WONDER WOMAN by Luis Royo - Fantasy Figure Gallery EE Exclusive Statue Review

Today is kind of a big deal in my collecting world: tracking says my Luis Royo Fantasy Figures Wonder Woman statue is scheduled for delivery. I've never been quite so anxious, exited and apprehensive all at the same time. For those that might not know, the Royo Wonder Woman prototype was an incredibly striking and unique representation of the iconic character. I (and others) instantly fell in love with the face, in particular, despite an awkward pose. I waffled over the $230 price tag, and ultimately decided against pre-ordering her. Fast forward a couple months later, and the statue started coming in stock at online retailers. I checked a couple of forums and discovered that the final production of the statue was significantly different (and, to me, quite inferior) from those initial prototype images. Collectors seemed very upset, Yamato was very apologetic, and I was VERY relieved not to have pulled that trigger. Despite the feelings that I had narrowly dodged a bullet, I couldn't help but also feel disappointed at what could have been...

Yamato promised to make good and return to the prototype for a second release, and refund the money for collectors who were disappointed and returned their original version, and I figured that maybe a year later I'd hear about a second release. Well, not too long after I found a listing on Entertainment Earth for an exclusive version of the statue. The pose is largely the same, but her weapon accessories are slightly altered, as is the outfit and the boots. More importantly, it was solicited as matching the original prototype for sculpt and paint. I went ahead and called EE, spoke with a customer service representative, and was ASSURED that the statue would match the prototype images. So, I pre-ordered and have been crossing my fingers ever since. Today is the day Wonder Woman arrives, and I'm all kinds of queasy.

It's not just the $250 price tag, which is a hefty sum in my world. Even the images I've seen of the actual production model from the initial run weren't terrible. It's just not the statue everyone was promised. And I, personally, bought the statue solely for that prototype's look. So, now I've got to brace myself for severe disappointment, while being simultaneously hopeful that the rug won't be pulled out from under me. I suppose this hearkens back to the feelings of being a kid and opening that most ginormous Christmas package...

More, later...

So the package has arrived and it's the moment of truth. The box is beautiful, with lots of shots of the statue as it should be - the original prototype. The artwork it is based on adorns one side, along with shots of all of the other statues released as a part of the Fantasy Figure line thus far. There's an Entertainment Earth Exclusive label emblazoning the front, as well.

Inside, I find a baggie with a print of the original artwork on it, as well as a numbered tag. Mine is statue number 103 of 500 made. The statue is wrapped in layers of foam.

Accessories are bagged separately. I find a sword, the lasso, the base, the left forearm and the shield pre-attached to the right forearm. Everything is painted beautifully, but I must admit that the shield/arm and sword feel really lightweight and plasticky. Time for the statue, herself...

The statue is really nice, if not exactly what I pictured from the promotional images. There's a softness, a shadowy sensuality that the images carry that the actual product just doesn't have. From certain angles, and with certain lighting, it looks dead-on. From others, it's slightly "harsher", if that makes any sense. It's almost like comparing a photo of a swimsuit or runway model to how they actually look in real life. Sure, they are still striking and beautiful, but maybe not quite as perfect as in the pictures. In any event, I really like the statue, and I'm fairly relieved. I will say that it's much smaller than I anticipated (which is my own fault, really). The last statue I bought was the 1/4 scale Survivor Tomb Raider, and I've picked up a couple of 1/4 scale Batman figures from NECA recently, so my mind was picturing something much larger than the 1/6 scale statue ended up being. Next up, the review...

The Luis Royo Fantasy Figure Gallery Wonder Woman Entertainment Earth Exclusive Version measures 12 & 1/4" tall. Wonder Woman is stepping forward on a heavy polystone base designed to look like rocks. She grips her sword in her left hand, her shield is strapped to her right forearm and her lasso is attached at her belt. The forearms are held in place by magnets, with the shield arm being somewhat underpowered (ie, wobbly). The front foot pegs into an indentation on the front rock, but doesn't sit quite flat. Regardless, the statue is stable enough on its base.

The paint is sharp and extraordinarily clean throughout the entire statue. The skin is pale and has faint shading to add depth. The face paint is excellent, though it looks like she could use a little softness added around the eyes. Maybe some eyeshadow? Or less pink at the bottom of the whites? In any event, it's a beautiful statue. I like the pose better in this version with the weapons attached, and the face is much closer to the prototype images. The boots and bare midriff are things "purists" might object to, but I'm fine with them, as I think the overall look is a good one. She makes a terrific addition to my shelf, and is the current centerpiece of my Wonder Woman display...

