Our series of articles taking a look at several of the Kickstarter-funded Gothitropolis Ravens from Four Horsemen Studios concludes with the Phoenix and…something completely different. Previously Veebee has reviewed Flamingus and Minotaur the Duck, and I’ve done Decimus Hrabban, Aetheneus and Cockitrus, and Vultus and Cardinus.
Based on those previous reviews, you should definitely know what you’re getting with these two: well articulated anthro-birds with requisite staffs, each of which looking convincingly like the bird it’s supposed to portray. As with all of them, heat the joints that seem stuck and they’ll loosen up and be play-worthy right away.
Phoenius and Iz-Ra Mirrus break the pattern set by the other birds, because these two delve into the mythological realm and represent creatures that don’t actually exist. The phoenix is the mythic bird of fire reborn from the ashes of the previous bird at the end of its lifespan. And Iz-Ra-Mirrus the Quetzoalcoatl is the the most unique of all the birds released, based on the Mesoamerican deity called Quetzoalcoatl represented by a feathered serpent. So really, this is both snake and bird.
“Snake bird” is perhaps the most horrifying thing that could ever happen, so stop with the gene splicing science, you’re freakin’ me out.
Iz-Ra-Mirrus is a take on the name of the person who designed and suggested the bird, Israel Ramirez. You can read his story behind the figure here.
The headsculpts are once again the stars of these two birds, augmented especially on Phoenius by a top-drawer paint job with a slick gradient of reds, yellows and oranges that give the bird a nice flaming effect. His angry, determined face sculpt is well matched to his flaming feathers, making this fiery bird really unique. I could really get into a pair of flame wings to attach to him, maybe that could be something they offer down the road, or I could just paint a set of regular wings on my own. Either way.
Iz-Ra was a must buy as soon as pictures popped up. While I was down for a lot of the birds, and things like the Flamingo really jumped out and demanded a purchase, this peculiar anomaly practically screamed to be bought. At the time I didn’t know anything about the story behind it and I wasn’t familiar with the deity that it was based on (except for the name itself) but I had to have this strange green bird thing with the mouth full of teeth. In a line full of anthropomorphic birds this is by far the most unique looking of them all
He has a yellow green drybrush over his already bright green paint job, and that, coupled with his multi-colored armor, really catapults him into the realms of mythological deities. Dig those curled horns on his head. Freaky.
While the regular bird-forms were super cool, the addition of a mythological aspect to the overall Raven offerings really added a nice flavor to the entire project. While I didn’t end up getting a Falcon, Eagle or White Raven, I’m pretty satisfied with the lot I did get. Hopefully we can tackle those down the road, but until then I hope you’ve enjoyed our look at these birds, and also hope that either yours is on their way, is already in your possession, or you have a chance to get the ones you may be interested in at a reasonable price. I’m eager to see what the Four Horsemen do to add to the Gothitropolis story now.
Keep checking back to the Four Horsemen’s store for availability: