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UK distributor Amerang Ltd have shared the exciting news that they will soon be distributing Super7 products right here in the UK direct to specialist stores. "Amerang has been supplying the toy & hobby trade with a broad selection of the world’s finest products from the biggest brands, since 1982. We are continually updating our products, keeping ahead of trends and demands, with a broad selection of collectable die cast, model kits, remote control models and a vast selection of TV, Film and comic related licensed products." The full press release is as follows, with more news to follow on the Amerang website. We spoke to Amerang to ask what sort of products might be on the table for UK wholesale, and were pleased to have it confirmed that the full catalogue is available - from Re:Action to Super Shogun and the 7 inch Ultimates lines such as Thundercats and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Follow Amerang on Facebook to keep up to date with more news, or stay tuned to our social channels and news feeds. Amerang to distribute SUPER7 in the UK! The premium pop culture design house and Amerang come together to supply Super7 across the UK Amerang are pleased to announce that following a successful meeting at this year’s New York Toy Fair that we will be distributing the hugely popular Super7 range of collectable figures and licensed merchandise Founded in 2001, Super7 is the premier pop-culture design house and producer of lifestyle-oriented collectibles and toys based in San Francisco. The Super7 range is vast and covers licenses including Back to the Future, Robocop, Transformers, Beavis and Butt-Head and Rocky, to name just a few. “We have been watching and admiring the ever expanding SUPER7 range for a number of years now and are excited to have the opportunity to help grow the brands presence in the UK” Watch out for more information and news for SUPER7 on the Amerang website! Checkout our blog page for more action figure news, reviews and store reports 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... action figure, news, toys, reviews, action, figure, blog, checklist, collectors, amerang, super7, distributor, wholesale

To celebrate 30 years since the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the movie (from 1990), NECA have shared new promotional images of their 7 inch scale figures of Casey Jones and Raphael in his trenchcoat design. Casey Jones will be armed to the teeth with his hockey stick, cricket bat, two baseball bats and a golf club. These can all be stowed in his backpack. There are a selection of swap out hands to use with each weapon. Sadly, as has been widely queried, there is no unmasked head as the likeness to actor Elias Koteas has not been obtained. Raphael has a soft goods trench coat, removable hat, pizza slice and is armed with his Sai's. There are also swap out hands and a variation for his bandana. The figures will be sold in a 2-pack and will be exclusive to Walmart in the US. NECA have confirmed global distribution for anyone outside the US, via specialist stores as per the other TMNT 1990 movie figures to date. The packaging has been revealed as a window box with the plethora of accessories assembled around Raphael and Casey. Checkout our blog page for more action figure news, reviews and store reports 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... action figure, news, toys, reviews, action, figure, blog, checklist, collectors, neca, teenage mutant ninja turtles, 1990, movie, casey jones, raphael

Review : Defiance Xenomorph NECA, Aliens Wave/Series : Series 11 Released : July 2017 £25.00 Pros : love the new head and comic accurate inner jaw. He is also painted to fit with your movie Xeno's if you wish Cons : the stand works, but is awkward and with yellowed plastic. Packaging art is still creasing and distorting too easily Series 11 of NECA's Aliens series is a real mishmash of figures taken from three different sources of the Alien Universe. Lambert is taken from her appearance in the original Alien film from 1979. The blue Xeno on the other hand is taken from the Kenner line of figures from the 1990's. The most recent figure from a timeline perspective is the 3rd figure in the wave, the Defiance Xenomorph, who is taken directly from the pages of the Dark Horse Defiance comic book series which debuted in 2016. The Defiance Xeno arrives in a standard clamshell in keeping with all the other NECA Alien single releases. The backing card is reminiscent of the Alien Defiance comic book ark with a murky image of the Xeno on a cloudy, gaseous backdrop. The header is black and uses the comic book logo - this in itself is a use of the Aliens (1986) logo but in green like the original 1979 version. There is a front inserted into the blister carrying the name "Xenomorph" over the top of a cut out image of the Xeno from the comic series. This is very similar in style to what went on the Covenant packaging. There are no side art pieces in this set - something that is now becoming hit and miss within the range and it seems reserved for true movie figures only. While the front of the packaging was quite dark and with shades of green - the back turns more red with an image of the figure itself highlighted with red warning lights. The Defiance logo repeats above this figure image, and beneath it is a paragraph laid out like a computer readout. This talks about the premise of the comics with the Defiance Xeno a new strain of Alien capable of reproducing without a Queen. As we've seen recently, the paper used to print the insert that sandwiches between the blister to create the backing to the figure and the "cardback" is quite thin. This means it is subject to creasing within the sealed blister, especially if exposed to warmer temperatures - a frustration to be sure for MOC collectors. The Defiance series is set between the events of Alien and Aliens and therefore the design of the Xeno was specifically created and illustrated to bridge the gap between the original 1979 Big Chap and the 1986 Warriors. NECA are therefore clever in their use of the Isolation Xenomorph body from Series 6 (2016) as that too was designed as an evolution of the Big Chap. The head is a brand new sculpt and is larger and wider than the normal Xeno's with that ridged crest very pronounced. Using the Isolation Xeno ensures the legs are much stronger and more articulated than the original Big Chap. This helps the body to move from what I'd call "the man in the suit" to the more computer generated Xeno we now expect. The tail remains fully articulated with a wicked sharp tip - although it is sharp only in looks being quite rubbery in hand. The upper articulation starts at the head which can move forward and backward on the neck while moving from side to side. The shoulders are ball jointed and followed by a bicep swivel. This bicep joint is required as the elbow is a single joint with no rotation, the bicep therefore supports a lot of the arm movement. The hands are jointed at the wrist and can rotate and pivot. Within the chest is a further ball joint allowing some more rotation of the upper body and being a ball there is forward and backward leaning movements. The jaw too is articulated and can open. You won't find the usual inner jaw here, but do get a fixed set of secondary teeth - a detail that is consistent with the Xeno in the comic. The paint application is similar to the Isolation Xeno, but is perhaps more in keeping with how they delivered the brown Xeno Warrior back in Series 1 (2013). The base coat is a glossy black with gradual drybruhing of brown to bring out the skeletal detail, muscles and tubing. The finish is glossy and that wet-look that we'd expect from a Xeno. The paint job also makes this figure a fit with the standard movie Xeno's, he won't look out of place in a hive display - something you can't often say about the comic or Kenner Aliens. Posing is always the issue with the NECA Aliens, but they have been getting better over time. The Defiance Xeno comes with a similar stand to the Alien 3 Dog Aliens. This is a two part piece packed behind the figure in the blister. You slot the arm into the stand and can then pose the top claw by means of a joint - which if needed can be tightened by a small screwdriver. The stand is a pretty horrible yellowed plastic rather than being clear and crisp, while this may be deliberate to fit with the Aliens and the hive it doesn't look the best. Being the same one that came with the Dog Alien, it was never designed for the height and bulk of the Defiance Xeno who will never adopt a "running" position. You end up using the stand as a prop for one of the legs, and while this works really well it doesn't look the best. You can of course go without the stand and use the tail as the counterpoint to keep the Xeno standing. I must be honest and say that I was originally going to skip the Defiance Xeno as I am trying to concentrate on the movie releases. Being an Alien X club member I had to order the full wave - and in hand I was very impressed and ended up opening him and he has joined by display alongside the Queen and other Warriors. And that is why this figure will do well, because like the Isolation Xeno he has been released so that he can bridge the gap between comics and movies and fits with both unless you are an absolute stickler for movie accuracy. The Isolation body has lots of nice improvements, and while the stand is a re-use and not designed for the figure - it does help the Xeno stand for display, despite looking a touch odd. Considering NECA are still managing to keep their core range at sub £25 here in UK (for now) then this is also pretty good value for money with the size and bulk of the figure. I score it a very strong 4 out of 5.

