This is my ver first Mezco One:12 Collectible and of course it has to be Iron Man himself! This was an action figure that has been in my preorder cart for a LONG time and there was actually a time when I took it out of my cart because I wasn't sure if I could pay that price for another Iron Man figure and with a company I am not familiar with. But after watching reviews from Action Figure Enthusiasts such as Fwoosh and ShartimusPrime, I was sold. So without further adieu, here we are with my review of the Mezco One:12 Iron Man.
Again, this is my first exposure with Mezco so I'm going to talk a little bit about the design and aesthetics of the box. First thing I am introduced to is the nice red box with the classic logo of Iron Man back in the day he was considered "Invincible". The fonts of his name are colored yellow and red and made to look with some iron gimmick. Definitely nostalgic and classic if I do say so myself. I like the simple words: "Pose. Play. Display." underneath the One:12 insignia. The same insignia can also be found on the side along with an Iron Man face emblem and "Mezco Toyz" on the bottom. Again, another cool quote which signifies that this toy line are made by geeks like me. I'm surprised they didn't use Iron Man's older "Shellhead" head for the logo. The one they chose leans more on the modern take and/or the MCU look. It certainly doesn't match the helmet of the action figure inside. Not a big thing but it's something to point out. Overall, the design of the box is something I like. It's a good way to get introduced to Mezco. Boxes are a BIG part of the action figure's safety and it is also a factor to judge just how much time and effort a toy company puts with little details and/or how much they go out of their way to please their customers. At the end of the day I'd take the knowledge of having my action figure being safe as it is going through the delivery phase but I'm not one to shy away from cool aesthetics especially when it pays homage to the character the action figure is made after. So with that said, Mezco won me over with this.
Of course the back of the box shows off what's inside. Accessories, pose options, and just a great way to showcase the beautiful piece of collectible within.
The box also has a Hot Toy feel to it. Anyone who collects or owns a Hot Toy or two knows what I'm talking about. It's always nice to have that feeling and by no means Mezco is a cheap collectible at any rate.
Mezco's logo is a bit unexpected, but I supposed anything could be a logo. Nice spot varnished into the box which makes the mantis(bug) stand out. If I end up getting another Mezco figure in the future near or far, I'll be looking for this signature.
In this day and age toy companies are aware of the importance of action figures looking good in photos and the how integral it is to have various display options. In order to pull that off one of the biggest component for an action figure to come to life are the accessories that comes with it and boy does Mezco deliver! While Iron Man does not come with a whole lot of alternate hands, it's honestly not taking away from the toy. Some action figures comes with a lot and there is nothing wrong with that gimmick, my only problem is that sometimes some of the hands do not serve a purpose for me. One:12 Iron Man's three alternate hands: semi-relaxed, fists, and open repulsor hands does is more than adequate. That might be a disappointment for some but I truly believe that the amount of fire power accessories this action figure comes with MORE than makes up for the lack of hands. He has two pair of boots jet fire (or can be used for repulsors), a pair of repulsor blasts, a pair of forearm missiles, alternate hip discs that show small missiles firing off, and then there's a Uni-beam special effect! I don't think I have seen a uni-beam done before so this is a real treat! Iron Man's face plate also comes off and just like Hot Toys, it is magnetic so it can stick on Stark's head to replicate it lifting off to show a Tony Stark head (more on that). Then to top it off, Iron Man comes with a character related stand that does wonders both displaying and aesthetically! Then just like #Figma, Mezco One:12 gives us a ziplock bag to store Stark's accessories. Something I am truly grateful for!