My Wonder Woman Shelf

BATMAN ARKHAM ORIGINS - NECA 1/4 Scale Figure

NECA's got me again. I never, ever thought I'd be interested in a 1/4 scale line of figures. They are just too big for me - I have trouble with 12, 10 and even 9 inch figures in my collection. The latter are mostly made up of Play Arts Kai figures, which I find frustrating and leave me disappointed 9 times out of 10. I only have a small handful of 1/6 scale figures, and they are mostly put into a vanilla pose right out of the box and quickly forgotten on the shelf. I often find them too "doll-like" and I'm almost always terrified of breakage because of their incredibly high price points. So, bigger than that? Never. Until...

It was actually the design of the suit that won me over and brought me to this figure. I really love the look on the DC Collectibles Arkham Origins Batman figure, and in researching that figure prior to purchasing it, I stumbled across this NECA version, and their 1/4 scale Arkham Knight. The reviews are nearly unanimous in their praise, and so I decided to dip into the pool and pick this guy up. Boy, am I glad that I did, and (yes) the Arkham Knight version is on its way, so that dip seems like it's quickly turning into a dive into the deep end!

There are plenty of reviews of this guy already posted all around, and I don't want to rehash what's already been said. The figure looks amazing, is painted really nicely and poses much better than one would think. Mine has cockeyed hips (you can see it was packaged that way), so he's a little more precarious than I'd like on the shelf. My only real complaints are that there's a real noticeable mold line on the outside of the cowl, and the black paint on the nostrils is a bit heavy-handed. Otherwise, this guy is about as close to perfect as I could want. The extra hands swap out super-easily, and the accessories (Batclaw in the right and Batarang in the left) fit perfectly. I'm not sure how the Claw is supposed to sit in the extra belt clip, and since there are no instructions I'll have to re-check some reviews. The cape is fairly thin fabric and is really wrinkled by the way it's packed, so it might take some steam to get it to lay flat, but it drapes well over or behind the shoulders and looks good as-is.

Like others, I can't say enough about how pleased I am with this figure. It's a terrific looking representation of a really striking version of my favorite character. The sculpt is excellent, the detail is superb and the paint is really good. The accessories are appropriate and well-made, and he makes for a very enjoyable collectable. And he's so big! He's definitely not a doll...

Size Comparison with JAKKS 19" BigFig BvS Batman

RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER - Play Arts Kai Lara Croft Action Figure

I had a truly lovely surprise waiting for me upon my return from vacation: my box with the newest Play Arts Kai Lara Croft and Figma Arise Motoko Kusanagi figures had arrived! The wait was so well worth it - these are two of the most amazing looking figures I've seen. That said, I haven't opened either yet. My plan is to begin with Lara Croft, and spend a few days with the unboxing and review, so I'm going to update this review daily, or semi-daily depending on how much work interferes, until I've really had a chance to check her out.

To begin with, the box and figure are fairly big. The box measures just over 9 inches wide, and 12 inches tall, with the figure coming in at about 10 inches tall. Compare that to the original Tomb Raider release, with a box measuring 7 & 3/4" by 10 & 3/8", and a figure 7 inches tall (this version also costs about $40 more than the original release did) and you'll have two figures that unfortunatley might not display well together on the same shelf. The flap is held closed with magnets this time, rather than velcro, which I am EXTREMELY happy about. Whether it's Mezco's influence or not, I really like the magnet closure much more than those velcro circles.

Interior Flap

There's lots of descriptive writing on the interior flap and some cool in-action poses on the back. Inside, it looks like she's got two of her trusty climbing picks, 4 additional hands, a revolver, a knife, a quiver and a clutch of arrows, her bow and a hand/arrow combo. The face on the figure is absolutely beautiful - the sculpt and paint are spot-on, and there's no overindulgence in paint, resulting in raccoon eyes or anything. In fact, she almost looks too clean - the hands, jacket and pants all look completely clear of spray or wash. She's wearing a dark evergreen parka and light brown or beige pants that look like they have a thigh cut swivel and knee pads to help hide those hideous PAK knee joints. I'll find out once she's out of the box! Overall, my first impressions of this figure are that she's stunning. I'm impressed by the size of the figure itself, I like the small change they've made to the packaging and the accessories look plentiful. My only gripe so far is that she'll be out of scale with her younger self, but I'm also pleasantly surprised that my extra cost went into a (hopefully!) better figure. Next entry, out of the package she comes! Stay tuned...

