Post by Micro on Jul 23, 2011 5:56:28 GMT -5
I got a package from RSC this week with a complete set of Elite Series 10! Unfortunately, I'm kinda late in getting these figures since they were back-ordered. There's already been plenty of pics of these guys, so I decided to do something extra for this review. Almost all the figures in this set are updates of previous releases, so I'll be showing quick side-by-side comparisons to see if Mattel made any real improvements here.
Ok, let's start with the weakest figure of this series, IMO, the devil's not-so-favorite demon...
#6: Kane
Kane was so highly sought after when his Elite debuted that he was placed in the Best of 2010 series and still kept selling out! Since then he's come back to the main event scene with chilling promos and an epic feud with his brother, the Undertaker. This new Elite, however, is only barely revamped but at least comes with better accessories.
This version of Kane is exactly the same as his previous release, except that his attire is updated with the grey flames design on his tights. One new thing I noticed was that his boots are glossy, just like the RSC exclusive Masked Kane.
This time, Kane comes with accessories that are more current. The best one is his Money in the Bank briefcase! It's the same one that came with Wrestlemania Jack Swagger only this time, it doesn't come with the contract inside it but it comes in the blue Smackdown design. It looks cool and I look forward to seeing the red, Raw briefcase to complete the MitB set!
The main accessory that made this Kane so highly anticipated is one of the last championship belts that was missing, the World Heavyweight Championship! Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, Mattel scaled back on this belt and made the plates out of dull plastic instead of the shiny, vac-metalized plates that the Elite belts normally come with. It really stands out against all the previous belts and not in a good way. Some have mentioned that it's not so bad and is actually a better representation of the WHC because the real belt is not so shiny in real life. After taking these pics, and seeing how the light reflects off the plates, I'm almost tempted to agree...But I just can't.
What bugs me is that this dull WHC belt is almost identical to the one that just came out with the Night of Champions Basics. The only difference is that the Elite belt has the rivets painted red. Otherwise, this means that this Elite figure actually came with a Basic belt! Considering that we pay more for Elite figures to get premium accessories, it kinda sucks that Mattel did this. Another thing I discovered is that Mattel did make a shiny Elite version of this belt. Unfortunately, it can be tricky to get because it comes with the Kmart exclusive TLC playset. This means paying over $50 to get the right belt that should've come with this figure! At least I really like the TLC playset, and felt it was worth it, so it's a nice bonus that I get the shiny WHC to go with the rest of my Elite belts.
Now, looking at this Kane against his previous release, which is the better version?
It's a hard call, really. They're practically the same so it just comes down to which attire you prefer. Personally, I still like his barbed wire designs a little better than this newer look but the ultimate Kane for me is still the Masked version...At least, perhaps until Debut Kane appears!
An updated attire, cool MitB briefcase, and a championship belt sounds great. So why did I rank it last?
In the end, I felt it was the laziest update of this set. This is a simple repaint with recycled accessories. The last straw is the Basic belt that really is disappointing.
In retrospect, it makes sense that the WHC was the one to get released like this and Mattel did their best to make it up with the TLC belt at least. I'm sure a lot of collectors still won't like this decision, though.
Now, let's move on to a figure that's simply priceless...
#5: Ted DiBiase
The previous Legacy version of Ted DiBiase was a bit outdated and a major pegwarmer which can still be found in stores, even after a year! I wanted a newer version of him so I'm glad Mattel finally did it. Now, he looks like he's finally using up some of that trust fund money!
He comes wearing green trunks with the new DiBiase logos. To help make him sell better this time, Mattel also made a variant with purple trunks instead. I'll get it later but I really prefer the green version, so I'm happy I got this one first.
This time, Ted DiBiase also comes with better accessories. First, is his father's classic Million Dollar Belt! It's the same one that came with the Million Dollar Man's Entrance Greats figure. Unfortunately, because of that, the belt is made to loop around the Million Dollar Man's suit and is too loose to fit around Ted DiBiase's waist.
The other accessory included is a gold briefcase to hold the Million Dollar Belt in. Mattel could've been lazy and reused the same briefcase as the MitB one but instead, made a different, smaller one for this figure. I like that he gets his own unique briefcase.
So which Ted DiBiase is better?
Hands down, this newer one is the winner. He's got better accessories and a nicer, more colorful, attire. Also, Mattel fixed a minor mistake they made with the previous version. The original Ted came with the wrong flesh-colored hip joints that shows the fabric wrinkles of a singlet, which looked weird. This newer version corrected the mistake and has the right hip joints that only show his muscles. Combine this right look with all the golden accessories and it's easy to see which version will be going out with Maryse!
Now it's time for another highly anticipated figure, the World's Largest Athlete...
#4: Big Show
Big Show is updated with one of his recent shirts. I'm glad they chose the cool grizzly bear shirt, it's one of my favorites.
