SPAWN REBIRTH - McFarlane Toys Color Tops figure 2016

It's been about a decade since we saw new Spawn figures on the shelves. In fact, when the Spawn 11 figure was released, it was April 2007. There was another wave or two that followed (the animated-style Adventures of Spawn, for example), but Spawn 11 was the last "pure Spawn" we got. A lot has changed in the world since we last saw Spawn, especially in the world of adult-oriented collector action figures. The quality of paint, sculpts and accessories have grown exponentially, to say nothing of the incredible strides that have been made in terms of articulation. Mattel's Masters of the Universe Classics and DC Universe Classics really contributed a great deal to this, and now Hasbro's Star Wars Black Series and Marvel Legends carry the torch high domestically, competing with the likes of imports from SH Figuarts and figma. Smaller companies like NECA and Mezco Toys have pushed the bar to a whole new level, truly innovating some of the most sophisticated toy engineering we have seen since...well, since McFarlane Toys came on the scene in the early 1990's. See, at that point, Todd McFarlane was a true innovator in many senses of the word. He forged a new comic book company (Image Comics), created a dynamic character to carry it (Spawn), and then had the audacity to create a toy company to match his vision (McFarlane Toys). His Spawn figures are the single biggest contributor to my personally becoming a "toy collector" twenty years ago, and I'd dare go far as to say that he pretty much created the adult action figure niche single-handedly. McFarlane led, and others like Palisades, Resaurus, and MAC followed.

But that's not to say that all was rosy. After thirty-plus Spawn waves, we eventually got too many of the same style of figure, and while the sculpts upped their game, along with the paint (mostly), it was at the expense of articulation. In essence, McFarlane Toys seemed to go with the theory that adult collectors didn't "play" with their figures, but appreciated them on a shelf, pre-posed, like a statue or works of art. Not that that's bad. Companies like Clayburn Moore's Moore Action Collectibles featured beautiful sculpt and paint work without much of an emphasis on articulation. And the sculpts, paint and size are what drew me to the McFarlane figures in the first place (man, I still fondly remember that Series 8 Gatekeeper figure, which was my first Spawn figure and really pulled me in!).

Eventually, though, Spawn fizzled out. McFarlane Toys moved on to other things, some good...some not so much...and the world moved on. In 2016, we are living in a world that is post DC Universe Classics, and features some of the most envelope-pushing designs in toy history. Companies like 3A and Mezco are redefining what an action figure can be (including fabric outfits while retaining top-notch articulation), while Japanese imports ride high, including multiple hands, facial expressions and innovative articulation. What a perfect moment for Spawn to re-enter the collector world, and show how innovative the brand can be! Release a beautiful, highly articulated Spawn figure, similar to their 10th Anniversary gem (but updated), with scads of accessories and weapons, a full fabric outfit, a bendy-wire cape, multiple-armed display stand, maybe glowing LED eyes and real, poseable chains! The base could include electronics for lighting the figure and include some spoken lines from the terrific HBO Animated series like, "(thug says) Who is...? (Spawn interrupts) About to take your head off..." Loved it then, and would love it even more coming from my new Spawn action figure!

Or...maybe release the same figure we got in 2004: The Art of Spawn Series 26 issue 7 cover art, with fewer accessories, no additional articulation, a cheap plastic base and plastic pre-posed chains? Hmmm.

Despite the moniker "Rebirth", which hints at newness and revitalization, this figure is actually more of a "Redux", or re-do. McFarlane Toys has retreated from the innovation that defined their early successes and decided to play it safe, essentially re-releasing a figure it produced 12 years ago. If you are a collector who does, in fact, enjoy plastic statues (and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that - there are plenty of statue lines out there, for sure), or missed out on the Spawn issue 7 figure, this one looks great. The sculpt and paint work are both top-notch, and he's sure to look good on a shelf. Paying for this one will probably save you a couple of bucks on the 2004 release, and he's probably easier to find, too. But if you are looking for something that you will return to again and again, re-pose and "play" with,  or for a Spawn that will set himself apart from a dozen other Spawns, then this fellow is an easy pass. Track down the 10th Anniversary figure and you've got the lat Spawn you will ever need.

Spawn Rebirth stands just about 7" tall, comes with 2 wicked-looking and nicely detailed gun-type weapons (one looks like a rocket launcher and the other a pistol of some sort). His chains and ammo belt are plastic, and he is not poseable. He is slightly articulated: the head swivels, the waist swivels, the boots swivel and the arms bend and rotate at the elbows, while also swiveling at the bicep bands. Keep in mind that this isn't really articulation, in the sense that these can only be used to fine tune the existing pose. Actually turning the head or waist will throw the sculpt and paint off. The figure is made from a VERY hard plastic, so getting the weapons into the hands is a chore, and with McFarlane's history of breakage, I'd suggest being very careful. I used some pre-boiling water to soften the hands and had no problem getting the guns in there. The spikes are really hard and quite painful when trying to adjust his limbs, and he stands just fine without the nameplate base, once his right boot is rotated slightly in from how it was packaged. And that's about it. Another 7" Spawn statue: he really is a great-looking, intimidating character that a lot of collectors are sure to remember fondly. There's nothing wrong with the figure, so long as you know what you are getting: this is NOT an action figure. It's a slightly adjustable statue. He'll look cool on a desk or getting lost amongst a bunch of other Spawns on a shelf, but he'll unfortunately probably be quickly forgotten, rather than "reborn"...

With NECA 7" Batman Begins

With Image 10th Anniversary Spawn