In the comics, this particular armor was one of Tony's "classic" look. It was after his days of wearing the bulky silver/grey (later gold) armor and the start of his well known red and gold color palette. Back then, however, his armor resembled tights more than armor. It was okay for the time but what Mezco did was modernize that look to mirror a hi-tech armor with a classic skin. Instead of the skin-tight look, this one is bulky, squared at some parts, and platings that truly replicates metal molded to cover human body parts within. There are various lines sculpted to replicate the notion that there are multiple pieces of metal molded to form several different part of Stark's armor. It truly does try its best to take a classic look and put it in an MCU format. Now with that last statement it doesn't mean that this new look completely steers away from the source material. One gander at this action figure and anyone who is a big enough fan of Marvel will recognize this action figure as the classic "model 4" armor with a few tweaks. Fun fact, seems that Tony Stark was playing around with a version of the Extremis with this suit some time ago. Okay, so it wasn't extremis, but it sure acted like it to a degree because the 'gold tights' on his legs would extend when he needed to armor up. Also, some version of Model 4 was also packable inside a suitcase--and not like how it was in Iron Man 2 with the Mark V. I doubt this ONE:12 would fit in a suitcase judging form the bulkiness of it.
The description on the back also mentioned that there are some metal components and it's not lying. This figure has some weight and its all due to the die cast metal parts here and there. Its a stable action figure that much is certain.
Now what's there to say about the way it is painted? It is marvelous! I love the metallic shine to this guy that is pretty consistent throughout the action figure! The red is this bold shiny red that just spells Stark's boasting confidence and then there's the gold that isn't flat at all and it shines just right next to the red. It compliments the sculpting with the ridges and little details everywhere and really, I can't complain. Then, of course, there's this gimmick that just makes it all that much better:
The arc reactor lights up! It's a pretty good lighting too and this is with all of my photo lights on. And you know what the best part is? Mezco PROVIDED the batteries! Thank you, Mezco!
The light up feature also goes with the Uni-Beam effect and admittedly, it's not as bright as I would like but, hey, it's doing the job! I can't knock it down!
The shell head faceplate is definitely reminiscent of the 70s and 80s days. This armor is integral part of Iron Man's history that he still uses it one in a while when his more modern armors are inadequate for whatever reason.
Tony's handsome mug can also be seen when the faceplate comes off though this is where a complaint of mine happens: the facial hair looks too light, too grey. It is almost the same color as the face cushion. Still, a small complaint since I'm not going to display him without the shell head face. Though if one does want to, as I mentioned earlier, the face plate can magnetically stay on top of Iron Man's head like it lifted off (as it does in the movies). Again, another feature that reminds me so much of Hot Toys that I can't help but say that ONE:12 is a "lower quality" and much more affordable version of the juggernaut toy line we know as Hot Toys. And if Mezco did get that idea from Hot Toys, that's not a bad gimmick to copy because hey, it's neat and offers another display option!
Needless to say, Iron Man has a lot of display options thanks to all these accessories. Accessories may not be the whole toy but it does a LOT for photography and for the fun factor of the action figure overall. And they are pretty well done accessories too and they give enough illusion that they are dynamic. Iron Man may not be as visually boastful with the weapons like War Machine but does pack a punch! Surprisingly, he's more subtle but we all know who the superior Iron Man is! If one wants, one can just put on ALL the effects on this action figure and show him going buck wild trigger happy pose!
When it comes to articulation, One:12 Iron Man may not be on par with what I would expect from action figures like these. Don't get me wrong, I didn't have a hard time getting Iron man on poses which I thought suited his character it's just that his legs are not as giving as I would like. I can't get him to kick forward without causing too much strain and watching Shartimus Prime's review doesn't show it going forward either. The legs seems to be where the weakness in the articulation is but all in all, I am not griping to much on it. I was able to get the poses I wanted and needed.
ONE:12 Iron Man is my first introduction to Mezco and I must say, it's a great first impression. Like the gamble with Iron Man starting off the MCU, it came out well. This figure may have some issues on the lower part of his articulation but coming in with that much accessories, some pretty impressive sculpt, bold and accurate coloring, and of course, I can't forget about the nifty gimmicks (light up and helmet magnet) it comes with, I'd say some small hinderance in the articulation is a good sacrifice. This is definitely a high quality action figure and the price point I'd say is just right. I highly recommend this to any Iron Man fans or any action figure collector in general. I will definitely more than willing to try out what else Mezco has to offer as long as the characters are up my alley thanks to this wonderful piece! Definitely a well worth investment!
Until Next Time!
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