Underneath, Show is wearing his signature double strap singlet in classic black. It's worth noting that Mattel actually made a new torso mold for this figure because the previous Elite version didn't have the molded singlet details. So this isn't just a simple repaint.
Big Show also comes with not just one of the missing championship belts but two, the WWE Tag Team and World Tag Team titles!
Thankfully, these belts are nice and shiny for the Elite line. They're perfectly detailed and it's only a shame that this will be the only figure that comes with this particular set of belts. They were retired and merged into the new Unified titles, so Mattel isn't releasing these belts anymore. So the only way to get another set of belts for a tag team partner is to buy another Big Show. It's a bit of a drag but at least I have an idea of what to do with my extra Show when I get it.
So which Elite Big Show is the best?
I think this new Big Show is much better. Personally, I prefer his classic black look over the blue one that he only used for a while. Also, I like the molded singlet over the cloth one that came with the previous release. I'm still not a big fan of his smiling headscan, though. He looks more like the silly, joking Big Show instead of the tough, no-nonsense Show that better represents the time he held the unified tag titles. I think I'll use the more serious head on the second Big Show I get or, if I can, use the upcoming Heritage version with his full head of hair and beard!
Halfway there! Time to go into the top three, starting with...
#3: R-Truth
Before becoming paranoid of conspiracies and Little Jimmy's, R-Truth was getting crunked and dancing with Eve. This figure represents that time, just before his heel turn, with his "What's Up" shirt.
Underneath, Truth is updated with new, darker attire.
I really like all the small details Mattel put into this figure. Everything, from the hanging hooks on his pants, to the logos, to the padded glove, to the piercings on his face, is well done!
Like before, R-Truth comes with a mic. Now, is it just me or does everyone get their own distinct mic? I hadn't noticed until now but it seems that no two mics have been the same. I counted six variations: Totally blank, WWE logo on one side, logos on two sides, logos on all sides, embossed logos on all sides, and blank with sticker logos. Call me nitpicky but it's just a slightly frustrating detail when I'm taking pics for my picture fed and I don't have uniform mics for everyone during promos.
Anyway, this version of Truth is just another repaint, right? Wrong! This time, Mattel gave him a slightly slimmer, more chiseled torso which looks more appropriate for him, IMO. The headscan is the same old one but I feel it actually works better for his current crazy heel gimmick so I'm kinda glad they didn't change it.
So which R-Truth is best?
I have to give it the new one, it's a nice update. I think his new heel persona is more entertaining and I think this figure works for that. So I'm afraid the old Truth just got GOT!
Next, the Guru of Greatness...
#2: John Morrison
John Morrison needed a good update for a while now and Mattel finally delivered! This time, Morrison still comes with his signature shades but now includes a new Palace of Wisdom shirt.
The best thing about this Morrison is the new headscan which looks so much better and more like him. I'm very glad they made a new scan of him, the original one always looked wrong.
He also comes with different, more defined arms but no elbow pads this time. The sculpting on the new arms looks more realistic now.
His updated attire is a brighter silver one which looks nice with all his signature logos. I like it better than the previous black tights versions. I'm always a fan of color schemes that make a figure stand out.
So which JoMo is best?
It's no contest here, the new John Morrison is a huge improvement and you can really tell how far Mattel has come with their headscans. This is perhaps the most improved figure that Mattel has made to date!
So which figure did I like best from this series? It turned out to be an unlikely contender, the Rising Sun...
#1: Yoshi Tatsu
Many casual WWE fans may not even recognize Yoshi Tatsu. He's rarely seen on TV, only in some backstage segments or quick squash matches where he periodically loses. So how could this lone figure, without any accessories, rise to the top against world champions and figures with belts? Well, for one thing, he's the only new debut figure in this entire series and that's always a good thing. Even if he wasn't, though, he definitely stands out due to the incredible details that went into his design!
Everything about Yoshi Tatsu's attire is beautifully done; From the rope-like arm bands to the details in his forearm guards and especially the incredible artistry of his tights designs! The Japanese characters, the awesome dragon, and even the little drawstrings painted on the sides are all done in such meticulous and amazing detail with clean linework and vibrant colors. This goes beyond most ring attires, it's a work of art!
As a debut figure, there's no previous version of Yoshi Tatsu to compare this to. So, I've paired him up against a special guest star...
Why William Regal? Well, despite being a fan of the WWE for a while, it was only until last year that I finally attended a live event and the very first match I saw was a dark match between these two. It was a great opener to the show, and has a special significance to me, so I'm happy to be able to put this match together again!