Review : Lambert (Compression Suit) NECA, Aliens Wave/Series : Series 11 Released : July 2017 £24.99 Pros : the alternative head is awesome, and the Compression Suit sculpt is a proven winner Cons : not many, providing you can look past what is essentially a repaint with two new heads Series 11 of NECA's Aliens series is a real mishmash of figures taken from three different sources of the Alien Universe. Lambert is the only figure who originates in any of the movies, with the other figures coming from the world of comics (Defiance Xenomorph) and the 1990's Kenner Toys (Blue Warrior). Lambert has been floating around for a while in teasers and previews - it is brilliant to therefore get her in hand and to expand the original 1979 crew by another member. Lambert arrives in the standard clamshell packaging. Being an Alien release the header is the bold "Alien" 1979 text against a dark backdrop. The blister front has a green hue and illustrations of the Alien eggs. The name Lambert is printed in white text with the sub title "Compression Suit". I guess we shouldn't read anything into that subtitle in terms of other versions of Lambert arriving - we know from Dallas that just because NECA sculpts a head, it doesn't mean numerous outfit releases? The side art panels are back with images of the actual figure printed down either side, NECA seems to be reserving these solely for the movie releases now. The blister pack reverse repeats the Alien logo on top of an image of Lambert against a backdrop of the Alien ship. There is then a short section of text which summarises and sets up the plot of Alien rather than any bio details for Lambert. THis same text has been used on all the 1979 Alien figures to date - Kane, Ripley, Dallas and the Big Chap. The final part of the rear is the "Also Available" section which shows head shots of the three figures in Series 11 - Lambert, Defiance Xenomorph and the Blue Alien Warrior. Whilst not as bad as some of the other recent releases - the paper used for the inserts is very thin and is prone to creasing and warping inside the pack. I have a theory that the side panels in this one have helped keep the backing piece in place - but if you are keeping your figures on card then watch out for this, and avoid keeping the figure near any heat which may warp the packaging further. The blister has to be cut open to access the figure, and she slides out in an inner tray surrounded by the helmet and accessories. As with most NECA releases at present - she is strapped in securely with a multitude of twisty ties. Lambert comes out of the box with her neutral head in place. This is a decent likeness to Veronica Cartwright. In many ways it is not a traditional NECA head sculpt as it lacks any expression at all - in recent years NECA have become very adept at capturing the mannerisms and looks of characters from the movies. The head is well painted with a base skin tone and then depth and shadow added. The eyes are neat and blue and the lips picked out without looking like they've had deep red lipstick applied. The hair doesn't quite capture the style Cartwright had in the film, the parting is too central and the hair is very dense - whereas Cartwrights style around the fringe and over the top was quite wispy. It is painted brown with lighter brown dry brushing over the top. We have of course seen the Compression (Space) Suit before - it originally made it's debut in 2014 with the Kane figure. That being said the Suit is a thing of beauty that perfectly captures the look and feel of that bulky prop suit from 1979. There is so much detail in the sculpt you will find yourself surprised for the first few weeks as you inspect the figure. The basis of the suit is a ridged puffy material - but that texture changes in places, particularly around the joints where it turns to a webbing type material. Over the suit are various straps and panels - with the "Cricket" pads being the most visual around the lower legs. There are some metallic sections like the two shoulder pads - filled with sculpted detail - and the chest plate. The rear suit pack has its own valves to regulate the air flow and pipe work that snakes upwards and will connect to the helmet when we get this on later. The scheme of Lambert's suit is blue with a light blue base tone and darker elements in places. The panelling is then cream and the metallic sections a bronze colour. Detailing is amazing with washes on the suit to dirty it up and some green washes on the metallic to make it look like it is corroding. Various decals are also in situ including on the characters rear, the back pack and of course the nameplate on the chest piece. You would assume, from such a bulky sculpt, that articulation would be virtually non-existent. There are no obvious joints as you inspect the figure. And yet the suit will surprise you in terms of how far it can actually move. The head, of course, is ball jointed and can spin and look up and down. The shoulders - hidden under those bronze panels - are ball jointed and can be raised up to not quite 90 degrees from the body. While these shoulders also rotate, you won't want to raise them any further or risk damaging those shoulders. The elbow joints are very well hidden - but they are there and can get a small bend into the elbow as needed. The wrists are also jointed on a pivot. The most useful joint is the torso one, this again is disguised beneath that chest plate. The movement here is very extensive with the top part of the body able to rotate and lean backwards. Forward leans are sadly blocked as the chest plate hits the lower control box and blocks movement. The legs finally are jointed at the hips and knees - again with the joints really well disguised. Lambert will never sit or kneel, but there are some good wider stances and poses to go after - and this is not a figure you need worry about falling over thanks to her bulk, weight and a set of solid ankle rockers. Remember at the start when I was surprised over the neutral look on Lambert's face? Well the alternative head is the complete opposite, and here you can see how brilliantly the NECA team are able to capture a character's look from points in the movie. This is the first time a second head has been included with a Compression Suit figure and it gives you an alternative look for the character with its cream headpiece. It is the look on Lambert's face that is fantastic, a look of terror is captured forever in the sculpt and for me there is no choice in terms of which head you would have on display. Painting here is even better than the first head with the cheeks given a rosy tone and the eyebrows painted to match the furrowed brow. The teeth are also showing and painted with the white enamel against the pink gums. Swapping heads is fairly easy, they pop in and out pretty easily - a little heat may ease them along if they are resisting. The helmet can be fitted with either head in situ. If you are using the standard head then the helmet can be slid over the top by angling it to the side and then sliding it over. If you are using the alternative head then you will have to remove the head and then position the lower section of the helmet into the neck piece. Then add the head, and finally position the top section. The helmet design is brilliant also with its clear perspex through which the head sculpt is still clearly visible. Paint scheme is the same as the other metallic parts with an overall bronze look and some green corrosion added in places. The top light has a yellow painted lens and there are some coloured buttons round the back just above where the piping connects. The piping from the back pack we touched on earlier is a soft rubber and is designed to slot into corresponding connections in the helmet. Slot the thinner piece in first and then the larger piece goes over the top of this into a groove and into a slot of its own. As we mentioned, the suit is identical in every way to that used on Kane and on Dallas (pictured above). I have no issue with this considering he suits were made by the same company in the movie and are a standard issue for the crew. Even the fact Lambert is (obviously) female doesn't really make much difference as the suit is so bulky that any physical differences are obscured. One criticism we levelled on Dallas at the time was a lack of weathering on his suit which was very clean. The same cannot be said of Lambert as there is a dirty wash over the suit to weather it and add dirt and grime. The first accessory is a bit of an odd one - it is the flashlight that originally came with Kane. Now in the movie, Lambert does not have one of these - although logic says she did have access to one. That being said its a decent piece with top handle, silver connection at the end and a fuzzy white lens. It can be forced into both hands, but fits better in the left. Any sticklers for detail and accuracy can leave it off and drop it in the spares box. The second accessory is a gun. This can be seen throughout the Compression Suit scenes strapped to the side of all three of the expedition. it does beg the question if these were available why were the Nostromo crew so poorly armed later on in the movie? Anyway, I digress. The gun is cast in black with silver drybrush and some red detailing to either end. The gun is designed to sit in the right hand with a trigger finger that lines up to the trigger. When not in use there is a loop from the belt through which the gun can be slipped and secured - it takes a bit of playing with to get it in position. Lambert completes the trio who were involved in the expedition to the Derelict ship. And out of the three she is the superior figure benefitting from a brilliantly designed body sculpt and articulation . Issues from previous figures like sticky paint and lack of weathering have been fixed and the overall paint job is top notch. The release also goes one step further with two head options - the second scared version one of the most expressive and realistic sculpts I've seen from NECA or indeed anyone in this scale and price bracket. The figure has no flaws what so ever, and is so impressive I am going to say it has even exceeded by expectations and score it a 5+ review.

