Tag Archives: comic con exclusive

August 12, 2025

NECA TMNT Toon SDCC 2025 Exclusive Bodacious Beach Bro Turtles

By Joe

For the second time, we’ve got a set of convention exclusive toon turtles with art by Ken Mitchroney!

2025 was almost an end of an era for me. After being a regular buyer of NECA’s convention exclusive Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures since 2017, I found myself passing on such a set. If you’re new to the exclusive game, each year for San Diego Comic Con NECA makes an exclusive set of TMNT figures to sell at the convention, but also online before the event takes place. Usually the sale is spread over three days and sell-outs are guaranteed to happen, you just don’t know how fast. Some years it’s practically instantaneous, other years it may take a half hour to an hour, it depends on the set. This used to be the only way NECA was allowed to sell TMNT action figures, but ever since the license was freed up some by Paramount it’s been less essential for collectors to snag every last exclusive NECA comes up with.

This year’s exclusive came from the toon subline based on the old Fred Wolf cartoon. It depicted the four brothers in beach attire which was all taken from different episodes of the show and paired them up with surfboards and a giant wave accessory. The sculpts looked to be new and more in-line with what we’ve seen from the Archie subline, but aside from that detail there wasn’t much to get excited about. It’s a fine looking set, I just never had beach turtles on my wants list when it came to the property. Four packs start at $150 and I was curious if this one would go higher since it was an exclusive. It can only be bought by non-attendees on NECA’s store and they did away with their flat-rate shipping a year or two ago so the price was expected to be substantial when all things were considered. When the item went up for sale, I took a look and found it would cost about $190 for me and I just wasn’t feeling it. Maybe I’m finally growing up, but I was able to walk away and break my streak of TMNT exclusives from NECA.

The main event with new sculpts by Tomasz Rozejowski.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one. The set hung around for an hour, then another, and it became clear that this wasn’t the most sought after exclusive NECA ever came up with. This was day one of a three day sale, mind you, so it certainly looked like NECA was going to have more than enough product to meet demand this go-around. Perhaps that made the company nervous? How else can one explain NECA out of no where sending a coupon out that evening for forty bucks off the set? They’ve never done that before and called it a loyalty deal. Supposedly, if you had bought a lot of TMNT product from them you got the email with the coupon code. I have bought a ton of TMNT stuff from NECA over the years, but not everything, and I didn’t get it. It didn’t matter though since it was a simple coupon code that was quickly shared online. Everyone who had already ordered had the code automatically applied to their order and for me it brought my total down almost to MSRP at $154 after shipping and all fees (yes, there is a tariff fee). It was enough to get me to pull the trigger and the set eventually sold out that day. I don’t know how it did the following days or what NECA charged at their booth, but it ended up being slightly less than what I would have paid at a retail store for a NECA four-pack.

There’s quite a bit of stuff in the box.

The price may have been right, but it was still a set that I wasn’t exactly jazzed about getting and my hope was that once in-hand I’d sing a different tune. The box it comes in is pretty massive as it’s basically a four-pack that you would find at Target, but it also goes deeper because of the giant wave accessory. The wave is in its own box that has the same colorway as everything else NECA does for this line, but doesn’t feature any graphics. Coincidentally, it’s one of two NECA convention exclusives this year to feature a wave effect and NECA also revealed a beach Slash that should pair nicely with this set. The figures themselves are all new sculpts that resemble the pin-less, Archie sculpts. Per Trevor Zammit at NECA, these are pretty much the new default turtles going forward so if you didn’t want this set don’t fret, I would expect more evergreen turtles to follow at some point on these bodies. Each turtle is in beach clothing taken from the show, though not all the same episode. It’s also a mix of materials as Leo, Raph, and Donatello have plastic shirts and soft goods shorts while Mikey just has soft goods shorts. Donatello and Leonardo also have ridiculous top hats while Raph has a more conventional baseball style hat. Mikey is hat-less and can easily be converted to a base Michelangelo if you so desire while the other three can’t without considerable work.

When I first took these boys out of the box I expected to find some mix of old and new. I took Michelangelo, being the most basic of the four, and compared him with the Stump Wrestling Raph since he’s practically a naked sculpt. To my surprise, these figures do not appear to share any parts. They may share some internals, basically what’s hidden by the shell and plastron, but that’s it. I figured the hands would be the same and the new ones even have that same, rounded, quality to them the Archie figures possess, but they’re all new as well. The Archie turtles appear to be just a touch bigger than these new toon bodies which in turn are bulkier than the old toon turtle body, but not really any taller. I’m not sure how I feel about this new look. There’s certainly a pleasing, toon, quality to these sculpts, but if anything I’ve felt the turtles were a little oversized for the line. They look too big mixed with the human characters, in particular. NECA basically fixed this with Shredder at least by giving us a new, bulkier, version of the villain. Do they intend to do more new sculpts of Casey, April, and others? Maybe. I guess these new ones help make Zach seem smaller.

The figures also feature a much darker green for the skin. It’s definitely a lot closer to the Pizza Club reissues we saw a year ago or the Punk Turtles from that four-pack, but perhaps darker than both. We did just establish these are new sculpts, but if you were still hoping to mix and match with the old figures that’s not going to work. The colors will be off, plus the old hands are too small and the heads are as well even though they feature the same expression swapping tech. It’s an odd choice as I think the color of the turtles has always been pretty screen accurate. I know there are episodes where they’re darker, that’s just what happens with multiple studios working a show that’s trying to pump out as many episodes as it can in a short amount of time, but this does feel less accurate. I’m left to assume there is more of a subjective element at play here and NECA feels that these just look better with this shade of green. I did see someone speculate that maybe they’re darker since they’re at the beach and I suppose that’s possible too. Whenever new base turtles arrive we’ll dive into this more then, but for now I’m a little conflicted on where NECA is going with the turtles.

This gap is something I’ve never noticed before.

We’ll continue with the body talk here and just jump to articulation. If you have those Stump turtles then you know what to expect as the setup is basically the same. There’s a ball joint at the head and neck, hinged-ball shoulders, waist twist, diaphragm, bicep swivel, double-jointed elbows, wrists, ball-socket hips with thigh twist, double-jointed knees, and ankles that hinge and pivot. Because they’re turtles, the diaphragm joint is pretty useless. They also have elbow pads and knee pads which hinder the range at the elbows and knees. They go past 90 in both spots, but not to the degree you may expect. The hinge on the gripping hands is a horizontal one and not the preferred vertical, weapon-wielding orientation. Since these guys don’t come with any weapons, it’s not that big of a deal at the moment, but I hope it’s not indicative of what’s to come. There’s also a noticeable gap between the top of the thigh and the sidewall, if you will, on the shell with Michelangelo. The same gap is present on the old toon bodies as well as the Archie ones, but not to this degree. I wonder if there’s going to be a filler piece here like the plastic “diaper” on the Mirage Jim Lawson turtles? NECA may have skipped it since Michelangelo’s shorts hide it, but if so that’s kind of a cheap tactic. It probably does give him better range at the hips where full splits and high kicks are possible so I guess that could be their excuse. I do think most would have preferred this to just be a standard Mikey with soft goods pants though.

The shirts look good, but I do wish they were removable. The same is true of the hats and glasses.

For Leo, Raph, and Don, we have a soft plastic overlay in place of the shell and plastron. The shoulder is also a different piece as it’s a sculpted sleeve. The arm plugs into that and you get your bicep swivel inside the sleeve so the articulation is essentially the same as it is with Michelangelo. The shirts are designed to seem big like they’re hiding a shell underneath. There’s even some of the plastron sculpted into the piece at the collar. Because it’s soft and there is no hard plastic underneath, these guys do move a little better at the waist as they can actually pivot some in addition to rotating. I still can’t get the diaphragm joint to do anything though even though I can see it at least. The hats are also pegged onto the head and appear to be further secured with glue as they don’t want to spin. They’re soft and it’s easy to peel them back some to see there’s a big peg sticking out of the top of the head so even if you could get them off it would look hideous. It sure would have been nice if NECA just made them separate. Leonardo also has sunglasses and they’re glued to his head like the ones with the Punk Turtles. While the plastic shirts help give a more toon appearance, I do find they clash a bit with the soft goods shorts. And I probably speak for most when I say I wish they went with soft goods all over so we could convert this whole group into a standard look, but then we wouldn’t buy the eventual four-pack release that’s sure to come, right?