Overall, Elite Series 10 is a nice one, despite being almost entirely made up of repainted or updated Superstars. You get a lot of neat accessories; New shirts, briefcases, mics, and four championship belts...The largest amount of belts any Elite series has had! This is a good set, with an even mix of main event and mid-card characters, to update your roster or build upon it. The Elite series is now in the double digits and the figures just keep getting better and better!
Ok, let's start with the weakest figure of this series, IMO, the devil's not-so-favorite demon...
#6: Kane
Kane was so highly sought after when his Elite debuted that he was placed in the Best of 2010 series and still kept selling out! Since then he's come back to the main event scene with chilling promos and an epic feud with his brother, the Undertaker. This new Elite, however, is only barely revamped but at least comes with better accessories.
This version of Kane is exactly the same as his previous release, except that his attire is updated with the grey flames design on his tights. One new thing I noticed was that his boots are glossy, just like the RSC exclusive Masked Kane.
This time, Kane comes with accessories that are more current. The best one is his Money in the Bank briefcase! It's the same one that came with Wrestlemania Jack Swagger only this time, it doesn't come with the contract inside it but it comes in the blue Smackdown design. It looks cool and I look forward to seeing the red, Raw briefcase to complete the MitB set!
The main accessory that made this Kane so highly anticipated is one of the last championship belts that was missing, the World Heavyweight Championship! Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, Mattel scaled back on this belt and made the plates out of dull plastic instead of the shiny, vac-metalized plates that the Elite belts normally come with. It really stands out against all the previous belts and not in a good way. Some have mentioned that it's not so bad and is actually a better representation of the WHC because the real belt is not so shiny in real life. After taking these pics, and seeing how the light reflects off the plates, I'm almost tempted to agree...But I just can't.
What bugs me is that this dull WHC belt is almost identical to the one that just came out with the Night of Champions Basics. The only difference is that the Elite belt has the rivets painted red. Otherwise, this means that this Elite figure actually came with a Basic belt! Considering that we pay more for Elite figures to get premium accessories, it kinda sucks that Mattel did this. Another thing I discovered is that Mattel did make a shiny Elite version of this belt. Unfortunately, it can be tricky to get because it comes with the Kmart exclusive TLC playset. This means paying over $50 to get the right belt that should've come with this figure! At least I really like the TLC playset, and felt it was worth it, so it's a nice bonus that I get the shiny WHC to go with the rest of my Elite belts.
Now, looking at this Kane against his previous release, which is the better version?
It's a hard call, really. They're practically the same so it just comes down to which attire you prefer. Personally, I still like his barbed wire designs a little better than this newer look but the ultimate Kane for me is still the Masked version...At least, perhaps until Debut Kane appears!
An updated attire, cool MitB briefcase, and a championship belt sounds great. So why did I rank it last?
In the end, I felt it was the laziest update of this set. This is a simple repaint with recycled accessories. The last straw is the Basic belt that really is disappointing.
In retrospect, it makes sense that the WHC was the one to get released like this and Mattel did their best to make it up with the TLC belt at least. I'm sure a lot of collectors still won't like this decision, though.
Now, let's move on to a figure that's simply priceless...
#5: Ted DiBiase
The previous Legacy version of Ted DiBiase was a bit outdated and a major pegwarmer which can still be found in stores, even after a year! I wanted a newer version of him so I'm glad Mattel finally did it. Now, he looks like he's finally using up some of that trust fund money!
He comes wearing green trunks with the new DiBiase logos. To help make him sell better this time, Mattel also made a variant with purple trunks instead. I'll get it later but I really prefer the green version, so I'm happy I got this one first.
This time, Ted DiBiase also comes with better accessories. First, is his father's classic Million Dollar Belt! It's the same one that came with the Million Dollar Man's Entrance Greats figure. Unfortunately, because of that, the belt is made to loop around the Million Dollar Man's suit and is too loose to fit around Ted DiBiase's waist.
The other accessory included is a gold briefcase to hold the Million Dollar Belt in. Mattel could've been lazy and reused the same briefcase as the MitB one but instead, made a different, smaller one for this figure. I like that he gets his own unique briefcase.
So which Ted DiBiase is better?
Hands down, this newer one is the winner. He's got better accessories and a nicer, more colorful, attire. Also, Mattel fixed a minor mistake they made with the previous version. The original Ted came with the wrong flesh-colored hip joints that shows the fabric wrinkles of a singlet, which looked weird. This newer version corrected the mistake and has the right hip joints that only show his muscles. Combine this right look with all the golden accessories and it's easy to see which version will be going out with Maryse!
Now it's time for another highly anticipated figure, the World's Largest Athlete...
#4: Big Show
Big Show is updated with one of his recent shirts. I'm glad they chose the cool grizzly bear shirt, it's one of my favorites.
Underneath, Show is wearing his signature double strap singlet in classic black. It's worth noting that Mattel actually made a new torso mold for this figure because the previous Elite version didn't have the molded singlet details. So this isn't just a simple repaint.
