Warriors of the Zodiac - Action Figure Reviews

Series: Warriors of the Zodiac, 1

Craftsmanship:

- Captures a B-movie sensibility

- Great detail and paint application

Playability

- Sharp bits all over the place

- Smaller accessories can be broken or lost

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Warriors of the Zodiac

by McFarlane Toys

This new series of action figures from McFarlane Toys is inspired by the twelve astrological signs and if the first four figures are anything to go by, we're in for a good assortment of B-movie figures that wouldn't be out of place battling Infra-Man or taking shots from the members of the Earth Defense Force. (The actual story that brings these characters together is told with and in-package story.) The only thing preventing these figures from being straight-up campy is that they have so much detail. Take for instance...

Cancer, The Crab

With big pincers and barnacled body features, like that big "hat" he's wearing,

Cancer should be fighting the Power Rangers. On the whole, he looks a bit ridiculous.

The size, color and detail is actually very good, especially around the face. The flaw with this figure, as with almost all the other Zodiac figures in this line-up, is the poor articulation. Cancer has these great claws - I think one of them is supposed to be a two-pronged trident - but they can't really be used to hold smaller action figures. That's a bit of a letdown.

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Gemini, The Twins

Vaguely reminiscent of Clive Barker's Mongroid (Tortured Souls, Series 1), Gemini can actually be split apart. That doesn't really change the overall impact or look of the figure

because they're both essentially the same - a two-legged slug with a pinched mouth full of teeth. For whatever reason, Gemini is equipped with quasi-samurai armor with

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extra spikes. It only serves to make him look almost as ridiculous as Cancer.

Taurus, The Bull

Larger and bulkier than the other figures in Series 1, Taurus is the "tank" of the group. Again, the detail and sculpting is great but this figure would seem more at home in McFarlane's old Total Chaos line with the likes of Poacher than with these astrological figures.

I really like the massive hammer that comes packed with the figure. Additionally, it can actually be used with some 12" action figures because it is so big.

Gemini, The Twins (left); Taurus, The Bull (right)

Aries, The Ram

How do we know Aries is "extreme"? The flaming head is a dead giveaway but in case that isn't enough to tip you off, the long battle staff is also another clue, as are the six-pack abs.

I thought Aries would be the most difficult character to keep standing because of the small surface area of his feet relative to the rest of the figure. However, because of the low articulation it isn't a problem - the balance is actually good, even when the staff is in place.

Each of the figures included in this first series of Zodiac figures, is durable enough to off some play value, with the usual cautions of losing or breaking the small accessories. And, in what seems to be a very regular warning for all McFarlane Toys action figures, there are plenty of sharp bits all over each figure and even some of their accessories. (Crunching one underfoot is painful.)

McFarlane Toys has proven they can make collectibles in different styles - The Simpsons, Hanna Barbara, Where the Wild Things Are - and still maintain their commitment to very detailed figures and good-looking pieces of plastic. While I'd say the Warriors of the Zodiac live up to previous McFarlane Toys action figures, it might have been better to see a different style with this line-up. What about a classical Greco-Roman representation? Or a style that looks less like it could easily be swapped into any other Spawn line-up? That would help set the figures apart.

- Omni

(July 23, 2008)


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