Post by Raoul the Great on May 18, 2005 2:34:30 GMT -5
I have been putting this off for a while. A few weeks ago I recieved the Four Horsemen Bane and Scarecrow figures that are available only in Australia and the South Pacific. I paid a pretty penny, but they are great figures. Here is a half-assed review (Aw, I was using my whole ass!)
Bane: This is easily the best Bane figure to date. It has a great mix of sculpting and articulation that every version before lacked in some capacity. The figure is big and imposing as bane should be. The paint job really helps to define how great the figure is; from darker tones of the muscle definition, to the silver trim of the mask and belt. The venom tube is firmly affixed to the arm and head and does not seem at risk of breaking off, nor does it hinder movement. There are two flaws I find with the figure. The first is that the bladed knuckle weapon he comes with, while cool in theory, will not stay on his fist. If you place it on, any slight movement will make it fall off. The second and biggest flaw with the figure is his legs. They are placed to be spread apart. I have a feeling this is to help him stand amidst his large upper-torso. This causes strange movement. The only saving grace of this is the added joints at the base of the boots (mid calf) allowing for more movement.
Articulation: Neck (ball), shoulders (ball), elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees, upper calves, ankles (swivel)
Pros: Articulation, sculpting, paint job, size
Cons: Weird leg positioning, unusable accessory
9/10
Scarecrow: I got Scarecrow along with Bane because I knew I would want him eventually anyways. He is a surprisingly articulated figure and a lot of fun to play with. What initially attracted me to the figure was his pitchfork/scythe accessory, which not only looks cool but fits nicely in his hand. (One hand can hold it while the other hand is in a claw-like pose.) It fits the Jonathan Crane body as it is very lanky. The bonus was the fact that Scarecrow has Marvel Legend style articulation. The weapon and the articulation make for huge playabilty, much more than other Scarecrows such as the new Hush Scarecrow. However there are several cons. The first is that for some reason, the face isn't as cool looking as the protos made it look. It's creepy, but not as creepy as the new Hush Scarecrow's face. Second, the paint job is a little lazy. Almost the entire body is a plain brown despite sculpted details like ropes and stitching that could have been painted. The third drawback was that overhanging parts of the costume hinder some of the articulation, primarily the "skirt" of the torso hinders the hip joints.
Articulation: Neck (ball), shoulders (ball), biceps, elbows, wrists, waist, hips (ball), mis-thighs, knees, lower calves, ankles (swivel)
Pros: Articulation, size, cool weapon, playabilty
Cons: Lazy paintjob, hindered articulation, less creepy looking in person.
8/10
This site provides close-up pictures of the two figures that I cannot provide, as well as their own review:
www.mwctoys.com/REVIEW_041805a.htm
Bane: This is easily the best Bane figure to date. It has a great mix of sculpting and articulation that every version before lacked in some capacity. The figure is big and imposing as bane should be. The paint job really helps to define how great the figure is; from darker tones of the muscle definition, to the silver trim of the mask and belt. The venom tube is firmly affixed to the arm and head and does not seem at risk of breaking off, nor does it hinder movement. There are two flaws I find with the figure. The first is that the bladed knuckle weapon he comes with, while cool in theory, will not stay on his fist. If you place it on, any slight movement will make it fall off. The second and biggest flaw with the figure is his legs. They are placed to be spread apart. I have a feeling this is to help him stand amidst his large upper-torso. This causes strange movement. The only saving grace of this is the added joints at the base of the boots (mid calf) allowing for more movement.
Articulation: Neck (ball), shoulders (ball), elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees, upper calves, ankles (swivel)
Pros: Articulation, sculpting, paint job, size
Cons: Weird leg positioning, unusable accessory
9/10
Scarecrow: I got Scarecrow along with Bane because I knew I would want him eventually anyways. He is a surprisingly articulated figure and a lot of fun to play with. What initially attracted me to the figure was his pitchfork/scythe accessory, which not only looks cool but fits nicely in his hand. (One hand can hold it while the other hand is in a claw-like pose.) It fits the Jonathan Crane body as it is very lanky. The bonus was the fact that Scarecrow has Marvel Legend style articulation. The weapon and the articulation make for huge playabilty, much more than other Scarecrows such as the new Hush Scarecrow. However there are several cons. The first is that for some reason, the face isn't as cool looking as the protos made it look. It's creepy, but not as creepy as the new Hush Scarecrow's face. Second, the paint job is a little lazy. Almost the entire body is a plain brown despite sculpted details like ropes and stitching that could have been painted. The third drawback was that overhanging parts of the costume hinder some of the articulation, primarily the "skirt" of the torso hinders the hip joints.
Articulation: Neck (ball), shoulders (ball), biceps, elbows, wrists, waist, hips (ball), mis-thighs, knees, lower calves, ankles (swivel)
Pros: Articulation, size, cool weapon, playabilty
Cons: Lazy paintjob, hindered articulation, less creepy looking in person.
8/10
This site provides close-up pictures of the two figures that I cannot provide, as well as their own review:
www.mwctoys.com/REVIEW_041805a.htm