The Mini Masters collection ain’t so mini anymore!
Hey, if you cannot say anything else about the Masters of the Universe Mini Masters figure line, it is that it will only take a year of existence to get a Castle Grayskull out of the deal. Heck, it took Classics, what? Five or six to get to that point? All kidding aside, the Mini Masters collection is really starting to fill out with this fifth release of the year, and Beast Man and Zodac bring some heavy-hitting to a line that makes light of these powerful techno barbarians.
I know it has not been all that long since we brought you a First Look at the Man-at-Arms and Faker set, but quite a bit has happened with the this line since then. The San Diego Comic Con (you might have heard of it) happened, and not only did this set get revealed as the next entrant to the Castle Grayskull builders, the final set of the year and the announcement that the line would continue in 2015 was announced as well. That is a lot of information for a line so small, so this execution continues to be mini, but mighty. While I am not particularly over the moon about the addition of King He-Man at the end of the year, everything else has continued to help increase my liking of this offering, and knowing that this scale might be the only chance we get at a Snake Mountain (coming in 2015) makes it all the more appealing.
All that said, though, Beast Man and Zodac speak for themselves in the annals of MOTU lore, so you really cannot have a respectable Masters line without including all of the “Original 8-Back” characters. Beast Man, Zodac, Man-at-Arms, Mer-Man, and Stratos have all cemented their spot, and technically, we have He-Man and Skeletor too, but not in the right costumes at this scale. That makes Teela the lone holdout as what often happens to her, being the only female of the original eight. We are on our way, though, and I have to say, Beast Man is one of the best widdle Evil Warriors we have gotten yet.
BEAST MAN
I will admit it, I have a soft spot for the 8-back characters. They are the original history of the line and represent some of the best design work ever done on the property. While Mer-Man has been my favorite MOTU character for as long as I can remember, Beast Man has also enjoyed high standing with me for a long time as well. Largely regarded as Skeletor’s primary henchman, he has not only been a major staple of every action figure incarnation of MOTU, but every media execution as well. Importance of character aside, the guy just has a great design and his striking orange color did a lot to pull his popularity with visual kids of the 1980s.
Even though we are still in the first year of the Mini-Masters, Beastie has taken longer to join the tiny ranks than I thought he would. Now that he has arrived, he has brought some new dimensions that no other previous Beast Man figure can boast. For starters, he is easily the best of this set, not only for his overall look and sculpt, but also for his accessories. There is no mistaking him for anyone but Beast Man, and if you were thinking he would share the traditional parts with Stratos, you are wrong. He is a completely new sculpt and his aesthetic jels well with the rest of the line. His legs are appropriately tiny, but he has some massively hairy arms. He is probably the most “jacked” of the entire line to this point and that recalls his proportional build from the 200x line. Everything else is appropriately “classic” in its look, though his eyes are solid black with no other detailing.
Beast Man comes with his standard whip and like the Classics version, the string has been replaced with molded plastic. This makes if forever standing up on end and not at all natural, but at this scale, it kind of works. Also included is a second weapon — for the first time, Beast Man can brandish a mace instead of just a whip. This seems like the natural progression for him, and when He-Man is outfitted in his Battle Armor (like in this line), this should pack more of a punch. The Four Horsemen did a great job designing and sculpting this new weapon and I really like the giant fang used to make up the bottom of the handle.
I have a soft spot for the original Evil Warriors, and Beast Man can stand tall next to the likes of Mer-Man and Skeletor.
ZODAC
Ah, Zodac, is there any other character in the MOTU mythos as enigmatic. Sure, there have been some attempts to tighten up his back story and ethos over the past several years, but going all the way back to the introduction of the line, Zodac has always been shrouded in a bit of mystery, and, most certainly, individual interpretation. Originally cast as the “Evil Cosmic Enforcer,” Zodac has been portrayed more as a true neutral in just about every incarnation of MOTU since Filmation. Personally, I never really saw him as an evil guy, but I do love the fact that that is how he was originally developed and he made up the fourth bad guy on the 8-back. I wonder what made them change the characterization.
The mini figure looks pretty much just like you would expect, and he is complete with the finned arms and hairy chest. I like that they went the with the more vintage look for him. That way, he can stand on your little shelf as either a hero, villain, or fence rider. He keeps all of the design aesthetics of the line, but due to the fact that he wears a helmet that covers most of his dome, his head is a bit larger than most of the other figures. If I had a nitpick, this particular sample has some paint slop on the head so there is some red that comes down into the grey portions on the mask. It looks a lot worse in these giant pictures, but it is noticeable nonetheless. Hopefully this is not a chronic issue.
Zodac comes with his standard-issue Enforcer ray gun, something that he has been toting for a very long time now. Also included is the Enforcer staff that was originally wielded by the 200x Zodak (with a “K”), who is a different character entirely and takes his umbrage against the Snake Men. Due to the limitations of the hand grips, the staff splits into two pieces so that he can hold it, and it then comes back together easily. The holes in his hands are different diameters so his right hand is meant for the gun, while his left holds the staff.
We almost have a complete tiny Castle Grayskull — woohoo! Beast Man and Zodac make for essential additions to the line, and I am particularly fond of the former — he looks very cool at this scale. There is only one more set left before the castle is complete, so be ready to snag King He-Man and Clawful at the end of the year. Towards that end, Mattel has heard the cries of the expense of shipping these guys, so they are offering a couple of bundle options this month during their sale. Check them out HERE. This gives you a great chance to catch up on the sets you might have missed. This set is not up for sale yet, but be on the lookout later this fall.
*Thanks for hanging with us for all of these new MOTU First Looks and thanks to Toy Guru for sending these along for a preview. See you soon!
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