The paint across all four is mostly good. The cel-shading is gone as that appears to be a thing of the past now and instead they’re the same shade of green all over. The patterns on the shirts are handled very well and there’s some black linework painted onto the sculpts. Basically, NECA is taking the same approach now with this line as it does the Archie one when it comes to paint. These turtles do have massive pupils now and it’s a bit weird looking. Their eyes almost look dialated. Raph also seems kind of pissed, but maybe he didn’t pick the outfit? He also has some black linework on his hat that basically just goes from one “ear” (I realize they don’t have any, I just mean where an ear would be) over the top of the hat to the other. There’s a sculpted shape to the top of the hat though and I almost wonder if the line was supposed to follow that because it looks weird to see that left unpainted. I do have a couple of paint dots on the forearms of all but Leonardo. They’re very small and in the color of the turtle’s elbow pads. I’m not sure if it will come off, or if it would just be easier to go over it with a little dab of green paint.

The only picture I took of my original set: Mikey’s broken bicep.

Unfortunately, I do have a quality control issue right out of the box. Michelangelo’s left arm is barely hanging on at the bicep. The peg looks to have split as I can see right into it. It was obvious to my eye just looking at him. Had it not been I probably would have twisted the arm right off. In addition to that, Raph’s left shoulder won’t budge at the hinge and his arm has some wiggle at the bicep as well. It’s possible it just isn’t seated perfectly in the joint or it could also be defective, but just not to the extent of Michelangelo’s arm. Some hot water would likely free up that shoulder, but with Michelangelo basically broken I didn’t want to try without first reaching out to NECA. I emailed them after 5 PM on a Thursday and they got back to me before 9 AM the next day with a shipping label for me to return the entire package. Thankfully, I had only removed the turtles from the box so it was pretty easy to put everything back in its place and ship it out. NECA did say they would send me a replacement if one was available. Since it is a Comic Con exclusive, it’s possible they don’t have any to replace it with and if that’s the case they’ll refund me. It’s kind of annoying that they couldn’t commit as maybe I’d elect to keep it if I couldn’t get a replacement? At any rate, I’m writing this in between shipping the set back and receiving a new one from NECA so if it all went according to plan then you’ve seen a bunch of pictures and the review can continue on from here. And if not…

After just over a week after receiving the first set from NECA I had a new one. Michelangelo is now fine and the Raphael appears to be an improvement as well. The only new issue is my Raph has a little blemish on his nose. It’s not really visible because of the darkness of the skin, but can be felt. All in all though, a good customer service experience and no complaints from me. Now we can move onto the other stuff in the box.

Mikey drew the short straw and got the bad stand.

For hands, these turtles each have a set of gripping hands, fists, open, and thumbs up hands. We also get one extra set of open hands for good measure, I guess. Every hand as a horizontal hinge which is unfortunate for both the gripping and thumbs up gesture. Hopefully this doesn’t mean the eventual standard turtles aren’t missing the vertical gripping hand. Each turtle also comes with a surfboard. They’re not really color-coded to the turtles as we get a purple one with shell pattern, orange with a shell tamp, pink with red stripe, and a solid purple board with an attachable orange sail. These are all almost certainly taken from the cartoon, but it was still surprising to see we don’t have a simple blue, red, orange, purple pattern. The sail plugs into the purple board rather snugly. It won’t even rotate once inserted so maybe make sure it goes in the way you want it to because getting it out could be tricky. It’s hard plastic and probably would be easy to snap. The boards also need their fins attached to the underside and each comes with a clear, acrylic, stand like the old Turtles in Time figures NECA put out. Three of my stands work fine while the fourth is too loose. I’ll have to modify it so the boards can fit snug onto it. Right now, the board just tilts all the way back until the fin hits the surface it’s on.

The big accessory, and what is probably the selling point, is the wave and fifth surfboard. The wave is done in translucent, blue, plastic, with white paint for the crest. There’s a black ball peg towards the front and that’s for the yellow board to plug into. The wave is about 8″ long and the board 11″ (the other boards are close to 9″) and once plugged in it will get your turtles about 4″ off of the surface it’s placed on. There’s some nice weight to the accessory and it does what it’s supposed to do. The board has no pegs on it for added stability, but does feature a rough surface which may help with grip. You can fit all four turtles onto it, though it gets pretty crowded. It completes the look and when all is said and done I’m guessing this thing is the only aspect of this set that will remain exclusive to it, but who knows? Maybe it will even show up in another line?

It is indeed possible to get all four brothers standing on this board.

The only other accessories in the box are three pizzas and two pizza boxes that just say “Pizza” on them. They are the hinged style, so I guess that’s good. Is that enough? Considering it’s a convention exclusive and the figures are all new (though destined to be reused many times over) sculpts I think it feels about right. The only real negative for me is that the figures can’t just be converted to regular turtles. Michelangelo might be, but the rest aren’t and none of the old expressions work here. Considering the change in skin-tone it’s not as big of a loss as it would have been, but it’s still annoying to go from a solid assortment of expressions to just what we have here. I’ll withhold final judgement on the sculpts as far as their appropriateness for the source and as replacements of the old ones. I have felt for awhile that the turtles have fallen behind some of the more on-model sculpts we’ve seen in the line over the past few years so I wanted new ones, I just don’t know how much of an improvement these are.

What day at the beach would be complete without pizza?

That’s a discussion for another day, as for this one, should you get it? Only if you love the concept. If you never wanted and still don’t want beach turtles after reading this then feel free to skip it. Yes, it’s a little exciting to get your hands on new turtle sculpts a bit early, but we’ll get the real thing eventually. If on the other hand you really like the look of this one then, sure, go for it. Assuming it’s not now overpriced. I have a feeling demand was soft and that NECA still has a bunch of these. Will they put them back up for sale? Probably, though with these things they usually first do it as booth exclusives at later shows. If they go up on a website it probably won’t be for a little while and without fanfare. Costumes.com was the website that would get that stuff in the past and it might in the future. Convention goers looking to flip this for a quick buck probably won’t find many takers so if you play the waiting game on eBay you may eventually find people looking to just offload this one at cost, especially if they were able to take advantage of the $40 off promotion. We also know these figures are going to get two-pack releases in a different colorway eventually so, as I said before, the only real exclusive here may just be the wave. As for me, I’ll probably make these guys a summer time decoration and that’s all. It will help make them kind of fun, but it’s not a set I’ll likely do much playing with. Hopefully, I can get them back into the box without too much fuss, though I also kind of want to get rid of it since it’s so damn big. Ultimately, it’s a good convention exclusive because it has a theme, it’s executed pretty well, and it’s not something everyone needs.

The Bodacious Beach Bros. are just the latest in a long line of NECA convention exclusives:

NECA Mirage TMNT – The First Turtles SDCC 2024 40th Anniversary Edition

As the story goes, one night Kevin Eastman was drawing with his friend and partner-in-comics Peter Laird when the idea to doodle a ninja, anthropomorphized, turtle entered his brain. Laird was so amused by this drawing that he too drew his own take on it. What was done just to amuse each other eventually turned…

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NECA Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III SDCC Four-Pack

2023 marked the 30th anniversary of the much maligned third entrant in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film franchise and you just had to know that NECA Toys would mark the occasion. It was almost too obvious that I thought maybe the company would zig when everyone was expecting a zag, but they didn’t and…

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NECA Cartoon TMNT Premonition of a Premutation SDCC 4-Pack

It was a little over a month ago that San Diego Comic Con occurred, in person, for the first time since 2019. This was cause for a celebration, even if for those of us who take in the convention from the comfort of our homes saw little change. Even without the event taking place the…

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by Joe August 30, 2022May 25, 2023

Leave a comment | tags: action figures, comic con exclusive, neca, san diego comic con, sdcc, teenage mutant ninja turtles, TMNT | posted in Television, toys

November 19, 2024

NECA TMNT Movie NYCC ’24 Exclusive Kevin Eastman

By Joe

An unexpected addition to the 1990 TMNT movie collection from NECA Toys.

2024 marks 40 years of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and several companies have been marking the occasion in their own way. NECA, who has been flooding the market with TMNT action figures for several years now, celebrated the milestone with a San Diego Comic Con exclusive two-pack of The First Turtles. Based on the original sketches from co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the action figure set made a lot of sense as a 40th anniversary tie-in and as a Comic Con Exclusive. San Diego Comic Con may be the biggest convention in the world each year, but New York Comic Con is a pretty big deal too and since NYC is where the turtles call home, it made sense for NECA to have something special cooked up for that convention too. And they did and I think it caught everyone by surprise.

