I love having these turtles: NECA’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
It’s safe to say that like many my age I too owned many a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figure in my life. The originals were a large part the “end of days” when I was still buying toys only for play, while the latest movie figures were also well done enough for me to pick up for…my collection. Yeah, I so would be lying if I said I didn’t still play a little. But this past week, I picked up what I believe are the best TMNT figures to date.
Just released from NECA, these Turtles are all that and a bag of pork rinds (random TMNT movie reference, anyone?). They are based on what eventually became my favorite version of the guys -the Eastman and Laird original comics.
The design of these figures are simply amazing. They make great shelf or desk deco with their excellent paint scheme alone. The heavy use of black lines to match the style of the artists makes the figures look like 3-D artwork and the colors just pop. They also have a “texture” to theme that makes them appear even more “turtle-like”.
Along with the paint scheme, these figures have the best posability of any TMNT figure to date with over 20 points of articulation per figure. Gone are the oddly shaped legs/feet and rubber heads of the Playmates years, replaced by Turtles that can do just about anything you want them to. This makes these not only some of the best looking figures for the guys, but also the ones with the most playability. That’s saying a lot for a set of figures geared as more of a collectible, but is a very welcome surprise.
I also wanted to mention the attention to detail put into these figures. For the first time ever to the guys have the ability to look up. They can also stand in many poses (like the unassisted Don above) that the older figures could have never had pulled off. The weapons also look more realistic, with great details like the ‘metal’ chains on Mike’s chucks and the color on Leo’s katana handles. And the simple fact that Raph can hold his weapons through his fingers is very bad ass indeed.
I know some people might be turned off by the design not being more like the cartoon and the masks being all one color (just like the original comics) but that is yet another quality I like about the figures. Even though the paint schemes are identical, the figures each convey the character through facial expressions. Even without their weapons there is no way to confuse Leo with Mike. This gives the figures an individual personality that other lines lack.
If your a TMNT fan in the slightest, I highly recommend these figures. I found my set (a box set with just weapons; the individual figures are harder to find but come with a display base) at BigBadToyStore, but I’m sure they can be found around the net. These figures are now some of the best comic-based figures in my collection, so taking the time to find them is worth it and you won’t be disappointed.
Tags: NECA Teenage Mutant Ninka Turtles
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