Saturday, December 7, 2024

Action Figure Review: Red Hood (Dawn of DC) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 

   There was once a point where I kept up with most of the DC Universe. Actually, it was that way for quite a number of years. I read single issues into the New 52 era but eventually went to just picking up the trades. Yeah, I mostly read Bat-titles, but I'd also read at least one of the main books (i.e. Justice League) and a few other more offbeat titles that caught my eye. I eventually grew pretty tired of crossovers, though, especially as they became more of a regular event rather than something unique or special. Eventually I got tired of DC rebooting, doing new launches, renumbering, and such and decided to stop keeping up with things all the time. Now I usually just add everything from the previous year or two to my Christmas list and then keep up that way. That's a long way to say that I don't know very much about Dawn of DC, DC Comics' publishing initiative from last year. This version of Jason Todd as Red Hood is from Dawn of DC, and he does seem to have gotten a decent focus in Dawn of DC along with a new costume. Jason Todd is one of my favorite DC characters and my favorite of all the Robins so I really wanted this guy. As a figure, though? I'm actually rather disappointed. Let's check out Red Hood from Dawn of DC after the break...






The Facts:

Height: 7 3/8ths inches

Articulation: Hinged toes, double swivel hinged ankles, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, swivel/hinge hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid torso, swivel/hinge shoulders w/ ballsockets, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/ hinge wrists, and a barbell jointed head.
 
Accessories: Collector card, display stand, crowbar, and sword.
 
Non-Scalper Price: $23 dollars




The Positives:

* This Red Hood costume reminds me quite a bit of the Arkham Knight version of Red Hood, using an actual hooded sweatshirt-like outfit along with headgear, and even a little bit of the White Knight take on the character. There's a lot of red here, not just on Jason's head gear, and it looks good. I like the color scheme; it still comes across as dark and violent, but it still manages to be quite eye-catching. It's a blend of tactical gear and biker gear with just a little bit of the batfamily aesthetic. The textures are excellent on the hoodie (a separate piece over Jason's torso) and his shirt, a black shirt with a stylized Red Hood logo, looks like it might also be made of a durable material designed to provide protection. The arm wraps are a nice touch as well. 



* Besides wearing a literal red hood rather than a domed helmet or mask, Jason also has a black domino mask with red lenses and a facemask of sorts. It's fire engine red, shiny, and looks like it's received a bit of damage already due to some scratches on it. There are grills on there, so perhaps it also contains some sort of respirator and a voice changer. Who knows?
* These pants and boots are seriously cool. Tactical pants with pouches and two red "blood stripes" running down the sides along with some serious biker boots. I didn't pick it up but there is a motorcycle (Red Hood's Sportsbike) that's also available from McFarlane on its own. These boots would provide a good bit of protection, are sturdily snapped on, and slightly resemble the blades/ flares of batfamily gear with the way the straps flare out.







* Overall, Jason Todd's articulation is pretty solid. He even has the true swivel thighs to help make riding his sportsbike easier. The hoodie does block a bit of motion for the torso, head, and shoulders, but not terribly considering it's a necessary part of the look. I think he actually looks really good in fighting poses and most of his other joints have an excellent range of motion. He's sturdy, too. He just feels like a really solid, durable toy.





* Red Hood has to sets of swappable hands: A pair of fists and a pair trigger grips. I'm not completely sure, but I do believe that Red Hood does tend to use melee weapons more in the Dawn of DC rather than pistols, but if you have some spare pistols you can still use him. I do prefer these hands that plug into the wrist rather than McFarlane's typical swappable hands that fit over a peg imbedded in the wrist. These seem sturdier and look better; they're far less bulky. 






* Remember how DC readers the Joker beat Jason Todd nearly to death with a crowbar before blowing him up? Well, since his resurrection (now almost 20 years ago) Jason has used a crowbar from time to time, kind of reclaiming the weapon that symbolized his death. He comes with a crowbar here, and it's pretty decent. It looks like metal and has the appropriate tool shapes on the ends. 







* Of course you also get the standard collectible card and a simple disc display stand. What type of bipartisan legislation would you like to see enacted? I think each action figure should be mandated to come with a display stand of some sort. Just not those weird, triangular stands where you slip a foot in that Hasbro used on some Star Wars: Black Series figures. Those sucked! Thank Todd that McFarlane Toys include stands with nearly all of their releases.





* Jason Todd also comes with a short sword with a red grip, another weapon that does seem to show up frequently in Dawn of DC (at least on covers and promo art).

The Negative:

* This thing is rubbery and bendy. Not just soft: Rubbery and gummy. McFarlane's accessories are pretty inconsistent and this is one of the worst I've seen.







* Red Hood's red hood is a solid part of his overall hoodie and isn't very flexible at all. It's not removable, either, so you're kind of stuck with Jason only being able to look forward. The headsculpt overall looks pretty cool from the front but the hair is weird and looks to have taken on the texture of the hood. I wonder how that happened? I wish the hood were a removable piece or perhaps had been attached to the portrait itself. 





* The jacket is a separate piece but why did McFarlane feel the need to glue it on? Further, why make grooves in the shirt for it to fit into?  This sleeveless hoodie would have stayed on just fine with no glue and could have been easily removable to change up Jason's look? Also, it's noticeable at some angles even with the hoodie in place.








* What the heck is going on here? Jason is supposed to have his arms wrapped with red cloth about up to his elbows but it's clear the cloth was missed on both arms around the elbows leaving him... looking like he has some sort of skin condition or something. That's a very sloppy paint job or an oddly missed paint hit.











* It's very cool that Red Hood can throw his weapons across his back...but the clips are just little rubbery clips with not much strength. A simple loop would have been better. Also, doesn't it seem like a black paint application is missing here?












   Jason Todd/ Red Hood is one of my favorite characters, so this guy having so many flaws is just heartbreaking. Besides the weird paint issue with the elbows, their just seem to be so many flaws in the design. The rubbery sword, the unimpressive storage clasps on the back of the hoodie, the solid hood, the hoodie glued on (and in) to the torso for absolutely no reason. I actually like this look for Jason. It's not my favorite Red Hood outfit ever, but I appreciate it being a bit of a change. This could have been a killer figure but McFarlane Toys' weird design choices definitely took a figure I was looking forward to and released a very Eh release. Bummer.


If you're a Jason Todd/ Red Hood/ Arkham Knight/ Robin fan, I've also reviewed the Batman: Arkham Knight Gamestop exclusive Red Hood and Arkham Knight, the DC Essentials Red Hood, and Mattel's DC Signature Collection Red Hood and DC Comics Multiverse Red Hood. 


For more DC Multiverse reviews check out the following:
Harley Quinn (The Suicide Squad)
Hugo Strange (Batman: Transference)
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