Series: Spawn 25, The Classic Comic Covers

Craftsmanship: 8.7 / 10

- Awesome translation of source material

- Token articulation

- Great display pieces

- Collectors really needed these

Playability: 6.0 / 10

- Twitch has more potential than Sam

- Guns can be lost and chair can be broken

- Sam’s cigarettes can be pull off

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Spawn fans and action figure collectors just haven’t seen enough Sam & Twitch figures.  The last figures came out wa-a-a-ay back in 1997.  With this packaging we get radically different versions of both Sam and Twitch that are near-perfect renderings of the pair as they appear on the cover of Sam and Twitch #22.

The biggest difference between the cover (handily included in mini form) and the figures is the shading in the middle of Twitch’s face.  On the cover it’s plunged in shadow but the figure takes a lighter approach.  On the other hand, Sam’s face is half-painted in shadow just like the cover.  This makes the figure look like he got hit in the face with a balloon filled with volcanic ash or that he’s wearing some kind of tribal make-up but it still works.

The sculpting is ultra-sharp, with not much missed – even the bolts on the bottom of Sam’s chair are included!  Even better is the fact the sculpt makes Sam look less like he’s going to explode if he inhales one more time (as he does on the cover).

Is there articulation with such an emphasis on display?  It’s a qualified, “No.”  Twitch has useful seamed articulation at his neck, shoulders and wrists that allow him to be posed in a “I know what you’re thinking, punk,” stance.  He also has articulation at the ankles but they’re about as useful as the articulation that Sam has.  There’s a whopping two points of articulation for Sam: at the right elbow and the right ankle.  In all practicality, each can be moved about an 1/8 of a turn.  It’s there just to make you wonder why McFarlane included it at all.  And while we’re wondering that, here’s another one: Why even have Sam separate from the chair?  Sam can’t be made to stand on his own or even to sit on flat edges, so why force us to stick his fat butt into the chair?

Playability is good for Twitch but poor for Sam.  Both Twitch’s handguns fit well in his hands and he’s a good fit with other 6” figures from the Spawn universe.  Just having the articulated shoulders is enough to increase the playability, but because Twitch only makes for half the package, as a whole the playability score suffers.  The guns are pretty small so you do have to keep an eye on them so they don’t get lost.  Twitch is just tough enough to hold up under normal play conditions.  Sam on the other hand is big lump that might come in handy if you like bowling with your action figures.  Sam’s cigarettes are also susceptible to being pulled off and his chair broken.  Lesson to learn: Play with Twitch, leave Sam on display.

Sam and Twitch might be geared toward hardcore collectors, but they sure won’t be disappointed with them.  And, besides that you get two figures for the price of one, which might be enough to make the pair attractive for cost conscious collectors.

- Omni

(March 27, 2004)