Monday, September 21, 2026

Action Figure Review: Jester from Action Force by Valaverse

 


   Wow! It's been over a year (not since April of 2025) since I reviewed anything from Valaverse. I don't think they've released too much since then that got my attention but over the summer they did drop some new figures from both Action Force and their new modern pirates line, The Black. I'm going to be looking a couple figures from both lines in the coming weeks but I'll start with Jester as he's a pretty interesting figure. Using Action Force figures and a Mattel WWE Mr. T, I've worked on a pretty basic Action Force version of the A-Team. I've had B.A. Baracus, Faceman, and Hannibal covered but I haven't had a Murdock yet. When I first saw this guy advertised, I thought he'd make a pretty good Action Force version of "Howling Mad" Murdock as he has a crazk grin, a pilot's cap, and he looks a bit slighter than the rest of the team. I might still use him for that purpose, but it turns out that Jester has far more in common with the Joker than he does with the A-Team's resident expert pilot: He's a sadistic interrogator for Pandora's The Devil's Grin crime syndicate. This guy just loves cutting people up. Yikes! He's a weird, creepy dude that seems less physically imposing than many of the other Action Force characters, but he's far more unhinged and unpredictable. Ready for a new villain for Action Force or any other 1/12th scaled military lines? Thank join me after the break...





The Facts:

Height: 6 1/2 inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, calve swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed drop down hips, ball jointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, butterfly pecs, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck base, hinged neck, and a ball jointed head.

Accessories: 8 swappable hands, harness, shotgun, revolver, holster, 3 knives, ulu knife, and display stand. 

Non Scalper Price: $28 dollars




The Positives:



* Jester is a bit shorter and more slender than most other Action Force figures. The Action Force figures usually are more basic in their design, either wearing straight up military inspired outfits or just basic clothes with a few tacti-cool flourishes. I really do like Jester's jacket, though. The sleeves are sculpted as part of his arms, though the "jacket shell" is a separate piece. There are quite a few paint applications on it including some zippers. He's also wearing leather straps around his wrists, perhaps for a little extra protection or a little extra power when punching. 






* Jester is wearing a pilot's cap, goggles, and a very cheeky grin. At first you might think he's just a bit off kilter and fun loving but when you read his file card and learn how he's a sadist who gets his jollies from torturing people, he comes across as much more sinister. I've seen some really negative reactions to this headsculpt but I quite like it. It's very different and a bit unsettling, which seems to fit this character perfectly. 







* The bands on his gloves look really good, especially due to the small details on the straps and the dark wash. He's also sporting the Devil's Grin faction logo on his sleeve, though I couldn't capture a great shot of it without glare. Oops. 







* His boots match his gloves quite well. They're a bit darker than his gloves but they have the same appearance and are also nicely painted, looking like worn leather. 








* Action Force largely utilizes the same articulation model as the G.I. Joe: Classified Series or Operation: Monster Force, so there aren't too many surprises. Jester might be shorter and slimmer than most other Action Force figures but he's still just as sturdy and able to wield his firearms and blades effectively. He has a bunch of weapons, so he's really fun to pose with different combinations of them in hand. 






* The standard eight hand poses from Action Force are included, though done with the cool gloves that Jester is wearing. You get a pair of pistol grips, a pair of cupping hands, a pair of fists, and two standard grips for holding his blades. Everything swaps easily and each hand has the same great paint applications on the gloves. 







* Jester doesn't seem like he'd be huge on the battlefield. Instead, I see him as working behind the scenes, preferring to sneak around and take his opponents by surprise. For close up strikes, he comes with a short shotgun that looks like a Remington. The detail is excellent with even a paint app on the ejection port. Out of all the companies producing 1/12th scaled weapons, I think Valaverse produces the best product. 








* Jester also comes with a revolver that looks like a Smith & Wesson. This is another gorgeous sculpt with excellent details and a crisp design. 






* It fits snugly into the holster on Jester's right hip, a holster that also has great paint details to give the holster the look of worn leather. There are even some additional rounds in a little storage band on the holster. 









* Jester comes with a wicked set of knives. There are three different smaller knives and a knife that looks like (or at least is inspired by) an Alaskan or Inuit ulu. They're solid pieces with legit sharp points and neat, clean paint applications. 









* Jester has a cool leather harness that completes his look and is able to carry the three smaller knives on the front. They stay in place securely, too. That's some solid engineering. 




* The ulu also fits into this sheathe on the back of his harness. 









* The stands for this series look like broken concrete with six pegs and a slot to display the included file card. These are excellent display stands, though they do take up a fair amount of shelf space. These are shared with the figures from The Black, which is definitely a cousin of Action Force. 






   I really like Jester. He's a unique design for this line (and for most other 1/12th scale military lines, too) and he's loaded with excellent accessories. The fact that his knives stay in his harness so well is just a great feature, too. There's a lot of quality work here. I also continue to be impressed that Valaverse has been lowering the prices on these figures; this is a smaller brand than, say, G.I. Joe: The Classified Series or Marvel Legends, and yet they're now down to a $28 dollar price point. Jester is Epic and whether you use him as a hero or a villain, he definitely is well equipped to fill a unique role in your collection.




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