Big Show also comes with not just one of the missing championship belts but two, the WWE Tag Team and World Tag Team titles!
Thankfully, these belts are nice and shiny for the Elite line. They're perfectly detailed and it's only a shame that this will be the only figure that comes with this particular set of belts. They were retired and merged into the new Unified titles, so Mattel isn't releasing these belts anymore. So the only way to get another set of belts for a tag team partner is to buy another Big Show. It's a bit of a drag but at least I have an idea of what to do with my extra Show when I get it.
So which Elite Big Show is the best?
I think this new Big Show is much better. Personally, I prefer his classic black look over the blue one that he only used for a while. Also, I like the molded singlet over the cloth one that came with the previous release. I'm still not a big fan of his smiling headscan, though. He looks more like the silly, joking Big Show instead of the tough, no-nonsense Show that better represents the time he held the unified tag titles. I think I'll use the more serious head on the second Big Show I get or, if I can, use the upcoming Heritage version with his full head of hair and beard!
Halfway there! Time to go into the top three, starting with...
#3: R-Truth
Before becoming paranoid of conspiracies and Little Jimmy's, R-Truth was getting crunked and dancing with Eve. This figure represents that time, just before his heel turn, with his "What's Up" shirt.
Underneath, Truth is updated with new, darker attire.
I really like all the small details Mattel put into this figure. Everything, from the hanging hooks on his pants, to the logos, to the padded glove, to the piercings on his face, is well done!
Like before, R-Truth comes with a mic. Now, is it just me or does everyone get their own distinct mic? I hadn't noticed until now but it seems that no two mics have been the same. I counted six variations: Totally blank, WWE logo on one side, logos on two sides, logos on all sides, embossed logos on all sides, and blank with sticker logos. Call me nitpicky but it's just a slightly frustrating detail when I'm taking pics for my picture fed and I don't have uniform mics for everyone during promos.
Anyway, this version of Truth is just another repaint, right? Wrong! This time, Mattel gave him a slightly slimmer, more chiseled torso which looks more appropriate for him, IMO. The headscan is the same old one but I feel it actually works better for his current crazy heel gimmick so I'm kinda glad they didn't change it.
So which R-Truth is best?
I have to give it the new one, it's a nice update. I think his new heel persona is more entertaining and I think this figure works for that. So I'm afraid the old Truth just got GOT!
Next, the Guru of Greatness...
#2: John Morrison
John Morrison needed a good update for a while now and Mattel finally delivered! This time, Morrison still comes with his signature shades but now includes a new Palace of Wisdom shirt.
The best thing about this Morrison is the new headscan which looks so much better and more like him. I'm very glad they made a new scan of him, the original one always looked wrong.
He also comes with different, more defined arms but no elbow pads this time. The sculpting on the new arms looks more realistic now.
His updated attire is a brighter silver one which looks nice with all his signature logos. I like it better than the previous black tights versions. I'm always a fan of color schemes that make a figure stand out.
So which JoMo is best?
It's no contest here, the new John Morrison is a huge improvement and you can really tell how far Mattel has come with their headscans. This is perhaps the most improved figure that Mattel has made to date!
So which figure did I like best from this series? It turned out to be an unlikely contender, the Rising Sun...
#1: Yoshi Tatsu
Many casual WWE fans may not even recognize Yoshi Tatsu. He's rarely seen on TV, only in some backstage segments or quick squash matches where he periodically loses. So how could this lone figure, without any accessories, rise to the top against world champions and figures with belts? Well, for one thing, he's the only new debut figure in this entire series and that's always a good thing. Even if he wasn't, though, he definitely stands out due to the incredible details that went into his design!
Everything about Yoshi Tatsu's attire is beautifully done; From the rope-like arm bands to the details in his forearm guards and especially the incredible artistry of his tights designs! The Japanese characters, the awesome dragon, and even the little drawstrings painted on the sides are all done in such meticulous and amazing detail with clean linework and vibrant colors. This goes beyond most ring attires, it's a work of art!
As a debut figure, there's no previous version of Yoshi Tatsu to compare this to. So, I've paired him up against a special guest star...
Why William Regal? Well, despite being a fan of the WWE for a while, it was only until last year that I finally attended a live event and the very first match I saw was a dark match between these two. It was a great opener to the show, and has a special significance to me, so I'm happy to be able to put this match together again!
Overall, Elite Series 10 is a nice one, despite being almost entirely made up of repainted or updated Superstars. You get a lot of neat accessories; New shirts, briefcases, mics, and four championship belts...The largest amount of belts any Elite series has had! This is a good set, with an even mix of main event and mid-card characters, to update your roster or build upon it. The Elite series is now in the double digits and the figures just keep getting better and better!