LAWMASTER - Mezco One:12 Collective Judge Dredd Electronic Vehicle

Mezco's One:12 Collective line is quickly setting the standard for 6" high-end action figures. They have managed to consistently impress me in every aspect - these are easily the best 6" action figures on the market, and in my collection right now, bar none. Mezco has recently added their first vehicle to the line, and it's yet another fine example of the high quality and superior attention to detail that they are investing in this line.

I'm taking a look at the "standard" (black) version, which was released as a stand-alone vehicle. There's a PX Exclusive "blue" version available as a combo-pack with the "Disco Dredd" figure, as well. Judge Dredd's Lawmaster is a beast of a bike, sporting proportions similar to a horizontal superhero: thick, wide top (front end), narrow waist (seat) and speedy, athletic legs (back end).

The front half is enormous and appropriately intimidating, with a tire that dwarfs the Dark Knight Batpod's handily. Cannons, missile launchers and machine guns adorn both sides of the fender symmetrically. The front fender is pocked with dings, dents and bullet pings to highlight the battle action it's seen. The handlebars sweep up and back, creating a chopper effect and adding to Dredd's aura. The seat is wide and rubberized, giving it a texture more akin to a real seat than plastic would. There's a working kickstand on Dredd's left hand side, and a compartment just behind him that opens to hold his cuffs. The gold along the top matches Dredd's pads pretty well, and sports faint highlight streaks of black grime. The "metal" details all over the bike have a drybrushing to make them more realistic, and there's hints of rust in several strategic locations.

So, in terms of looks and feel, the Lawmaster is great. Nothing feels delicate or cheaply made, the paint is sharp and spot-on, with highlights appropriate for accentuating the sculpt. The proportions are strong, and it functions very well - the tires roll beautifully. The front end is able to twist side to side ever so slightly to give a hint of steering control. Then, there's the electronics...

The Lawmaster sports 7 different buttons for a wide variety of lights and sounds. Three buttons on the center bar between Dredd's legs control the headlights, the fender lights (all of which are bright white) and the central control panel (green). There are two badge symbols outside of those buttons, which activate the sounds of the engine revving or cruising. Then, finally, down by Dredd's heels are a couple of buttons that control the weaponry: sounds for machine gun fire, cannons and grenade launchers, which correspond to yellow lights illuminating in the corresponding weapon tubes. Oh, and there are 3 red tail lights that activate with the headlights, as well. In all, it's beautifully done, there's little to no light bleed, the sounds are loud and clear, and the lights are bright (except for the weapons, which are a little hidden down the length of the tubes).

I should also mention that an alternate pair of "grip hands" is included for Dredd, which allow his pointer finger to wrap over the brakes on the handlebars.

Dredd's Lawmaster is another winner, in my book. It's a perfect accompaniment to the Judge Dredd figure, and it's everything you'd expect it to be. My only gripe, literally, is with the price. At $125, despite its awesomeness, it feels overpriced (and $260 for the PX Exclusive set is absurd). I know the lights and sounds add cost, but even with that taken into account, this price point feels about $25 to $30 too high. The enormous Animated Batmobile runs about $85 and has a whole lot more plastic to it. In fact, my worry about the entire One:12 Collective line is that the price seems to be steadily creeping northwards, with no end in sight. Punisher at $80 and now the SDCC Captain America and Armored Batman at nearly $130 shipped, apiece, kind of defeats the purpose of the One:12 Collective as it was originally pitched: Hot Toys quality at a fraction of the cost. That fraction keeps getting smaller and smaller. Any smaller, and I fear I'll be looking to Hot Toys for Hot Toys quality, at its own price. If Mezco can keep these figures near the original $65 price point, I'm gladly support the line to its end. Otherwise, I'll do like I did with MOTUC (Digital River), Star Wars Black Series (horrible distribution), DCUC (endless re-use) and walk away...