Diamond Select began producing figures based on the Universal Monsters license in 2011. Surprisingly, Diamond chose to lead with the Wolf Man, the Mummy, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon, leaving marquee superstars Dracula and Frankenstein for the second series. It seemed like a bold move, showing the company was confident enough in its new line to lead with some of the lesser-known characters. So how did the latter of the two turn out?
The Frankenstein Monster was sculpted by Gabriel Marquez. It’s unquestionably Karloff in that role that made him famous, but the resemblance varies depending on the angle viewed. In profile it’s quite strong, but something happens when viewed head-on. The heavy-lidded eyes that look so right from the side appear puffy and tired viewed facing front. He actually looks like he’s suffering an allergy attack and is about to sneeze.
There’s a general roughness to the features that keeps the sculpt from having too much character. The nose and the mouth are noticeably asymmetrical, and, combined with the squinty eyes, Frank’s head-sculpt ends up looking dull and uninspired. There is little of Karloff the actor here, just a general transposition of his features onto a generic Frankenstein head.
Everything you’d expect to see in the body is there: the undersized jacket, the heavy trousers, and the asphalt-spreader’s boots are all present and accounted for. Natural-looking wrinkles are present in the cloth, with some nice gathering where the coat is buttoned closed. The proportions are decent enough, even though the extremities seem a touch small.
Effort was clearly put into sculpting the hands, but some questionable choices were made by the artist. The scars around the wrists showing where the hands were transplanted are simple etched lines, with no evidence of stitching or other surgical means of attachment. Considering extra work went into scarring the back of the hands, but important screen-accurate details like the stitch marks and fingernails were omitted, I have to wonder what happened here.
The description states that this version sports an “exclusive paint scheme,” but I don’t have the regular figure to compare it to, so we’ll just have to judge the Monster on its own merits. The paint is generous, at least. There’s loads of it everywhere, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing.
The work on the head is impressive. A dark wash gives the sickly skin tone considerable depth and realism. Tiny details like the cut on the forehead and the silver of the electrodes are clean and sharp, adding to the slightly decomposed quality of the flesh.
There are several shades of green present to give the jacket some visual pop. The dry brushing can be a bit heavy in places, but it isn’t nearly as noticeable in person. What is noticeable is all the dirt in the paint: the figure is covered with bits of debris — I don’t know if this was purposeful, but it looks very odd and amateurish.
While all of the paint work is notable, I wish more effort went into consistency. The skin tone of the hands and the face don’t remotely match. Frankenstein has a very sallow facial complexion, but his hands are a much healthier shade.
The factory went a little crazy with the paint-wash as well. The Monster was hit pretty heavily, but didn’t turn out nearly as bad as the Dracula figure from the same series.
Here is the Monster next to the Sideshow Toys version. For a more detailed read-up of the original click here.
Unlike the Sideshow figure, Diamond’s offering moves at an anemic seven points. In the Universal films the Monster tended to be stiff and ungainly, and the figure follows suit. While I would never expect this guy to break the articulation barrier, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to expect some movement in the legs. As it is, aside from some ankle swivels that allow you to fine-tune his standing position, Frankie is a static hunk of plastic from the wrists down. He’s not just limited in his articulation, he’s positively inert.
All of Diamond Select’s Universal Monsters offerings are in the 7-inch scale. Too big to be displayed alongside your Marvel Legends or DC Universe Classic figures, yet too small to stand with their Sideshow Toys brethren, the wonky scale is yet another odd choice that keeps these figures from reaching their full potential. The effort is clearly here, but it’s applied in such a random, slapdash fashion it’s hard to muster any real excitement for the line.
That is, unless you want to talk about the accessories. While Diamond’s Monsters may sometimes miss the mark, their pack-ins are pretty stellar. Frankie comes with a replica of the operation table he was born on, and it’s a great piece. The weathered paint looks good and the curved bars and valves really give it that archaic vibe you’d expect.
Ordinarily I try to avoid reviewing figures that don’t excite me — I’d rather say nothing at all than load an article with a bunch of negatives. That said, this figure is what it is: a mediocre effort that fills the gap until a better figure comes along. Like this one.
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