Dredd Vs Death : Hiya Toys 1/18 Scale Action Figure Double Pack : Review

    

Review by Luke Williams

So, this is my 5th Judge Dredd figure and 4^th Judge Death. I’ve got the Citadel lead figures from the 80s (badly painted by yours truly), perhaps the most ambitious examples were from 3A  : 2 versions of Joe and one of Death, finally there is one of each from the 90s Re:Action line.

3As figures were prohibitively priced, had some weird choices of subject (Robo Hunter first? Really?) albeit beautifully made, not particularly robust and took forever to arrive. The Re:Action figures are kind of showing their age now, a little dated – technology, materials and detaileding has moved on. My patient Wife has allowed me to display them around the house; posed, they can be found on on shelves, by games consoles and on bookcases in the living room and landing they, where they gather dust and I occasionally look at them affectionately. So obviously I had to buy the Hiya Toys versions.

I’ve had these examples for a few months. As ever with action figures (or dolls as my Wife insists on calling them) they sat sealed in their pack for a few weeks as I deliberated over whether I should break that seal and inspect the contents. Inevitably, I succumbed, and was pleasantly surprised.

Standing around 10cm tall the figures themselves feel robust and well made, they are finely detailed with a  nice wash to make the clothing and accessories suitably weathered. Death is split between spirit and physical form, so only the top half of the figure is articulated. Old Stoney Face however, is articulated at the knees, hips, elbows, shoulders and neck has interchangebale hands, a lawgiver and daystick Personally, I can’t seem to pose them in anything other than going in looking like they are going in for a hug rather than being able to recreate a scene from one of their altercations, but perhaps that will come with practice; or will inspire a new Dredd / Death tale in the Prog’.

I’d already pre-ordered a lot of the rest of the line : Cal, Anderson, Mean Machine, Giant, Hershey Dredd (full colour) all four Dark Judges and most excitingly a Klegg!  : because I have more money than sense. After ordering the first few from a firm whose name begins with the letter Z and ends in Avvi and having a lot of communication apologising for delays, but no figures, despite me seeing them in the wild in Forbidden Planet in Cardiff I switched to another supplier. Time will tell whether I should have just waited and bought from Fleabay.

For £34.95 it’s a nice pack, good quality figures, catching the spirit of both characters well. Cynically, I wonder about them being  “limited to 3000 pieces but whether you are persuaded by advertising puff or not, can’t help yourself and like me have to buy different versions of the same figure you shouldn’t be disappointed with these and they bode well for the rest of the line : should they ever arrive.

Tharg The Mighty : 3A Action Figure

Luke has been careless with his money again. He spotted this rarity on eBay, a 12 ” action figure of TMO himself. The answer to

“Can you have too many 2000ad action figures ?”

is of course,

“No, what is wrong with you?”

Marshal Law Figure. By Unbox Industries

Luke has spent some of the dosh he has earned from his day job and the ramblings for (cheap plug) “Comic Scene” on a “Marshal Law” figure, the superhero hating character created by 2000AD legends Pat Mills and Kevin O’Neill. Yeah, okay he’s had his for a few months, but he’s been busy for crying out loud.

Judge Dredd 3A 1/6 Action Figure

Alas, that’s the end of the 3A range of 2000AD Action Figures (or as Luke’s other half insists, dolls) . Luke spends his hard earned and gets a second hand example of the 1/6 figure, having already forked out loads for Mongrol, Sam Slade, the Dark Judges, Gronk, Fish but thankfully was given Ro Jaws. Arguably this is the one 3A should have started with first, Luke ponies up the dough for “maxi” Dredd. Is it any good?

John McCrea Dark Judges Print coming this Thursday

Those chaps over at Vice Press have a new print coming this Thursday. It’s a Dark Judges one by John McCrea and coloured by John Kalisz.

It comes in at 30cm x 40cm and costs £20 and anyone who has bought a print from this company before, will know that the quality is spot on.

Make sure to visit their site this Thursday, for the official release and see what deals they have, as they are doing bundles with this print. More on the bundles on the actual day!

For more info follow this LINK

Simon Davis’ Slaine artwork for sale.

Simon Davis is the current artist on Slaine and he has brought his own wonderful style into the pages of 2000 AD. He’s been a stalwart of the prog for many years but has seemingly found his home with Slaine. Action packed pages, with stunning beautiful scenery and detailed expressions on all the characters faces.

Now many people don’t know this but after every prog comes out, he then puts those pages up for sale and at an unbelievably affordable price. £120 for a single page and you guessed it £240 for a double page splash. Covers, he puts the price on those as and when and those are obviously more expensive.

Here are a few of his pages from what he has left but hurry, as you wouldn’t want to miss out on some artwork from a member of The Royal Society of Portrait Painters.

Here’s a link to his Facebook page where you can contact him and inquire about which page you would like, as the ones on here may already be gone! If you are not on Facebook, do not worry, open the link and you will see his email address, top left under his profile picture.

SIMON DAVIS : COMIC ILLUSTRATOR