Review : Blue Warrior NECA, Aliens Wave/Series : Series 11 Released : July 2017 £25.00 Pros : visually impressive - good paint apps (not just a blue plastic), high nostalgia factor Cons : mishmash wave overall, limited appeal Series 11 of NECA's Aliens series is a real mishmash of figures taken from three different sources of the Alien Universe. Lambert is taken from her appearance in the original 1979 movie. While the Defiance Xenomorph is from the pages of the Dark Horse comics. The third figure in Series 11 is from the Kenner world of Aliens, based entirely on the toy and cartoon range from 1992-1995. The Blue Warrior is an homage to a figure in the original line where the basic Alien Warrior was released as a translucent blue figure exclusive to Kaybee toys in the US. The Blue Warrior arrives in the same Kenner inspired blister as the 2016 Kenner Ripley and the similarly themed Kenner inspired Predators. A thin paper insert is sandwiched between the clamshell to provide the backing to the figure which is a purple backdrop with a Xenomorph illustration and green alien doorway/panel to enhance the figure in the packaging. The header of the pack uses the 1986 electric blue Aliens logo. A further insert at the front of the blister also uses the sickly green, almost yellow, colouring and it is here the character is named as "Warrior Alien" with the sub-title "Vicious Alien Attacker". An illustration of the Alien sits at the side of this, and under the image is a cleverly reworked NECA logo that uses the font and colouring of the Kenner logo. Round the back is the same Kenner card back as seen on all the Kenner inspired Predator and Alien figures to date. It is a 90's themed grid pattern with inserts over the top showing the various Alien and Predator Kenner figures to date. A final box also strays into other releases with images of the Blade Fighter, Alien Queen and Power Loader. As with most of NECA's Alien releases in 2017, the paper insert is very thin and suffers from warping and creasing even before you've gone anywhere near opening the pack. The Alien itself uses the Big Chap 1979 sculpt, but recast in an almost translucent blue plastic. On top of this are some layers of lighter blue to define the exoskeleton and features of the figure. Further paint apps are applied to the teeth and claws. The articulation is based on the translucent version of the Big Chap from Series 7, this means the figure has the upgraded hip articulation. The other key points are an articulated neck and opening jaw. Ball jointed shoulders, jointed arms and rotating wrists. There is also a torso joint and the knees are double jointed. The tail, like all Xenomorph releases, is a rubber material on top of a metal armature - this allows the tail to be posed and hold its shape in most positions. This is a release that will appeal to the nostalgic feel of the Kenner range and he will look brilliant against the other Kenner Xeno's from Series 10 and the human figures like Vasquez and Ripley. He will also look good with the Sewer Mutation and the Green Alien. For me this is a niche release and a waste of a slot. While I don't mind the Kenner principle, they aren't my cup of tea and I would prefer to see them as exclusives. For those of us who buy waves as a whole to save costs - the mixing of mediums is a little frustrating and I hope NECA avoid this scenario going forward. I score the Blue Warrior Xenomorph a 3 out of 5

Review : Neomorph NECA, Alien Covenant Wave/Series : Alien Covenant Released : July 2017 £25.99 Pros : the mouth on the open mouth head is brilliant Cons : he closed mouth doesn't look as good, the baby Neomorph is a bit floppy and cheap The extent of NECA's releases based on the 2017 Alien Covenant movie was two boxed figures and an accessory pack. The two figures were the key Xeno's for the movie - the Xenomorph and the Neomorph. In this review we take a look at the Neomorph. Unlike their Alien cousins in the main range, the Covenant figures come boxed - and what a box. It is probably the nicest Action Figure box design I have seen in quite some time. It is a basic black box with figure window that wraps over the top flap. The window is shaped with a shape of an Alien Neomorph head which is illustrated in a grey-scale artwork. To the bottom left is the Alien Covenant movie logo - with the "Covenant" text being the only colour on he box being printed with a green hue. The figure name, Neomorph, sits underneath. The right hand spine see's the continuation of the Alien skull that starts on the front of the box next to the window. The other spine is a face on illustration of the Neomorph head, with the Alien Covenant logo above. Round the back we get a simple "Neomorph" header and under this is a short paragraph that talks about Ridley Scott's return to the franchise rather than going into detail for the movie. Beneath this sits three images in distressed frames. They are also grey-scale, with the two to the right being repeats of the front and side artwork. The left hand image is a picture of the actual figure. The figure slides out in its tray from either the top or bottom flap. Within the plastic blister you get the figure, in an odd stretched position, and alongside it an extra head and a smaller "baby" Neomorph. The inner insert is not just a plain backing but carries a faded image of an Alien egg. The figure is fitted with an open mouthed head as it comes out of the pack. The sculpt on the mouth is very well done with individual teeth and a sculpted tongue. The head is done very well and consistent with the movie with the eyeless skull and sweeping spine. The colouring is a pale white with pink accentuation down either side. The body is skeletal and very thin and wiry. Like all Xeno's from NECA there are loads of grotesque details like the rib-cage. There are spikes down the back leading to the tail - which is also articulated like it's bigger relations. The tail uses the metal armature with rubber coating and can be posed in most positions. The arms are thin with some muscular definition down to oversized clawed hands. The legs are similar and down to feet that are very similar to the ones on the Big Chap figure. The colouring is essentially a white tone with pink highlights. Being so bright, there is nowhere to hide with this colouration and while the pink does bring out some details - it is not the same level as we get on the main Xeno's with their darker blue and brown shading and washes. Thanks to the slim and spindly body, the articulation is pretty wide ranging. It starts with the head which not only rotates, but can slide backward or forward to either be looking down or facing to the front if you wanted to pose in a four legged crawling position. The arms are ball jointed at the shoulder and then jointed at the elbow with a single rotating joint, these means the arms can bend to 90 degrees but no further. There is a similar joint at the wrist which means the hands can bend to 90 degrees also to the forearms, they also rotate. The legs can get in a number of positions thanks to the hip joint which can bend into a sitting or crawling position. The knees are double jointed and can bend in on themselves. The ankle are a rocker and there is a final joint in the toe so they can be bent to a right angle to support the crawling position. There is a second head packed in and this is a bit stiff to swap, so your figure might need to be heated first to ease the joint free. The second head is essentially the same as the first with the mouth now sculpted closed. While this look may reflect the movie, the second head is a bit off for me and kind of loses the menace of the figure. The pack also includes a baby Neomorph. This is cast in quite soft plastic, but does include some articulation at the hips. The sculpt is OK for something that only stands an inch or so tall. The paint is poorly applied - the blood is too red and not spread naturally - it looks all blotchy. The figure is designed to stand using those jointed hips and long tail. Sadly the legs are too squashed together to give three points of stability and you will struggle to get this little guy to stand in any fashion. Against the second release, the Xenomorph, the Neomorph is considerably smaller and is not quite as impressive. While NECA have tried to boost the figure with the pack in head and baby figure - the set still feels a bit "meh" overall. I love the packaging, but the figure is a bit flat and while the second head is appreciated - it is not something I will use too much. The pack in baby is a great idea in principle, but is executed poorly and its inability to stand is frustrating. I score the Alien Covenant Neomorph a 3 out of 5.

