Spartan Soldier variant figures by the case just to set up a diorama using the compact but highly detailed pieces.
Although the 5-inch line is not very compatible with other action figures, I also bet younger lovers of sci-fi soldiering jump aboard and will enjoy playing with the rugged Master Chief and his pals. So much so that the series has the potential to be the GI Joe for the 21st century.
The only thing holding back the mass-market appeal is a high price point and lack of vehicles — both of which I’m sure Mr. McFarlane will fix if the figures sell well. Look for a second wave of Halo 3 figures in July.
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