Review : The Tenth Doctor Collector Figure Set
Doctor Who 5.5" Range (Character Options)
Wave/Series : B&M Exclusive
Released : July 2016`
Price : £14.99
For new Doctor Who 5" scale collectors you can't go far wrong with the B&M exclusive 3-packs that are currently on sale at £14.99 in B&M stores.... yes you ready right, £14.99 for 3 figures. In this review we take a look at the 10th Doctor Collector Set which contains a 10th Doctor era Cyberman, Vashta Nerada and the 10th Doctor himself.
The set arrives in a window box, and this packaging is a match to the current packaging being used on the 5 inch Who figures across other retailers like Toys R Us and Forbidden Planet. That means you can pick this one up and it will fit in perfectly with other boxed figures. The front of the box is a pink/purple hue of a vortex or a nebula in space that then darkens up towards the top of the box into a star-scape. The window is cut out to display the figures in their entirety and they are set against a blue clockwork background. The Dr Who logo sits in bold white to the bottom left, and the character names in a blue diamond to the bottom right. The centre blue panel confirms the name of the box set as The Tenth Doctor Collector Figure Set.
The window wraps round the top of the box, and here the Who logo and box set name is repeated, along with a Character Option website flash in pink with white text. The two sides hold the Who logo again at the top and the box set name and character names at the bottom. In between these are two images of the figures themselves. The Doctor appears on both spines, with the Cyberman accompanying him on the left, while the right shows the Vashta Nerada.
The back of the box is a little disappointing as it again uses the white Who logo the two blue panels confirming the contents and set name - and then just three large images of the figures. There is no blurb or background - nor is there even an indication of from which story each figure is taken.
The Cyberman
The Cyberman sculpt has been around since 2006 now, and while it is limited in articulation it does look the part. This version is a re-release obviously, but is a mash up of the Cybus Cyberman with the C logo on the chest - combined with the weapon that was originally packed with the blue 11th Doctor carded Cyberman with the plain circular logo (as seen in A Good Man Goes to War).
This figure could therefore be a representation of the gun toting converted Yvonne Hartman from Doomsday. Either way the sculpt still holds up despite it's age, and as with a lot of these B&M figures the paint application seems a lot smoother and crisper with some nice variations across the midriff in particular to give him a bit of character and weathering. The gun is cast in a matt black plastic and lacks any paint job that was included on the first release.
Where the figure shows his age is the articulation. The arms are a simple rotating shoulder, and the elbow a pegged 90 degree joint. This leaves the Cyberman with very limited movement and there is no chance of a double handed weapon pose and it isn't too keen on holding the provided gun in one hand, there is a knack to getting it posed. Like the arms the legs are also a rotating hip, with a pegged knee. This allows the figure to sit if you wish. The only other movement is in the head which rotates to either side on a peg, but with no up and down movement.
The Doctor
Like the Cyberman, the 10th Doctor has also been around since 2006. And despite an updated head sculpt more recently, this set still goes with the older head. Albeit that this head is improved this time round with the paint as I mentioned earlier.
This paint improvement is also seen on the suit with neater pin stripes and a much tidier tie design.
Like the Cyberman, the articulation is very limited to 9 points of articulation. The head is pegged and rotates only. The shoulders and hips are then a pegged joint into the torso, with the elbows and knees then a pegged one way joint. There isn't even a thigh or bicep joint that was added on the later figures to try and help sideways movement of the arms and legs. This all leaves The Doctor limited to a very neutral pose.
The oddest choice with The Doctor, considering the Cyberman got his gun, is to exclude a Sonic Screwdriver. This leaves The Doctor with a sculpted right hand to hold the screwdriver, but nothing to put in it.
The Vashta Nerada
The Vashta Nerada is the biggest plus of this 3 figure set. Not only was it relatively scarce when it was first released on the Series 4 cards, but it is also a pretty great looking figure.
The basic premis of the Vasta Nerada is that they are an invisible alien controlling the bones of a dead human within a space suit. And the figure does just that with a pretty realistic human skull set back behind a very clear helmet visor.
The paint is also improved on this third figure, with the skull really well detailed with paint application and with more pronounced lines down the suit.
The articulation is also a touch better than the other two. It does lose head articulation due to the helmet, but gains the bicep swivel which allows the arms to bend inward if you wish - although doing so does ruin the lines of the arm.
In Summary
So yes these are three recycled figures, but they have been improved by better paint applications vs the earlier releases. At £5 per figure they are exceptional value for money, and the only real downside is the lack of articulation and the missing Dr's screwdriver.
I award the 10th Doctor Collector's Set from B&M a 4 out of 5.
