Review of Weaponeers of Monkaa action figures

Introduction

I love it when small companies jump into the ring swinging, and Spy Monkey Creations is doing just that. Last year and earlier this year we saw them release their Armory accessory packs, and this year they are following up with their own line of new action figures, part of a series called "Weaponeers of Monkaa". I'll let them explain it with the info from their press kit:

"Enter the world of the Weaponeers of Monkaa! Witness the eternal battle between the heroic Gearo and the evil Vilhain as it rages across space and time! Empyreus, Palidar and their Gearo defenders protect the cosmos from Umbreus, Brutok and the ravening Vilhain hordes! Discover the secrets of the mysterious Gohlem; will they follow the path of good or evil? Join the battle and decide the fate of The Weaponeers of Monkaa!"

I'm reviewing two of the first six figures tonight - the evil Umbreua (first photo) and the good guy Empyreus (the guy to the right). They also have an extra pack of 6 heads available (I've included a photo), as well as weapons sets called "Close Combat Armory" (also with a photo below).

The figures will cost $12 each, while the extra head pack is $5. The Armory packs are $5 as well, and all of these will be available for pre-order at their site starting October 1st.

Packaging - **1/2
When a line - and company - is new, the production runs are usually quite small. That means costs can be quite high, making it tough for them to break through. That means they have to do what they can to keep costs low, cutting in places that aren't as critical to the initial success.

Wisely, Spy Monkey has done that with the packaging. Sure, it's nice to get a cool looking box or card, but with an online product like this, the most important job is getting the figures to you safe.

The figures come bagged, and unlike the early accessory sets, the bags are VERY thick. No worries that these will pop open in transit.

There's also a small sticker on the bag with the logo and name of the overall line, but nothing specific about the character. 

This may actually change with the final release - remember, this is a very early review, and the packaging for these samples  may not reflect the exact final configuration.

Sculpting - ****
There are six figures in this first wave, three villains and three good guys. All are built using the uber-cool Onell Design Glyos system, the same as the Outer Space Men and several other lines from Onell.

That means you can take these figures completely apart, popping off pieces at every joint and then some. Even the emblems come off the front and back! There's also additional holes at key spots on the figure, allowing for the addition of more accessories and parts. This gives you complete control over the appearance and design, and these parts are also interchangeable with parts from the Outer Space Men, Banimon, Callgrim and any other series using the same basic system.

I broke down Empyreus to his base parts for a photo - that's a lot of pieces! Notice that the heads and hands are swappable too, with each head designed in such a way that it could pass for a hand as well, and vice versa. That's a very cool touch!

I really like the cyber look of these guys as well. Robots are always cool, and these take elements from almost every aspect of the breed, from Transformers to Robbie.

The parts fit together tightly, and there's enough sculpting detail considering the style. While there's a ton of re-use, the availability of the different heads and the option to customize them yourself allows you to create even more than the initial six characters.

There's some cool sculpting details on the armor, like the 'toes' on the feet. The most detail work is on the faces, and I love the different head sculpts.

These guys are slightly taller (and definitely broader) than the OSM, coming in at about 4 inches tall.

Paint - ***1/2
There's not a ton of paint ops here, since the pieces are generally cast in the color you see. But there are some details, particularly on the faces and emblems. There's also a few line highlights, which bring out some of the sculpted edges nicely.

Articulation - ***1/2
These are all standard cut joints, but every piece pops off at every cut, making these very customizable.

The joints are nice and tight as well, but they only turn, there's no tilt or lean. Because there are so many cut joints though, you can get quite a few poses and a stances.

Accessories - ***
Each figure comes with two weapons, a sickle and a blade. These pop on the hands or arms easily, and can be used as ornaments as well.

There's also two additional heads, or hands, depending on how you want to use them. Some are more hand-like, some are more head-like, but you can use them in just about any way you'd like.

There's a trading card for each figure as well, with full color artwork and a very cool bio.

For an extra $5, you can add in another weapons pack in a single set of colors, and even some of these weapons are built up from other smaller pieces. I've included a photo of two different sets.

And, if you want even more heads and hands, there's another $5 set of heads done in unique colors that don't come with any of the basic figures.

Fun Factor - ****
There's two aspects of these that makes them great toys. First, they are excellent action figures, with a ton of articulation, great sculpts and really cool designs. Any fan of modern small style toys will love these guys.

Then there's the additional aspect of customization and building. Being able to take these all apart and rebuild them in just about any fashion adds another play factor to the figures, increasing their overall value.

Value - ***
Twelve bucks isn't cheap for a 4" action figure, but by designing these in such a creative way, they've added value to figures, and increased their appeal across the board.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***1/2
These are terrific toys, and using the Glyos system was a very smart move. Collectors who like toys of that vein will love these, and while they aren't cheap, they are a solid value.

The line has a real potential for many more characters too, and there's also the possibility for other lines and designs that can integrate in with the Weaponeers. Spy Monkey is starting out small, but I expect to see more and more from them over the next couple years.

Be sure to scroll all the way through the photos - what with all the extra packs and goodies, I ended up taking quite a few photos.

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

Where to Buy 
Hit up the Spy Monkey web store on October 1st to order these!

Related Links -
Check out the Weaponeers of Monkaa site, as well as the overall Spy Monkey Creations site.

I've also reviewed their Accessory sets in the past, here, here and here.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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