Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Action Figure Review: Red Hood from DC Comics Multiverse by Mattel

    Today I'm checking out the third figure in Mattel's final series of DC Comics Multiverse figures and it's a character I've wanted to see in Mattel's DCUC/ Multiverse line for years: Jason Todd as the Red Hood. One of the main members of the Bat-family, Red Hood has been a key player in the DC Universe for years though he hasn't gotten much attention toy wise. DC Collectibles just released their DC Essentials Red Hood a month or so ago and Mattel's has been hitting shelves for around the same amount of time. The last series of DC Multiverse figures really does fill in some gaps in the Bat-family, so it's a welcome series, although it does have lots of little weird issues that just seem like very Mattel things to do. For instance: Red Hood doesn't come with pistols. Now, let's think about how little sense that makes since the Red Hood's primary weapons are pistols. He always carries and uses pistols. If Mattel had made some better choices and had a bit better character selection over the past few years, maybe things might have been different. Starting in 2020 McFarlane Toys is going to be making the DC figures we see at mainstream retail. For now, though, let's see how Mattel's Red Hood fares. Join me after the break...



 The Facts:

Height: 6 1/2 inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, double hinged knees, thigh swivels, balljointed hips, swivel waist, mid-torso hinge, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, hinged neck, and a balljointed head.

Accessories: 6 interchangeable hands, 2 interchangeable portraits, and the right leg for the Killer Croc Collect & Connect figure.

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars
 Comparison:



* Just for fun, here's a quick comparison between Mattel's Red Hood (on the left) and DC Collectibles' Red Hood (on the right).










 The Positives:

* Red Hood is a pretty nice looking figure and, so far as I can tell, his jacket, arms, and boots are all new. I'm sure his torso and hips are reused, but I can't place them. His suit looks really nice and has painted lines down the front to give it a bit more of a modern vibe. The jacket looks fantastic (I like the rolled up sleeves) and the red bat-logo peeking out from underneath also looks pretty slick.


 * The main portrait for the figure is the armored Red Hood helmet. It looks just like its comic counterpart with etched lines on the sides and solid white eyes. It's a good size and shape and it swaps out easily with the other portrait.

* The second portrait is Jason Todd's unmasked head. He's got a bit of a messy (but still stylish) haircut and a red domino mask. It's nice to have a couple of display options with the figure. Plus, when you're displaying Jason like this you can have him holding the helmeted head as if it were just a helmet.


 * The arms aren't perfect but the rest of the articulation isn't bad at all. Mattel has really improved their articulation in the line over the past two years, so it's a real shame that the line is ending just as they're getting things more modernized.

* For some inexplicable reason, Red Hood has no handheld accessories but comes with six alternate hands. He has a pair of fists, a pair of standard grips, and two right handed pistol grips (the fingers are in slightly different positions). They swap out petty easily and feel sturdy, so no real complaints here. He just doesn't have anything to use them with, though.

* Jason comes with Killer Croc's right leg as his Collect & Connect piece. I'm really excited to build this guy. As of this writing I now have all of the figures in the series, so I'll be getting to Killer Croc soon. Croc seems like he's going to be a really good figure. It's been a long time since Mattel's last comic based Croc (well over 10 years) so this guy is a welcome addition.
 The Negatives:

* Not only did Mattel not give Jason his signature pistols as accessories but they made them permanently attached to his holsters. Yes, his holsters aren't functional. That's one of my biggest pet peeves. Why? Why??? Seriously, this guy just bums me out by how good he could have been. This is such a weird, rookie mistake, and I don't know why Mattel chose this.
 Red Hood is a nice figure for the most part, but the lack of his signature pistols and his now useless holsters just really kills my enthusiasm for this guy. Seriously, it's like taking a crowbar to the face...wait, too soon? Jason was probably my most anticipated figure in this series but now, in hand, I think he's possibly one of the weakest figures in the set. Fortunately he has hands that can hold pistols, so I can find something for him, but those non-functioning holsters just grind my gears. He's a Good 1/2 figure still, but he could have been one of Mattel's best.
Fun Fact: Here is the unmasked Jason Todd head on the DC Essentials Red Hood's body. It looks pretty good, doesn't it?


If you're a Jason Todd/ Red Hood/ Arkham Knight/ Robin fan, I've also reviewed the Batman: Arkham Knight Gamestop exclusive Red Hood and Arkham Knight, the DC Essentials Red Hood, and Mattel's DC Signature Collection Red Hood.

For more DC Comics Multiverse figures, check out the following:
Batgirl (The Batgirl of Burnside)
Batman (Batman: Zero Year)
Batman (DC Rebirth)
Batwing (DC Rebirth)
Batwoman (DC Rebirth)
Bizarro
Clayface (Collect & Connect Figure)
Damian Wayne Robin (Robin War) 
Doctor Psycho (Collect & Connect figure)
Duke Thomas (We Are Robin)
Earth 23 Superman
The Flash: From Page to Screen
Harley Quinn (Detective Comics)
Jessica Cruz (DC Rebirth)
Jim Gordon Batman (Batman: Superheavy)
The Joker (Batman: Endgame)
Justice Buster
Katana (DC Rebirth)
KGBeast (DC Rebirth)
King Shark (Collect & Connect Figure)
The Reaper (Batman: Year Two) 
Rookie (Collect & Connect figure)
Spoiler (Detective Comics)
Superman (DC Rebirth)
Two-Face (All-Star Batman)
Wonder Girl (Teen Titans)

Arrow
The Arrow

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Armored Batman (The Dark Knight Returns)
Batman
Batman & Superman (The Dark Knight Returns)
The Flash & The Atom (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns)
The Joker (The Dark Knight Returns) 
Mutant Leader (The Dark Knight Returns)
Robin (The Dark Knight Returns) 
Son of Batman
Wonder Woman

Batman v. Superman
Aquaman
Armored Batman
Bat Creature
Batman
Batman's Grapnel Blaster (Collect & Connect accessory) 
Batman Unmasked
Knightmare Batman
Lex Luthor
Superman 
Wonder Woman

DC's Legends of Tomorrow 
The Atom

The Flash
Reverse Flash (The Flash TV Series)

Justice League
Aquaman
Aquaman (Toys R Us Exclusive) 
Batman
Batman (Wal-Mart Exclusive) 
Cyborg
Cyborg (Wal-Mart Exclusive)
The Flash
Mera
Mother Boxes (Collect & Connect Accessory)
Parademon
Steppenwolf (Collect & Connect Figure)
Superman
Wonder Woman 

Suicide Squad
Batman
Boomerang
Croc (Build-a-Figure)
Deadshot
Diablo 
Harley Quinn (6 inch) 
Harley Quinn (12 inch)
Harley Quinn (Gold Dress)
Harley Quinn (Toys R Us Exclusive)
The Joker 
The Joker (Toys R Us Exclusive)
Katana
Rick Flag 

Superfriends
Aquaman
Batman 

Supergirl TV Series 
Martian Manhunter
Supergirl 

Wonder Woman
Ares
Diana of Themyscira
Menalippe
Queen Hippolyta
Steve Trevor 
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman (Toys 'R Us exclusive)

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