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Write a Review link for that item. ThunderCats (Super7) (Super7)As much as I love Super7's Ultimates (well, most of the time), we can all agree they cost way too much. The $55 (now $65) price is mainly due to them being made-to-order figures, but with how the quality and effort ranges from "good" to "utter crap," and the fact that they show up often through online retailers and collectible and comic shops, they should really drop the price by $15. S7 seems to understand the issue with pricing, so last year they introduced their "Deluxe" line, which consists of Ultimate reissues, but with heavily trimmed-down accessories for a somewhat more reasonable $35 price. Out of all of them so far, Thundercats' Lion-O is one of the only new sculpts for the line (the other being the Iron Giant), so he'll be the one I'm looking at. These Deluxe figures usually come in cardbacks, and the graphics here are very similar to the Ultimates. Same LJN-inspired background, same red and black motif, and same artwork that was present on the first wave. It works just as well for the license as the Ultimates packaging does, and there's only a single twist-tie in the tray for the figure. Not to mention it'll take up less space, since there's nowhere near as much here as their pricier counterparts. Lion-O's Deluxe figure gets an all-new sculpt, also used for the LED Ultimate, and I presume Four Horsemen is still doing the sculpting, but he's more toon-accurate. The face isn't too much different from the original sculpt, but the hair is more simple in design to match how he looked on-screen. When this figure first hit stores, fans were mixed; some thought he looked fine, others thought it was off. In-hand, he looks just fine, with a softer material used for his flowing hair, and clean paint for the face. Standing a bit over 7", Lion-O's new body doesn't have as much detail as before, but again, that's because Super7 was going for an animated look rather than making him fit in with MOTU Classics. Considering how the sculpts for the Ultimates line became more toon-like than Classics-like over time, the new Lion-O fits in well with the more recent TC releases as well as other cartoon lines, and the redone outfit looks more accurate. One issue I didn't notice until I was writing this review was that his biceps were on the wrong arms, but it's nothing some heat couldn't fix. The paint is clean for the most part, save for some bleed on the white parts, and the colors match the show well, but his skin is too pale. It should be a little darker in tone, and a bit orange too. Doing an all-new sculpt meant Super7 was able to improve on Lion-O's articulation, and he moves surprisingly well. The Lord of the Thundercats gets a barbell head, swivel/hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists (vertical movement), hips, knees, and ankles, swivel biceps and thighs, and ball-jointed chest and waist. Having pinless joints is already an improvement over before, but the ball-chest is certainly welcome. Not as much forward movement as an ab crunch, but it still has plenty of range, and the waist being a ball peg as well gives it more tilt. I would be mindful of tight joints here and there, especially in the knees, so I'd advise using some heat when you first get him out and moving. As mentioned earlier, the Deluxe figures cut the accessories down to just the necessities, so Lion-O only gets his Sword of Omens and Claw Shield. The sword has less color to it and looks a bit cheaper, so that's a step back, but the Claw Shield looks just fine. It's scaled properly with the figure, and his left hand can be swapped out for it. That said, he feels too light for the $35 price. The earliest 7-inch figures by Super7 (coincidentally also called Deluxe) had the same price, but those were more outfitted, even including extra heads and/or hands on occasion. If Lion-O had an extra set of hands, as well as a Claw Shield that can plug into the belt, then the value would be better. Speaking of which, the lack of a Claw Shield for the belt means the peg on the side of his waist is pointless, and part of me just wants to chop it off for a more seamless look. Having not gotten the initial Ultimate Lion-O (though a reissue seems to be coming out), being able to pick up this trimmed-down version for a lower price is a good option, especially with the new sculpt featuring more screen-accuracy and better articulation. I've seen Ultimates at mass retailers like Walmart and Best Buy, but I don't think they sold well due to their high prices, so offering something equal in cost to a NECA figure is a good solution, even if the value isn't as good. Hopefully, Super7 continues with these releases, but I also hope they use this new mold for a new standard Ultimate Lion-O. Maybe a Tygra with the elbow pad and full paint while they're at it (I saw the Deluxe, and it seems they can never do him right). - 7/23/25   by RMaster007 |
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