“Why this one? Why did I choose this face? It’s like I’m trying to tell myself something. Like I’m trying to make a point. But what is so important that I can’t just tell myself what I’m thinking? I’m not just being rhetorical here. You can join in.” –The Twelfth Doctor
We’re just a few episodes into the Twelfth Doctor’s inaugural season of Doctor Who, and so far Peter Capaldi has been a refreshing change of pace. I’ve always been somewhat partial to the older Doctors, so the simple fact that there is a gray-haired man called “the Doctor” once again is comforting. We’re still trying to figure out who this Doctor is, exactly, in terms of characterization, and it looks as though he is as well, but every here and there we catch a glimpse of the sort of Doctor he’s shaping up to be — a more pragmatic man who will do what needs to be done without emotion clouding his decisions. That’s the impression I’m getting, at any rate, but I’ll freely admit I could totally be wrong about that. We’ll just have to see how the character evolves as the season progresses.
Coinciding with the Twelfth Doctor’s debut on the series is his debut in action-figure form (something tells me that isn’t a coincidence). Underground Toys has released a Twelfth Doctor figure as part of the third wave of their 3.75-inch Doctor Who line. This isn’t a fully formed Twelfth Doctor, however — it’s a regeneration figure, which means it’s Peter Capaldi in Matt Smith’s clothes, or, in this case, a new Twelfth Doctor head sculpt on an Eleventh Doctor body.
So what’s the story? Is this figure worth picking up, or are we better off waiting for an “official” Twelfth Doctor? Let’s take a look and find out!
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The Twelfth Doctor’s packaging is standard wave 3 fare, but what’s interesting is that on the back of the card we see the Twelfth Doctor in his full, official outfit. There is no mention of the regeneration figure, which is the one we got, so we can only assume the “fully formed” Twelfth Doctor must have been either delayed or saved for release at a later time. Hopefully that figure will be out soon because it goes without saying that figure is quite highly anticipated.
Regeneration figures are something of a niche market. There are those who love them and have every regeneration figure available in the 5-inch line, and then there are those who view them as rather unnecessary and superfluous and would rather just skip them. I fall somewhere in between. A regeneration figure is never going to top my want list, but if I find one out in the wild, I will certainly pick it up. That said, I don’t mind that the first Twelfth Doctor we’re seeing is a regeneration figure. It makes perfect sense to me, actually, since this is what he looked like when we were very first introduced to him (beyond those menacing eyes in the anniversary special).
Aside from the head sculpt and, well, the bow-tie-less collar, this is the same figure we’ve seen released previously as the Eleventh Doctor. So there are really no surprises from the neck down. His head sculpt, however, is far superior to what we saw with the Eleventh Doctor, so that alone is almost enough to make this seem like an altogether new figure.
I’m not sure how well the sculpt captures Capaldi’s likeness because something does look off. I think it’s the hair — it doesn’t quite match Capaldi’s haircut and makes his head look a bit “wide,” but it’s close. As it is, it succeeds in looking like an older gentleman, and in context (meaning when posed with the other two 3.75-inch Doctor figures) he is certainly recognizable as the Twelfth Doctor, so the figure works in that capacity. The head sculpt of the figure on the card looks much more like Capaldi, so I’ll be curious to see if we get a new head with the “official” Twelfth Doctor figure.
For accessories, he comes with everything the other Doctor figures came with: a sonic screwdriver and a red stand. So far the Twelfth Doctor has used the same sonic as the Eleventh Doctor, and that’s what we’re seeing here included with the figure. A sonic screwdriver transferring from Doctor to Doctor is not without precedent, of course. Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant shared the same sonic, and so far it looks as though Capaldi will be carrying Smith’s.
He comes packing all the same articulation as the Eleventh Doctor, and with the help of his stand, he can hold some pretty fun poses. Like the Eleventh Doctor, I do wish he came with bicep swivels. That piece of articulation may have disrupted the sculpt, but it would have added a lot of play value. Otherwise, his articulation is on par with most other 3.75-inch lines out there. His breakdown is as follows:
- Swivel head
- Swivel and hinged shoulders
- Hinged elbow
- Swivel wrists
- Swivel waist
- Hinged hips
- Hinged knees
- Swivel ankles
There are no other Twelfth Doctors out yet to compare this one to, so, for now, he’s in a field all by himself — and this is the reason I wanted this figure in the first place. I couldn’t wait to add a new Doctor figure to my collection, so even though it’s a transitional regeneration figure, I’m still stoked to have it.
He can be purchased at your local Walgreens store, and I do believe I’ve spotted him at Toys R Us as well (but Walgreens is the better deal). If you’re a fan of Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor, this figure is totally worth picking up.
Thanks to Underground Toys for providing this sample. Be on the lookout for more Doctor Who reviews coming your way soon!