Post by Micro on Sept 1, 2011 4:47:32 GMT -5
April 3, 2011
An electrifying host, jaw-dropping Superstar entrances and unbelievable excitement made Wrestlemania XXVII one of the hottest events to hit the sizzling city of Altanta...
Thanks to the tips here, I decided to go over to my local TRU and found all the new Wrestlemania 27 Elites! I wasn't going to get them all initially but after seeing them in person, I felt they were unique enough to add to my collection. After seeing the first pics of the Road to Wrestlemania Rock, I was excited to see these figures. So let's take a look at them, starting with the weakest one of the set, the Texas Rattlesnake...
Stone Cold Steve Austin
How could Mattel sink so low with this new Austin? I mean, he's got no articulation. In fact, he doesn't even have a full body! All we get is a cardboard bust with a new shirt printed on it. Could this be another sign of Mattel skimping out?
Heheh, relax, I'm only playing around here! Stone Cold Steve Austin is part of the WM27 lineup but he isn't actually released yet. (Big thanks goes to Bill for that tip, I would've driven all over town if I didn't know about that!) It looks like Austin will be included in the second wave, similar to how WM26 Rey Mysterio and Triple H were released last year. I look forward to seeing the new Austin when he comes out!
Ok, now let's move on to our first real figure, the Phenom...
Undertaker
Seeing this Undertaker took me back to the beginning of the Mattel franchise and made me recall the day when I picked up my first Elite Series 1 figures! I was going to leave this figure behind but I noticed the coat had a few new details, and I was curious about the designs on his tights, so I grabbed him. The coat has some decorative dots around it and is more flexible this time, which is nice, but otherwise this is no different than the original E1 version. Taker's WM27 coat had a lot more texture to it but for a simple repaint, the old coat kinda works.
Underneath, Taker has his regular gear with grey demon designs. It has an old-school feel to it but it's a dark, dull look that seems like it should've had a little bit of a metallic sheen to it.
The headscan is the original one and it feels like a step backwards to me. This scan has been used countless times before and is nearly two years old now. The beard is painted a lighter color this time around but it has a glossy finish which just further enhances the dated feel of this figure. Personally, I feel it would've been much better to use the newer scan with the eyes painted white for an intense, demonic Taker.
Overall, this is a simple repaint of an old figure and I ranked it the lowest of this set. For those who missed out on a coated Undertaker, this is a good chance to pick one up. Otherwise, I fear that this one will be skipped over a lot. Personally, E8 Undertaker is still my favorite with the newer, more intense scan. Considering that Taker didn't have a spectacular look this year, Mattel did the best that they could. Still, I feel that the newer headscan would've helped this figure out a lot.
Now, let's look at someone who's Awesome...!
The Miz
Be careful what you wish for, it might just come true! I felt that the Miz was due for an updated Elite figure for quite a while and now, there's three of them!
Again, he comes with his cool textured coat but, just like with Undertaker, a few more details were painted in. The silver accents are a small detail but it enhances the coat better than Taker's. It also feels slightly more flexible to me. I'd say this is the best coat for the Miz so far!
Once you remove his coat, the Miz is wearing his WM27 gear with rusty, bronze color scheme and all his signature logos!
One last accessory that he comes with is the WWE Championship. This is the same, dull belt that came with the recent E11 version. It would've been cool if the WWE logo was flipped over for the Miz Championship belt!
Overall, this is a solid Miz figure. I still prefer the more colorful blue attire from E11 but I'm glad this one comes with a better coat!
So, who's my #1 pick? The Master of the Boom, Boom, Boom...
Kofi Kingston
Next to Rey Mysterio, Kofi Kingston is another figure that I don't mind getting repaints of. He's got a cool mix of bright, neon colors and neat, tropical designs. He's just a fun-loving character and this figure is no different. He comes with a new WM27 shirt. His pants and vest would've been better but at least I like the WM27 logo better than last year's.
Kofi comes in a brilliant, bright green color scheme. His 8-man tag team match against the Corre was so short, I didn't really get a good look at his attire but I thought the little faces, with their tongues sticking out, look funny now that I see them!
Overall, Kofi is a dynamic looking figure and stands out as the best repaint of this series so far. (Still gotta see Stone Cold later on!) I like the yellow & black E9 version a little better but this is a very cool, green color scheme and a nice addition to my collection!
Overall, the WM27 series is a decent one for repaints. The character choice has been criticized here a lot but you are getting two main eventers and a Legend, while mid-carder Kofi still manages to steal the show with a cool repaint!
