Action Figure Review: Man-E-Faces from Masters of the Universe Origins: Sketchbook Series by Mattel

 

   We are less than a month away from the release of the Masters of the Universe movie in the United States (June 5th, 2026!) and I'm trying to work some more MOTU reviews in this month. Obviously you all know I'm a MOTU maniac, both a He-Fan and a She-Raver, but there does come a point where you realize you have likely enough versions of certain characters. If you check out my various archives you can tell that my shelves are loaded with multiples toys, collectibles, and action figure versions of He-Man, She-Ra, Skeletor, Beast Man, Trap Jaw, Man-At-Arms, Orko, Teela, Mer-Man, Faker, Battle Cat, and Hordak. I know there are so many MOTU toys and statues coming out right now but I'm just having to be more selective about what I pickup. Outside of the main ongoing line (for me that was Masterverse and now Chronicles), I'm largely skipping characters I have too many versions of unless there's something really unique. Well, a concept version of Man-E-Faces really jumped out at me. On Masters of the Universe Day last month (April 28th) we lost Roger Sweet, one of the two "creators" of He-Man (that's a very nuanced discussion which I'm not getting into here) and with the passing of Mark Taylor in 2021, both of He-Man's creators are now no longer with us. More than any other property I can think of, fans of MOTU really seem to love the concept art and creative process of the brand and fans have usually jumped at concept and prototype inspired action figures. Man-E-Faces is a Target exclusive and latest release in the Masters of the Universe: Origins Sketchbook Series; he's also the first figure from the line that I've picked up. Based on an early Mark Taylor sketch for a character called Multi-Face (though Mr. Taylor doesn't get any credit on the packaging, unfortunately), this is the first time we've seen this concept art version of Man-E-Faces as an action figure. He's a pretty incredible design that might actually surpass the classic Man-E-Faces in my book. Some elements of his design also make more sense to me when presented like this. Ready to check out Multi-Faces, the man who would become Man-E-Faces? Then join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, swivel/hinge knees, balljointed hips, swivel waist, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, swivel helmet, and rotating faces.

Accessories: Scepter and cloak.

Non-Scalper Price: $22 dollars

Comparison:

* Here's a quick shot of the Sketchbook Man-E-Faces/ Multi-Faces next to the 2021 MOTU Origins Man-E-Faces. I don't have the poncho on the Sketchbook Series figure so you can better see the similarities and differences in the figures. While the main torso and head are the same, the rest of the body is different and quite accurate to Mark Taylor's concept art. 

Check out the excellent Battle Ram Blog for a full write-up on the history of Man-E-Faces!

The Packaging:

* I'm not an in-package collector and rare keep anything in the package. I didn't here, either, although I do plan on clipping some parts of this box to save in a file. This is really cool stuff! While I do wish the packaging credited Mark Taylor and/ or features his artwork, we still get some very impressive artwork by Francisco Etchart and packaging design from Roy Juarez. Mattel really seems to take a lot of pride in the art of MOTU, even for fairly basic figures. 

The Positives:

* While the classic Man-E-Faces has always had an unusual design that leaned more into a heavy sci-fi aesthetic, looking more like a "retro-futuristic" spaceman than a barbarian warrior, the concept Multi-Faces seems to be inspired by Mesoamerican warriors like the Aztecs and the Mayans. The grey skin tone is unusual but it makes the white gold armor stand out more. Underneath the poncho (we'll cover that poncho in a moment), Multi-Faces is wearing trunks, boots, and a harness that do look fairly ornamental, especially with that gold color. It's a great gold color, too. It's rather shiny and looks impressive. While I love Man-E-Faces, I do think the helmet and harness fit better for a warrior wearing armor with a sci-fi influence inspired by the Aztecs or Mayans. 

* Doesn't the helmet just seem more fitting in gold? I love it. Multi-Faces has the same spinning feature as the Origins Man-E-Faces but the faces inside are different. The first face looks expressionless, kind of like a Transformers face, but it also looks like he's wearing face paint like a warrior.  

* The second portrait is a robot head and is one of the three faces on this figure, though the design is based on another of the six from Mark Taylor's art. This one really reminds me of the robot head from the vintage Man-E-Faces although it isn't exactly the same.

* Last up is the monster head, although this one makes me think of an alien. It has tusk-like teeth, three eyes, and some sort of a long pink snout. It's pretty wild looking and quite imaginative. 

* The black poncho with colorful stripes is taken directly from Mark Taylor's art, too, and adding it to the figure really makes Multi-Face stand out. I mean, how unique would this guy be alongside other figures in the vintage MOTU line? He reminds me of some of the Legends of Dragonore figures, a line itself inspired by the vintage MOTU concept art. The poncho is a solid piece with a little flexibility, so not a soft good. It fits over the head and has plastic rings that fit over the arms. 

* Here's a shot of Multi-Face from the back. Not only does his gold helmet look fantastic from the rear but the back of his cape has a great design that seems to be inspired by Aztec iconography. That's a neat detail not visible on the original artwork but it really adds a nice touch.

* If you own any figures from the MOTU Origins, Turtles of Grayskull, or the MOTU/ Thundercats lines, you know what to expect in terms of articulation. These figures have a similar build to the vintage MOTU line but with a basic level of modern articulation. You're not getting fancy stuff like butterfly joints or mid-torso hinges but you are getting a sturdy, modular figure that's absolutely made for play or to strike a vintage MOTU pose. Heck, you can ever swap parts around with other figures in the line.

* A new accessory is included here: A decorative scepter. I'm not sure if it's intended to be a weapon or not but it does match the concept art quite well. The eye is sculpted and not painted but it does look like a solid piece and the color matches Multi-Face's armor quite well. I wonder what the three little ornamentations at the top are supposed to be? They kind of look like beaks. 

* Here's a shot at the fantastic art on the back of the package and the removable insert with some more concept art. This is really part of the packaging, sure, but it's impressive looking and it doesn't need to be cut or damaged to fully appreciate it. It's quite gorgeous. Again, it's not from Mark Taylor (it's from Francisco Etchart) but it definitely is quality work. It also is clearly real art, too, and not some AI slop throw together. 

   This is a really cool figure and a great treat for folks who love the art and feel of the earliest days of Masters of the Universe. I've largely stopped grabbing MOTU Origins figures as they've been retreading a lot of the same characters over and over but this Sketchbook Series Man-E-Faces (Multi-Face) really feels like something special. In a perfect world we would have eventually got him in Masters of the Universe Classics (still the MOTU GOAT!) but I'm quite content with having this one on the shelf. He's a Great and a 1/2 figure and he really stands out among the MOTU offerings right now.



   For more of Man-E-Faces check out my reviews of the MOTU Origins Man-E-Faces, the Masterverse MOTU New Eternia Man-E-Faces, the Mega Construx Man-E-Faces, the Netflix Man-E-Faces, and the M.U.S.C.L.E. green Man-E-Faces from the Masters of the Universe Set #1 and the flesh colored M.U.S.C.L.E. Man-E-Faces.