Eastman is obviously not the first human character in the line.

When the 1990 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was shot, there was a planned cameo from co-creator and current NECA collaborator Kevin Eastman. He was to play a garbage man and I assume he would be present in the aftermath of the battle with Shredder (and I think he is in the background). The scene was supposedly shot, but cut, highlighting the need for a better physical media release of the film that actually includes some of the shelved content. Even though the cameo may have been cut, NECA felt the need to celebrate it with a Kevin Eastman action figure as he would have appeared in that movie. It’s a great idea, and since it’s coming from the movie subline it means Eastman can be shown as he would have appeared in 1990. While it would be fun to see his comic book caricature turned into a figure (along with Laird), it’s definitely cool to get just a regular old Kevin first.

“April O’Neil here with the only eyewitness to tonight’s melee in the Bronx who has generously offered to provide a sketch of the strange creatures he saw tonight.”

NECA sold the Eastman figure at NYCC and also on its website beforehand. And he sold out fast. It caught me and probably many others by surprise as it felt like the old days when the only way to get NECA’s TMNT product was through quick-selling online drops. The figure comes in a standard NECA Ultimates box designed by Chris Raimo. The figure was sculpted by Kyle Windrix and Trevor Grove with paint by Geoff Trapp and Mike Puzzo and some fabrication elements by Anthony Minichino and Brodie Perkins.

Eastman stands at roughly the 7″ mark putting him on more or less equal footing with April and Casey in the line. He’s clad in the black jumpsuit of a garbage man with a flannel shirt underneath and brown work boots. He has an almost amused look on his face, like he’s just happy to be here, and his trademark curly hair and moustache are in place. It’s a simple look and the paint turned out well. There’s a subtle sheen to the folds on the jumpsuit that makes it seem like it may have been nylon. The name tag is very legible on the chest and the flannel pattern is pretty sharp. The only negative is the paint on the hairline, particularly the figure’s right side, is not as sharp as it should be.

And I thought it was going to be just another boring manhole accessory.

Accessories for Kevin are sparse, but he probably has enough. Since he’s a garbage man he has a garbage bag. It’s a shiny, black, plastic, bag that’s tied off and likely stuffed with a sponge-like material to give it shape. It is what it is. Kevin has one gripping left hand and a pencil gripping right hand plus four pencils to go with it. The pencils, or pens, are just gray which is a little disappointing. Maybe they match the scene, but a more traditional orange #2 pencil would have looked a little nicer. He also has a clipboard with doodles of the turtles on it. They are done in an Eastman style and I’m guessing these are actual Kevin Eastman drawings shrunk down. It’s the accessory most are likely to display the figure with. Lastly, there’s a manhole cover which seems kind of dull at first. It reads “Lairdman Island,” a reference to the film and a portmanteau of Laird and Eastman. Flip it over though and you’ll find a recreation of the actual manhole cover that was placed in Dover, NH, birthplace of the TMNT, earlier this year. It has the address sculpted in and there’s a silhouette of the four turtles from their debut issue. I still need to get up there to see it for myself (my sister even lives in Dover) to properly compare, but this is a neat little accessory.

“I’m not sure you really captured the likeness here, pal.”

Articulation for Kevin is pretty bad. The hair keeps his head from doing a whole lot, but he can look down at his clipboard at least. Arms are basic and the elbows are single-hinged and the hinges on both hands are the standard type which I suppose is fine. There is a waist twist, but it has minimal range and the hips do almost nothing. They’re the old pin style too which I have a strong dislike for. I’m guessing these legs are reused from another figure, but I have no idea what. I assumed he was going to share parts with the jumpsuit Professor Perry (which I passed on), but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Knees are single-jointed and they’re fine. Ankles don’t really do anything.

“The results are in, Mr. Eastman: you ARE the father!”

The sculpt is pretty good and it’s executed well enough when it comes to the paint, but as an action figure this is a pretty bad release. Does that matter? Probably not. A Kevin Eastman Comic Con Exclusive action figure based on a cut scene from a 34 year old movie fits squarely in the novelty category. And as a novelty and a tribute to the franchise it’s fine. I’ll try to find something to do with the manhole cover while the trash bag will just live in the box. Kevin will be able to stand among my movie figures happily doodling on his clipboard and that’s good enough for me. Hopefully he’s joined by Peter some day. Unfortunately, if you weren’t able to get this guy he’s sold out. He was slightly expensive for a NECA release at 40 bucks not including shipping. If you missed it and absolutely must have it as part of your collection, I personally wouldn’t go beyond 60 bucks. And that’s just for someone who feels like their collection would be incomplete without it. If you only had a passing interest, or were hoping to do more with the figure from a posing perspective, I wouldn’t go nuts trying to track this down as I don’t think it will be worth it for you.

If you feel like celebrating 40 years of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles then you have come to the right place:

NECA Mirage TMNT – The First Turtles SDCC 2024 40th Anniversary Edition

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by Joe August 6, 2024August 5, 2024

NECA TMNT Mirage Studios Kirby

Say the name “The King” to a comic book fan and they will immediately know of whom you speak. Jack Kirby is a titan in the world of comics. Creator or co-creator of a great many characters known throughout the world today, it’s hard to imagine what a comic book would look like without his…

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NECA TMNT Movie Ultimate April O’Neil – Signature Edition

NECA’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line has so been so successful that it’s allowed the company to branch out. It wasn’t that long ago that Playmates was the only game in town when it came to TMNT action figures and the company showed little to no interest in releasing anything other than the turtles themselves.…

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by Joe November 9, 2021November 8, 2021

Leave a comment | tags: action figures, comic con exclusive, kevin eastman, neca, new york comic con, teenage mutant ninja turtles, teenage mutant ninja turtles 1990 movie | posted in Film, toys

August 6, 2024

NECA Mirage TMNT – The First Turtles SDCC 2024 40th Anniversary Edition

By Joe

Kevin Eastman was commissioned to do the packaging and it’s appropriately “special.”

In 1984, the first issue of Mirage Studios’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hit shelves and became an indie darling. That comic would go on to inspire a toyline, which beget a cartoon series, and a phenom was born. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, once thought of as a fad, are still relevant today now more than 40 years from their inauspicious beginnings. To celebrate the milestone, NECA partnered with co-creator Kevin Eastman to create an action figure two-pack of those inaugural turtles. Sculpted by Paul Harding with paint by Geoff Trapp and Mike Puzzo, the set was sold as a two-pack at San Diego Comic Con as well as a presale on NECA’s own website. The First Turtles are just the latest in what are sure to be more celebratory figures to come. It’s on the heels of Playmates’ own Original Sketch Turtles which can currently be found at Target and on Amazon. Those turtles were the more refined, second pass, versions of the characters which bare a strong resemblance to what would be featured in that first comic, where as these originals are quite crude by comparison.

The original Eastman pose, as best as I can recreate it here.

The set sold by NECA comes in a rather large box adorned with new artwork by Eastman. It also features a lenticular slipcover depicting the drawings changing from black and white to color. The rear of the slipcover is almost bare white as the idea here was for convention goers to be able to have Eastman sign or even doodle on the box for them. I suppose that is still possible for other convention appearances to come. The interior box is a fairly typical NECA window box that displays both figures and their accessories quite well. The only thing missing is the actual original drawings which I’m surprised by, but maybe there were legal reasons. This really is a pretty nice display item, but I’m no in-box collector so let’s rip into this one.

First of all, the figures here are presented fully painted in color that’s basically a match for what NECA did with the Jim Lawson turtles released in 2023. The original drawings were never colored by Eastman and Laird, but since Eastman worked closely with NECA on this release it can be assumed that this is how he and Peter likely would color them today. We also don’t really know how tall they envisioned these guys to be or if any consideration was really given. Eastman probably had input there, but I don’t know if Laird had any involvement (he’s essentially retired after having sold the property to Viacom over a decade ago). Based on interviews Trevor Zammit of NECA has given, it sounds like NECA had some freedom to figure out how to present these two. Eastman’s turtle, which was really more tortoise-like in some respects, was made bigger and chunkier while the more lithe version Laird came up with is shorter and thinner.