Update: 4/11/16

I've had her out of her package for a little while now - not too much time to really mess around with the figure, but enough for initial impressions. I think there's something about Play Arts Kai that just doesn't quite click for me. I was really excited about her in-package, but in-hand she lost a bit of her luster. First, the good stuff. The figure is big, and really nicely detailed. The coat especially has tons of fine detail to it. The overall paintwork is generally quite good, and PAK has been much more restrained with the wash than in the past. The accessories are cool, and the gun, knife and arrows can all be stored on the figure perfectly. Now, the bad. OK, well, the face just doesn't look quite "right". I don't know how to explain it, other than the unpainted grey prototype looked much more like the game character I remember than this final figure actually does. The paintwork here is excellent - very clean and clear. She just doesn't look like Lara Croft to me. There's a full balljoint at the base of the ponytail, so it can be posed however you like. There are really weird cuts in the coat right above the chest, and in the back right where the lats are. They almost look like the plastic is torn, except that it's so symmetrical that it must be intentional. I can only guess that this is supposed to aid posing somehow, but I don't like them. Finally, I think I just have some difficulty adapting to PAK's joint system. So far (and this is just an initial impression), I've had a hard time getting her into poses I like. The left ankle is loose, so she flops forward if she isn't balanced with her weight back, and the left crotch attachment has a pretty big gap in it, especially compared to the right leg's attachment point. That said, I need to spend more time with this figure and see how my impressions change...

BATMAN - Mattel Total Heroes figure

I never really dove full-blast into Mattel's Total Heroes line of DC figures. I didn't mind the look of them, but they didn't really grab me, either. I think I was simply over-saturated between DCUC and Power Attack figures, so I only ever picked up two Total Heroes figures: this Batman and a Mr. Freeze. Both sat in their packages for ages, mostly forgotten, until the new Batman v Superman movie re-kindled my interest in the Dark Knight. So, I decided to finally open this guy up and see what he could do...

Package Backside

Total Heroes Batman strikes me as a really great Batman for a kid, but as a poor specimen for an adult collector. The packaging is quite nice, with lots of eye-catching colors and neat artwork.You can clearly see the figure and accessories inside, and nothing is posed in a way that would cause warpage. 

Batman comes with a cloth cape and 3 accessories: 2 Batarangs and a grapnel gun. They are all completely black, the Batarangs are stamped with "China" on one side, as is the handle of the grapnel, and are made of soft, rubbery plastic.

The Batarangs peg onto Batman's utility belt in the back and fit into his left hand adequately enough to look ok, but they fall out if they aren't shoved down into the hand far enough. The grapnel also goes into his left hand (the right one is a closed fist, but is held at a really awkward angle, pointing nearly straight upwards. There's no trigger finger on the figure, and his head doesn't tilt upwards at all, so as a result he looks pretty odd with the grapnel in nearly any pose.

With regards to articulation, there's  a swivel head, hinged shoulders that can go forwards/backwards and out to the sides (slightly less than parallel with the ground), DCUC hips that can go forwards and out to the sides (very little backwards movement, as they hit the butt sculpt), hinges at the knees and ankles and a twist at the waist and wrists. Sounds like a lot. It's not. There's nothing below the waist to allow the legs to rotate in any fashion. In other words, the toes will always point straight ahead. As a result, it's difficult to get something dynamic out of this guy below the waist. It's unfortunate, because if the knees were done like the elbows are (I purposely left his out above, but it's the best joint on the figure - a ball and hinge that allows for rotation as well as bend, and is hidden pretty decently by the sculpt!), the figure would be fairly awesome. As it is, he's just fun. The oversized feet help keep him standing, and I did have quite a bit of fun messing around with him, but the poses just aren't very fluid or natural looking.

