Top Ten Action Figures of 2005
Well, here we are, 2006 already. Looking back we got a lot of great figures in 2005, and narrowing this list down to 10 was fairly tough. It could have easily been a top twenty without any filler. A few lines could've been inserted whole, with every figure a winner.
There were a few disappointments over the course of the year, both with figures I could find and those I couldn't. I would have liked to have found Marvel Legends series 12 before the end of the year, but alas it wasn't to be. The results might indeed be different, as Sasquatch in particular looks like a terrific addition to that line.
The list turned out somewhat oddly - there are really only 5 companies represented here, but with the exception of Hasbro these are all from different lines. It would probably not be surprising to many that if I were to reveal the next ten in the standings, most of the positions would be filled by these same companies again. I did not include imported Japanese figures in the standings, primarily because the price for those tends to give them an unfair advantage - how can a $12 figure compare to one costing $60? Even at that, most of these come close.
Without any further ado, here are TOP TEN FIGURES OF 2005(In My Opinion Anyway):
10.) Toybiz' Fearsome Foes Rhino! - The only Marvel Legends figure to make the cut, despite some nice figures in Taskmaster and Black Panther. Toybiz created a definitive version of this character, that is a rare thing.
9.) Diamond Select Toys' Marvel Select Thanos! - One of my favorite characters, in a to-die-for sculpt. Paint issues are the only thing keeping this figure out of the Top Three. Even with poor paint applications, this is one of my favorite figures, and probably the best in the line so far.
8.) Hasbro's Sigma Six Soldier Series One Tunnel Rat! - Going into this line, this figure probably had my least favorite character design. In person however, like most Sigma Six, Tunnel Rat just conveys the hardest thing to capture in plastic: personality.
7.) DC Direct's First Appearance Series Three Composite Superman! - I had no idea who this character was going in, and little now, but the sculpting on this figure is simply stunning. Tim Bruckner's sculpt here is an argument in favor of artist-specific figures, as Curt Swan's style is present in every centimeter of plastic.
6.) SOTA's Street Fighter Round Three Guile! - This line is one of the most consistently pleasing being made today, with each new series outdoing the last. Round Three was no different, with Guile the easy standout. The best figure in the line to date.
5.) DC Direct Green Lantern Series One Kilowog! - Another comic character perfectly captured in plastic by the sculptors of DC Direct. The size and flow of the sculpt, the construction of the figure, this is close to the penultimate comic character action figure.
4.) SOTA Now Playing Series One Darkman! - SOTA decided in 2005 to show how movie figures were done, and this is just one of several standouts. Dynamic, intricate, yet not a statue.
3.) MezCo's Realistic Scarface Series One The Player(White Suit)! - When MezCo decides to do something, you know they're going to do it the right way or not at all. Eschewing their not-to-my-taste cartoony style for this series, they've made probably the best movie figure of the year. Masterfully sculpted, with useful articulation, and impeccable quality.
2.) Hasbro's Sigma Six Commando Series Two Long Range! - No toy line caught me quite by surprise like Sigma Six. And here we have the best of the lot, just barely squeaking in before the deadline(I found him December 30th). The most playable of toylines, this line and this character bring me back to when I was a kid and GI Joe was everything.
1.) MezCo's Comic Hellboy MezCo.com Exclusive Hellboy w/Trenchcoat! - The best line of the year naturally produced the single best figure of the year. Is it number one because of the cloth trenchcoat? Probably not, though it does help this version win out over the standard release. MezCo has outdone themselves and everyone else with their comic Hellboy line. The sculpting is dead on to the artwork of Mike Mignola. Capturing that most two-dimensional of artists in three is a staggering feat.
Congratulations to the companies who's figures were chosen, and thank you for pushing the state of the art of this hobby of ours. Hat's off.
There were a few disappointments over the course of the year, both with figures I could find and those I couldn't. I would have liked to have found Marvel Legends series 12 before the end of the year, but alas it wasn't to be. The results might indeed be different, as Sasquatch in particular looks like a terrific addition to that line.
The list turned out somewhat oddly - there are really only 5 companies represented here, but with the exception of Hasbro these are all from different lines. It would probably not be surprising to many that if I were to reveal the next ten in the standings, most of the positions would be filled by these same companies again. I did not include imported Japanese figures in the standings, primarily because the price for those tends to give them an unfair advantage - how can a $12 figure compare to one costing $60? Even at that, most of these come close.
Without any further ado, here are TOP TEN FIGURES OF 2005(In My Opinion Anyway):
10.) Toybiz' Fearsome Foes Rhino! - The only Marvel Legends figure to make the cut, despite some nice figures in Taskmaster and Black Panther. Toybiz created a definitive version of this character, that is a rare thing.
9.) Diamond Select Toys' Marvel Select Thanos! - One of my favorite characters, in a to-die-for sculpt. Paint issues are the only thing keeping this figure out of the Top Three. Even with poor paint applications, this is one of my favorite figures, and probably the best in the line so far.
8.) Hasbro's Sigma Six Soldier Series One Tunnel Rat! - Going into this line, this figure probably had my least favorite character design. In person however, like most Sigma Six, Tunnel Rat just conveys the hardest thing to capture in plastic: personality.
7.) DC Direct's First Appearance Series Three Composite Superman! - I had no idea who this character was going in, and little now, but the sculpting on this figure is simply stunning. Tim Bruckner's sculpt here is an argument in favor of artist-specific figures, as Curt Swan's style is present in every centimeter of plastic.
6.) SOTA's Street Fighter Round Three Guile! - This line is one of the most consistently pleasing being made today, with each new series outdoing the last. Round Three was no different, with Guile the easy standout. The best figure in the line to date.
5.) DC Direct Green Lantern Series One Kilowog! - Another comic character perfectly captured in plastic by the sculptors of DC Direct. The size and flow of the sculpt, the construction of the figure, this is close to the penultimate comic character action figure.
4.) SOTA Now Playing Series One Darkman! - SOTA decided in 2005 to show how movie figures were done, and this is just one of several standouts. Dynamic, intricate, yet not a statue.
3.) MezCo's Realistic Scarface Series One The Player(White Suit)! - When MezCo decides to do something, you know they're going to do it the right way or not at all. Eschewing their not-to-my-taste cartoony style for this series, they've made probably the best movie figure of the year. Masterfully sculpted, with useful articulation, and impeccable quality.
2.) Hasbro's Sigma Six Commando Series Two Long Range! - No toy line caught me quite by surprise like Sigma Six. And here we have the best of the lot, just barely squeaking in before the deadline(I found him December 30th). The most playable of toylines, this line and this character bring me back to when I was a kid and GI Joe was everything.
1.) MezCo's Comic Hellboy MezCo.com Exclusive Hellboy w/Trenchcoat! - The best line of the year naturally produced the single best figure of the year. Is it number one because of the cloth trenchcoat? Probably not, though it does help this version win out over the standard release. MezCo has outdone themselves and everyone else with their comic Hellboy line. The sculpting is dead on to the artwork of Mike Mignola. Capturing that most two-dimensional of artists in three is a staggering feat.
Congratulations to the companies who's figures were chosen, and thank you for pushing the state of the art of this hobby of ours. Hat's off.
posted by Blue at 1:48 AM
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