Review : Xenomorph NECA, Alien Covenant Wave/Series : Alien Covenant Released : July 2017 £25.99 Pros : the shiny translucent dome and the ghostly skull underneath Cons : some slightly loose joints on the arms & legs 2017 saw the release of Alien Covenant, the sequel to Prometheus and the next installment in the Alien saga. As master licence holders, NECA confirmed they would be making figures from the movie. As it turned out, only two figures would be released by NECA along with an accessory pack. There would be no human characters, just the two key Alien forms from the movie - the Neomorph, and the figure we are looking at here - the Xenomorph. The Covenant figures come packed in a window box rather than the more familiar blister packs we are used to. The design of the box is fantastic with a matt black feel only broken by varying shades of grey. On the front the window is shaped around the skull of a grayscale Xenomorph skull that wraps round the side spine and onto the reverse of the box. Under the window we then get the Alien Covenant logo - with just a hint of green in that Covenant text. The second spine, to the right, contains more spectacular artwork - this time the Xenomorph head is face on with mouth open. The back of the box is just as impressive and is quite a distance from the usual NECA design basics. The figure name, Xenomorph, heads up the box and under this the film bio - but rather than the film plot it starts with "Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created..." so it feels more like a tribute than plot bio. Under the text are three individual images, again in grayscale. The two smaller ones to the right are replications of the artwork we find on the two side spines. The larger image is a picture of the figure itself and put through a black & white filter with some border effects to look like a damaged photograph. The figure is accessed via either the top or bottom flap, which are taped shut in the factory. There is a bit here that finally reflects that Alien collectors may want to replace their figures in the packaging and the box design does offer this vs the finality of having to cut open and destroy that blister packaging we've had for so long. The figure is securely strapped with twisty ties into its inner tray. It sits, and this is a detail you don't really notice until unpacked, against a grey inner tray that carries a faded illustration of an Alien egg. Out of the box and for anyone that collects and/or owns Xenomorphs from the main Alien range will find the Covenant Xeno a little spindly and thin compared to its bulkier nest-mates. The figure is a completely new sculpt to match the onscreen Xenomorph from Covenant. The head is the usual focal point with a an opaque dome through which you can see that hollow eyed skull we know so well. The rest of the figure contains the usual wealth of detail that NECA realise so well on their figures - particularly the Aliens. There is the exposed skeletal parts like the rib-cage, and the sinewy tendons and muscles down the arms and legs. Those arms and legs are much thinner than a normal Xeno but are longer. The tail still utilises the rubber material over a metal armature and that makes it pliable in any direction and once posed it does hold its position. Paint wise and the figure is a brown tone overall with plenty of darker washes and some areas of grey dry brushing. All of this brings out every nook and cranny of that horrific design. The paint also has the "wet look" we expect from Xeno's. The only extra paint detail is found on the teeth which are a metallic silver. Another carry forward from other Xeno's is the articulated jaw. This opens really wide and from it you can pull out the inner jaw which comes shooting out by some distance. This is arguably the most articulated Xenomorph to date with the arms sitting on ball jointed shoulders and supported by double jointed elbows that also rotate. The hands are also on a rotating pivot. The head articulation see's the whole head and neck mounted on a ratcheted joint. This allows the head to lean forward, to the point the mouth is touching the chest area. The real bonus though is to push the head back so that it is looking almost upwards. Couple this head movement with a wide ranging torso joint and you can finally see the potential of this Xeno in terms of being able to get him into a four legged pose rather than be limited to a bipedal pose. These poses are helped by the very flexible legs which include ball jointed hips, double jointed knees, ankle rockers and articulated toes. The legs can therefore be splayed out behind the Xeno, or bent unnaturally back in on themselves to create that spider type look. As you do this you can adjust the hands and toes to be flat against the floor allowing the Xeno to stand in this position easily. Take away a hand and the remaining three joints will eventually sag. The Xeno can be stood on its two legs also, and when it is it stands nearly 9" high. There is no stand included to help this pose, but you can use the articulated tail as a counterbalance to keep the figure standing. This is a figure that has very few flaws in terms of what it sets out to replicate. It also teaches a few of its older cousins from the main range a thing or two with articulation. The paint is good and I love that clear dome and the skull being visible underneath. The packaging is also one of the most visually stunning that NECA have designed to date and feels like a real tribute to Ridley Scott. The only thing that stops this release getting our highest 5+ accolade is those weak joints which are already a touch "floppy". I award the Covenant Xenomorph 5 out of 5.

Sponsored by Review : Sean Fifield Prometheus (NECA) Wave/Series : Lost Wave Released : July 2017 £22.99 Pros : That Gruesome Head Sculpt Cons : Helmet will not fit without disassembling the head (and no instructions to do this) Our look at the Prometheus Lost Wave (or Wave 3) comes to an end with the most visually impressive figure - the disfigured Sean Fifield. Like Shaw, Fifield was first revealed in 2012 but would later be cancelled until NECA resurrected the wave some 5 years later. Like Shaw and Vickers, Fifield arrives in the standard NECA blister packaging. The backdrop are hieroglyphics inspired by the movie with a starfield header and an electric blue Prometheus logo. The backing paper, it's too thin to be called card, was the most bent and distorted of the wave on Fifield, as best illustrate on the centre image above. The blister was also mis-shapen at one side and had bulged and expanded at some point between being sealed and me unpacking it from the delivery. The same thin paper is used as an insert at the front of the blister. Here we get the character name in a similar light blue font on a starfield background. Unlike the majority of the wider Aliens range, there is no side art - but this was not used on the original Prometheus figures either which does make the Lost Wave consistent with the 2012/3 releases. The rear of the pack starts with the starfield backdrop and the Prometheus logo and then a repeat of the character name, Sean Fifield, in larger text. We then see the backdrop blend to the hieroglyphics image we see on the front, on top of this is a paragraph about Fifields role on the Prometheus mission. A large image of Fifield's head and torso sits to the side of this text in a lighter blue triangle. Under this, in similar triangles, are the rest of the Prometheus range - both the 2017 releases and the original 2012/3 releases. As I have said on the reviews for Vickers and Shaw - this is a bit of a double edged sword in that while it keeps the packaging and the wave linked, despite the 5 year gap. But it may also be confusing for new collectors who won't be able to find any of the original figures in stores at retail, and will find the prices have skyrocketed on the secondary market. Out of the packaging we are presented with Fifield, his helmet and the torch accessory. Your eye will obvious go directly to the head sculpt on the figure, which is particularly impressive - even for the level NECA work at on a consistent basis. The head does a great job of both looking like the actor, Sean Harris, while in full mutant make-up. The skin is a textured and pock-marked with an enlarged cranium. The eyes are deep set, but painted well with clear defined pupils. The teeth and individually sculpted and sit behind the lips and what is left of Fifield's moustache. What remains of a beard and hair is draped over the head and round the chin. All of this detail is painted in a glossy flesh tone, with brown wash to bring out the scarring and pock-marks. There are red patches for blood and areas of black wash to represent the black liquid running down the face. Even the teeth and lips are painted, with my only criticism being a strand of hair that looks like it should be black and is in fact flesh toned. The Spacesuit is designed really well and is consistent with the onscreen prop. It is made up of a blue undersuit, on top of which are panels to encompass the chest, shoulders, forearms, thighs and knees. Each panel has sculpted lines and detailing, down to intricate bolts and fastenings at the knees and round the belt. The blue suit is weathered and dirtied to quite an extreme level. There are then decals applied to the front of the torso for the Prometheus logo. To the rear of the neck piece is the Weyland Yutani logo. And to the side of the chest panel is a Spartan helmet logo in a red box. While each of these are very well applied and crisp in detail - they should be as dirty as the suit and have been applied after the weathering and not before.. Fifields body is the same as designed and revealed in 2012 and the articulation is consistent with that era - while Shaw and Vickers seem to be upgraded at some point in the 5 year hiatus. The body does pretty much all you would want it to do. The head rotates and will look up and down marginally until the beard blocks the movement. The arms are ball jointed at the shoulder so both move out to a right angle and they rotate. The elbows are a single joint and bend to 90 degrees. While the elbows have a