These pair pretty well with the Playmates Original Sketch Turtles, which were like the second version of the property.

We might as well discuss the Eastman turtle first since it was the one said to be created first. The figure stands roughly 5.75″ to the top of its head. He may not be the tallest figure in the line, but he’s definitely a big boy. This turtle is quite chunky and there’s a nice heft to the figure. The shell is quite large and another area where NECA had to exercise some creative freedom since the drawing depicted the character from the front. Now, these turtles are not intended to be any, one, turtle from what followed. This isn’t Michelangelo or Raphael, it’s just a ninja turtle. Still, he has some recognizable traits from the turtles that followed. He’s sporting the red bandana along with brown elbow and knee pads and wrist wraps. There is no belt, but there is a tail. The original turtle also did not hold any weapons, but did have nunchaku affixed to both forearms which this figure does as well. The weapons are fused together, but do have real chain links affixed to them. They tab into a slot on the inner wrist band and are quite easy to work with.

What really stands out about the first turtle is the portrait and proportions. The head is more egg-shaped with barely any sort of beak. The eyes also feature pupils and areas of green around the eyes are visible through the eyeholes on the bandana. The hands and feet are large and more closely match that of an actual turtle. The hands look more like flippers for swimming through the water while the feet are quite tortoise-like. He has five digits on each limb as opposed to the three and two that would follow. The paint job is truly exquisite as there is tons of black hatch lines all over. The articulation cuts are not very prominent making this figure look almost like a statue. While subjectively many may find this turtle to be crude and even a bit ugly, objectively the figure is nothing short of a work of art when compared with the original sketch.

A lot of Michelangelo can be found in these original designs.

The same is true of the Laird turtle. This one clocks in at around 5.375″ and is far less substantial in mass when compared to the Eastman turtle. Laird’s turtle is similar to Eastman’s in style, but different. There’s a mask in place, but on this turtle it extends over a pronounced beak essentially wrapping around where the nose would be. It does feature the nunchaku on the forearms, but there are no chain links present this time and the straps holding them on are the only other garments on the turtle. There are no pads or belts, and the hands and feet feature four digits instead of five. He still is more turtle-like than the finished design, but the leaner proportions make him a bit more convincing as a ninja, even if still comically implausible. The paint job here is just as good as it is on the Eastman turtle, and despite the smaller size, this figure still has substantial weight to it.

The Lawson turtles were like the advancement of the original Mirage style.

Where the two figures also differ concerns the articulation. The more slender Laird turtle was likely easier to work with and articulates slightly better than the Eastman variety, though neither turtle is intended to be placed in poses many would consider “dynamic.” Both feature neck and head articulation with basic arm articulation. There are no double joints on either figure and the range at the hinge joints is probably going to be less than 90 degrees for most. The bandana knot and tail swivel while the hips are ball sockets with thigh swivels engineered into them. Neither turtle is going to be able to hit a split or kick forward all that far. The Laird turtle gets to have hinges at the knees and ankles with an ankle rocker. The Eastman turtle, who has big stumps for legs, just has one set of hinges below the kneepads. There is basically no ankle to be found on this guy so that’s it.

And, of course, it was the ’87 version of the property that launched a phenomenon.

Safe to say, if it’s articulation that you prioritize in your action figures then these are not for you. I think for most, they’ll pose them like the original drawing and call it a day. And that’s definitely a viable display option, but it would mean ignoring all of the goodies in the box. NECA decided to load this pair up with all of the weapons you would expect and more. That means we get a set of katana, nunchaku, sai, and a bo staff. There’s also a nunchaku with a whirling effect that even spins and looks really nice. There’s a tonfa as well if you prefer more of a Last Ronin vibe. All of the weapons are fully painted and look great. There’s a slight crudeness baked into some of them as well such as a chip in the blades of the katana and the wraps of the bo being off-center. They also appear to be based off of the original sketch of the four that followed which, if so, is a logical choice.

The tonfa has to nod to this guy, right?

In order to properly wield such weapons each turtle comes with an alternate set of gripping hands. The standard hands are an open style and the gripping are just that. They feature horizontal hinges, unfortunately, but at least they work with the clip-on nunchaku just fine. Both turtle can adequately wield any of the included, though aside from those clip-on ‘chuks there’s no weapon storage to be found. NECA also decided to give each figure one optional portrait. The default ones from the drawings are what I would deem stoic, while the alternate ones are angrier and feature exposed teeth, something we would be most accustomed to seeing out of the TMNT. It’s an appropriate alternate, for sure.

A fun set that feels like a real piece of TMNT history. Track it down if that’s something that appeals to you.

NECA’s send-up to the origin of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a worthy inclusion in the year-long 40th anniversary celebration. It’s cool to see both of the co-creator’s original vision celebrated here in action figure form. While they don’t exactly put the “action” in action figure, they make for a great display piece and it’s something that I think diehard TMNT collectors will want to add. Since this was a San Diego Comic Con exclusive, it’s now unfortunately sold out and only available on the after market. NECA sometimes sells remaining stock online and at future conventions, but the likely easiest path to owning this set for those that missed out is to keep an eye on retail. It’s expected that some stores are going to be home to an another version of this set where the figures will be painted in black and white, but with red bandanas and weapon handles. It looks like it’s going to contain everything from this set as well, though the slipcover will probably be dropped. The SDCC version was priced at $70 so expect something similar for the retail version. Listings for it have already been spotted at Walmart, but NECA’s own solicitation did not mention any store by name so I don’t think this will be exclusive to Walmart. Needless to say, I really dig this set for what it is and I think every TMNT collector should try to pick up the version they like best.

More from the world of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Playmates TMNT Original Sketch Turtles

Last week we took a Turtle Tuesday off which feels like a rarity for this blog. And that’s because there seems to be new stuff featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles branding coming out all of the time. And it’s only going to become more plentiful as the franchise celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.…

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Super7 TMNT Ultimates! Classic Rocker Leonardo

When I was a kid, I had parents with divergent musical tastes. Dad likes oldies from the 50s and 60s while mom was more into modern rock (then 80s). One area where their tastes overlapped was Bruce Springsteen. We had several of his records in my house and I distinctly remember that cover to Born…

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Leave a comment | tags: action figures, comic con exclusive, kevin eastman, mirage studios, peter laird, san diego comic con, san diego comic con 2024, teenage mutant ninja turtles, the first turtles | posted in Comics, toys

August 8, 2023

NECA Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III SDCC Four-Pack

By Joe

NECA did it. Those crazy, sons of bitches, actually did it.

Not only did everyone expect this set, but we all expected it to arrive just like this too.

It’s amusing that we’re here, since back when NECA first dipped its toe into the TMNT film franchise the director of product development at NECA, Randy Falk, basically scoffed at the idea of doing figures based on the sequel films. I don’t say that to throw shade at him or anything, it was a totally defensible position as the only good movie of those three 90s films was the original. What Falk couldn’t have predicted was just how well TMNT would sell for NECA. The popularity made it too much to ignore and fans wanted figures based on the sequels so NECA delivered. Kudos to them for listening to their fans.

Now, the third movie is mostly shunned because it has little to do with the first two movies and New Line Cinema no longer employed the services of The Jim Henson Company. That meant lower quality suits that looked pretty terrible. Where I could believe that the turtles were real when I first saw the original film, come the third the illusion was shot. Their suits looked like rubber, the head flapped with little nuance, and the turtles had a far more uniform look now. What was really bad though were those eyes: giant, lifeless, sunken-in eyes. They looked off back in 1993, and now with HD you can really see how they had eyeholes right underneath the bandanas for the suit actors. All that said, I am on record as saying the third movie is actually a better watch than the second. The only thing the Secret of the Ooze has over the third film is Henson, everything else sucks. The third movie has some of that “So bad it’s good,” charm going for it. I still have no interest in revisiting either film these days, but if I had to pick one I’d pick the third. And I’d probably pre-game with a few beers before watching it.

“Hah! You need to look in a mirror, dude!”

