I’ve been a Mcfarlane collector ever since the first Spawn line came out in 1994. Even though I’m not a big fan of the comic, I loved the way he designed the figures. He set a new standard on action figures and today he continues this trend. Picked up my set (6 figures) over the weekend for $60.
If I remember right, this is McFarlane’s third “Twisted Line”. Original line was based on Wizard of Oz and the second had a Fairy Tales them. The latest series consists of “Christmas” characters. McFarlane decided to choose:
Santa Claus
Mrs. Claus
Rudy Reindeer(I know, it’s not Rudolph)
Jack Frost
Snow Man
Santa’s Little Helper.
This line has some great figures but the whole set could have been better.
Santa Claus is my favorite figure, a cross between Spawn’s arch nemesis, Clown and Edward Scissorhands. His gas mask and beard can be removed to show a decomposed skull.
Mrs. Claus will surely go up in value in the future since this is the best McFarlane female figure ever! Obviously based on a stripper, she is dancing on a candy cane pole with two minions checking her out. What makes this figure great is the natural but dynamic pose and that her face looks real. Little details, like the “North Pole” and the message on the X-Mas present, make this figure worth owning.
Rudy Reindeer is my least favorite figure of the line. It feels like a rehash the Werewolf from McFarlane’s Monsters line and The Lion from the first series. I was never a big fan of those figures and this is no exception. We have a reindeer whose mouth goes all the way down to his stomach, standing on two legs, holding a Christmas themed axe. Nothing creative about the figure.
Next we have Jack Frost. Jack Frost has a base that duplicates as a town he is attacking. I thought I wasn’t going to like this figure but when I opened it, I appreciate the semi- transparent blue color they gave him to replicate ice. His pose could have been better, it looks like he is about to swing a baseball bat. I would have preferred Jack Frost looking down on the city and attacking it. The size could have been a bit bigger too but for the price, I can understand why they did not do it.
Snow Man could have been a boring choice, but thanks to the twigs they added to him, he looks somewhat like a spider. I love the base since it gives that melting effect. The ice effect on him is different from Jack Frost. Snow Man looks dirtier, like he has been traveling in the city, while Jack Frost looks like he has been chilling(pun intended) in the mountains. Good contrast!
Santa’s Little Helper’s finishes out this series and they don’t disappoint. I’m a sucker for “helpers, minions, whatever you call it” ever since McFarlane created them with Gravedigger. Santa’s Little Helper’s come with three small figures but still very detailed. With some companies, when figures get this small, they don’t put enough work into it. Figures come with overly large medieval weapons and a base.
Overall, I liked this line but did not impress me as much as “Oz”. There’s something lacking with this set or maybe the shock factor is not there anyway. Regardless of what is missing, it is still one of the best series of the year. Paint jobs are spot on. Blackwash is perfect and it makes you appreciate it after seeings some figures from Neca(I think if they did the blackwash right, there figures would be so much better). Each figure came out to about $10 and that is a great deal in my book. With most figures from other companies ranging from $12-$16 and not as good as McFarlane’s, I’d say this set is worth purchasing.
Rating: 8.5/10
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