As I'm wrapping up 2025 expect a few more figures from Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction's Operation: Monster Force series. Today I'm checking out Halloween Boy, another figure I preordered from this series, though one I'm not familiar with. You might say "Well, sure, Operation: Monster Force" is a new series, but Halloween Boy is actually a character from another comic book series, the self titles Halloween Boy by Dave Baker. I've never read Halloween Boy but the concept intrigues me. The first five issues of the series are being collected and will be released in May and I've already got a preorder in. According to the sales blurb, "Working as an archaeologist-for-hire, magical ghost hunter, and super-scientist explorer, Halloween Boy has a simple mission: help those who cannot help themselves. From routine artifact rescues gone wrong to helping the surviving members of an ancient religion enact a cosmic funeral dirge, Halloween Boy finds himself operating as the patron saint of the impossible. And yet, just how long can he win in this never-ending battle before things spiral out of control? When will the dark secrets of the Demon Who Lives finally rear their ugly heads?"
I dig it! I like how Operation: Monster Force pulls in characters from film, literature, and other toylines to create something unique and interesting. This guy was just so fascinating that I had to grab him. How'd he turn out? Let's check him out after the break...
Height: 6 3/8ths inches
Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, double hinged knees, thigh swivels, balljointed hips w/ vertical hinged pegs, balljointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, lateral pectoral hinges, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck base, hinged neck, and a balljointed head.
Accessories: Vest, armored plate, knife, sheath, 2 Beretta pistols, 2 elbow pads, flash grenades, 6 swappable hands, rifle, long magazine, suppressor, 2 vest pouches, glowstick pack, 3 firing effects, smoke effect, sword, sword energy effect, and display stand.
Non-Scalper Price: $37- $40 dollars
* I really like the orange tactical jumpsuit of Halloween Boy. I mean, you don't usually see anyone trying to be sneaky and cover in orange, but I'm not sure that sneaky and covert is Halloween Boy's MO. Plus, orange and black are the Halloween colors. They're the John and Paul of Halloween Colors (with green and purple being George and Ringo; I'm a George fan, by the way). There are some shared parts with last year's Declan Van Helsing, but not as many as I initially thought. Halloween Boy's outfit is more jumpsuit like, perfect for exploring ancient, dusty tombs since he is an archaeologist after all.
* Halloween Boy is sporting nonremovable holsters, kneepads, and a nonremovable belt with lots of little pieces of gear such as some carabiners and some ammo rounds. They look like shotgun shells, but maybe they're something else.
* He's sporting two removable elbow pads as well. You need these if you're doing spelunking of any sort. Banging your elbow sucks!
* Six swappable hands are included with Halloween Boy, who interestingly has the same initials as Hellboy. Would they get along? Would they be BFFs? Anyways, you get a pair of open palms, a pair of fists, and a pair of pistol grips for holding his weapons.
* This vest really completes Halloween Boys' look and while it's one we've seen a few times, the orange and black color scheme really changes the look of the piece. The vest is easy to put on and take off and has five holes for attaching different pieces of gear. The pegs are pretty sturdy and have a hexagonal shape that helps them attach easily with a twist and a bit of wiggling.
* The pouches can be swapped around but I've left them as is for the shot. There's a set of grenades (one piece), a pouch (for extra Halloween candy), a sheath for the knife, and a set of little tubes that I'm speculating are glow sticks/ chemlights. There's also an armored plate in the center which really just completes the vest, but some figures use this spot for nameplate attachments and such.
* Here's a shot from the pack so you can see pouches on the back of the belt and the pouch on the bottom of the vest. I added that on there as it came with the figure, though you could put any other attachment there you'd like.
* Halloween Boy's rifle looks like a heavily modified M4 with optics, a suppressor, and a drybrushed surface to bring out the excellent detail. Gridiron Studios is handling the accessories and you get some killer detail here.
* Like with most other weapons in the series, the magazine is removable. The suppressor is, too.
* For closer up engagements Halloween Boy is packing two Beretta 92FS/ M9 pistols. It's an older pistol model, sure, but a reliable one and one still in use. The detail is excellent and these two pistols also get a drybrush effect to highlight the sculpt.
* There are holsters on both hips (not removable due to the kneepads) that safely and securely hold the Berettas.
* We've seen the knife used before in the line, but who ever turns down a good knife, am I right?
* It can slide right into the sheath and be stored wherever you want with an attachment point. Heck, you can even put the sheath on Halloween Boy's lower back on the attachment point on the rear of the vest.
* Halloween Boy comes with an incredibly cool sword! This thing is awesome and it's not the same as any other swords in the line that I'm familiar with. Check out the blades on the crossguard and the detail there and at the base of the blade. I wonder what the story is with the sword? I'm legit excited for the first Halloween Boy TPB so I'm not digging to much into the details as I want to be surprised and go in a bit "in the dark."
* The other side of the sword is insane! There's a really spooky face on it that kind of looks like a vampire or a demon of some sort. Who or what is this? What's the history of this blade? The paintwork is fantastic and the design of the sword is very faithful to the comic covers I've seen (though the aesthetic is a bit more realistic in O:MF).
* The sword must be some relic or powerful ancient relic Halloween Boy has recovered as it seems capable of lighting on fire. There's an included "flame" attachment that slides over the edge of the blade, making this even more deadly. This is an incredibly cool accessory!
* Each standard figure in the series comes with a display stand personalized with their name on it in red letters. There are two pegs and the stand has a decent sized footprint, so it's not going to fall over easily. It's a great way to display Halloween Boy in your collection.
* The base can also be stood up to serve as a tombstone display piece. There's some excellent sculpted detail on it along with some nice paint effects. Really impressive stuff.
* The Operation: Monster Force figures each come in a five panel box with an opening front flap (and a magnet to keep the flap closed). On the back of the flap is a pretty cool comic unique to the character. I love that Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction are doin, this one actually using the style of the Halloween Boy comics. Halloween Boy is know as the Demon Who Lives and the Patron Saint of the Impossible as he is an archaeologist-for-hire, super-scientist, and warlock who helps those who cannot help themselves who are stuck in no-win scenarios. I like the sound of this guy! He's been recruited to Operation: Monster Force by Declan Van Helsing, though he also is planning to kill Count Dracula whenever he gets the opportunity.
The Negatives:
* Unfortunately, the pegs all feel like they're different sizes with some effects not working in some weapons. You can trim the pegs, etc., but I imagine they're meant to be universal.
* Overall the paintjob is great bit there are some black rubs on the chest that didn't want to come off. They're actually from the accessories that snap on the vest. Obviously you'll mostly be displaying him with the vest on, but this is still a weird little QC issue.
* Use some heat on the vest to loosen it up a bit. didn't have as much trouble on most other figures, but Halloween Boy's vest was harder to get parts on and off. I even had the knife sheath seem to tear a bit, so be careful here.
* The suppressor is very, very tight. Be careful getting it on and off. It might need a little trimming inside or some extensive heat to stretch it a bit.
This is the first figure I've reviewed of Halloween Boy. For more Operation: Monster Force figures check out the following:
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