I really do like the actual sculpt of the figure. I think the body is re-used across the line, so I suppose it's good that I generally like the proportions and shapes they chose. He's muscular without being too bulky. The abs and thigh muscles are clearly defined, and there are some details sculpted in somewhat random places. The belt pouches, shoulders and torso have lines engraved on them, and there are two spots on his back that have some lattice work sculpted on, almost like bandages or something. The figure is otherwise mostly smooth and made of a neat speckled grey plastic, painted matte black in places. The joints are all tight and hold poses well, and nothing feels like it's going to break, so it should stand up well to play, even from kids. There are a couple of small quality control issues with my figure - two deep scratches in the neck straight out of the package, and a small dot of flesh paint on the nose of the cowl. I can take a black marker to all of those, I suppose, so they are really minor issues. At the $10 MSRP this figure carries, it's a really good deal - something I would not hesitate to buy for my own kids. At TRU's markup price of $15, it was less attractive, which is another reason I never bothered to dive "all-in". As a collector, I'm happy with this guy, but he won't be at the forefront of my Batman shelf, though with one change to one joint, he might have been...

BATMAN - JAKKS Pacific Big Figs 19" Batman v Superman figure

JAKKS Pacific looks to have stumbled across a couple of real winners over the past two years. Their World of Nintendo line seems to be going strong, judging by the empty pegs at my local Toys R Us (4 inch line, I mean). And then there are the Big Figs. These started out as Star Wars staples, which then branched into several varying sizes (though all relatively "big"). Now we've got Link from Legend of Zelda, giant electronic Star Wars troopers and Vaders, Godzilla and lately DC superheroes. I've mentioned the large scale 31" Darth Vader before on this site - I really like the figure - and after seeing Batman v Superman this past weekend I just couldn't pass up having a Big Fig Batman. I went with the 19" version, though there's an even bigger version out there...

One of my favorite toys as a kid was a Shogun Warrior Great Mazinger. Man, I played with that thing. It was hollow, made of hard plastic, had missiles that shot out of its fingers and could be stored on its legs, a removable Pilder glider atop its head, and wheels under the feet to roll it over the kitchen floor. But what I loved most about it was its size. For me, as a little boy, it was HUGE - way bigger than my Star Wars or He-Man figures. In fact, I remember going toe-to-toe directly with Great Mazinger, Jimmy Snuka-style on more than one occasion. JAKKS has done a great job of translating that feeling of awesome size to today's toy shelves. These figures consistently sport really strong sculpts (my Vader and this Batman both look great) and adequate paint work to mostly justify their price tags.

Batman here has a better sculpt than any of the Mattel products. He does stand just over 19" tall, and is made of really hard, lightweight plastic. He feels hollow, and he sports a cheap cloth cape. There are 7 points of articulation, useful only for fine tuning his vanilla pose: swivels at the shoulders, wrists, hips and head. Besides the grey and black, there are some gold/bronze highlights on the knuckles, gauntlets, toes and belt. Oh, and fifteen screw holes holding him together, clearly visible on his back. The details are pretty good, actually, and I've seen some customizers add a dark wash to the outfit to bring out the detailing even further; there are raised seam lines sculpted in addition to some wrinkles across the outfit. I suppose an air brushed five-o'clock shadow would add a lot, as well - the paint work here is almost too clean for this particular version of the character.

And that's about it. You've probably seen this guy on a shelf somewhere - they are everywhere right now - and if you are reading this, you might be wondering if it's worth getting? Well, you see everything you're getting right there in the store. The packaging has nothing to hide. There are no accessories, and minimal articulation to be had. He'd be great for a kid, no doubt, and will probably look terrific alongside his Armored version, Superman and Wonder Woman on a collector's shelf. So, for the price (I paid about $20), he's worth it. I'll get $20 of enjoyment out of having him in my collection. I don't know that I need to run out and find ALL of the others, but that Armored Batman was looking pretty cool the last time I was at Target...

BATMOBILE - Jada Toys Batman v Superman Model Kit

I first discovered Jada Toys and their die-cast vehicles through their Halo line. There were about a half dozen really nicely done die-cast metal vehicles and figures in what seemed like about 1:35 scale. They were solid, painted really nicely and affordable. The largest I owned was a USNC Hornet, but I think they even made a larger die-cast Warthog around the same time that McFarlane Toys released theirs. I came across their newest creation, the Batmobile from Batman v Superman, and decided to re-visit the brand.

This is billed as a model kit, though that's a bit of a stretch. Mind you, I'm an old-school model builder. You know, the kind that involves sanding, glue, lots of products named Testors and Model Masters, waterslide decals,  lots of time and patience - the whole nine yards. A true model kit this is not. It's more of a disassembled toy. In fact, my hunch is that by having us assemble the thing, they were able to save enough in labor costs to make a pretty penny. There's a little screwdriver included and about a dozen itty bitty screws. Along with some tricky aligning of parts, metal axles and plastic wheels, that's about all there is to putting this thing together. It's not a bad gimmick, actually. Except for the fact that it wasn't a ton of fun. The directions are sketchy at best (I really had trouble figuring out how to align the rear brake pads), the wheels don't sit flush on the axles too well, and those screws are really tiny. But, in the end, it all went together and I'm happy with a pretty nice looking Batmobile.