An electrifying host, jaw-dropping Superstar entrances and unbelievable excitement made Wrestlemania XXVII one of the hottest events to hit the sizzling city of Altanta...
Thanks to the tips here, I decided to go over to my local TRU and found all the new Wrestlemania 27 Elites! I wasn't going to get them all initially but after seeing them in person, I felt they were unique enough to add to my collection. After seeing the first pics of the Road to Wrestlemania Rock, I was excited to see these figures. So let's take a look at them, starting with the weakest one of the set, the Texas Rattlesnake...
Stone Cold Steve Austin
How could Mattel sink so low with this new Austin? I mean, he's got no articulation. In fact, he doesn't even have a full body! All we get is a cardboard bust with a new shirt printed on it. Could this be another sign of Mattel skimping out?
Heheh, relax, I'm only playing around here! Stone Cold Steve Austin is part of the WM27 lineup but he isn't actually released yet. (Big thanks goes to Bill for that tip, I would've driven all over town if I didn't know about that!) It looks like Austin will be included in the second wave, similar to how WM26 Rey Mysterio and Triple H were released last year. I look forward to seeing the new Austin when he comes out!
Ok, now let's move on to our first real figure, the Phenom...
Undertaker
Seeing this Undertaker took me back to the beginning of the Mattel franchise and made me recall the day when I picked up my first Elite Series 1 figures! I was going to leave this figure behind but I noticed the coat had a few new details, and I was curious about the designs on his tights, so I grabbed him. The coat has some decorative dots around it and is more flexible this time, which is nice, but otherwise this is no different than the original E1 version. Taker's WM27 coat had a lot more texture to it but for a simple repaint, the old coat kinda works.
Underneath, Taker has his regular gear with grey demon designs. It has an old-school feel to it but it's a dark, dull look that seems like it should've had a little bit of a metallic sheen to it.
The headscan is the original one and it feels like a step backwards to me. This scan has been used countless times before and is nearly two years old now. The beard is painted a lighter color this time around but it has a glossy finish which just further enhances the dated feel of this figure. Personally, I feel it would've been much better to use the newer scan with the eyes painted white for an intense, demonic Taker.
Overall, this is a simple repaint of an old figure and I ranked it the lowest of this set. For those who missed out on a coated Undertaker, this is a good chance to pick one up. Otherwise, I fear that this one will be skipped over a lot. Personally, E8 Undertaker is still my favorite with the newer, more intense scan. Considering that Taker didn't have a spectacular look this year, Mattel did the best that they could. Still, I feel that the newer headscan would've helped this figure out a lot.
Now, let's look at someone who's Awesome...!
The Miz
Be careful what you wish for, it might just come true! I felt that the Miz was due for an updated Elite figure for quite a while and now, there's three of them!
Again, he comes with his cool textured coat but, just like with Undertaker, a few more details were painted in. The silver accents are a small detail but it enhances the coat better than Taker's. It also feels slightly more flexible to me. I'd say this is the best coat for the Miz so far!
Once you remove his coat, the Miz is wearing his WM27 gear with rusty, bronze color scheme and all his signature logos!
One last accessory that he comes with is the WWE Championship. This is the same, dull belt that came with the recent E11 version. It would've been cool if the WWE logo was flipped over for the Miz Championship belt!
Overall, this is a solid Miz figure. I still prefer the more colorful blue attire from E11 but I'm glad this one comes with a better coat!
So, who's my #1 pick? The Master of the Boom, Boom, Boom...
Kofi Kingston
Next to Rey Mysterio, Kofi Kingston is another figure that I don't mind getting repaints of. He's got a cool mix of bright, neon colors and neat, tropical designs. He's just a fun-loving character and this figure is no different. He comes with a new WM27 shirt. His pants and vest would've been better but at least I like the WM27 logo better than last year's.
Kofi comes in a brilliant, bright green color scheme. His 8-man tag team match against the Corre was so short, I didn't really get a good look at his attire but I thought the little faces, with their tongues sticking out, look funny now that I see them!
Overall, Kofi is a dynamic looking figure and stands out as the best repaint of this series so far. (Still gotta see Stone Cold later on!) I like the yellow & black E9 version a little better but this is a very cool, green color scheme and a nice addition to my collection!
Overall, the WM27 series is a decent one for repaints. The character choice has been criticized here a lot but you are getting two main eventers and a Legend, while mid-carder Kofi still manages to steal the show with a cool repaint!