For round 2 of Mezco Showdown, we’re going to the main roach himself in an epic matchup of East vs West! Today, we’re taking a look at Lone Roach and Grub, and the Stealth Ops Edition.
First, let’s cover what these two have in common, other than the name. Both Gomez figures use the same base body, and that body is of course consistent with the other Gomez and now Pink Skulls figures I’ve reviewed previously. If you need something specific on those, I’d recommend checking my first Gomez revew; otherwise, the main takeaway is that this base is excellent, with articulation to shame some of your best Spiderman figures. The double jointed knees and elbows have fantastic range, the shoulder and hips are only limited by the gear they wear, and both figures have the usual assortment of expressive hands, including the classic single-finger salute.
There is even some similarity in color; where the other Gomez are usually brownish in color, these two are shades of gray and black. Both also come with stylized head options- all the same sculpt, just decos fitting their themes, as well as the hoverboards and Boom Booms. I have to say though, the hoverboard for Lone Roach is a really nice touch.
Not surprisingly, then, the main differences are in their clothing and weaponry, which give two figures of possibly the same guy some very distinct personalities.
Lone Roach is wearing a kimono and hakama, both done in this really pretty muted monochrome styled tone. The clothing at least appears to be the same as Ronin 5 Logan, but may have been taken in to better fit the smaller body. We punch up the color a little bit with a maroon haori- with an awesome ronin samurai themed deco- and the olive backpack. He has a katana and wakizashi that tuck into his belt (also borrowed from Ronin Logan), a battle flag and pole, a “zip sword” with cross body sheath, and a wired scarf to punch it all up a little. And the grub, a mini-Gomez done in the style of a Mez-it, is a cute addition and rides in his pack.
Stealth Ops Gomez goes significantly function over form here, with a black turtleneck and cargo pants surprisingly not borrowed from Punisher. The tac vest is all Frank, though, and that means he’s got hoster and K-Bar sheaths integrated into it. One departure here is that unlike all the other Gomez figures, Stealth Ops has combat boots instead of the Mez Taylors, and for this guy, it’s a nice touch.
But Stealth Ops kinda runs away with the game in the accessory department. Inside that bitchin` lunch box tin, He has a G-36, a Blade SMG, the takedown sniper rifle, a Noisy Cricket, 1911, K-Bar, duffel bag, backpack, scarf, zip sword and sheath, C4 and detonator, and bow and arrows. Now all of these parts have been included with other figures, from Punishers to Gomezes, but I can not find it within me to turn down more of these weapons. It is a little awkward in a review sense, though, because I’ve covered all these accessories- just with different figures. Still, for me, Stealth Ops makes up his personality in his loadout, more than his clothes. He’s got options for sneaky, breaching, demo, or even old-school.
But that really kinda brings home the point for me right there, and that is that both these Gomez versions are loaded with personality. Neither is short on style, both come with a reasonable amount of goodies- one just takes it to asinine levels- and both take full advantage of the excellently articulated base body.
But only one of them can become an instant Snake Eyes.
Seriously, though, these are fantastic figures. The love and fun Mezco are having in cranking out their mascot shows through each release, and the more ridiculous they become, the better it gets. But, if you have to get one, Stealth Ops is the literal bang for your buck.
