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Farscape D'argo |
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I have to be honest - I'm not a huge fan of the show Farscape. I've
watched it on a few occasions, and have found it at least moderately
enjoyable, but like many shows of this type it helps if you watch the show
on a regular basis. That way you get a much better understanding of
the characters, their motivations, and any arching themes. That being said, I was still interested in seeing the new Farscape
figures. Let's face it, these are some interesting looking
characters, and have the potential to be a terrific line of action
figures. These are produced by Toy Vault, known previously for their
Astro City and Lord of the Rings toys. I found all four general
release figures - D'argo, Crichton, Chiana, and Zhaan - at Software Etc.
for $9.99. One more figure, Aeryn Sun, is a Another Universe (www.fandom.com)
exclusive. There is a second series already announced, and
supposedly plans for up to 20 figures. However, just like Astro
City, I'm sure it will depend on how well these first figures sell.
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Packaging - ***
These are some of the nicest bubble packages I've seen in quite
awhile. The graphics are attractive, with some great use of color,
and I like the tear drop design. They are great looking and sturdy,
a plus for the MOMC folks. One odd note - these toys are intended for
children 8 and up (odd enough), and on the back of the card it says
"Packing has to be kept since it contains important
information". Accessories - ***
D'argo comes with his dagger, sand mask and Qualta blade (which doubles as
a sword and pulse rifle). All three accessories are nicely done,
particularly his trademark sword. There is also a pleather
belt/harness that is removable. While it looks very good, be careful
with it - it appears to be easily ripped.
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Sculpting - ***
The sculpt work is very well done, and the addition of 'real' braids
coming off of the sculpted beard really add to the quality of this
figure. The expression fits D'argo perfectly as well. The
sculpting on Zhaan was also extremely good, but both Crichton and Chiana
were less impressive.
On D'argo, the only weak point to the sculpt isn't the head, but the
hands. The left hand is sculpted in a closed fist, making it
impossible for D'argo to hold both his dagger and sword at the same time.
Paint - **
Unfortunately, what is a good sculpt is hurt by a lousy paint job.
Some of it is well done - the black on the chest and face, for example -
but other areas are just terrible, including the gray paint on the chest
and arms. Be careful picking out your figure and try to find the one
with the best paint application possible.
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Articulation - *1/2
The back of the package claims 'multiple points of articulation'. I
suppose anything more than 1 can be considered multiple, but this figures
greatest failure is it's lack of decent articulation.
It has neck (which is almost useless due to the headsculpt), shoulders
(cut joints), wrists and waist. That's 6, but the waist and neck
don't give you much.
Elbows should have been automatic, along with hips and knees. The
lower body is simply one solid block of plastic, and that's unacceptable
by today's standards.
Value - **1/2
I'm assuming you'll find these at Toys R Us eventually, probably for
around 8 bucks. The price point is a little high, but not extreme.
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Overall - **1/2
Perhaps if I'd picked up Zhaan, this score might have been slightly
higher. The paint work looked better there, but I suspect she has
the same articulation problems. I wouldn't have rated Chiana or
Crichton any higher from what I could see at the store.
Toy Vault hasn't hit a home run yet - the Astro City
figures were less than stellar, and while the Lord of the Rings figures
were good, they aren't at the level of a company like Sideshow yet.
They are going in the right direction though, improving with each new
release.
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Figure from the collection of Michael Crawford
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