Before I write the rest of this review I have to tell a story that will put everything in context.

During my career at University – four years that may have been better spent picking my nose – I had one English professor that plagued me. In one instant I took an English course I wasn’t the least bit interested in just so I could avoid a class he was teaching. Unfortunately, the prof that was supposed to teach the class took a job across the country leaving the class in limbo. Seeing himself as a hero, my nemesis arrived to take control. During lecture I could often be found slouched in my chair, a strand of drool from my mouth to my shirt and a single line of scrawl at the top of my note paper from two weeks previously. He liked to talk – a lot – about just about everything even remotely related to Romanticism or Feminism. To say he was boring would be an understatement. The smaller discussion group sessions boiled down to one ass-kisser after another telling the prof what a great thinker he was, agreeing with everything he said. In my final paper I pulled out all the stops, systematically tearing down his arguments using some really obscure academic reference material and my own brand of sarcasm. His outline called for a 10,000 word (or roughly 25 pages), typed, double-spaced. After about 5,000 words I ran out of venom – venom produced from months of his absolute boring class. I actually thought my venom would produce more pages, but it didn’t. So, I increased the font size from 12 to 14.3 and the spacing from double to 2.3, slapped my name on the front and handed it in. Some of the other students complained that 10,000 words was too limiting. (Here’s a hint: focus your damn argument!) The paper netted me a "D" and comments like, "Not well researched" and "lacking vision" and "use of the first person is not to academic standards." My bibliography comprised more than 40 different sources, and I’ll use the first person if I want to! I took solace in the fact that the "D" still allowed me to pass the class and not bring down my overall GPA enough to prevent me from graduating.

I tell that story to provide some context because Giles reminds me so much of my old English prof. He’s got the same damn smugness! My English prof never carried a large battle-axe, like Giles, but if he had I’m sure I would have paid attention in lecture. The facial detail looks kind of like his TV counterpart, most of the detail is painted on giving him a washed-out look. In contrast, his hands are extremely detailed. On the backs of his hands they’ve sculpted his tendons and veins. The hang of his clothes is realistic, giving him that scholarly look.

Articulation is good with 13 points and they afford a wide range of poses, especially when he’s installed on his base. It’s good to see the "hidden" neck articulation – I really think all figures should adopt this method of the head pegged onto the top of the neck. It eliminates the usual seam joint at the top of the collar without sacrificing mobility.

bag is big enough to hold most of the stuff when you're not playing with it.  It's a great way to keep everything together.

Giles has the advantage of being part of the overall Buffy line, so he fits in with the other Buffy figures. He’s the tallest of the figures, which is accurate to the TV show. Having other figures to interact with always boosts the playability score. He gets points for being fairly durable. (I dropped works of English literature on him – unabridged hardcover War and Peace, and the Complete Works of Shakespeare.) He survived largely unscathed – he gained a few minor scratches but nothing debilitating. Unfortunately, Giles suffers a lot from his limited appeal. I’ve never heard action figure fanatics demanding more "old man" figures; however, Buffy fans shouldn’t be disappointed.

- Omni