NECA has been solidly cranking out figures from the Alien franchise, and they’ve just recently released the latest wave which contains Kane from Alien, Bishop from Aliens, and our first figure from Alien3—the Dog Alien. It’s an eclectic mix for sure, but one that has definitely maintained my interest in seeing how far this line can go.
Package
NECA used their standard clamshell, which protects the figure well and locks in all of those wonderful paint smells. Rather than character bios, the back gives us a partial synopsis of the film the character was seen in.
Sculpt
NECA reviews in terms of sculpt have gotten a little redundant as of late. They just keep killing it with every release.
Kane
Starting with the figure that had me sold with its very first promo pic is Kane. From 1979’s Alien, Kane, played by John Hurt, is the unfortunate crew member that kicks off the Nostromo bloodbath.
This has become one of my all-time favorite NECA sculpts and is ever so close to being a perfect toy for me. From the stitching on the now old-fashioned space suit to the intricate doohickeys on the helmet and backpack, NECA crammed as much detail into this figure as possible and it looks absolutely incredible. This is a battle damaged Kane, so you only see the face hugger rather than the actor’s likeness, but it’s sculpted and scaled perfectly. The helmet is removable and separates into two pieces. This makes it a lot easier if you want to alter the pose of the head as you can just remove the top portion of the helmet. One of the coolest sculpted elements has to be the melted faceplate of the helmet. This one tiny little detail makes it my favorite battle damaged toy that I own, but it’s that same detail that keeps Kane from being near perfect in my eyes. If ever a figure needed an alternate/non-damaged head and helmet, it’s this one. As is, you’re pretty limited in what you can do with him. Included with Kane is his flashlight and pistol.
Bishop
First seen in 1986’s Aliens, Bishop, as portrayed by Lance Henrikson, is the far less homicidal android than what fans of the original were used to.
Bishop’s sculpt is not as jaw-droppingly amazing as Kane, but that’s to be expected as the character is nothing more than a guy a jumpsuit. Obviously, the headsculpt is the main selling point here. The likeness to Lance Henrikson is certainly there, and it is instantly recognizable, but I can’t help but feel that some better paint apps would have helped. Included with Bishop are a flashlight, knife, and extra gripping hand.
Dog Alien
I loved Alien3 when it was first released in 1992 and I still do—despite its dated looking CG. It’s regarded by many as the weakest of the trilogy (I burned Resurrection from my mind), but the visuals and action sequences just scream for some good toys to be made. The Dog Alien, or Ox Alien depending on what version you watch, has the same basic design as previous Xenos, but with enough changes to make it a welcome addition to the collection.
As this Xeno is primarily a quadruped, it has the appropriately sculpted back legs that you’d see on any four legged animal. The back piping that is common to the previous incarnations is gone, but Dog Alien does have the clear skull cover similar to that of Big Chap. It’s a great design and NECA has really pulled it off.
Articulation
The articulation is ample and effective. Both Kane and Bishop have ball jointed heads, and the standard articulation setup in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles. Kane has a cut waist and some slight ab movement. Bishop’s jumpsuit is a thin plastic overlay that covers his entire torso, so if there is any articulation under there, it’s lost. I always hear of stuck and broken joints with NECA, but I’ve been lucky enough to only have one broken figure in all my collecting years, and this wave kept the streak alive. Bishop did have a stuck knee that required some hot water, but other than that, I had zero problems.
The Dog Alien is pretty similar to the Warrior Alien, although the different design obviously calls for some modified articulation. Each leg has multiple points including double jointed knees, so you should be able to achieve most action poses. All of the joints are nice and tight, but NECA’s decision to include a stand is greatly appreciated as Dog Alien’s tiny feet make it difficult to stand on its own.
The paintwork on this wave is a bit of a mixed bag. Both Kane and Dog Alien are outstanding. All of the tiny details on Kane’s spacesuit are matched perfectly with the paint apps. The Dog Alien has just the right amount of browns that set it apart from the Warrior and Big Chap versions we got. I also love the clear skull. The worst offender of this wave is the figure that should have been the easiest to nail. Bishop’s jumpsuit and sweet Reeboks are done well, but his face and hair could have been a lot better. There is a significant amount of slop on the neck and the hairline wasn’t fully painted. Choosing a figure by NECA that has eyes painted straight can sometimes be a challenge, but I’m happy to say that I found one. The whites are really white and there is a dark black outline around the enter eye, so that takes something away from the otherwise realistic sculpt.
I picked these up for $18, which is pretty standard for NECA, but also great seeing at what some other 6 and 7” lines are going for these days.
This is a fantastic wave and I highly recommend it to any fan of the franchise.
Thanks for reading!
