Once
again, McFarlane Toys has managed to package a huge figure on a small
card. Malebolgia II (Series 17, R3) is one big figure. He’s big and
terrifying, with long claws, a spiked tail, a mammoth underbite, exposed
muscle tissue, and webbed feet. Detail is very good as is the paint job.
And since this figure is an R3 (rescuplted, repainted, revisited) there
have been a few improvements. First, he’s black, which is much more
menacing than the original dusty sand colour. Especially good are the
eyes, which seem to have an unholy glow about them. There are some
subtle changes made to the sculpt but the most obvious (and useful) is
the curved bone protruding from his right leg, which acts as a third
point of surface contact. This extra point makes it easy to keep
Malebolgia II standing. (The colour scheme and sculpt remind me of Venom
the Symbiote from Along Came a Spider.)
Articulation
placement is excellent. The points of articulation (9) allow a lot of
different poses without endangering his ability to remain standing. The
legs are devoid of articulation which is due to the way the sculpt was
designed. The bendable tail is a great addition. The bendable portion
melds seamlessly with the rest of the tail. At first I was sure the neck
couldn’t move but it does – the joint is so well integrated and
camouflaged that it’s not noticeable. His mane of white hair and a
couple of deftly painted flaps running from his face cover up the seam.
This is in contrast to the seams across his biceps, but this is forgiven
since they add to the playability.
Small
kids might shy away from this figure (the package says, "Ages 5
& up") because of his demonic looks but older kids will like
the chance to pit 3 ¾" G.I. Joes against a netherworld inhabitant.
Malebolgia II is in good proportion to the other figures in Series 17 so
arranging
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them into neat looking battle stances is no problem. Some of
the sharp bone protuberances can cause injury. Left on the floor,
Malebolgia II becomes as dangerous as a spike belt – especially in the
dark. I actually had to apply a bandage after crunching him underfoot on
a midnight visit to the bathroom after eating too much Mexican food. No
stitches required but can I sue for damages? Probably not.
If
you missed Malebolgia II the first time through, grabbing the R3 is
recommended.