Dark Raider (Spawn 22) from McFarlane Toys

Dark Raider is yet another example of McFarlane Toy’s action figure dominance and another great looking and poseable figure. *yawn*

I really hate repeating myself. I’d like to write a review of a McFarlane action figure that is entirely negative. “They did this wrong! This articulation is crap! A blind

monkey painted this! Totally worthless, avoid at all costs!” But I never get to do that. Sure, sometimes I get to leap on a flaw (or two) such as armor blocking articulation or sculpting that makes balancing a nightmare. Usually they’re minor points.

With Dark Raider, the minor point is his constipated look. Obviously, they were

shooting for the nasty, evil elf look, but all I see is an elf in dire need of a bran muffin. That being said, the detail and sculpting is terrific. So good is the sculpting that most of the articulation points are cleverly disguised (or at the very least, not obvious) and no small touch has been overlooked – right down to the “facemask.” The great thing about the facemask is that the eyeholes line up with his eyes when over his face. McFarlane could have gone the easy route – they didn’t have to commit to such detail – but they did. There’s really no denying that he’s a good-looking figure – with the added bonus that he’s extremely poseable thanks to the mix of MGS2 and Spawn 19 articulation. In short, Dark Raider kicks some serious ass.

There’s really no limit to his poseability, making his display properties go through the roof. Even with all this articulation and poseability, he’s so expertly balanced that keeping him standing isn’t a problem. Plus, he has a peg hole in his left foot if you want that extra stability. Basically, Dark Raider is the paragon of McFarlane innovation for figures under 8”.

Playability is less impressive since he tends to take damage easily and also the facemask can be popped off (and lost) quite easily. The swords are great but they’re on the small side so can be lost. However, when installed in his hands there’s not much chance you’ll lose them. (And you can always make use of the scabbard on his back.) The fur fringe can get completely frayed and during the play test the scabbard broke off and the seam joint on his right foot nearly popped out. Compatibility with the other Dark Ages figures is good so having a few figures increases playability – as long as you aren’t too brutal with him.

By far, Dark Raider is the must have figure of the series. He can be positioned in the most exciting poses, has the best combination of detail, color and sculpting compared to the others. Collectors should scoop him up now! He also has some playability as long as you’re gentle. Maybe next time I’ll be able to be more negatively critical of McFarlane Toys, but if they keep making figures like Dark Raider, I may never get the chance.

- Omni
(November 6, 2002)