Thursday, November 19, 2015

Action Figure Review: Daniel Bryan (Series 38) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

 Daniel Bryan, man. Who doesn't like this guy? Everyone friggin' loves Daniel Bryan. And why shouldn't they? He's a great wrestler and just seems like an all around good guy. He seems to be pretty popular with the collectors because Mattel also cranks out the Daniel Bryan figures left and right. Today I'm looking at the new Daniel Bryan from the 38th series of the WWE Elite Collection. He's the first figure from this series I've managed to find. Since I didn't have a Daniel Bryan yet and because this toy was new and shiny I added him to my cart. Ready for a closer look at this new version of Daniel Bryan? If your answer was "Yes!" then join me after the break...



The Facts:

Height: 6 3/4 inches

Articulation: Hinged ankles w/ lateral rockers, boot swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed hips, swivel waist, hinged abdomen, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel biceps, hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, and a ball jointed head.

Accessories: T-shirt

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars




 The Positives:


* I really love that Daniel Bryan comes with the cool "Yes" t-shirt with his face on it. It's a cool look and definitely an iconic part of his time with the WWE. The shirt fits the figure well and the screen-printing is well done.
* Is he durable? Yes!

Is he well articulated? Yes!

Is he fun to play with and pose on your desk? Yes! Yes! Yes!

Seriously, Mattel does an awesome job with these WWE Elite Collection figures and I really think that alongside Star Wars: The Black Series, these are the best melding of sculpt, articulation, and durability on the market. Bryan's another hit. He's also a quarter inch shorter than your average WWE figure since in real life he's only about 5' 10." Accuracy!



 * This is a pretty good Daniel Bryan headsculpt. He might look a bit older here than in real life but there's no way you could look at this figure and not know who it is. There's more detail on just this guy's beard than on most figures from Hasbro's Marvel Legends line!

 * Bryan has used a dragon motif in his ring gear which has lead to some very cool designs here on his kickpads, kneepads, and trunks. I love the red and solver look here. It's really eye-catching. The little scales and dragons look cool, too. Mattel does some very neat, clean work on stuff like this and it really helps to elevate the figures.
The Negatives:



* The more I've looked at this Daniel Bryan headsculpt, the more I've come to realize what it is that I think is a bit off: The skin tone on the head isn't right. It seems that Mattel molded the figure in the same color plastic as Bryan's hair and then painted the face. It's not as noticeable in person as in pictures, but it's definitely there.









 * There's a couple sloppy seams on the shirt. Nothing terrible; just a little fraying on the edges. I'm actually more bothered that Daniel only comes with one accessory. Are these shirts that expensive? It seems like the most recent Bo Dallas and Randy Orton figures only came with a shirt as well. I really wish that he'd come with a championship title to spice things up a bit.
There are quite a few Daniel Bryan figures in the WWE Elite Collection. Right off the bat I can think of the one with the Wyatt Family jumpsuit and the one with the "Yes!" sign. Are there anymore? Anyways, Mattel seems to like making this guy. With Daniel Bryan still out right now it might be some time before we see another figure of him so if you need one for your collection, this one isn't a bad figure at all. I wish he came with his titles, though. That would have really elevated him. As it stands, he gets a Good and a 1/2 rating from me.


I've reviewed a number of other WWE Elite Collection figures, including:

WWE Elite Collection by Mattel
Bad News Barrett (Series 34)
Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt (Series 36)
Brock Lesnar (Series 37)
Cesaro (Series 33)
Dean Ambrose (Series 36)
Erick Rowan
Hulk Hogan (Series 34)
Kane (Series 31)
Luke Harper (Series 35)
Paige
Randy Orton (Series 35)
Rusev 
Seth Rollins (Series 37)

WWE Elite: Wrestlemania XXX by Mattel
Bray Wyatt

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