Buffy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

I have a question: Why does Buffy look so bored when she’s got one of the all-time greatest jobs, killing vampires? You can put her into all kinds of exciting and intimidating poses with her vicious battle-axe in one hand and a crossbow in the other, ready to kill any undead blood suckers, but she still looks bored.

While looking bored is definitely a detraction, she’s the only Buffy figure to have a dead-on likeness. The overall sculpt is very good – this is like having a mini-Sarah Michelle Geller on your shelf. She has many points of articulation allowing for good mobility but threaten to break when played with. She also fits extremely well on her base and won’t fall off. (Her bent  right leg avoids the problem of gradually falling backwards that affects Cordelia and 

Xander) The base itself is consistent with the rest of the line – the grassy knoll with headstone accessory. Buffy can stand without her base but any vibration will knock her over.

The paint job, integral to making a figure stand out, is very good. There’s no oversplash. Her pants and top have a sheen to them, making it look like she’s wearing a PVC suit. (Like Trinity 2 from the Matrix.) With some good light she really stands out, but even in a relatively shadowy area she’s noticeable. While I wouldn’t advocate that everyone start to implement shiny PVC paint jobs, it is used to great affect here.

Playability suffers somewhat from being able to lose them very easily. (However, the score would have been lower had there been none.) She comes with a battle-axe, a weird bladed weapon, a crossbow, and the ubiquitous vampire-heart-impaling stakes. All of them fit in her hands, plus most of the accessories that come with the other figures are compatible. Because I’m secure in my manliness, I didn’t feel at all ridiculous sitting on the floor enacting a scene of my own creation – Buffy meets Malebolgia at the dry cleaners – even as my two-year old looked on, shaking his head. Buffy, for all her vampire-killing ways isn’t very tough. I wouldn’t go so far as to say she’s fragile, but popping a hand off is a little too easy to do. She can also ride in most He-Man vehicles just as Xander, which adds a whole other dimension of play. (He-Man says, "C’mon Buffy, let’s go for a ride while Teela’s out of town!")

Fans of the show and collectors will be very happy with Buffy. She’s got good poseability and paint (but avoiding the statuesque) and lots of appropriate accessories. Plus, she has the best likeness of the series.

- Omni