Review of Hela - One:12 Collective
Action Figure

Introduction

While the MCU might be a bit quiet right now on the film front, the collectibles based on the many previous movies are still cranking along. And if you're a fan of Mezco's One:12 line, that's a very, very good thing.

Their latest release hearkens back to Thor: Ragnarok and goes with the Thor and Hulk figures they released based on the film: Hela. We don't get nearly enough villains in the series, and one so bad ass looking is always a big plus.

She's just started shipping over the last couple weeks, and will run you around $80 depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***1/2
The usual simple design looks great and provides a very sturdy, and very collector friendly container for your figure.  You can remove everything without any damage to the packaging materials, and the box is quite sturdy, able to withstand normal handling and storage conditions.

Sculpting - ****
The is a 1/12 scale line, and the figures generally run in the 6 1/2" size range.  Hela is about that height in the funky helm, but closer to 6 1/4" in the helm-less head.

That's tiny, making the detail work all the more impressive. The normal head has the multi-pronged helmet permanently attached, but the edges between the head wear and the face, including the tiny pieces that extend over the forehead and temples, are nicely defined. The likeness is extremely good - I think it's the nose and lips that really sell it - and the expression is expressive but not overly so, usable with a ton of different poses.

The bare head has extremely long hair, finely stranded and reaching way down her back. The villainous grin combines with the squinted eyes to produce a truly devilish expression, complimenting the standard high quite nicely.

Paint - ***1/2
Clean paint work remains the hallmark of the series. The makeup around the eyes, the subtle tone on the lips, even the sharp contrast with the eyebrows, is all extremely well done, and super clean.

A detail we get here that isn't always on every figure are the tiny painted fingernails, something that sets her apart a bit. There aren't quite as many operations here as we see with some characters, and the skin tone is a little washed out, but what is here is high quality stuff, worthy of the price point.

Articulation - ***1/2
The underlying female body works well, and their design of the costume and boots goes a long way toward this score.

The ball jointed neck allows for lean and tilt on the standard head, but of course the long haired version can merely turn side to side.  The shoulders, elbows, and wrists can take most poses, although the elbows are still a bit more restricted than I'd like. The torso bends, leans, and tilts, and is one of the more important joints on this figure, allowing you to break up more static poses.

The hips, knees, and ankles have good movement inside the tight yet stretchy costume. The ankles are particularly good this time around, with a ton of rocker movement and a terrific two piece boot design.

Accessories - ***
She's a little light this time, particularly for an $80 figure.

There's that second head though, and getting two portraits, while standard for a One:12 figure, goes a long way toward making up for any other lack of accessories. The heads swap easily, although you will want to take care with the ends of the long hair in front when pushing the helmet-less head in place.

There are six additional hands to go with the fists she comes wearing - one relaxed set, one posed grasping set, and one gripping set to hold the Necroswords. These also swap easily, and stayed on while I was working with the figure.

The Necroswords look great, with nicely detailed sculpts, and the scale is quite good.

The final extra is the standard One:12 display base. You can either use a simple foot peg, or the larger clear support rod, great for leaping and jumping poses.

Outfit - ***1/2
Using thin, laminate-like material on the costumes was a brilliant idea - whomever came up with it deserves a raise. Once again they've created a terrific looking suit with gray highlights, tons of texture, and various materials. The fit is excellent, and the stretchy material allows the underlying body to move extremely well.

The two piece boots are well worth another mention, allowing the ankles plenty of mobility and looking great while doing it. This is a fairly simple costume in theory, but they've pulled off an excellent version in this tiny scale.

My one complaint that holds it back from a perfect four stars? The shoulder strap on one side droops a bit too much. It's a minor nit however, and overall I'm really happy with the final look.

Fun Factor - ****
You'll get plenty of poses out of this figure, and thanks to the two terrific portraits, you can swap up the heads for even more display looks. Add in the Thor and Hulk, and create some unique movie-themed set ups!

Value - **1/2
The $80 price tag is the current average for a One:12 release. I wish this one had a few more accessories, but I suspect the MCU license is pretty damn expensive. The production run is probably lower on her than Thor or Hulk as well, so I'm feeling the price fits my personal average value.

Things to Watch Out For -
The tiny spikes on the helmet could break, so pay attention where you're putting pressure when you swap heads. Likewise, the thin, softer hair on the front of the other head will reach the costume, so you want to ensure it doesn't poke or pull any of the material when you're pushing that one into place.

Overall - ***1/2
I love all three of the Ragnarok figures, but this one might be my favorite. It's nice to have another villain on the shelf too, something we don't get enough of. I don't expect any more releases from this movie, but the MCU still has plenty of other great choices they can provide!

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - ***
Outfit - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ****
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has her for $80 as well but with free shipping.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other recent Marvel One:12 figures include Cyclops, Netflix Punisher, and Netflix Daredevil to name a few. Other MCU figures include Black Panther, Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published. There's some other MCU characters as well, including the Hulk, Thor,

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