Because the third is so non-essential to me from a visual standpoint, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get the action figures when they were eventually announced. I would say that to anyone who asked, but in my heart I think I knew I’d cave the second they were made available. I have the first two therefore I need to complete the set. And since it’s another VHS box I basically had to do it – so I did. No, I did not attend San Diego Comic Con this year, instead, I bought this off of NECA’s website as they made the set available through there just as they have over the past several years. It wasn’t super hard to get, and their shipping was actually really cheap for a change, and they also sold more during the con both physically and online. I’m guessing they made a ton of these things so my guess is everyone who wanted one was able to get it. It was $150, basically the new standard for their four-packs, and it was also sold alongside a Keno from Secret of the Ooze. I passed on Keno, so apologies if you were looking for a review from me. NECA wanted $100 for Keno and his scooter and tossed in a bunch of “swag” to basically bring it up to that price. That’s too much for a Keno. If the set makes it to retail at a more manageable price I’ll reconsider it then.

Before we get to the toys, lets talk about that box. Just like the convention exclusives for the first two movies, this one comes in a box that looks almost exactly like the original home video release. That means we get the four turtles on the cover with their helmets from the film. There’s some shots on the back as well and even a flashy quote from the Yes, Have Some podcast group. Where this set is different though is that NECA had to “cheat” to do the cover. The figures on the front of the box are not the ones in it. That’s because the turtles were sans clothing on the VHS box, but these figures place them in their samurai costumes. NECA does have a disclaimer on the front of the box letting you know that you’re looking at the Secret of the Ooze figures with the movie three heads. Am I mad about that? No, but I felt it was warranted to point out in case anyone was hoping for maybe soft goods in the box that could strip-down for this look.

As usual, NECA’s sculpt and paint is exceptional. These figures were done by Brodie Perkins.

With that out of the way, lets get down to business. The turtles are all essentially the same figure with minor differences. They stand around 6.5″ in height which puts them pretty much on par with the past movie figures which exist in more of a 1:10 scale as opposed to 1:12. As mentioned previously, the clothing and armor is all part of the sculpt, and it’s pretty impressively done. There’s a ton of detail on the chest especially with a wash applied to the softer materials to bring out the sculpted folds. There’s some nice trim work on the shins and gloves, and if you spin the figure around you’ll see a bit of the shell poking through. Since they’re fully clothed, NECA didn’t actually sculpt and affix a shell to each figure which will pay off when we get to the articulation.

I’m less impressed by the soft goods. They’re just okay.

The heads on these guys are what will attract the most attention. They have that pretty dead-eye stare going with some deep recesses where those eyeholes would have been. There’s also a bit of green visible around their eyes and the expressions are fairly neutral. Donnie has a bit of an open mouth with a hint of a smile and Mikey’s mouth is a bit more relaxed as well. Leo and Raph look almost bored which is pretty on-model for the film. And if you don’t like these faces, they have their masks to cover them up. They slide on rather easily and fit snug enough. There’s some nice weathering applied via the paintjob and the sculpted mustache and beard is color-coded for each turtle. Leo and Don get blue and purple, respectively, while Mikey gets a light brown and Raph a darker one. I have no idea if they were like that in the movie, but this is NECA, so the answer is “probably.”

You can put the new heads on an older body if you want an unclothed look. On the left, is movie 1 Mikey and on the right is SotO Mikey’s body with the TMNT III head.

To complete the look, each turtle has a helmet and cloak. The helmets are all the same and they slot onto the bandana knot on the back of the figure’s head. They were pretty snug in the box and I haven’t been able to get them back on to that degree with the masks on, but they sit fine either way. The cloaks are soft goods with a wire running through the front. As far as soft goods go, they’re not NECA’s best. They feel thin and kind of cheap. If there was a bit more substance to them, and in turn more weight as a result, I would like them a lot more. Three of them are the same, while the fourth is for Leonardo and it has some slits cut into it to accommodate his sword holsters. It’s a little tricky getting his on as a result, and it looks kind of bunched up and messy once done. I’m left thinking just a pair of long slits would have worked better, but this is probably more film accurate. Regardless, it’s on the figure’s back so it’s not that big of an issue.

“Donnie, what are you doing?!” “What?! We need horses and Barbie is HUGE right now. We’d be stupid not to get in on this!”

Once you get everything on, the turtles do look pretty cool and like they stepped out of the film. All of the details I remember from the movie are present and I like the proportioning on these guys too. I agree that it was the right move to just sculpt all of the clothing because the samurai look is the one most associated with the movie. I know they did ditch the outfits fairly quickly, but if they had come with soft goods there’s no way I’d display them unclothed. Unless the soft goods turned out frumpy and bad, which is likely given they’re wearing armor over clothing. There is one subtle difference between the four and it’s the belt. Again, I’m not sure if it was different for each turtle in the movie or not, but it probably was and I’m glad NECA didn’t skimp on such a minor detail when they probably could have.

The accessories for this set are mostly as expected. In keeping with past four-packs, all four figures come equipped with gripping hands in the box and there are five additional sets of hands for the guys to share. This is actually better than the Mirage four-pack which only had four extra sets. And those extra sets are relaxed hands, wide open hands, pointing hands, fists, and a set of tighter gripping hands. The tighter hands work well with some of the thinner weapons in the set while the pointing hands also function well as specialty sai hands. The regular gripping hands can also manage to grip a sai with the center blade through them. All of the hands feature horizontal hinges which is a continued bummer for NECA and TMNT.

“Ohh man, I’m never time-traveling again.”

To go with those hands, the turtles have their expected weapons. Raph has a pair of sai, Mikey his nunchaku, Donnie his bo staff, and Leo his set of katana. The sai, ‘chuks, and bo are the same as past versions of those weapons while Leo’s swords are new. I’m guessing they decided his swords were different enough onscreen to warrant a re-sculpt, but it may have also been to make them a bit more durable. The prior swords are thin and some have complained that they’re too brittle. I haven’t had an issue with them, but these new ones are fine too. The handle is pretty thick as well and they slot into the scabbards with ease. Mike and Raph can store their weapons by just fitting them between the belt and body. Donnie could too, but not really while wearing the cloak.

“Donnie, is this thing really going to work?” “Of course it is!”

Say what you want about the third movie, but at least it didn’t have Mikey running around with hot dogs for weapons.

We’ve got hands and the usual weapons so what else do we need from the movie? How about a time scepter? How about 3?! Yes, we get three versions of the magical, time-traveling, device: the standard version, the broken version, and the homemade version. All three look pretty damn great. There’s some nice, transparent, plastic used for glass and the sculpt and paint looks great, especially on the standard one. The busted one has sculpted breaks in the glass and a darker paint job as if it had a bunch of smoke just pour out. The homemade one is appropriately plain, but cool to have, I suppose. The little, hourglass shaped thing in the center doesn’t actually spin, but they look cool and obviously we had to get the scepter. I don’t know if we needed all three, but credit NECA for covering their bases. We also get a pair of sabers from the scene where Michelangelo finds them in a barn. I didn’t remember that they were actually two different swords in the movie, but of course NECA did. They look great as well and it’s a good pull from the film.

The extra heads are a nice idea, but they don’t really match the movie 1 bodies and bandana tails.

The blue on the new head is quite a bit different from the original with Leo.

Lastly, we get some interesting bonus parts in the form of four additional heads. These heads though are not for these figures, necessarily, but are actually based on the first movie. All four are basically angry, almost snarling, expressions and I think they’re from the scene where the turtles find Danny hiding in their old sewer lair. At least, the shape of Michelangelo’s mouth looks to be from that quick shot. It’s an interesting addition for this set though and tells me that maybe NECA was unsure of whether or not figures based on the third movie would sell so they sweetened the deal with these. And that’s fine, but the problem is that the paintjob doesn’t really match those figures. The color of the bandanas is a bit different and the shade of green of the skin is too. As a result, I can’t really see myself using any of these. There were some variations in those first four figures so maybe they’ll match other sets better than they do mine.

Raph and Donnie’s extra heads, if you’re interested.

That’s all that’s in the box, so how do these heroes on the half shell move? Well, not great. These figures are definitely going for aesthetic over function, but I do wish they could do a bit more. Especially considering we have some clothing to hide joints. The head is on a double ball peg and that’s fine. You will get plenty of range so long as the figure is without helmet. The shoulders are hinged ball pegs and they raise out to the side just fine and rotate easily. NECA also snuck a little butterfly joint into the shoulder which is uncharacteristic of them. I’m not sure why they did it, but that’s cool. It unfortunately doesn’t add a whole lot though, but it’s not useless. The elbows are hinged pegs as well so you get a swivel and a bend that goes about 90 degrees. I was surprised that NECA didn’t use their unique double-jointed elbow setup which I think would have worked fine here. The wrists swivel and hinge and all of the hinges are horizontal ones which sucks.

