http://nerditis.com/...ator-neca-toys/
First we reviewed the crazy Bad Blood Predator, and now it's time for the Shreddator! Seriously, look at him. You can't tell me he's not the Shredder in disguise.
Predator: Bad Blood, written by Evan Dorkin and illustrated by Derek Thompson, was released in 1993-1994, and I have not read it (my bad). From what I understand, it's an awesome series, so I might need to hunt it down sometime.
Originally, Series 12 of NECA's Predators line was meant to include Bad Blood, the Enforcer from the same comic, and the remade Elder v2. But Bad Blood managed to cost himself into a Deluxe single release category, leaving poor old Enforcer in Series 12 by himself.
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The New Jersey Pine Barrens have become a slaughterhouse, witness to a hideous spree of murders and mutilations committed by a creature from another world - a Predator. But unlike others of its species, this alien intruder is no sport hunter, but a blood-crazed psychotic, a butcher of its own kind, an unhinged killing machine. While a massive manhunt sweeps the Barrens, a stalker of a different kind searches for the killer - a second Predator, bent on bringing down the rogue monster.
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That doesn't have too much to do with the Enforcer, though it gives all the info you'll find anywhere else. He's basically a Predator cop, tasked with tracking down madmen like Bad Blood. As far as I can gather without actually reading the comic, the two clash in the next-to-last issue of the comic... but the final issue involves a human facing Bad Blood alone, so I don't think that the Enforcer makes it out alive. Too bad, I want at least one "good guy" Predator to live in something. Ah, well. But let's look at the toy!
PACKAGING: ****
Enforcer's's packaging is shaped just like all other Predator packaging, deluxe or no. It's an eye-catching blister card, and this one has a special comic theme to its art (the same as the Bad Blood Predator).
SCULPT: ****
Man, he looks like the Shredder. Or maybe he just looks like a samurai, which was what they were getting at. Most of Enforcer is reused from the basic Jungle Hunter body, differentiated by the paint job used.
The big difference is, of course, his head. The Enforcer's mask has a huge ceremonial crest and a forehead glyph, predating the similar markings seen in the first AVP movie. His appearance matches him in the comic to a T, and looks rather cool and professional for a Predator. This one isn't a raving madman, nor is he even a typical hunter. He takes down the bad guys.
As a whole, Enforcer does not feel like a retread. I fact, due to that helmet of his, a lot of people who are otherwise uninterested in the Predator line have been buying him to make Shredder jokes. I would say that this makes him a success.
PAINT: ****
Enforcer's paint job is meant to reflect the comic. Note the lack of subtle gradation in color in favor of almost a "Kirby dots" pattern. Despite this, he does fit in with other Predator paint jobs, but he does look like he leapt off the comic page. His skin tone is a little on the pinksih side, which is fairly new for a Predator, and actually differentiates him from Bad Blood's skin tone.
One potential downside to this is that, since Enforcer is painted to match the comic, his metal mask and armor are bright silver and lack any form of shading or a wash. While this succees in giving him a new, shiny, and polished look, some folks have expressed that it seems under-detailed. I choose to go with the new and shiny opinion, myself.
ARTICULATION: ***1/2
Enforcer’s articulation is essentially the same as all of the other versions that use his body – ball-jointed head, wrists, and ankles, ball-and-socket shoulders, elbows, and hips, hinged knees, swivel waist, and extendable wristblades. The good is, this frees him up for a lot of really dynamic poses, just like the other Predators. He's got no problems that I can see, and nothing restricts him.
ACCESSORIES: ****
Unlike Bad Blood, Viper, or even the new Elder, Enforcer comes with extremely basic Predator gear. Aside from a bonus hand (all the better to hold stuff with), he has a Predator spear - i.e. a combi-stick. This one is painted silver, unlike the myriad bronze spears we have gotten before. It's great, although mine snapped in two places early on. The plastic in this wave seems slightly more fragile than usual, though the spear breakage might have been my fault.
Enforcer also comes with a smart disc, something that we can never have too many of. Its detailing is nice (including tiny little green paint apps for the lights), and it fits snugly into his hand as well as in the slot on his belt. That belt slot isn't too secure, but it works well enough.
Enforcer also has a typical Plasma Caster. These shoulder cannons are sometimes durable and sometimes flimsy, it's the luc of the draw. I personally like to pose Enforcer without his because of his general ninja-esque look, but the option to put it on or off is pretty cool in and of itself.
VALUE: ****
The $20 price tag on this guy is an exceptionally good value for the stuff you get with him.
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
My Enforcer's spear broke in two places. Admittedly, I think one breakage was my fault (it looked bent and I was trying to adjust it), but the other just fell off without any real stress. I can't tell if I'm unlucky, or if this factory batch has fragility issues, but the other two members of Series 12 seem fine by comparison.
WHERE TO BUY:
You can find this guy in abundance in Toys R Us right now!
OVERALL: ****
The Shreddator... erm, Enforcer is a pretty cool addition to this year's (admittedly scarce) Predator roster. He is far more than a simple repaint, and manages to achieve the type of unique position that the Kenner Predators earned. Bad Blood, Enforcer, and Ahab are the first comic-based Predators that NECA has produced, and they only make me excited for more!