rotate function, this is stopped by the panels of the space suit - this leaves the arms a little restricted and unable to come together. The arm articulation ends with ball jointed wrists and that gives each hand the ability to swivel as well as bend forward and backward. The chest and waist are articulated and with what feels like ball joints in each. This means you can bend Fifield's torso quite a way forward or backward in relation to his legs. This does mean a fairly satisfactory crawling pose can be reached if you want to replicate that portion of the movie as Fifield mercilessly beats his way up the Prometheus ramp. You will also be able to reverse this pose to have him laid backwards - all ready to be run over by that rover. What you can't get is the spider pose that the crew find him in with his legs wrapped around his head. The hips are an older type of T-joint and while they allow the legs to swing into a sitting position and out to the side, they are not overly flexible - they do also spoil the look of the figure when posed compared to the ball joints and flexible groins that we now see on NECA figures. The knees are double jointed, and just above them sits a thigh swivel. There is then a fairly stiff ankle rocker which rotates and moves back and forth. Standing Fifield is not an issue. Accessory number one is the melted and damaged Spacesuit helmet. This comes separate in the pack, and within the helmet itself is a small baggie containing the helmet/shoulder camera. The helmet weathering is absolutely stunning - you would almost think it actually had been burned and melted. Even the broken glass edge looks sharp enough to cut you (it isn't of course). Now here comes my first gripe about this figure - and it is a big one I am afraid. It is impossible to put the helmet onto the figure over the head. I've tried numerous times - and having read other reviews it is not just me - every reviewer has found the same. The only way to get the helmet on is to pop off the head - which will need some warming up via hot water or a hairdryer to make it budge. Even with the head off the process isn't easy as you have to slot the helmet into the neck piece then work within the helmet confines to push the head back onto the plug. While I appreciate NECA re-used a lot of parts on this figure - there is no excuse for including a helmet that cannot be worn. There is not even any instructions on what to do, you are left to figure it out. I wonder how many non-seasoned collectors will be willing to pull off a figures head? Once the helmet is in place and the head re-attached, the look of Fifield is now complete and replicates what we see in the movie. The head fills the helmet void and stares menacingly out of the broken glass. The blackened helmet actually enhances the sculpt and makes the paint pop against this darker background. The camera, that comes in that small baggie, is an articulated piece which fits on the prow of the helmet. It slots in easy enough and can be posed in terms of the orientation it points. It also fits on a slot in the shoulder. Again, neither operation is explained anywhere on or within the packaging. The final accessory for Fifield is very bizarre. It is the torch/data pad that came with the original David-8 release. Considering NECA's usually attention to detail, throwing in this piece feels lazy - particularly as other options already exist like the Hammerpedes which originally infect him in the Engineer's ship. The accessory itself is crisp and well cast in a black plastic. It has neat white panelling and a white lens for the torch. The Fifield figure, as we have alluded to through the review, is a direct re-use of the original 2012 David-8 body - with the helmet amended and a new head sculpt. The weathering obviously darkens the suit and dirties it, and NECA haven't included the tubing that they use on David-8 between the helmet and backpack. Fifield is a visually impressive figure and in the Alien 7" world does that very unique thing of being a bad guy that isn't a Xenomorph. This makes him a nice change for your Alien Universe display. The sculpt cannot be faulted - both the head and body are faultless and the paint is really well applied. The big issue lies with the helmet and the difficulty in getting it fitted. I also find the inclusion of the torch a bit odd? I am going to take a star off for these two concerns and award Sean Fifield an impressive 4 out of 5. Checkout the NECA figures available at Kapow Toys

Sponsored by Review : Meredith Vickers Prometheus (NECA) Wave/Series : Lost Wave Released : July 2017 £22.99 Pros : Spacesuit Sculpt, Helmet connects perfectly Cons : Packaging quality, the Flamethrower breaks instantly When the original 3rd wave of Prometheus was shown, Meredith Vickers was not even considered. Instead, her slot in the wave was taken by an infected Holloway alongside Fifield and Shaw. What happened to Holloway in the years between the 2012 preview and the announcement and release of this "Lost Wave" in 2017 is anyone's guess. NECA certainly have not alluded to where he went and if there is any chance of seeing him in any format in the future. The Meredith Vickers figure is however a pretty hard hitting replacement, so let's take a closer look at this release. Vickers, like Fifield and Shaw, comes in the same clamshell that was used on the original releases of Prometheus and that matches the design used on the other NECA Alien figures. The pacakging is made up of a thin piece of paper sandwiched between the clamshell to provide the backdrop to the figure and the art of the card back. A further piece sits at the front of the blister to confirm the character name. The blisters on these new Prometheus releases are very prone to miss-shaping ad all three of ours came with a bowing right hand side. The paper used is also very thin and it too gets miss-shapen in the pack. Unlike Aliens, there are no side art panels in the pack. The artwork is predominantly based on the hieroglyphics from the movie and these make up the majority of the figure backdrop. Round the back the rear art is headed by the Prometheus title and under this a short paragraph about Vickers and her place on the Prometheus mission. Down and to the right of this text is an image of the Vickers figure in a lighter blue triangle. Below this, in alternating triangles, are the rest of the Prometheus figures. While NECA has not put "also available" this checklist will be frustrating for new collectors who then want to go and find figures like The Deacon, David-8 or the Trilobite - all of which are now sold out and are going for large amounts of cash on the secondary market. The blister can only be opened by cutting it, and you are then presented with Vickers in her inner plastic tray. She is strapped in place with a single twisty tie round her waist, so getting her out is not as stressful as other figures we've unpacked recently. Her space suit helmet sits to the right (as you look) with her flamethrower to the left. ​​ While the figure does carry a resemblance to Charlize Theron, it is not as good as you would expect from NECA having seen there other human likenesses. I can't put my finger on the issue with the head, perhaps the eyes are a touch too far apart and are painted with very heavy handed black linings. The skin tone for Vickers is quite glossy but there is shading and variations of tone. The front locks of her hair are separate pieces and hang down either side of her forehead. The rest of the hair is tied back into a pony tail that disappears down into the suit. Like the face, the hair also has painted shade variations to add some definition. The rest of the detail around the head is spot on - with Prometheus and Weyland Yutani logo's applied as decals. The space suit is a smart metallic blue that is then trimmed with neon orange piping. There are matt grey pieces of the suit that are positioned around the shoulders, lower arms and lower legs. These are a duller finish and include different shades of black, most noticeable with the straps on the boots. Final details include silver connectors on the belt and some salmon coloured strapping that is sculpted as holding the shoulder piece in place. Overall the painting is neat, particularly the orange piping. There were however a couple of errors on our review copy. Some orange on the right thigh and some blue bleeding onto the belt pouches. The figure carries 15 points of articulation that start with a ball jointed head that looks up and down and can be rotated round to look to side to side before the pony tail restricts it going any further. The shoulders rise fully with the shoulder armour moving with the arms as they move. The arms can then bend at the elbow, where the joint also rotates. The wrists rotate - but there is no pivot? The figure has both an ab joint and a waist joint. And while this is not unusualy, it is unusual to find both on a ball joint - meaning not only do they rotate but they also allow the figure to lean forward and backwards in two places. The legs, like the arms, are ball jointed at the hips and can extend out by some distance for a wider stance. Vickers can also achieve a sitting position if you wish. The knees are a single joint and don't bend to a full right angle, this means that kneeling is out as a stance but Vickers can get into some crouches and action stances. The legs finish in a pair of ankle rockers. These are not ratcheted and are quite loose when moved. The helmet comes as a single piece - and watch out when unpacking as their is a small baggie inside containing the helmet mounted camera. The helmet is made up predominantly of clear panels, with dark grey connecting pieces. The helmet is engineered to slot onto the figure and line up perfectly. The teeth on the helmet rim, fit into corresponding slots on the figure and the helmet holds itself in place once worn. The camera fits into the slot on the top of the helmet. The camera is even articulated so it can be aimed in different directions. The visibility through the helmet is really good and you can still see the features of the figure while the helmet is worn. To achieve this, it is obviously cast out of a