Hybrid Metal Figuration is one of those “if I were rich, I would buy every damn one of them” lines. Well, except for maybe #003. Back when Benty reviewed Donald Duck, I was left thinking it was the best representation of the character I’d ever seen. And I still think that. The review is from a year ago, and as amazed as I was with the figure, I quickly forgot about the line, mostly due to cost and missing out on the previous figures. But when a preorder update from BigBadToyStore came across my Facebook feed today, I instantly thought of Benty and his review and started pining for the figures again.
The new preorders are for Hybrid Metal Figuration #11 Darth Vader, #12 Pinocchio, #13 TV Batman, #14 TV Robin, and, #15 Transformers Optimus Prime. Before I get to those, though, I went back and took a look at all the figures released under this banner and decided to do a little recap. Scroll down to the bottom for the preorder info if that’s all you’re looking for. Otherwise, let’s take a quick look at some fantastic metal and plastic.
Hybrid Metal Figuration #001: Mickey Mouse
A no-brainer to start the line. Like Donald, this is a perfect representation of the character.
Hybrid Metal Figuration #002: Minnie Mouse
If you have Mickey, you gotta have Minnie, right? I’m surprised at the lack of Pluto or Goofy, though.
Hybrid Metal Figuration #003: Mickey Mouse as Toy Story Woody
Here’s where my surprise grows to bewilderment. I don’t know if this is an actual thing or made up for a quick toy, but here’s where I would have put Goofy.
Hybrid Metal Figuration #004: DC Comics Batman
As perfect as the Disney cartoon characters are, the line takes superheroes and movie characters and does a bit of super-deforming. Not to any terrible extremes, but enough for you to lift an eyebrow. Still, I look at it and go “I’d like that, but for its own display,” which is perfectly okay.
Hybrid Metal Figuration #005: Star Wars Stormtrooper
Ah, Star Wars, my first love. Again, a bit deformed, but damn if I don’t love me some shiny white armor.
But not as much as some shiny black armor! Which is the case with Hybrid Metal Figuration #005B: Blackhole Stormtrooper. Sure, it’s EU, but there is just something that calls out to me about this easy variant.
Hybrid Metal Figuration #006: Disney Donald Duck
I already said my piece, and so did Benty with a lot more eloquence and charm. Perfection.
Hybrid Metal Figuration #007: DC Comics Superman
Batman needed a playmate, right? And Supes fits in great right beside Bats with the same proportions and articulation scheme. Like with Goofy, I’m surprised we haven’t seen a Joker yet.
Hybrid Metal Figuration #008: Nightmare Before Christmas Jack Skellington
I am still without a Jack in my collection, so this one is super tempting. While he’s squashed a bit, he still looks fantastic.
Hybrid Metal Figuration #009: Disney Fantasia Mickey
Another great choice for the line. I mean, you make the perfect Mickey, why not keep going with the same character? And look, an articulated broom! I love this set!
Hybrid Metal Figuration #010: Mark 42 Iron Man
Iron Man hasn’t been released yet, but this is an older preorder than today’s solicitations. Is it weird that at first glance this looks to have more range of movement than some of the 6-inch action figures of Iron Man we’ve gotten?
And now on to today’s solicited preorders, the bolded is links to BBTS…
Hybrid Metal Figuration #011: Star Wars Darth Vader
Where there be Stormtroopers, there be Vader, right?
Hybrid Metal Figuration #012: Pinocchio
I couldn’t find much in the way of promo pics for Pinocchio and the next two, but the one pic I could find is impressive. Again, back to the perfect representation of a cartoon character, this makes me want to see what they could do with other Disney properties.
Hybrid Metal Figuration #013: TV Batman
The white-out eyes kinda throw me, but I think I may like this figure more than the Mattel Classic TV Series Batman.
Hybrid Metal Figuration #014 – Robin
Mickey and Minnie, Batman and Superman, Darth Vader and Stormtrooper. What, you didn’t see this coming?
And finally…
Hybrid Metal Figuration #015: Optimus Prime
A G1 cartoon Prime would have had me spinning circles and digging for my wallet, but you can’t fault a company wanting to cash in on movie hype. Maybe someday?
So there you go, 15 figures made of plastic and metal. Some representations to die for, some not so much, but still very, very cool. Think of this as Robo’s wishlist, so if any of you out there have some deep pockets and feel like contributing to some of the spots under my Christmas tree, hit me up! For the record, a lot of these are still available on BBTS.