This figure set was kindly sent over to us to review courtesy of Hasbro UK
The Hasbro Power Rangers Lightning Collection saw a cross-over series of figures from the 2019 Boom! Comics Series as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were morphed with the Power Rangers. Presented as a two-pack, Leonardo was morphed into the Blue Ranger while Donatello the Black Ranger.
The box design mirrors that of the Lightning Collection with bold artwork on the sides representing each character and a black and white bar running under the window carrying both the Power Rangers and TMNT logos.
The rear of the box is turned over to an image of the two figures.
Each figure uses the same base morphed Turtle body with an enlarged torso with front armour and a rear shell piece in gold. Donatello has the majority of this body cast in gloss black while the legs and feet are cast in white. The forearms and shins have white painted over the base black and this looks duller than the corresponding hands & feet.
The heads are unique for each Turtle and for Donatello, this is a black helmet with a silver moth piece and silver horns down either side. The eyes are painted a gloss red and there are some additional yellow markings further up.
The set also includes an unmasked Turtle head and these swaps out easily enough with the helmet piece. Donatellos is presented in his purple mask and with a pair of goggles sculpted onto his forehead. The proportions work well and the unmasked head looks just as at home on the Power Ranger Turtle morphed body as the helmet - although the purple is slightly add odds with the black of the armour, but it is of course comic accurate.
You also get alternative hands for Donatello with a pair of clenched fists and a pair of three-fingered extended hands in a martial arts pose.
Over the shell is a strap and belt combination that carries the holster for the included weaponry. Donatello has a larger staff come axe with a black and gold axe head and silver strap. It fits into the gripping hands fitted on the figure - sitting comfortably in either right or left or with a two-handed pose. A green translucent FX piece is included that clips over the axe head by way of a shaped socket.
You also get a Power Rangers Axe Blaster which uses the same colour pallet as the larger weapon. It is trickier to get into the hands as the Axe head is the handle with a trigger. There is no holster option for this weapon when not in use.
Leonardo uses the same base body as Donatello, now cast in blue which looks crisp and bright - although the white painted over the blue at the forearms and shins still looks a duller colour than the hands & feet.
Leonardo's helmet is more traditional in style to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers but widened and with adjusted proportions to reflect it is sitting over a Mutant Turtle head. It is cast in gloss blue like the body with silver moth and silver panels on the forehead and either side of the head above the gloss black visor.
Leo also has an unmasked head featuring his blue bandana. Again, this is well proportioned to the body and is probably my preferred look for Leo with the bandana colour and armour matching. Leo gets the same spare hands with the clenched fists and open-palmed fighting hands. These are identical across both figures and can be swapped about at will - we should probably be pleased that Hasbro included two full sets rather than requiring them to share.
Leonardo's weapons are a closer match to his standard pair of katanas, with dual blades in the Power Rangers angular style. They feature blue grips with silver and gold detailing and a dull metal blade. They fit into the sheaths on Leonardo's shell and enhance the look whether they are being wielded or sheathed.
The effects piece for Leo is a lighting effect that fits either blade - I am not sure why we didn't get two? This is a softer translucent blue plastic and shaped to go over the blade and hold in place - something I wish Hasbro would translate to the Marvel Legends and Star Wars lines for their effects which are often difficult to connect to the figure and weapons.
Articulation on both figures is identical as you'd expect with 22 points of articulation across a fully pinless body. The knees and arms remain double-jointed for full movement and are supported at the arms with a bicep swivel, and at the legs with both a thigh and bootcut swivel. The arms are further enhanced with a butterfly joint and ball joint at the shoulders with a pivot in the wrist, although this latter joint has little movement options. The same goes for the chest joint which has to sit behind the two halves of the shell and offers little other than some basic rotation.
All of the Morphed Turtle joints are secure, they move well, but without being loose or lacking the ability to hold a pose. The ankles are a key joint considering the bulk and proportions of the turtle with a lot of mass in the upper body - these are really nice and secure with a satisfying ratchet.
I must admit I am a casual fan of both Turtles and Power Rangers, but I am a huge action figure nerd and I can appreciate the design and work that has gone into these figures. Often a crossover is a simple repaint or head swap, while these have been designed as a true crossover with Power Rangers styling over Turtle body proportions. They have a good level of spares and accessories with alternative heads and hands as well as pretty neat weapons with a good level of paint apps compared to other lines which are often left as a drab grey or black. Other lines could also take a leaf out of the Power Rangers execution and engineering of FX pieces as both are perfectly shaped to sit and hold in place on the weapon - my only niggle being that Leonardo should have possibly had two of the lightning pieces.
Thanks to Hasbro UK for sharing this with us, they really are a fun release for any fans of either franchise and lined up with the other figures of Raphael, Michelangelo, April, Tommy and Shredder they will make a brilliant display.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...