very hard and therefore brittle plastic. Watch out for scratching your helmet or having it crack if the figure should take a dive or be dropped. As I found out thanks to another review - the camera that fits on the helmet will also fit in a slot on the shoulder. Why NECA don't include instructions for this or show the options on the packaging is beyond me? Vickers is armed with a pretty mean looking Flamethrower. This is the weapon she was using when she faced off against the mutated Fifield. The problem here for screen accuracy is that she was wearing a different space suit at the time - one closer to the design used on David-8. This oranged piped suit was only seen later into the movie. That aside, the flamethrower is a pretty accurate representation of the onscreen prop. It is made up of a variety of interconnecting tubes and canisters and is coloured in a bright silver with black handle. It even includes orange triggers on the grip and blue switch on the rear curve of the piping. Ignoring the space suit being worn, Vickers can match the movie pose pretty with a two handed grip on the Flamethrower. Her left hand holds the rear piece while the right holds the forward handle. I suspect though that this first pose of the Flamethrower will be your last. The rear handle snaps immediately, and not just on our review figure - we've seen it reported across the web. This is a real shame as the point at which the flamethrower breaks is obviously a design flaw and been cast in a type of plastic that can't stand up to simple posing. It's not as though this is being played with and getting bashed around, and for me letting the accessory go out in this state is inexcusable.. Vickers shares the same body as the one used on Dr. Shaw. This has obviously helped NECA bring Vickers to retail, with the need to sculpt a head and the flamethrower only. Weirdly, while Shaw came in really easy to pose and stand - Vickers has a problem doing the same and after a few days of trying I have struggled to keep Vickers in any standing pose. The issue seems to be in those pesky ankle rockers which were nice and solid on Shaw, yet really floppy on Vickers. Pity this isn't something you can check before you buy - and sadly another quality problem on this figure. The beauty of these figures though is when you get them into a group scenario on display - and once Vickers is lined up with Shaw and David-8 they do look spot on After waxing lyrical about the Shaw figure, it seems inconceivable that Vickers - who shares the same body sculpt - would score any lower. Sadly, Vickers comes with two big issues for me that are going to take her score right down. First are the floppy ankle joints and her inability to stand. We've seen NECA achieve this on Shaw - so why not on Vickers and what is going on at the factories that can deliver such variation in quality. And secondly, and the biggest issue, is the way that Flamethrower is designed and how I pretty much guarantee it will break almost immediately when you try and get the figure to hold this. At the time of the review NECA have not addressed this or offered a replacement or alternative? I score Meredith Vickers a disappointing 3 out of 5. Checkout the NECA figures available at Kapow Toys

Sponsored by Review : Dr. Elizabeth Shaw Prometheus (NECA) Wave/Series : Lost Wave Released : July 2017 £22.99 In 2012 and 2013 NECA released three waves of Prometheus 7" action figures. At the time the hype for the Alien movies prequel was at a high, but despite this the figures did not do too well in stores. A further set of figures had been developed and sculpted and two were even pictured on the back of the packaging. The lack of sales and interest causes NECA to make the decision to pull these figures from the release - leaving those fans who had supported the range looking enviously at the sculpted iages of Holloway, Dr Shaw and Fifield. Roll forward to the end of 2016 and with the imminent release of the Prometheus sequel, Covenant, in 2017 NECA came out of nowhere with the announcement that it would be releasing these missing Prometheus figures - the so called "Lost Wave". This Lost Wave wasn't quite the missing 2013 figures. While Fifield and Dr Shaw had survived, there was no place for Holloway. Instead a brand new figure, Meredith Vickers, was introduced to make up the three figure wave. Collectors will be pleased that despite being four years between the waves, NECA have kept the packaging for the Lost Wave identical to how it came in 2013. The figure arrives in a blister pack with insert sandwiched between the blister and plastic rear. A further insert sits at the bottom of the blister. This confirms the character name and under this sits a Prometheus logo. Behind the figure the blister insert carries a dark black and blue image based on the hieroglyphics seen in the movie and beneath these a stack of Engineer bodies. The blister is pretty flimsy sadly. I received all three figures as a case and they all arrived with warping to the blister side. The insert is also very flimsy and once the blister is warped, this creases very easily - it doesn't look great for display by MOC / "in packaging" collectors. Round the back, on the reverse of the insert, is printed an image of the actual Shaw figure in a triangle insert. To the side of this sits a short bio of Shaw and her place on the Prometheus mission. Both of these sit atop a background of further hieroglyphics. Under the image of Shaw sits a set of triangular inserts - 9 in total - which show the now complete range of basic 7" Prometheus figures from both 2012/3 and 2017. Under this is a further image of the deluxe Engineer and Trilobite. While these "also available" images are a nice touch to sew all the releases together - it will frustrate those who are just discovering the Prometheus figures as the rest of the range from 2012/3 is now selling for a ridiculous mark up on the secondary market. The card reverse ends with a Weyland Yutani logo and a plug for Alien Covenant coming in Summer 2017. This was obviously added when the figures were originally due for release in June, the figures ended up arriving after the Covenant premiere. The blister has to be cut to be opened, and inside the figure is sat in an inner tray - tied into position with twist ties. It baffles me why these are used on blister figures as the figure isn't going anywhere and as a theft deterrent, the blister is hard enough to open. Oh for the day NECA takes a leaf out of Hasbro's book and does away with these ties. Alongside the figure is her helmet, an axe and the severed head of David-8. In my opinion, NECA's sculpting team is about the best in the business at the moment at this scale and price point. Dr Shaw is no exception and the likeness to Noomi Rapace is very impressive. But it doesn't stop with sculpting with NECA, they have a very good level of paint applications for the face - and Shaw has subtle shading to bring out the sculpt as well as nicely painted expressive and realistic eyes - none of this black lining and dots we see on figures of a similar price. There is even a hint of blusher on the cheeks. The figure is also full of graphical detail, most applied as decals. These can be found on the base of the helmet, on the left shoulder and round the back of the helmet base. The spacesuit is really well designed too and captures the costume used in the movie. It is essentially a sleek blue, but this blue is metallic and holds a sheen to it and really dances in good light. Across this are neon orange trims. There are then black paneled segments on the neck, shoulder, wrists, belt and feet. While these look a singular colour, there are variations in black and grey and also in finish from gloss to matt. Details such as the vents on what is the spacesuit back pack are also picked out in silver, as are red panels around the helmet. There is even a screen accurate salmon pink strap visible to each side of the chest. All the painting is ultra neat, I can't find any bleeding or mis-colouration. Excellent work. Articulation on Shaw is improved from the 2012/13 David-8 figure, who came in a similar Spacesuit. The head is ball jointed and can turn and look up and down within the physical constraints of the helmet collar. Shoulders are ball jointed and can raise up quite a way, with the grey shoulder panel being flexible and moves with the arm. The elbows are a single rotating joint and the hands are on a small ball joint too (socket on hand, ball on the wrist) so will rotate and move forward and back ever so slightly. The torso is jointed under the blue panels of the chest and the waist is on a similar ball joint. This means Shaw can bend a good way forward and backward. The legs are ball joints too and the groin area is that softer plastic that NECA favour to allow some more movement without ugly T-joints. That being said, the joints won't let Shaw sit or kneel - you will get a reclined position if you really want. With single jointed knees and ankle rockers finishing off the legs - the figure has plenty of range for action stances. Accessory number one is that weird shaped axe that Shaw arms herself with towards the end of the movie. This is well made and is painted with a silver blade, wood effect handle (two tones of beige) and a black grip with silver end cap. It fits into either hand and the arm articulation also allows for two handed poses if you wish. You might have to coax the fingers a little to achieve these. The other accessory / costume addition is the oversized space suit helmet. When you unpack this be very careful to take out the small baggie that is packed inside. This contains an articulated camera that can be slotted into a socket at the front of the helmet. It can also, if you aren't using the helmet, slot into a similar socket on the left shoulder. There is nothing on the packaging that tells you this (hence no images of ours being shoulder mounted), I found it out a bit later when trawling some images. The helmet is well made and slots perfectly into the notches on the collar. It is made of a very clear perspex, but that means it is brittle and won't take much to scratch or break if the figure takes a tumble. Being