If there is a diaphragm joint, I can’t tell. It would be useless, if so. The waist is a ball joint so you get a little play forward, back, and to the side, but it’s quite minimal. No shell means you get full rotation, at least. The hips are ball-jointed and raise out to the side to almost a full split. They, unfortunately, don’t kick forward much at all due to the presence of a “diaper” piece. Given how the armor has these flaps that hang down, I wish NECA had not gone with the diaper over the hips or had cut away a bunch of it for more range. The thigh swivel is pretty non-existent as well. The knees are double-jointed with a pair of hinged pegs similar to some of the elbows NECA does. Unfortunately, the sculpt of the pants basically covers the top hinge and it can’t do anything. The bottom hinge and peg will let the figures bend about 90 degrees and also swivel. At the ankle, we have the usual hinge and rocker which work okay. Lastly, there’s the wire in the cloak. It’s more for positioning, but if you want your figure to look like it’s getting blasted in the face with a leaf blower it can do that too. The wire is only in the front though and doesn’t run through the entire hem.

The pizza from the Musical Mutagen Tour set was the closest thing I had to Mikey’s attempt at pizza in the film.

These figures aren’t going to bust out with the cool ninja moves, they’re intended to just look neat on your shelf with some minor degree of posing. I think they mostly look good enough to make up for that lack of articulation, but I also think NECA could have done a little better and sacrificed some of that aesthetic for better range, particularly in the hips and knees. It probably doesn’t matter that much though as if you have ever wanted figures based on the third Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie then you’re probably not passing on this set. I can see some folks out there wanting base turtles from that movie, maybe with different expressions, but for me this is perfect. It’s the turtles from the movie in their most recognizable look. The set isn’t the home run it could have been given how the extra heads turned out, but the figures look the part and that’s what is most important. And if you’re into the novelty packaging, then NECA has you covered there as well. Now, let’s all thank Moe for being such a good sport!

If you want to read about more turtle toys, I can’t imagine a more robust place on the internet than here:

NECA 1990 TMNT Movie SDCC Set

For the past several years, the folks over at NECA have been making San Diego Comic Con an annual event for fans of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I mean, it’s always an event, but it’s been especially fun for TMNT fans because NECA has been able to release limited action figure sets based on…

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by Joe August 15, 2018

NECA TMNT Secret of the Ooze 4-Pack and Accessory Set

It’s that time of year when a lot of folks are reflecting on the past year and all of the things that happened. This usually coincides with list-making for favorites and worst of the year in basically every category you can dream of. And for action figure enthusiasts, there’s definitely a lot of list making.…

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by Joe December 27, 2022December 23, 2022

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III

When I was a child, going to the movies was a pretty big deal. It didn’t happen often so when it did it felt like a special occasion. Most of the Disney films of the late 80s and 90s were seen by me at home. Batman, Ghostbusters, every Back to the Future movie- all films…

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by Joe March 28, 2023March 20, 2023

Leave a comment | tags: action figures, comic con exclusive, neca, san diego comic con, teenage mutant ninja turtles, teenage mutant ninja turtles 3, teenage mutant ninja turtles iii | posted in Film, toys

March 23, 2023

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Z Event Exclusive Super Saiyan 2 Son Goku

By Joe

He’s attained a level beyond that of a Super Saiyan!

I feel like I need a little break with all of the TMNT reviews I’ve been doing lately. I could use a break from action figure reviews all together, but I have quite the backlog and I buy tons of them so I only have myself to blame for that. Today, we’re looking at last year’s event exclusive Super Saiyan 2 Goku from Bandai’s S.H.Figuarts line. For the past couple of years, Bandai has been doing event exclusives like basically everyone because they sell well, but with Bandai they’re not exclusive to any one event. The same cast of characters tends to get sold at multiple conventions and when that’s all done they also put them up for order on their Premium Bandai website. The only downside to ordering online is the wait as it’s sort of a made-to-order situation. I wish they would just unload their stock first and then turn to that, but instead, other retailers seem to get the unsold merch which they sell on their storefronts at inflated prices. The waiting isn’t that big of an issue though, and most of these event exclusive figures have just been repaints of older figures which is great because it gets them back out there and often looking better than before. Last year’s round of exclusives included re-releases of Majin Buu, Android 16, and Shenron, but the only one I grabbed was Super Saiyan 2 Goku.

The Super Saiyan 2 transformation is perhaps the most boring of Goku’s transformations. I think it’s due in part to the original planned ending for Dragon Ball being the battle between Gohan and Perfect Cell. Gohan would ascend to a level beyond Super Saiyan, and for him, the transformation looked pretty different from his Super Saiyan look. His hair stood all the way up, looked to be longer and fuller, and then you got the aura and lightning effects. Series creator Akira Toriyama was convinced to keep going though so we got another arc and in that one it was decided that Goku needed to be the main hero once again. This meant he needed to achieve the same level of power as his offspring and then go beyond that. Super Saiyan 2 was the big transformation for the Cell arc, but for the Buu one it was Super Saiyan 3 allowing the Super Saiyan 2 look to essentially be an afterthought as it concerned Goku. As a result, it doesn’t look much different from the standard Super Saiyan look. Goku basically just loses most of his bangs and his hair is a bit spikier plus he gets the same aura with blue lightning effects. Simple, but still kind of cool. As sort of the forgotten and less celebrated transformation, I have a bit of a soft spot for it. Mostly, it was Bandai’s approach to the aura that got me to pounce on this one.

Bandai has taken multiple approaches to Super Saiyan hair. The honey yellow with shading on Vegeta might still be my favorite, though the new Gohan hair looks like a solid base, but needs some shading of its own. I do like the approach with Goku here. The Dragon Stars Trunks is obviously the most basic approach, and probably the worst, but it was also a 20 dollar figure.

This Goku figure is more than familiar at this point. He is exactly the same as almost every Goku figure I’ve reviewed so I’m not going to go into too great of detail for this review. I mostly just want to talk about what’s new. For the sculpt, it’s very little. We get a brand new hair piece that has a nice shape to it and is evocative of the Super Saiyan 2 look. There’s a metallic gold paint in use, which is typical of these event exclusives, and it does give it a very nice shimmer. Considering this is a form that is known to basically always feature an aura, I think this paint job works better than usual. It helps distinguish it from a Super Saiyan look. Would I want all Super Saiyan hair pieces to feature this paint job? Ehh, probably not. I like the yellow in play on my Super Vegeta and the shading is done well on that figure. I’ll be talking about it eventually, but the recently released Super Saiyan Gohan head went in a different direction and I’m still sorting out my feelings on that one. I’d love to see Bandai try casting the hair in white and then hitting it with an airbrush of yellow. Absent that, this looks good. The only thing I don’t like are the pieces of hair off to the sides of Goku’s head. There is a sizable gap between his forehead and these pieces that just looks unnatural to me. It looks like they should either be right on his head, or further from it. They do at least hide the sideburns and the seem created by the hairpiece behind them. This Goku also has a halo since this is Goku from when he takes on Majin Vegeta, which also explains the more basic gi he’s wearing that lacks any markings on it. I’ve never really liked the halo effects when it comes to Dragon Ball toys because even if the post is transparent, you still see it. It just pegs into the hair, but it doesn’t seem to want to come out so it might be glued in. I’m tempted to just rip it out, but I’ll probably leave it.

These things are a pain to insert and quite brittle.

As for the body, the only other new part is the chest. Since this is Goku from his brief return to Earth, his shirt is ripped which was something that occured during his fight with Yakon. He would go Super Saiyan 2 to battle Vegeta shortly after. There’s a sculpted rip in the orange part of his top and it looks okay, but it really could use more paint. Most companies would paint the inside of the rip darker than the outside. Just like most Goku figures, the only paint is really the blue and the flesh-tone of the upper torso, the blue on the sleeves, and the boots. The boots aren’t as clean as they are on some of the other Goku figures I have, even the budget-friendly Target offerings, so that’s a bummer. He does appear to have some light shading in parts. It appears to be yellow on the legs and a little on the torso to help sell his glow, but it’s very subtle. I wish there was more paint as the orange has a very plastic look to it, as do his arms and neck, but this isn’t a line known for using a lot of paint. He still has the floating crotch pieces which have a tendency to rattle around and feel cheap, but they work with the articulation so I don’t mind them as much as some folks do. I do hate the sleeves and how they pin into the shoulders and handling this figure just illustrates how Goku is in need of a redesign. They can do better than this and this mold is getting pretty long in the tooth.

