Sometimes, you expect picking a best figure to be a bit of an ordeal. Years like this one, with just so many excellent figures, it would be very understandable to be in a sort of dead lock between half a dozen very strong contenders. And I was, for a bit. Until I was talking with Robo and Prod and remembered Punisher was a 2017 release.
DONE. Next!
When it comes to doing a good Punisher figure, sometimes less is more. Hasbro realized the constant reuse of that gawdawful Nick Fury body, for the sake of his tactical pants, just wasn’t enough to cancel out the suck of the figure. By moving him to a nice Cap/Reaper sized body, you get a very functional, simple, and accurate comic Punisher, even with some deco and head options. Not too shabby.
And then there are those times that more is more. So much more, in fact, that it’s almost unfair to compare them to anything else.
And Punisher went full measure on that. Four versions, unique weapons spread among them, distinct costume variations, and tons of options for heads, hands, even rigs.
Were I to chose one above the three variants own, I suspect it would need to be the PX version: not only is the “t-shirt and tactical pants” look executed perfectly, but the sheer options in loadouts can outclass most 1:6 figures out of the box. And some (if not most all) of those weapons are the best I’ve ever seen in this scale.
But there are no slouches. The standard Punisher just delivers on a clean, streamlined modern look. The classic is just that; instantly recognizable as a Mike Zeck-inspired deco. The only complaints I can really have is that the availability prevented me from owning more, but that just sounds so petty when I own these three and some extras. But that’s how good this figure is.
And he plays surprisingly well with others. Thanks to Hasbro’s excellent digital printing and Drone’s fantastic skills, I can run a Bernthal Punisher, a balaclava-clad Punisher, and a straight-up vintage on the shelf all at the same time.
