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X-Files 12" John Doggett
Exclusive Edition

Ask anyone about the X-Files, and they'll talk about Scully and Mulder. Who was the believer, who was the doubter, what their relationship meant - it was the heart and soul of the show.

But after seven seasons on the show, David Duchovny pulled a Caruso and decided to find his fortune on the big screen. And just like Caruso, I suspect we'll see him back on television again someday.

Losing half of your star duo is usually instant death, but no network is going to give up a show that was as big of a hit as X-Files without a fight. And so they brought in Robert Patrick as Agent Doggett to team up with Agent Scully, and be the Yin to her Yang. Ah, and what a fine Yang it was.

Doggett showed up in season eight, and Mulder still did a little guest appearance work. By season 9 it was just Doggett and Scully, but that was the final season as well. Although Doggett was only around for a couple seasons, he did attract his share of fans, and now Sideshow has produced two versions of him in their 12" X-Files line. Already released in this line is Scully and Mulder, CSM, and Frank Black, with a variant of Scully and Mulder coming soon, along with Krycek.







Tonight's review covers their 'exclusive' version. Exclusive in this context means only available at the Sideshow site. This version comes in a blue suite, with black overcoat, and was limited to 750 pieces. The regular version was limited to 2500, and comes with the radio transmitter/head gear, and his tactical vest.

Interestingly, the regular version is currently sold out at Sideshow (but I do have some other suggestions at the end of the review), but right now the exclusive version is available under their 'second chance' offer. That's where they had some last minute cancellations, and a few figures got freed up. They won't last long though, so if you're considering the exclusive, I'd grab it now.

Packaging - ****
It's Sideshow - do I need to say more? The front graphic is fantastic, and the layout works smoothly. The overall design is attractive, and the text that's included is useful and informative. The package is very collector friendly, with just a few twist ties and a couple plastic bands holding in the figure. Want to pop it back in later? It might take a little work, but nothing a smart fan like you can't handle.

Sculpting - ****
Thank God for the return to solid, injection molded heads! WOO-HOO! If you've been keeping track, you'll know that recent figures were done with rotocast heads, particularly those requiring rooted hair, but also others like Frank Black. It was an interesting experiment, but one that didn't yield good results. Fortunately, Sideshow got back to their game before it was too late, or any serious damage was done. Too bad the same isn't true for their Production Manager, Brant Bridges, who I hear was given the choice of dealing with unhappy Sideshow customers, or being beating with Master Replica light sabers until unconscious. He took the beating.

This head sculpt is spot on, from the hair to the proportions, and going back to the solid style means every detail is there in it's perfect glory. Of course it helps that Robert Patrick has some defining character in his face, making it easier for the sculptor (Oluf Hartvigson) to capture him in plastic. Still, you can't underestimate the skills that Oluf brings to the table, and he's shown once again why he's one of the go to guys.

The hand sculpts are designed to hold various accessories, and they work quite well. The right hand is sculpted to hold the gun, and really fits this purpose the best.

If you're looking to do a 12" T-1000 custom, this is also a perfect head sculpt. Grab one of the bbi Los Angeles Police Officer's uniform sets, and you're good to go!

Paint - ***
The paint ops are good, but not outstanding this time around.

Don't get me wrong - some of those difficult areas, like the eyes, lip color and hair line are all perfect here.  The eyebrows are nice and neat, the color matches the hair, and the skin tone is generally good.

He does seem to be wearing a bit of blush though, which is slightly annoying.  It's not a major issue though, and one I'm not docking the figure for.

There is some slop of the blush though, which we've seen in some past figures.  It ends up in his ears, and it looks like John could use an introduction to a little invention called the Q-tip.

His face also exhibits a hint of that sheen we've had in past figures.  It's not as bad as we've seen on occasion, but it his face is shinier than is appropriate.

Articulation - ***1/2
We're talking about the usual Sideshow body here, so if you like what they've done before, you'll like it again. For me, the unique wrists and ankle joints sell this body over others, with a greater range of movement in both joints than usual. I did find that the ankles were a little wobbly this time, but by positioning them just right, I had no trouble keeping him standing without the included display stand.

While we're talking about the body, let's talk scale. Doggett is the same height as Mulder, and slightly taller than Scully. The scale works fine for me, and he looks great displayed with the rest of the line.