When you get those pieces in (hopefully without breaking them) and get Goku positioned just right the effect does look pretty cool.

For accessories, we get the standard assortment of hands: fists, splayed, martial arts posed, Kamehameha hands, and a set of hands in a two finger pose for his instant transmission technique. For faceplates, we have four varieties: stoic, cocky, yelling, and a teeth-gritting expression. The face printing on all four is terrific and very much in-line with the more recently released Super Hero Goku so at least that’s one advancement this figure possesses. The other accessory is the main one and it’s an aura effect. It’s a big, yellow, burst that can be positioned behind the figure. It’s a much sturdier part than the others I have and it’s cast in translucent plastic that alternates from being clear to yellow to clear and to yellow once again. It’s a new mold when compared with the stand-alone one Bandai sells and I’m guessing they did a new one because this has some extra bits. Four, blue, translucent, plastic, sparking effects are included. They attach to the yellow effect via a ball peg at the end. This allows them to be manipulated so when you place Goku in front of the backdrop effect the lightning can be positioned coming around him. It’s a terrific idea to try and sell the Super Saiyan 2 transformation, though the execution is lacking. The ball pegs are really hard to get into the yellow effect. I even snapped one trying to get it in and had to glue it back together. There’s no reason why it needed to be this challenging to pull off. Once they’re in they at least stay in and the effect works well enough. It’s very specialized so this isn’t an effect you’re likely to use with other figures, but if you wanted to I suppose you could use it with Majin Vegeta or the new Super Saiyan Gohan, but then your Goku doesn’t have an aura to stand in front of.

That’s essentially it though. I’m not going to run through the articulation since this is the same figure I’ve reviewed before and some of them are linked below. If you’ve been collecting DBZ Figuarts releases then you know this one pretty well. And if you have all of the Goku figures then Super Saiyan 2 is the missing link, so to speak, as they’ve never done it before. I’m guessing that made this one fairly popular. I’m curious if he’ll get a more standard release at some point without the metallic paint job and maybe without the torn shirt. It’s a bit odd to make the Super Saiyan 2 form an event exclusive, but it was also easy to get so I suppose it’s like any P-Bandai release. If you want it, you’ll have to venture out onto the aftermarket. Some retailers have this figure still in stock, but it’s pricey. I don’t think this release is worth paying over 100 bucks for, but if you really want a Super Saiyan 2 Goku and somehow missed out then I guess you have no choice. Just be prepared to keep your expectations in check. You’re paying for new hair and an effect part as the body has been done before. And if that’s fine with you then go ahead. I’m personally a little underwhelmed and certainly annoyed by the quality of the plastic as it relates to the sparking effects. I don’t resent having this in my collection, but I probably could have done without considering I don’t even have Super Saiyan Goku or Super Saiyan 3. I guess I like the Super Saiyan 2 form more than I realized.

Need to know more about how this Goku articulates or want to see how good he could be with a redesign? Look no further:

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Super Son Goku Super Hero

Back in the early 2000s I was a collector of Irwin Toys’ Dragon Ball Z line of action figures. When I started collecting that line, I just focused on my favorite characters which were primarily Vegeta, Trunks, and Piccolo. Gradually, the collector impulse took over and I started buying entire waves as they came out…

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by Joe August 19, 2022August 9, 2022

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Super – Ultimate Gohan Super Hero

As part of the promotion for the film Dragon Ball Super – Super Hero, Bandai released a wave of action figures from its S.H. Figuarts brand of characters from the film. The neat thing was, these releases were actually really cheap relative to other SHF releases with a MSRP of just $35. Of the four,…

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by Joe November 17, 2022November 8, 2022

S.H.Figuarts Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Son Goku

That is quite the mouthful, is it not? The Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Son Goku is the latest action figure from Bandai’s S.H.Figuarts to arrive in Target stores in the US. This form of Goku is what happens when a Saiyan ascends to Super Saiyan God level, and then goes Super Saiyan again. Confused?…

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by Joe July 29, 2021

Leave a comment | tags: action figures, bandai, comic con exclusive, dragon ball z, goku, s.h.figuarts, super saiyan 2 goku, tamashii nations | posted in Television, toys

May 12, 2022

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Super Event Exclusive Color Edition Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Son Goku Kaio-Ken

By Joe

My isn’t that title a mouthful? This version of the classic character Goku comes to you from Bandai via New York Comic Con. If I were to simplify that title, I’d call it shiny Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-Ken Goku, which is still pretty wordy. I guess blame Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama for the obsession of stacking different power-ups in what I feel is an intentional bit of word play that he likely finds amusing. And I do too! At any rate, this is the last of the convention exclusives I ordered in 2021. All of the other ones, including other Dragon Ball related figures in Nappa, Goku, and Beerus, came from the world famous San Diego Comic Con. Well, that con didn’t actually happen in 2021 as it was virtual due to COVID once again. One of the few big cons to actually take place ended up being New York Comic Con, and while that one tends to be smaller than San Diego, some companies still like to issue event exclusives for it and that’s where this figure comes from. Bandai, in partnership with Bluefin Brands, made this version of Goku available at the event, but also made it available online for folks like me who weren’t going to journey to New York just to get a Goku. It meant a longer wait, but all things considered, this is one of the shorter waits I’ve have to endure in recent memory.

This box feels gigantic relative to other figures in the line, and with good reason.

This version of Goku hails from Dragon Ball Super and one of its first, major, arcs. The first two arcs of the show were adaptations of Dragon Ball Z movies, so this era is where Super really felt like its own thing to me. And it was just some tournament that was a bit of a friendly organized by two gods who happen to be brothers and share a rivalry. It introduced some new characters, most notably Hit, and it was during a fight with Hit that Goku dusted off his old Kaio-Ken technique. You remember that one, right? Kaio-Ken was all the rage for about five minutes when Goku took on Vegeta, but it was basically dropped after that. Yeah, technically, Goku used it against Frieza later on, but it was basically as a means to dismiss the technique which would essentially be replaced with the Super Saiyan transformation. It made Kaio-Ken one of those things fans had fun speculating on, “What would using Kaio-Ken as a Super Saiyan do for Goku?!” but the show was done with it.

If you need a primer on the form, it’s basically a technique that temporarily heightens Goku’s speed and power as a multiplier. He did it multiples of 2 and 3 against Vegeta, but would go up to 10 later. In Super, Goku turns to it after his Super Saiyan Blue transformation as the ultimate showing of his power at that moment in the series, though it’s not referenced much after. It does look cool though as Kaio-Ken by itself has a red aura, and combine that with the Blue transformation and you get a blue-purple look. It certainly made sense to explore the mode in figure form, and that’s what Bandai and Tamashii Nations did. And this being an event exclusive, they added some shine as well.

I love that shade of blue used for the eyebrows, so much so that I’d like to see other versions of Super Saiyan Blue Goku (and Vegeta) just go with that for all of the hair.

This version of Goku is obviously similar to other versions of Goku in the SHF line. He stands at about 5.5″ to the top of his forehead and roughly 6.75″ to the top of the hair when at his tallest. He’s basically in-line with my Super Saiyan Blue Goku, but this is actually mostly a differently sculpt. I don’t have it, but if I had to guess, this figure shares most of its parts with the Ultra Instinct Sign Goku which depicted Goku from his battle with Jiren. His gi is rather tattered so it needed its own sculpt to capture that. The only pieces this figure can share with the other blue Goku is the head, neck, and arms, though even some of that needed modification. I don’t have either version of Ultra Instinct Goku so this figure has more of a “new” feeling to me than it would others. It was honestly something I hadn’t thought much about until I had the figure in-hand.

The paint is rather lively on this guy and you can see the almost glitter quality in the shirt here.