oversized the head can be posed within the helmet - so can look ahead, to the side or up and down without stopping the helmet being worn. Accessory number 3 is an odd one, but of course very apt to the movie. It is a severed head of the android David-8. The head comes with part of the neck and from this is a silver metallic spine. The head is actually articulated with the head on a ball joint to the neck. At first I thought this was a new sculpt of David-8, which seemed extravagant. On inspection it is the same as the 2012 release. But you can therefore see in the comparison image how far NECA have come in just 4-years with the painting of human heads. David-8 has the same subtle shading/blushing to the cheeks as Shaw. The eyes are also painted realistically, with the hair and eyebrows using two or more shades of brown to bring out the depth. The only niggle for me is a spot of silver paint from the exposed mechanical parts has been splashed on the flesh tone on the neck. The head doesn't do much obviously, but Shaw can hold it if you really want. I wonder (and this is speculation on my part) if the inclusion of the David-8 was a little nod to fans on two fronts. Being jointed and assuming it can be boiled and popped off - it would allow collectors with the original David-8 figure to update the head to a superior paint job (if they wanted of course considering the price of the figure on secondary market). The other option is of course that the Fifield figure uses the same body as David-8. Buy an extra Fifield and swap heads and you have an instant David-8 for your crew without paying "silly money". Alongside the actual 2012 David-8 figure, Dr. Shaw does stands out with a much brighter space suit and better paint applications - although yes I am aware the spacesuits did differ in the film. However, the gap is not massive and David-8 is certainly not overshadowed in the way some earlier releases are when stood next to more modern versions. I look forward to unpacking Vickers and Fifield for a full crew picture. I find it rare to review a NECA figure at present that doesn't score high on our rating scale. In fact it was a NECA Alien 3 figure that resulted in us adding an extra 5* score for exceptional figures. While Shaw doesn't hit that height, there is little to fault with the figure itself. Sculpt, paint and articulation are all top notch and there is a good array of accessories. The only downside, for MOC collectors, is that blister packaging and the thin insert being prone to warping. I score Dr. Elizabeth Shaw from the Prometheus Lost Wave a 5 out of 5. Checkout the NECA figures available at Kapow Toys

Review : Ultimate Police Station Assault Terminator The Terminator, NECA Wave/Series : Ultimate Series Released : August 2016 £22.99 - £25.99 After waiting a year or so to see NECA release the original Terminator figures in their Ultimate series, we've now pretty much got two at once. Having looked at the Tech Noir Ultimate T800 a couple of weeks back, we now have the Police Station Assault T800 in hand to take a close look at. Like all Ultimate, the Police Assault figure arrives in a fully enclosed box. Rather than repeat the artwork used on Tech Noir, which was based on the original iconic movie poster, NECA have taken a lesser known promotional poster which is presented in dark blue's. The box recreates this movie poster with a wider shot of the T800 stood in an atmospheric alleyway. The film poster theme is taken as far as having Schwarzenegger across the top, and "The Terminator" at the bottom. Round the sides of the box and a 1980's computer grid kicks in, this matches the design of the Tech Noir box - but this time is in a blue hue not red. The Terminator text is repeated down each spine on top of this grid design and here we also find the first NECA logo. Round the back and actual images of the figure kick in. Each of the four images showcases the options packed in with the figure, and are shot in very detailed dioramas not just stale promotional images. These are all laid on top of the same background we saw on Tech Noir. This means the blue theme ends and the back moves to a red Terminators eye view. The top left see's a panel of white text, but this does not detail anything in terms of plot or background and is simply a technical read out or some type of computer programming. The front flap is held in place by the usual Velcro tabs, and opens to reveal the figure behind a window. The inner part of the flap has a further full length atmospheric shot of the actual figure. It is interesting that like Tech Noir there is no mention of the character on the box meaning the name of the figure is only quoted in the product listings. The box opens via a top or bottom flap and the figure slides out in its plastic tray with cardboard back wrap, which is decorated in the continuing blue theme and could be used as a backdrop. Putting all the parts aside for the moment, let's take a look at the figure. The T800 is packed with the iconic head complete with shades and the sculpt perfectly captures that stern, almost emotionless, jaw that Arnie portrays so well in the film. The shades are fixed, which I think is a good call considering removable glasses very rarely work. The hair is the more iconic crew type cut, varying from the longer side parted version that came fitted with the Tech Noir. Be clear that there is some re-use in this release from Tech Noir. I would expect the T-shirt to be the same torso, although here it is a plain grey. The jacket is all new and is wonderfully detailed with zips and pockets and when you turn him round three bloodies bullet holes in the back. The trousers and boots are a direct reuse from Tech Noir but it certainly doesn't feel like a repaint or tweak. As well as an awesome sculpt, the paint job's NECA are delivering are also top notch. The face for example has clear shading and variances in skin tone and that brings out the realism. The hair is also variates in colouring, but the big win for this first head is the high gloss sunglasses which add a real menace to the figure. You do of course have two other head options that can be used, each representing the progression of damage the T800 takes during the movie. These two heads are essentially the same as the two alternative heads that come with the Tech Noir, but have been tweaked so that across the two figures you now have 6 head options - all of which can fit on either figure. The first head continues on from the bloodied eye we saw on the Tech Noir, and this time the robotic eye and the metal skull is starting to be exposed. The second head has further exposed metal skull to the temple and cheek. Once again the paint applications on both of these is top drawer and the damaged areas suitably gory and realistic. The hands fitted with the figure are black fingerless gloves, with a nice high sheen on the black leather. Both of these are sculpted to hold weapons. These can also be swapped out for damaged burned versions. The damaged versions have holes across the gloved area and beneath this is red and burned flesh. The hands will hold any of the weapons supplied, the first of which is a small wooden handled handgun. This gets a little lost in Arnie's hands, but is of course film accurate. Most fans will be picking up the next choice for their display - the shotgun! This is of course very iconic in many fans minds, and of course was used again in T2. The shotgun is sculpted well enough and is not a repeat of the Tech Noir shotgun, but now the more modern Police type assault weapon. The final weapon is the machine gun which again is nicely made, with some nice touches like the taping of a second magazine to the fitted one. Unlike the hand gun which is coloured, the two larger weapons are a simple matt black. All three weapons fit into either or Arnie's hands (both sets) and the more flexible plastic used on the hands allows the trigger finger to be moved around to sit in the trigger of all weapons. Sadly, the articulation doesn't support the weapons being posed all that well. The shoulders are ball jointed and can be raised to 90 degrees to the side and rotated. The elbow however is a single joint, and although it rotates it can't bend far enough back to have Arnie resting the gun on his shoulder nor can it come round the front enough to allow a two handed pose - ironically something the more maligned Genisys T800 did manage. The head is ball jointed and the swap out is tight but once snapped it allows all three heads to rotate and move up and down within the collar area. There is a simple waist swivel, but not torso movement that we do see on some comparable lines. The hips are unique to NECA with a ball joint hidden behind a rubberised groin piece. This looks much more natural but can bend a little weirdly when you move the legs too their widest extent. This extent is quite considerable on the T800 allowing Arnie to sit down, albeit a little stiffly. The knees, also beautifully worked into the sculpt, aren't as accommodating and bend to something around 45 degrees. This means that despite the hip movement, Arnie can't kneel or crouch and therefore you will find your poses restricted to standing up, perhaps with a wider stance at times or with Arnie's foot on a piece of scenery. He stands up brilliantly with a rotating ankle joint at the top of his boots and a rocker at the ankle - this T800 won't be doing any shelf diving any time soon. So there he is, another Arnie to add to your collection - the third in Ultimate scale, and the fifth in the past 2-years if you include the Genisys figures. To me this Police Assault version is the more definitive release for the 1984 movie and I can see the sense in getting Tech Noir out first and then landing this one. Like Tech Noir there is very little to bemoan on this release. I can find no fault with the paint applications, nor with the sculpt. The accessories all do a job and it's nice to have the three distinct head options to choose from. NECA never sell these figures as highly articulated, and for £25 they will never be. It would however have been nice to have that slightly wider arm range to allow for the weapon poses we mentioned. That being said this is a minor niggle and the Police Assault T800 is awarded 5 out of 5, the FIFTH Terminator Ultimate figure in a row to achieve this score. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US Buy from Forbidden Planet