Outfit - ***1/2
When I was in High School, we had one of those ridiculous career days. A guy wearing brown polyester pants and a brown plaid sport jacket, fresh from the hanger at Sears, stopped by our classroom - he was an FBI agent. And ever since, that's what I assume underpaid, under appreciated agents wear.

Doggett here certainly breaks that stereotype. His suit and overcoat are top quality, with excellent tailoring and perfect stitching. Mulder was suffering from poorly fitted pants, but not so with Doggett. It appears that he and CSM both share the same tailor.

The clothes include a shirt, tie, jacket, pants, socks and coat. Oh, and let's not forget the shoes, with a nice sculpt that we've seen before I believe. The only big negative here is the lack of any belt, or belt loops on the pants. They just look odd without it, and you don't have a good place to snap the holster.

My only other complaint is with the tie, because the knot is too big, a common problem with sixth scale ties. Other than that though, the scale, style and fit of the clothing is excellent.

Accessories - ***
There are 7 accessories with the exclusive version - a watch, his display stand (emblazoned with the X-Files logo), cel phone, flashlight, FBI badge (in holder), sidearm and holster.

You're not going to see much here that you haven't seen before. The cel phone, flashlight, ID badge holder, and holster have all come with either Scully or Mulder (or both) in their previous releases. You might think you've seen the gun in Mulder's hands, but this is a new sculpt, and the slide does not move.  I'm pretty sure the watch is a reuse out of the Bond line, but I can't quite place it.

The holster works great as well, except that unlike Scully and Mulder, he doesn't have a belt. I already beat him up about that in the previous section though, so we'll let that dog lie.

The cel phone and flashlight look good, and he can hold on to either pretty easily. His ID looks good, but this badge holder has the biggest, funkiest looking clip on it I've ever seen. Again, that's no surprise if you have Scully or Mulder, since they have the exact same issue, but it's still pretty weird looking.

Fun Factor - ***
If you know kids who like the X-Files, they'd really have fun with Doggett. There's nothing here they are likely to break, and the outfit is actually quite sturdy and well stitched. Still, I'm not sure how much fun the average kid would have with a guy in a suit, if they aren't a fan.

However, if you're daughter is looking for a replacement for that dopey Ken doll, she could do a lot worse than Agent Doggett.

Value - **1/2
The exclusive version of Doggett sells for $45, the same as the regular version. I like the fact that the exclusive doesn't cost more - but both cost about $5 more than they should to get a three star rating.

Don't get me wrong - you won't feel ripped off. But it's simply an average value, pretty much what you expect for your green. Had their been a little less reuse of the accessories, perhaps this score would have been a tad higher.

I have some suggestions on where you can pick up the regular version for $36 - $37 though, and at that price you can throw on another half star. Oh sure, he's still not packin', but he's got style.

Things to watch out for - 
Not a thing. I didn't fear breaking, ripping or losing anything while I was playing around with this guy, and the paint ops were solid enough that I don't think you'll see a lot of variation across the run.

Overall -  ***1/2
A very good edition to a series that's had it's ups and downs already.  I'd put Doggett above Scully and Mulder, way above Frank Black, but still second to the exceptional CSM.

With another version of Scully and Mulder on the way, along with Krycek, the line seems to have legs.  Let's hope it lasts long enough to get the necessary Skinner, and perhaps the Lone Gunmen before they're done.

SCORE RECAP:
Packaging - ****
Sculpt - ****
Paint - ***
Articulation - ***1/2
Outfit - ***1/2
Accessories - **1/2
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy -  
You can still pick up the exclusive through Sideshow, but don't dilly dally, because there are only a handful available. If you're looking to pick up the regular version:

- Alter Ego Comics has the regular Doggett for $36, in stock.

- Fireside Collectibles has the regular Doggett for $37, and also has some of the Sideshow X-Files exclusives, like CSM, Scully and Mulder, available for sale.

Related Links:
I've reviewed quite a bit of X-Files merchandise over the years...

- I've reviewed most of the Sideshow 12" figures, including Frank Black, the Cigarette Smoking Man, and Scully and Mulder.

- Palisades is producing a series of their mini-figures, called Palz, for the show. I reviewed the first series just a few weeks ago. 

- and let's not forget that a long time ago, Mcfarlane produced X-Files figures based on the movie. My favorite was Flukeman.


Figure from the collection of Michael Crawford.

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