Zartan (2012 Retaliation)
Is Zartan going to look like this in the new movie?! Uh, no. By all appearances, the master of disguise is going to look like Jonathan Pryce for most of the movie. I’m bummed that the filmmakers haven’t been able to throw even a little nod to the character’s iconic look. Sure, the 80’s style is kind of out-there, what with the hood and armored belly shirt. Then again, look at what Sideshow has done with bringing an updated design to the table. In the live action movies, Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow and now Cobra Commander have some resemblance to their toy counterparts, so why does Mr. Z get the shaft?
The fact that the first series of Retaliation figures were fast tracked to market was our gain, as the figures ended up as interesting designs not dependent on a movie aesthetic. So here, instead of an old white guy in a suit, we got a figure that closely resembles the Renegades version of the character. I’d call that a win-win. There are some differences from the animated version, most notably the addition of long gloves and boots. The overall look is more lanky than the on-screen Zartan, who was a bit of a stocky fellow. It would have been a cool touch for the figure to feature a sort of clear holographic look to the arms and legs, but the lack of a perfect rendition isn’t a big deal.
The accessory complement is impressive, and both the scabbard and quiver can attach to his back. Extra heads are also included, though their use is limited when the hood is placed over them. The Snake Eyes head is the best of the four included, and I really like the style of the visor.
Poseability is a mixed bag, as were many of the initial Retaliation figures. Zartan lacks ankle and double jointed knee articulation. Neither of which bother me all that much; in fact it could have been worse (see any Retaliation driver figure).
I wasn’t too wild about this figure. Kudos to Hasbro for trying something diffrent gimmick-wise with the light-piping eyes, but the results were unimpressive (better leave this gimmick to Transformers). One positive thing about this figure is the crossbow. While cast in a soft purple plastic, the design is fantastic; perhaps the best crossbow in some time. You can even connect the quiver to it; now that’s cool.
I’m glad we got some extra heads, but the light-piping gimmick subtracts points.
This is pretty clearly Renegades Zartan, so I’m glad that they stuck that design in somewhere.
That said, I would’ve liked a President Pryce head or something to tie it into the movie. But seeing as how there were few if any new heads in that first wave (and certainly not any single-use heads), and Pryce probably would’ve run into a likeness fee, that would’ve been asking too much.
Zartan is my favorite bad guy ever but this figure did nothing for me. It’s kind of troll-like somehow, hobgoblin-ish.
This figure is the epitome of why I dislike so much of the modern era offerings. I could never put this travesty on my shelf. It’s ugly and I’m a Zartan fan.
Rob, “an old white guy in a suit” is something collectors have been asking for a good carded version of for years now (as the exorbitant prices that the Marvel Universe Professor X commands on eBay attest)…
I like him. The only problem is the hole on the top of the head!
How is this Renegades Zartan? I’m I not remembering the show correctly? I thought he was pretty clearly a biker gang guy, no? The head looks nothing like it and the clothing that the figure has slightly resembles the skin suit that Zartan threw on in Renegades but this looks more like armor than the appearance changing suit. Maybe I’m wrong but nothing about this says Renegades to me.
kinda skinny in the middle, huh?