From the front and the side, I feel like this version of the Batmobile looks like the sporty futuristic fin-thing from the Arkham Asylum video game. From the back, it's all Tumbler. In all, I find it to be an interesting mix, which I like. The guns on the front strike me as an odd addition, but don't look nearly as out of place here as they do on Mattel's toy. The plastic wheels spin freely, the cannons rotate, and the canopy actually flips up and open in two separate halves. The interior of the cockpit is detailed to an extent. There's minimal detailing to the exterior, in terms of paint, however. The entire car is flat gunmetal grey, or blue, depending on the lighting. It looks good - no blemishes, dings or quality control issues - if not a bit bland. There are a couple of tiny red highlights on the front fenders, but otherwise nothing. The mostly plastic undercarriage and interior are black plastic.

The car measures about 8 & 1/2" long and about 2" high (it slopes upwards to the back). Overall, it's a pretty nice model. It looks less "toyish" than anything else I've seen in this size, and for the price it's worth having. It looks pretty great beside my Walmart Exclusive Tumbler from The Dark Knight Rises, so I really can't complain. I wouldn't recommend giving it to a kid to build straight away, but it might be a nice introduction to the world of modeling with a little parent/child shoulder time, and heaven knows we could all use more of that. It's a nifty model, and could stand up well to play - I'd recommend it!

KRATOS - GHOST OF SPARTA NECA Ultimate God of War 3 action figure review

Mezco Toyz has been getting a lot of (deserved) attention and accolades in the adult collector world for their One:12 Collective line of action figures. That line is pushing the boundaries of 6 inch scaled action figures designed specifically to be considered "high-end", meaning a price point that matches a superior quality of figure, materials and presentation (ie, packaging).  I love the releases so far, and the ones that have been solicited for this upcoming year are equally deserving of high expectations. However, NECA has, somewhat more quietly, ALSO upped their game for the adult collector, specifically in their "Ultimates" line. They've brought in window-box packaging, increased articulation, dynamic sculpts (which has long been their trademark), improved paint, and tons of accessories, while KEEPING their price point only marginally higher than that of their "regular" releases. The Ultimates have often re-visited previous figure releases, with improvements in some or all of the factors mentioned above. I've managed to resist buying all of these until recently (I did pick up the amazing Devil May Cry Dante, but eventually returned it, as it's not a character I'm "married to", and I've got a New Year's Resolution to stick to ONLY the characters I truly love). NECA captured me with their Ultimate Striker Eureka, and now, with their Ultimate God of War Kratos - The Ghost of Sparta. I've played through God of War II, and I have a couple of the regular release Kratos figures. I also had the Play Arts Kai version, which I eventually parted with. I've really liked the figures we've gotten, but I've never truly been "blown away". Until now...

The packaging presents NECA's Ultimate Kratos as an amazing figure. The artwork is eye-catching and appropriate to the source material. There are multiple action shots showcasing the figure and what it can supposedly do. Inside the velcro-closed flap is artwork detailing the articulation scheme (one hopes) and a window that shows the figure and its accessories very nicely. There is no clear plastic film like one would find with Mezco's One:12 or with the Japanese Figma and Figuarts releases, nor is the product sandwiched between clamshell trays. There is some scotch tape to keep the accessories from rattling around. Kratos comes with his "growling" head attached, and a "scowling" head off to the right. His Blades of Whatever (I'm going to call them Chaos for this review) look like they feature translucent orange plastic around the blade edges, rather than the previous "painted yellow" blades. He also comes with a pair of Cestus gauntlets, as well as an additional Golden Fleece armor piece for his forearm (it needs to be detached to get the gauntlets over his hands). It's a nice assortment of extras and goes a LONG way to making this figure "ultimate" or at least "definitive".

It would have been great if the previous NECA release accessories could have worked with this figure (the Medusa head or the flaming blades), but since those were God of War 2 figures and this one is from God of War 3, I can understand leaving that ability out. Having that level of interchangeability could have made tracking those older figures down now worth it. Maybe even re-releasing the weapons only as an accessory pack might be something NECA could do?

