Hey, all! If you remember, my first negative review here was of MiniMates' attempt to restart the Battle Beasts line. Well, as it turns out, another revival was in the works that whole time, too - Rise of the Beasts, as produced by Johnny Karis of Little RubberGuys. This line was on Kickstarter, but did not go through - but, after some time and expense, it has been made available, anyway! It's produced by an old friend of mine - we're talking, pre-2000 friend, so on a personal level I am rather glad to see these guys come out. Currently, there are two beasts, but more are planned soon. These figures, and some paint variants, are available on the LRG store!
Cahriv, the Scorpion, may match up with one ofthe MiniMates, but I don't believe that the original line had a scorpion man. He's the shorter and skinnier of the two, but makes up for it with his tail as an extra joint.
Gaamik, the Rhino, is the larger of the two beasts, and looks the most Battle Beast-esque at first glance, though the original rhino was much different. I appreciate how the line doesn't make everybody exactly the same size, but instead allows or some variation.
As I said, there are paint variants, and the basic figures come with flesh-toned versions - currently in the store, you can find these and army-green Beasts. The flesh evokes so, so many classic mini figure lines (such as MUSCLE), and it's really a given that any mono mini line nowadays uses this tone.
The figures are articulated at the head, shoulders, waist, and Cahriv's tail. They also come apart, with pieces that can be swapped - though with only two Beasts, your options are somewhat limited.
In a surprising cross-promotion, the Beasts' joints are Glyos-compatible! They are rather small, though, and not every joint lines up perfectly. Although this gives the Beasts more play value, they don't really fit in with Glyos figures.
However, if you look at them not as Glyos accessories, but instead looking at Glyos as their accessories, you can make some interesting cyborg monsters! Overall, these are really some great little guys - they've got nostalgia as well as a great "new" design, and I can't wait to see more!