Review : Ultimate Tech Noir Terminator The Terminator, NECA Wave/Series : Ultimate Series Released : July 2016 £22.99 - £25.99 After giving us the three iconic characters from Terminator 2, NECA is now winding back the clock to 1984 and bringing us figures from the original Terminator movie in their exciting Ultimate format. Although we are unlikely to get any figures past the titular character from T1, their addition to the range will be welcomed by fans. Summer 2016 see's us getting two Terminators from T1 in quick succession, and in this review we will look at the first release - The Tech Noir Ultimate Terminator. The Ultimate series packaging design has been locked in since it launched in 2014, but each box is carefully designed to replicate the look and feel of the original movie. The Tech Noir is no difference, with the front of the box dominated by a replication of the original 1984 promotional poster. The words Schwarzenegger are emblazoned across the top in bold red text, and under this is a head and shoulders shot of Arnie as the Terminator. To the bottom left of this image is a movie synopsis in white text, a direct replication of the wording used on the poster and the box ends with "The Terminator" text logo. This "The Terminator" text is replicated on the top of the box and on either spine and is placed across a red 1980's laser grid background, it is here also that the NECA and Reel Toys logo first appears. Round the back of the box we get a series of images, this time of the figure itself and with some digital text that we would normally see scrolling through the Terminator eyes as they processed a target. Like all Ultimate releases, the figure itself is not immediately visible. You view it by opening the front flap which is held in place by two Velcro tabs. The opening flap is decorated by a full image of the figure itself against a nondescript grey and red background. The figure and its various swap out parts can then be viewed through the viewing window. The inner tray slides out via the top or bottom flap and is packed against a four sided cardboard background which represents a generic road with concrete crash barriers. Looking at the figure first, Tech Noir stands a touch over 7 inches tall and is beautiful representation of the youthful Arnie from 1984, there is no re-use of the T800 head from the T2 series where Arnie was obviously older. The heads are of course no doubt tweaked from the first set of Terminator figures, but they are still an almost perfect likeness of Arnie. Out of the box the figure comes fitted with the undamaged Tech Noir nightclub head, the one with a centre parting on the hair as seen when the T800 reaches the club looking for Sarah Connor. The sculpt is crisp and like a lot of NECA faces is sculpted with a personality and a "look" rather than being a neutral face. The head is painted well with varying tones of flesh accentuating that frowning brow and the angular chin. The lips are just a shade redder and are very natural, with the eyes very intense and extremely neat considering the space the factory have to paint the whites of the eyes and then the pupils. It's not all perfect however as my review figure did have a couple of blemishes on the nose and the side of the chin. The hair captures that centre parting that Arnie wears early in the film really well and you can see the individual strand detail which is further enhanced with a dry brush of lighter brown on the dark brown base coat. The jacket, relieved in the movie of course from a punk when Arnie arrived in 1984. the detail is the usual high level that NECA fans are used to. The jacket has a worn and dirty look and is creased and folded in the right areas to hang perfectly natural off Arnie's frame. There are zippers and buttons, and round the back is the beautiful black triangular section complete with silver studs - each one is sculpted and then painted, with not one paint splodge or smear. There is also a real chain over the left shoulder that is a metal type material and is perfectly in scale with the figure and hangs nicely on both front and back - brilliant, this could have so easily been a plastic sculpt or even a painted piece. Under the jacket is the graffiti shirt and this extends well under the jacket, it's not just painted in a strip that you can see through the coat. The hands are black gloss fingerless gloves, and these are a bit too shiny for my liking and the studs here are painted and therefore not as defined. Down into the trousers, and these are a brown textured effect and again have folds and creases where you would expect and are weathered and grimy thanks to a paint job that other firms would have simply made plain and fresh - this all adds to the personality of the figure. The motorcycle boots are just as well detailed, and are thankfully not as glossy as the gloves and are complete with metal and leather straps and another chain (sculpted plastic this time) round one boot. Like all Ultimate series the Tech Noir Terminator is jam packed with a number of options that you can use to vary the figure you put on display. So what can you swap out on the figure? Well the first thing is the head, for which you have three options. Aside for the centre parting head we have just discussed, there are then two further heads which are presented with a variant hair style - the one Arnie was sporting after the battle with Kyle Reese in Tech Noir. This hair look is starting to migrate to Arnie's soon to be trademark crew cut. These two faces are not a direct re-use of the first with a slightly varying expression on each. The undamaged head on mine is looking to one side, am not sure if this is deliberate. The damaged head is presented without his left eye which instead is painted in a blood red. Both heads snap on the ball joint really tightly and do require a bit of force. The next swap out is Arnie's right forearm. This pulls out at the elbow joint and can then be replaced by a second version where the sleeve is rolled up to the elbow and on the exposed arm the skin is peeled back to expose the metal tendons underneath - all of it sculpted and painted in true 18 rating gory detail. To enhance this additional arm there are also two scissor pincers included for Arnie to perform his own repairs. Sadly the figure does not hold these all to well and essentially display wise you need to pose Arnie with his arm on a table with the scissors either side to look relatively screen accurate. The scissors are also very fragile and one pair of mine snapped straight out of the box. The other hand is not left out as this can be swapped for a closed/clenched fist version if that is your desire. And as Arnie is of course a killing machine from the future he also comes with three weapons. The first a shot gun which is cleanly sculpted ad painted with a light brown stock and a gun metal barrel. The shotgun will hit into either open hand - not the clenched fist or the damaged version - and looks "OK". Sadly the figure articulation doesn't allow a two handed pose as the arms and coat are a bit too bulky to bring the left arm across enough to cradle the barrel. The other two weapons are single handed guns which look more natural. The first is a sighted handgun cast in a silver with a black wash and black hand grip. The other is a plain black cast automatic weapon. Both of these single handed guns do suffer a bit from being a softer plastic and both came out of the box a little misshapen - but nothing a hot water or hairdryer couldn't fit. So the arms aren't the best in terms of articulation to hold a shotgun, but they do have enough movement to allow them to be stretched out to the side and to rotate over the head. The elbow then bends to 90 degrees, and yet is well disguised within the sculpt and doubles as a swap out part on one of the arms. Each wrist is on a ball joint, with a reversal of usual pegged hands and with a more solid ball attached to the arm and the socket piece being on the hand. This makes them more robust and they feel like they have a wider range of movement. Legs start with hips that are once again behind this flexible crotch area that NECA have used a number of times now to stop the hips looking too unnatural, but retaining a decent about of movement. Like most NECA figures you won't sit Arnie down or put him in the splits. The knees further support lower body articulation, but are single jointed not double. They do rotate though, as does a further joint at the top of the boots. And even with this the ankle rocker still remains without ruining the cut of the boot. That just leads the head articulation to talk about, and that is just about perfect in that they can be swapped out with a bit of effort - but also rotate fully and look up and down. This means you can position the head looking down, and coupled with those intense and frowning eye brows it makes Arnie look very menacing. Tech Noir Arnie is another NECA master stroke. It gets a highly sought after figure back into circulation with the bonus of allowing collectors to tweak the look to how they want to show off their T800. You may even want to buy two or more for your Terminator display. The level of detail is insane for the price point, the jacket alone being a masterpiece let alone the graffiti T-Shirt underneath. The damaged arm is really well done, but the scissor pincers a little too fragile and without a real option to pose Arnie as you see him in the film - but that would be asking a bit too much from a £25 figure. There are then three weapon options, all of which are detailed and engineered well to fit into the gripping hands. All that for the same price essentially as a smaller less detailed Star Wars or Marvel figure from Hasbro? I award the Tech Noir Ultimate Terminator a 5 out of 5 and look forward to moving on to the subsequent Police Station Assault figure. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US Buy from Forbidden Planet