The figure itself is appropriately intimidating. Ultimate Kratos stands nearly 7 & 3/4" tall and features a gorgeously detailed sculpt. The muscles have plentiful and appropriate striations, and thick veins criss-cross the deltoid muscles, and even the temples of his head. Scars adorn his thigh and pectoral muscles, while the stitched gash from the Sword of Zeus (I think?) prominently cuts across his incredible abs. The sculpt detailing is deep and varied to convey textures, from the leathery sandals and gauzy wrappings at the upper thighs, to the wind-swept feel of the "skirt" and the heavy chain metal of the blades anchored around his forearms. It really is one of the finest sculpts I've ever seen on an action figure, period, and I've been collecting for 20 years.

What makes the figure even more striking is that the paint applications are impeccable, and serve perfectly to enhance the sculpt, rather than detract from it. First and foremost, the ashy appearance of the skin is truly incredible. There's a base of dark grey with the white almost dry-brushed over top, allowing the deeper crevices of the body to be subtly accentuated. The skin itself has a dappled texture to it, giving the entire thing a grainy look. The tatoos are a deeper crimson than on previous Kratos figures, and the deeper brow wrinkles and eye scar really add to the grim determination of the Ghost's countenance.

There's a level of thought that has gone into this figure's engineering that isn't usually found in mass market figures. As a result, it's nearly perfect. The Golden Fleece armor is made of rubber, so it's pliable enough to accomodate various poses. The skirt is swept to the side, so that his thighs can flex forward somewhat more easily. Two heads are included so that buying multiple figures is less necessary. There's a place to store the Blades on Kratos's back, and there's a ton of good, solid articulation to be used. Overall, a magnificent figure worthy of accolades! My first qualm is a small one, and has to do with another bit of thoughtful engineering on NECA's part. They have included a tiny baggie with 2 small posts inside. The rack on Kratos's back can be removed and these pegs can be inserted if one wishes to display Kratos without the rack. However, the posts are very smooth and don't blend in with the ash paint of his back, and they sit flush once inserted, making their removal a wicked pain. That said, it was a really incredible gesture on NECA's part, and shows that they are action figure lovers in their own right!

My second qualm is a bit bigger. It has to do with the way The Ghost of Sparta's feet are engineered. The shin guards come down low, and the tops of the sandaled feet arch pretty high. As a result, the shinguard hinders the foot's ability to flex (toes upwards). This is significant because in order to take a deep stance, a human leg needs to be able to flex the knee forward enough to align with or be in front of the toes. This figure's foot makes that impossible. As a result, Kratos cannot take the deep iconic stance that he should. In fact, my Kratos couldn't stand at all on his own, as the right foot on my figure was impeded so much that he would be forced into a serious lean backwards with the foot flat on the ground. I took a Dremel to the armor and the foot, and as a result he can now stand unsupported, but that deep crouch is still out of the question.

The Ultimate Ghost of Sparta comes outfitted with a full compliment of excellent accessories. The Blades are sculpted impeccably, from the demon heads to the blades themselves, which are thinner than previous versions, and which are made of clear-ish orange plastic. There's a small piece of Golden Fleece Armor included to attach to the right forearm when Kratos is wielding his blades, but which can be removed for his other included weapons, the Cestus Gauntlets. These beasts are incredibly detailed, quite sharp, heavy and painted beautifully! They slide over his fists to remain snuggly in place. Finally, there's the alternate heads. I love both, and might need two figures on display for all of the weapon/head options that exist. I've gone back and forth about the size of them, however. There's something about the entire figure that makes the head(s) look too large for the body. I think it's an illusion created by the small waist, and from a distance, there's really no issue.

If you want an A+ action figure, NECA's Ghost of Sparta Ultimate Kratos is it. It's probably in my Top 10 Best action figures in my entire collection, and does SO MUCH right that it's really easy to overlook its few detractions. This is everything that an Adult Collector's action figure should be: 1) thoughtfully boxed in re-sealable and attractive packaging, 2) perfectly sculpted, 3) perfectly painted, 4) well-endowed with articulation and practical and thoughtful accessories, 5) engineered to enhance its abilities, and 6) (maybe most importantly) priced appropriately. Kratos is a figure worth having in your collection, even if you are not a fan of the game, and that's the real compliment to any figure: when it can stand alone without its media support and still be remarkable in its own right, you know you've got a winner in your hands...

Beside NECA's earlier GoW2 Kratos