Aspen Matthews (Fathom) - Action Figure Reviews

Series: Witchblade, 2

Craftsmanship: 8.8 out of 10

- Great sculpt

- Stand makes for easy display

- Cool "aquatic power weapon"

- Hair has the wet look

- Excellent paint job

- Limited articulation

- Easily pops out of the package

Playability: 6.6 out of 10

- Not a very tough and durable figure

- Shark accessory is a good bath time toy

- Limited articulation means limited poseability

- Not exactly a figure for the kids

- Compatible with other Witchblade figures

- Gun fits snuggly on the right arm

- Gun can be lost

Sculpted by: Clayburn Moore

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Aspen Matthews (Fathom)

by Moore Action Collectibles

What can you say about an action figure that exposes more skin than the average swimsuit calendar?

First, the sculpt and detail of Aspen Matthews is great. She’s got the fitness instructor physique that almost all female figures exhibit. Of course, I’ve never seen a fitness instructor with this kind of outfit. (Well, there was that one time . . .) Part

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of her outfit consists of barnacles and jagged coral, which is why she’s got the name, "Barnacle Betty," around my house. The coloring of these coral areas is a perfect mix of blue, orange, and purple. Actually, the entire color scheme makes her strangely appealing to just stare at. (But limit viewing time if you’re wife or girlfriend is around.) Her head has a great paint job. She has

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pupils! Her hair, a deep purple, runs to her shoulders and few wisps come down the side of her head lacks any over-splash. But her hair does negate the articulation in her neck. Try as I might, I cold not get her head to turn. It means that articulation is limited to four points: shoulders and top of her hips. The leg seams are very stiff and take a bit of working to get loose. But since you’re more likely to display this figure rather than play with it, the fact the legs are hard to move doesn’t really matter. She can stand on her own but since her feet are so small she’ll fall over with the slightest provocation. She comes with a base and that’s where she should stay. Which is not to say you can’t be creative displaying her. Silicone her to the base and install her in your fish tank! It can be hard to clean her up but it’s worth it for the effect. (I recommend a soft toothbrush with mild soap for cleanup.)

Playability is limited. But she comes with a hammerhead shark accessory that is great fun in the bathtub since it’s the perfect size for enacting exciting aquatic encounters with 3.5" G.I. Joes. Aspen herself is not really something to play with. I managed to pop out her left arm without too much trouble. (Okay, I stepped on her in the dark. When’s someone going to pick up all these toys?) Her "aquatic power weapon" fits snuggly and securely onto her right arm and manages to look menacing even while it looks so good. (It’s got the same colors as the rest of her barnacled areas.) Like all small accessories, the gun can be lost, but since you’re probably not going to be playing with it, you don’t have to worry too much. As mentioned before, articulation is limited so putting her into action stances to fight other characters in the Witchblade series isn’t possible. She is in good proportion to the other figures in the Witchblade series so she’ll fit right in on your book case. And it should be mentioned, even though it should be very obvious, that this is not a kids toy. As the package says, "Recommended for mature collectors." Considering the typical toy collector, "mature" is used in the chronological sense.

Fans of Clayburn Moore’s work, Fathom, or good-looking female figures won’t be disappointed. But if you want more "action" in your action figures, Aspen Matthews isn’t for you.

- Omni

Collectors note: There’s a transparent variant that fetches slightly more than the "regular" version reviewed here.