Action Figure Review: Ram Man from Turtles of Grayskull by Mattel

 

   Picture this: Ram Man, but he's literally a mutated ram. That's what Mattel has went with for Ram Man in Turtles of Grayskull and he's just marvelous! Turtles of Grayskull is a crazy concept anyway, but it's so crazy that it works. In the Turtles of Grayskull story the heroic Ram Man has been subjected to mutagen ooze by Krang, so now he's a mutant ram guy controlled by Krang. It works. Ram Man is one of my favorite MOTU characters and this is just a super fun and outrageous version of him. Some of the Turtles of Grayskull figures are just simply handled, like adding samurai armor to Beast Man or Man-At-Arms' armor to Donatello, but Ram Man here is really a brilliant blend of the aesthetics of both lines. Let's check out Ram Man, the mutated battering ram, after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, calf swivels, swivel/hinge knees, balljointed hips, swivel waist, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: Armor, belt, 2 axes, and minicomic.

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars

Comparison:

* I was wondering how this guy was going to turn out since the MOTU Origins Ram Man was a deluxe release with an action figure. Other than maybe the arms, this guy is all new for this line (unless the torso is from one of those WWE figures in this style). The mutated Turtles of Grayskull Ram Man is taller, bulkier, and more articulated than the Origin Ram Man. 

The Positives:

* Despite having very cool purple skin (it's translucent with green mutagen ooze lines) and ram horns, this figure is very recognizable as Ram Man because of his outfit. It's actually removable (the upper torso tunic and shoulder pads are all one piece while the belt and waist armor is a separate piece), so you can check out his oversized translucent torso, but the sculpt and paint is excellent. He's bulky, beefy, and looks like a true heavy hitter. His armor differs some from the vintage and Origins Ram Man as he has larger, more spiky shoulder pads and a chain hanging across his chest. 

* Rammy's helmet is recognizable, though he now has ram horns sprouting from the side of his head along with pointy ears and a scruffy beard. His eyes are all red, perhaps to suggest that he's been turned evil and is now under the control of Krang. Interestingly, some of the early Mark Taylor character concept sketches that became the vintage Ram Man (Hercule and Jumping Jack Flash) had ram horns on their helmets. 

* Not only is he a mutant ram now but he's also sporting a ram's head symbol on his belt buckle. The vintage figure has a skull their, so this is a new feature. 

* Ram Man now has animal-like legs, too. They're furry looking with hoofs, though they're purple and mutated. 

* He's a chunk guy but Ram Man can move fairly well. His movement isn't really fine and nuanced (no one is going to mistake him for a Figma or Revoltech figure) but he has all the joints of any other MOTU Origins figure. He's sturdy, solid, and is modular so you can make your own weird creations.

* Ram Man comes with the same two axes the Origins Ram Man included, though they're a bit darker in color. This double bladed axe is quite large and can fit in Ram Man's right hand. 

* The second weapon is Ram Man's classic axe. It's another piece reused from the Origins Ram Man (and the Masters of the WWE Universe Goldberg), but it's Ram Man's main weapon (other than his head), so why not include it? 

* The two axes can connect together, making a longer, larger weapon for Ram Man to swirl around in combat. 

* Ram Man has a slot on his back where one of his axes can be stored. It's an odd shape and I presume that his bearded axe is meant to go in there, with the slot holding the blade in place.

* All four of the series 2 basic Turtles of Grayskull figures come with the same minicomic, "Belly of the Beast (Man)," and it's longer than your average Masters of the Universe Origins comic with 10 pages, not including the covers. I really enjoyed it and I'm kind of eager to read the first part and the upcoming third part. It's a minicomic included with a toy, yeah, but the art is fantastic and the comic reads as well as you'd expect if this were a regular comic team up of the TMNT and MOTU. Honestly, it's a shame there's not a regular series as this seems quite good. Ram Man doesn't play a large role at all in this issue, but he is seen a few times. 

The Negatives: 

* My only negative with Ram Man is that in some poses his ankles are a bit looser than the usual MOTU Origins ankle. You might have to mess around a bit to find the right poses if you're trying for something where the ankles are poses straight up an down. 

   The Turtles of Grayskull Ram Man is wild and I absolutely love him! This guy is definitely going to end up being one of my favorites of this year as he's just so weird and wonderful. The sculpt and paint are fantastic and he's just such a fun concept. Ram Man gets a Great and a 1/2 from me. My only real issue with him is his weaker ankles. You just have to take a little time posing him and he should be just fine in most poses. I love this figure that's a nice blend of TMNT and MOTU, and not just one character wearing another character's outfit. Ram Man might be the strongest figure of series 2, though I do have two more good ones to check out. 

   If you're a fan of Ram Man/ Krass, I've also reviewed the 200x Ram Man, the Origins Ram Man, the Masterverse: New Eternia Ram Man, the Netflix Ram Ma'am (a Rule 63 Ram Man), the M.U.S.C.L.E. green Ram Man and traditional pink Ram Man, the ReAction standard Ram Man and Ram Man (Mini Comic), the Loyal Subjects Ram Man, the Eternia minis Ram Man, the Hot Wheels Ram Man emblazoned '41 Willys Coupe 2002 #91, and the MOTUC Ram Man.

For more Turtles of Grayskull reviews check out the following:

Beast Man

Mouse-Jaw