Friday, December 26, 2014

Action Figure Review: Bravery from IAmElemental by Rebel Elements


  Curious as to what IAmElemental is? Then check out this review where I discuss in detail this cool new line that launched on Kickstarter in early 2014. Each of the seven figures in this series offers up a different design that reflects an element of character and today I'm looking at the first of the Courage series figures, Bravery. These come packaged in blind bagged style bags but they have a checklist on the back with a figure marked  so you know who you're getting. I'm not sure if these will be marked at retail, but it certainly seems like a good idea. Bravery's bio card says: "Bravery does not shrink from challenges or difficulty. She has the ability to create a protective force-field around herself and others." Ready for a look at Bravery? Then join me after the break...




The Facts:
Height: 4 1/4 inches tall

Articulation: Swivel/hinge knees, ball jointed hips, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinged elbows, and a ball jointed head.

Accessories: Removable shoulder armor, Bravery elemental shield, two collectible cards, and a drawstring bag.







The Positives:

*The articulation and quality control on this figure is just excellent. The joints all feel sturdy and they have an excellent range of motion. You can really have a lot of fun with these figures. I like how Bravery has an open, expressive left hand hand and a gripping right hand, as it gives more variety for posing and play.

*The sculpting on the figure is quite nice. One of the intentions of this line was to present young girls with action figures that promoted healthy body images and I think they succeeded. Every figure in the first series shares this same body, but it works. The heads are all different, though, and there is some variety in the forearms and legs as well. The costume looks like it's lightly armored and has some nicely sculpted lines to give it some texture. Bravery has a pulled back ponytail and a longer, more oval shaped face. She has the same high boots as Honesty and shares longer gloved hands/forearms with Persistence.


*The paint work is colorful and really stands out. For the first series, Courage, each figure has a different warm reddish skin tone which looks awesome. I like the look of Bravery's red skin with her neon pink hair. The paintwork is quite clean overall and the metallic paint used on the uniform looks great. They have a nice "team" look about them.

*Each figure comes with quite a few accessories! Bravery comes with shoulder pads that fit over her neck, a shield with Br on it (for Bravery), two cards, a paper insert that tells about the entire line, and a nice drawstring bag to store everything in. The quality is top notch and I think anyone buying this would feel like they were getting a lot of bang for their buck.



The Negatives:

*While they're easy to pose, they are a little tough to stand. I really wish these figures had some peg holes in their feet. I've actually been using her shield to stand her on the shelf. It doesn't work perfectly, but it's better than nothing.

* This is more of a critique of the line overall, but I do wish that there were a few different body types in this first series. I know molds and tooling are expensive, so I expect we'll see some in a second series, but it would have been nice to give these figures a bit more variety, particularly when they're all so similar in their color scheme.

*Compared to other accessories in the line, Bravery's shoulder pads are a bit boring. They look cool, but they're not wings, a cape, or flames, y'know?


     IAmElemental is the first of the big Kickstarter lines from 2014 to make it to consumers and I think I can easily say that Rebel Elements did an excellent job with them. These are darn fine toys that should go well with any 1/18th scale line, particularly superhero lines. Excellent presentation coupled with a solid product makes IAmElemental a standout toyline. I really do hope they find their niche and become successful as it is clear that a lot of love, care, and attention went into making these. Whether kid or collector, there is a lot to love about Bravery. I don't like her as much as Honesty, but she's still a very cool toy. I'm giving her a Good and a 1/2, with the slight markdown just because her shoulder pad accessory is a bit dull. Still, look into these if you haven't already. You'll be surprised by how cool they really are! They look awesome together as a team.

Remember to check out ImElemental's website and my IAmElemental series overview here, along with other cool Kickstarter toys I've reviewed:

Courage Red Honesty


1/18th Scale Weapons by Marauders, Inc.Series #7 Part 1

Grabit Robot Multipurpose Holder by Trinkits

Grabit (Green)

Legendary Monsters by Nevermore Toys

Momo, The Missouri Monster

OMFG! by October Toys

OMFG Series 3 (Barbarianaut, Pugnacious, Dr. Decay, Fruit Punch, and TenCan)

S.U.C.K.L.E. by DKE Toys

Series 1 + Kickstarter Exclusives




No comments:

Post a Comment

What'chu talkin' 'bout?