Review of Son of Frankenstein - NYCC exclusive action figure

Introduction

Mezco Toyz continues to work with the Universal Monsters license, and keen observers at last summers SDCC noticed that they had plans for figures as part of their new 1:12 series. To keep the monster fans satiated til then, they have released two NYCC exclusives in their larger, 9" stylized format - Son of Frankenstein and a black and white Mummy. Each of these are limited to just 500 produced. Tonight I'm checking out the son of Frankie, a few days before the show begins.

This guy will cost you $50 at the show, or at the Mezco website. They also have a deal available to buy both the Frankenstein and Mummy for $90 at the site, saving you a smidge.

Packaging - ***
The basic black box isn't fancy, but it does have two things going for it. It's easy to store for the MIBers, and it's very collector friendly. There's an unfortunate number of twisty ties - thank God for my handy wire snips - but once those are out of the way, you'll be able to remove him easily, and pop him back in again for storage or sale, no fuss, no muss.

It does take a step back from the earlier releases however, because this time there's no window to view the figure.

Sculpting - ***1/2
The first release of a Frankenstein in this line was at another NYCC, two years ago. At that time, they did him in a special black and white scheme, and it was the original Frankie in his shirt and jacket. You can see my review of him here.

It's important to note that this is not an attempt to match the Boris Karloff look from the actual film. This is a stylized version of the character, with Mezco's own unique spin. It's been their consistent theme with this large scale line, as it has been with many of their other series.

I personally really, really like the look of these monsters. The large scale and heft adds something too, but it's really the detail work on the design, particularly in the face, that sells it.

This is the same sculpt as before, although it does seem a bit softer this time, slightly less detailed. I don't know if it's a mold issue, or due to the green color. Either way, I'm not digging this sculpt *quite* as much as the first time around.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is high quality stuff, very clean and very sharp. No slop, even with the hooded eyes and darkened cheeks.

While this is the exact same sculpt as the black and white exclusive I reviewed a couple years ago, it doesn't appear as sharp and defined as it did in that monochromatic color scheme.  While the green skin is interesting, I have to say the gray scale look worked better.

That being said, there's a slight translucence to the green skin tone that does give it a unique and interesting appearance.

Articulation - **
There's not a ton of articulation, but Frank has never been a super mobile kind of guy.

The ball jointed neck works terrific, allowing you to add some much needed personality to basic stances.

There's also ball shoulders (pin/disc style), as well as cut wrists, and ankles. The waist has a ball joint with plenty of tilt and lean action as well.

Accessories - Bupkis
Sadly, there's no extras. While the price point is naturally high due to the limited nature and con exclusivity, an extra or two would have helped offset the sticker shock.

Outfit - ***1/2
An outfit is a bit unusual here, but his fur vest and shirt are soft goods, so I thought it was useful to break it out separately.

It's sewn tightly to his body - no removing it. However, this means it fits nicely, with no bulging or ill fitting lines. It's also made from a very high quality material, and looks terrific.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
While he's not super articulated, he is super large and heavy, with a great sculpt and paint. Kids who are into the classic monsters would love him, as will any fan of the old films. As one of the latter, I'm thrilled to see that collectibles are still making it out there based on these classic movies.

Value - **
Con exclusives are always more expensive than normal. Add in a limited edition size of just 500, and you get a much higher than normal price. It's also important to note that these are large figures, bigger than you might anticipate. That's because that with the extra height of 9", they also take up a lot of volume.

Still, $50 is a big ticket price, hurting the overall value a bit.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing!

Overall - ***1/2
You might have expected this review to be on the new DST Son of Frankenstein - funny how two companies have a figure from such an old film at exactly the same time...don't fear, I'll be looking at that figure next week as well.

If they do a black and white version of this figure - a variant of a variant - I'd be all over it like hair on a bear.  While the green is more traditional, the gray scale color palette allows the skin detail and overall sculpt to shine.

I also have the black and white Mummy here, and I'll be getting to him once I've covered a couple of the DST monsters next week.

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

Where to Buy 
This guy is going to be at the NYCC later this week, where he should run you $50. Or you can pick him up at Mezco's website for the same price. The exclusive black and white Mummy is there as well, and you can get the pair for $90, saving a little.

Or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Mezco has done a number of Universal Monsters in this format, including the original Frankenstein in black and white, the Mega Scale Frankenstein, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Mezco also did a 'rebel' version of this guy that was an SDCC exclusive, which you can still pick up at Entertainment Earth.

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