Action Figure Review: Doom Slayer from Doom: The Dark Ages by McFarlane Toys

 

   I'm a pretty big fan of Doom but it's been around 6 years since I last reviewed anything related to Doom. I blame that on there just not being a lot of merchandise based on the games. This year Doom: The Dark Ages released and I absolutely loved it. With the mixture of the traditional Doom aesthetic with a world that felt like a swords and sorcery locale mixed with advanced technology (kind of like Eternia, now that I think about it), Doom: The Dark Ages really mixed things up in a fun way, resulting in a game that felt like you were inside of a heavy metal album cover. McFarlane has released a few Doom figures over the years but this is the first based on Doom: The Dark Ages (they've also released the giant mech suit, the Atlan) and it was the inaugural figure in McFarlane Toys' new Elite Edition line of figures. What's elite about them? They do come with a nice amount of accessories and they're touted as having "an incredibly detailed sculpt with premium paint applications." OK. What else does it mean that these are part of the Elite Edition series? They cost around $50 to $60 dollars. That seems a bit steep for a McFarlane Toys mass market release but this guy sold out crazy fast and is selling on the secondary market for two to three times the original price, so I guess there are plenty of Doom fans desperate for Doom Slayers in their collection. Ready to check out the Elite Edition of the Doom Slayer? Then join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 7 1/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinged ankles, swivel/hinge knees, swivel thighs, swivel/hinge hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/ hinge elbows, swivel/ hinged wrists, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: 4 swappable hands, shotgun, flail, shield saw, Pulverizer, collectible card, points card, and display stand

Non-Scalper Price: $50-$60 dollars

Comparison:

* Here's a quick shot of the Doom: The Dark Ages Doom Slayer (on the left) with the 2019 Doom Eternal Doom Slayer (on the right). The Dark Ages Slayer definitely has a much better sculpt and paintjob, though he's oddly a bit shorter than the Eternal Slayer.

The Positives:

* The Doom Slayer/ Doom Guy/ Flynn Taggart looks pretty impressive here. This is definitely a very good sculpt and one area where the figure excels over the previous figure. The sculpt is much sharper, cleaner, and the level of detail is excellent. The blend of barbarian fantasy and sci-fi in the Doom Slayer's definitely allows for so many different textures and design elements: Leather, metal, chainmail, scale mail; it's pretty impressive and makes for a really fun action figure. I definitely can see the difference between the amount of paintwork on this figure compared to most other McFarlane Toys I've bought within the past few years, so you clearly are getting a more detailed product here. The Doom Slayer also looks pretty accurate to the in-game model, so he's easily recognizable. 

* The helmet is pretty sweet, too, and makes a nice update of the classic Doom Slayer helmet. I really like the shape of the visor on this one and the spikes running across the top. It's definitely a solid blend of space marine and fantasy knight, a design choice that was a pretty interesting direction for Doom to go in. 

* I love the gauntlets on this guy. This is the left gauntlet, so it has the special attachment for recalling the shield saw in the game. The detail and the wash really make this look like the Doom Slayer has been through one battle after another.

* The work on the armor is excellent with a nice shiny metallic paint and plenty of weathering. Everything is sculpted impressively, making the individual chains and the plates on the mail visible. Besides a few extra shotgun shells on his belt and a slew of pouches there's also a real metal chain attached. No one is stealing the Doom Slayer's wallet!

* These boots are not made for walking. These boots are made for kicking, stomping, romping, trudging, and crushing. If the Doom Slayer were to put his foot up some demon's backside, they'd probably just explode and maybe even spontaneously combust. These things are intense! Look at the detail on the spikes, the buckles, and on the weathering. Heck, even the soles of the boots are mighty impressive. 

* In Doom: The Dark Ages the Doom Slayer is sporting a long fur cape. It's pretty cool and definitely something you'd think someone like Conan the Barbarian or King Grayskull would be sporting rather than the Doom Guy. In this wild new installment in the Doom series, though, you get some swords and sorcery along with space marine armor, so now we have Doom Guy with a fur cape. McFarlane Toys has included a soft goods cape here that is a but furry. It's not removable but it does complete the Slayer's new look.

* Underneath the cape, even though you can't see it without lifting the cape, is some more excellent detail and paintwork showing off all of the different armor this guy is wearing.