What’s going to sell this guy beyond the sculpt is the paint job. The sculpt is fairly nice and I like the rips in the pants and shirt. The finish on the paint is of a pearl quality. The navy shirt takes on a metallic purple as a result and it’s pretty cool to handle and see how the light plays on it. The hair is a semi-translucent plastic with a touch of purple air-brushing, by the looks of it, which gives it a nice effect. The flesh is more saturated than we’re used to seeing due to trying to emulate the Kaio-Ken red effect. Bandai did have to do a lot more color-matching than usual though because of all of the rips in the clothing. The results are a tad mixed. The exposed portion of the chest could stand to be a touch more saturated as I feel like some of the navy color is showing through. The left knee is colored plastic, but the upper and lower portions of the leg surrounding it are painted and it’s not a perfect match. It probably won’t bother most on a shelf, but in-hand it’s pretty noticeable especially when the knee is bent all the way. This finish is also very glossy and gives the figure almost an enamel finish. It also has a different feel than most figures in the line. The plastic feels thicker and since almost everything has this finish applied it has a slippery feeling. That’s not a criticism, just an observation. Aside from the color-matching issues, my only real criticism for the paint is that I wish there was something applied to the torn parts such as a darkening to the interior parts of his pants. I just think it would help that part “pop” a bit more.

I can’t really complain because we get the aura effect with this figure, but we’ll never have enough Kamehameha effects.

The sculpt for this guy is overall pretty good. I already mentioned how the torn pieces of the gi look nice, and we get the usual musculature for Goku that other figures have. This one changes things up with some battle damage in the form of scuffs sculpted into portions of the arms, legs, and chest. I’m torn on if I think Bandai should have added some black linework to those scuffs to bring them out more as they’re not going to show from the shelf. This figure is going for a glowing aura look, so perhaps it would not have made as much sense, though I feel like in those moments Goku’s battle damage becomes even more noticeable in the anime. I could be wrong, I haven’t watched any of these episodes in years. One thing that did surprise me a little is there’s more evidence of mold release on this figure than usual. That’s those rough portions of the figure where it was removed from the actual tools used to create it. There’s basically a full tab on the underside of my figure’s right shoulder that makes it look like it was from a model kit no one bothered to snip. This figure also has those sleeves that peg into the shoulder which I really don’t like. Almost every Goku has that so it’s nothing new, but I’ll continue to complain until they find a better solution. Another common complaint is Goku also could be beefier. From the front, he looks okay. I’d probably widen the chest a little, but it’s mostly a nitpick. From the side though he looks thin. His chest doesn’t push out at all. It’s odd and almost comical. It’s also more pronounced because he doesn’t have the vest to add a little bulk, but this is something all of the figures in this line could stand to improve on. Goku, especially a powered-up Goku, should be thick and buff.

My lingering piece of criticism for this line is that nearly every character could stand to have some added girth. Goku should have a more pronounced chest when viewing him from the side.

There was a lot of new for me to take-in with the sculpt and paint of this figure, but articulation? That’s pretty much standard. His head is on a tiny, double-ball peg with another ball in the base of the neck. Despite that, he can’t really look up, but can look down. His head feels a little loose, but it seems to be holding a pose all right. The shoulders are on the peg and hinge system with a butterfly joint. The butterfly is really limited, but they at least colored it properly so it’s not ugly, just not particularly functional. There’s a biceps swivel and double-jointed elbow which bends past 90 degrees. The hands are on the usual ball pegs. In the diaphragm, we have the ball-hinge system so you can pull up on the figure if need be. It doesn’t really do a lot though as the figure can’t really crunch forward no matter what you do with the hinge, but he can bend back a little. Mostly, this joint just gives you some swivel and a little tilt, but you have to be mindful of paint rub. At the waist, you can swivel and the belt and rags is a floating piece. At the hips, Goku can almost do a split, kick forward, and kick backwards because he doesn’t have sculpted buns. There’s a little twist there too, and then your usual double-jointed knees below. The knee on the right has a bit more range backwards because it’s a standard, clothed, joint while the exposed left knee has reduced range, but still goes beyond 90 degrees. The ankles are on ball pegs and have the usual range for Goku’s boot design. It goes forward a little, back a fair amount, decent ankle rocker, and a lousy toe hinge. All of the joints are fairly smooth and required no break-in period, so that is always appreciated.

I can see people being against translucent plastic for Super Saiyan hair, but I do think this figure draws attention to how bland the approach to the hair was for the standard release. Granted, the figure on the left retails for only 30 bucks.

The other unique aspect to this release comes with the accessories and packaging. The optional hands and expressions are fairly standard. We get a stern look, scream, smirk, and a teeth-gritting expression. All of the faces are well painted and I love the shade of blue used for the eyebrows. I wish that was the standard shade of blue for this form of Goku. For hands, we get a set of fists, martial arts pose hands, Kamehameha hands, and wide open “Solar Flare” hands. For a box, he comes in this oversized standard box with the usual event exclusive coloring. It’s oversized because this Goku comes with an aura effect! That’s certainly unusual, and also why this guy cost $60 instead of $50, but it’s worth it. I love effect pieces and for this particular form it’s needed. It’s the standard aura piece, of which I have a yellow version already, and it comes in three pieces: a rear blast and two side pieces. It’s cast in translucent plastic with red at the edge and blue on the inside. The plastic is soft and and partially hollow. The only thing I don’t like is the translucent nature of the plastic means more of the seems are visible, especially towards the bottom of the center piece. It’ll get the job done though, and I hope it doesn’t get that sticky residue my other aura piece has acquired over the years.

If you like what you see then this figure is a worthy addition to the Super collection. If you’re someone who never cared about this version of Goku then you’ll probably be content to skip it.

This version of Goku is another good selection by Bandai when it comes to event exclusives. Not everyone needs a version of Goku so specific to one look from the show that doesn’t show up much, and the paint application is something that will appeal to some more than others. I thought this figure looked great in the promotional shots, so when Bandai made it available online I said “Why not?” The actual figure in hand pretty much lives up to my expectations. It’s eye-catching and fun and I love adding another aura, even if this one is really specific to this version of Goku. My guess is that most people who bought this are happy with it. I don’t think it’s good enough to win anybody over who didn’t see a spot for this in their collection, but those who want it should be content. Since it was an event exclusive, it’s currently sold out at MSRP so only secondary options are available. This strikes me as the type of release that might be high right now, but could come down in time as it is a bit niche. If you missed out and are having second thoughts, just keep an eye out. Who knows? Maybe a good deal will come around sooner or later.

1 Comment | tags: action figures, bandai, bluefin brands, comic con exclusive, dragon ball super, goku, kaio-ken, new york comic con, premium bandai, s.h. figuarts, super saiyan blue, super saiyan god super saiyan, tamashii nations | posted in Television, toys

The Nostalgia Spot

Tag Archives: comic con exclusive

NECA TMNT Toon SDCC 2025 Exclusive Bodacious Beach Bro Turtles

The Bodacious Beach Bros. are just the latest in a long line of NECA convention exclusives:

NECA Mirage TMNT – The First Turtles SDCC 2024 40th Anniversary Edition

NECA Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III SDCC Four-Pack

NECA Cartoon TMNT Premonition of a Premutation SDCC 4-Pack

NECA TMNT Movie NYCC ’24 Exclusive Kevin Eastman

If you feel like celebrating 40 years of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles then you have come to the right place:

NECA Mirage TMNT – The First Turtles SDCC 2024 40th Anniversary Edition

NECA TMNT Mirage Studios Kirby

NECA TMNT Movie Ultimate April O’Neil – Signature Edition

NECA Mirage TMNT – The First Turtles SDCC 2024 40th Anniversary Edition

More from the world of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Playmates TMNT Original Sketch Turtles

NECA Mirage Studios Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4-Pack

Super7 TMNT Ultimates! Classic Rocker Leonardo

NECA Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III SDCC Four-Pack

If you want to read about more turtle toys, I can’t imagine a more robust place on the internet than here:

NECA 1990 TMNT Movie SDCC Set

NECA TMNT Secret of the Ooze 4-Pack and Accessory Set

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Z Event Exclusive Super Saiyan 2 Son Goku

Need to know more about how this Goku articulates or want to see how good he could be with a redesign? Look no further:

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Super Son Goku Super Hero

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Super – Ultimate Gohan Super Hero

S.H.Figuarts Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Son Goku

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Super Event Exclusive Color Edition Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Son Goku Kaio-Ken

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The Nostalgia Spot

Tag Archives: comic con exclusive

The Bodacious Beach Bros. are just the latest in a long line of NECA convention exclusives:

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If you feel like celebrating 40 years of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles then you have come to the right place:

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More from the world of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

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If you want to read about more turtle toys, I can’t imagine a more robust place on the internet than here:

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Need to know more about how this Goku articulates or want to see how good he could be with a redesign? Look no further:

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