* Four swappable hands are included for the Doom Slayer: Two gripping/ pistol grip hands, a right hand fist, and a left hand open palm. They swap out easily and the pegs actually go into the wrist, which is different than most other McFarlane figures currently where the peg is in the wrist and the hand covers it. 

* The weapons are pretty nice in this set, which is important since Doom is known for it's shooting, gunplay, and over the top weapons. Hey, this is the game series with the BFG9000 after all. First up is the super shotgun, a seriously hardcore double-barreled shotgun. It's a nice sculpt and a recognizable weapon from the franchise, so it's inclusion is appreciated. It's a staple in the game and definitely my go to for most situations. (This is the updated form of the combat shotgun, the starting weapon.)

* Next up is one of the coolest new weapons for D:TDA: The Pulverizer. What is this? It's a weapon that grinds up skulls and fires their shards in a spread. Yes, a gun that grinds up skulls and uses them for ammo. That is definitely pretty metal. It's a large weapon and probably the most impressive accessory included. 

* The skull ammo is actually a separate (though nonremovable) piece that gets some paint applications to bring out the detail on the little skulls loaded up. 

* The Doom Slayer gets some melee weapons in Doom: The Dark Ages: The Dread Mace, the flail, and the Power Gauntlet. McFarlane included the flail as an accessory. It's a standard flail, nothing too unusual here, though there is a metal chain so you can actually swing it a bit. 

* The auto turret in D:TDA is equipped via a rune used on the shield (coming up). It automatically targets and fires at multiple enemies while mounted on the Slayer's back (kind of like the cannon on the Predator in the original film).The auto turret plugs into the Slayer's back and has a swivel at the top so it can rotate while tracking it's target. 

* The shield isn't just a gimmick in the game but a pretty substantial gameplay element that's fun to use and works it's way into most encounters. It's a large piece, surrounded by blades, and with excellent paint applications. There's a lot of detail here.

* Here's a shot of the back of the shield saws so you can see the handle, the detail on the back, the drybrush effects, and more detail on the blades.

* Like most McFarlane Toys figures these days you get a display stand and a collectible card. There's also a redemption code for 50 points for the McFarlane Toys Collector's Club.

* OK, so let's talk about the articulation as it's the weakest part of this release. On the positive side, the Doom Slayer is sturdy, durable, and could probably take out a fodder demon if you chucked it at the demon's head at close range. 

The Negatives:

* On the negative, the articulation is almost the same the 2019 figure, if not a little more restrictive in places. You're telling me that none of the advances that we saw on McFarlane's modern Spawn line or DC Multiverse were utilized here? 

* The Doom Slayer doesn't hold his weapons like you or I would; he's massive, brawny, and uses one hand for gunning and one hand for holding his shield. Still, getting a decent firing pose is pretty much near impossible. The swivel/hinge elbows (with no bicep swivel) are terrible and getting a good firing pose with the super shotgun is impossible. The figure can look great just standing around and brooding, but I'm not sure why this guy wasn't "combat tested" a bit more.

* A soft goods cape, especially a big furry one, is pretty cool, but the way it sits around the neck is just odd looking. It's a messy design and doesn't match the in-game look. I'd almost rather have had a sculpted cape than this. Also, the cape does come off as kind of cheap, like the material of a weird furry mat in a bathroom. Remember those? Who puts furry things like that in a bathroom?

* The auto turret is actually less articulated than the auto turret from the 2019 Doom Eternal figure of the Doom Slayer. It also has a tough time escaping the fur cape. I'd imagine the cape would be getting singed while this thing was firing. 

   What's the verdict? This guy looks impressive. The sculpt is nice, the paint is impressive, but there are so many weird little flaws that just aggravate me such as the poorly done fur cape and the inhibited auto turret. Oh, and the articulation. It's just not great, being only on par with (or possibly even worse than) the 2019 figure. Now, had this been a more standard release at $25 to $35 dollars, I'd be much more appreciative. At $50 to $60 dollars, though? Well, this guy's selling like hotcakes but he's very underwhelming. He's an Eh and a 1/2 figure. I love Doom and really liked Doom: The Dark Ages, so this guy was purchased more for my love of the game rather than because the figure is well made. Definitely a disappointment for 2025 in my book. I was really looking forward to this guy. If you're going to drop the money, just by the game instead. They're close to the same price. 

Looking for more of the Doom Slayer/ Doom Guy? Then check out my review of the 2019 McFarlane Toys Doom Eternal Doom Slayer.