Playmates Toys Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2017 line-up coverage continues with a look at the repainted Mutagen Man figure as announced back at New York ToyFair. A least half the figures out right now are repaints of existing molds, as Playmates Toys is looking at 2018 and focusing most of their efforts on the new show starting. This years line includes some new figures, along with repaints such as Baxter Fly, which is a beautiful update to the first figure. If you’ve been lucky enough to find this Mastermind Baxter Fly figure on store shelves, you will notice that like many other new figures this year, these are packaged out as 1 per case, and these are more popular than we could have imagined. Stores can’t keep characters like Mutagen Man, Fierce Fishface, Mastermind Baxter Fly, Brutal Shredder, Savage Rahzar, Vigilante Casey Jones and others in stock this year. With the next batch of figures hitting Q4, 2017, we’re hoping that those a bit easier to find, but as those are Monsters figures of the Turtles, not to mention 80’s Bebop and Rocksteady, it’s unlikely the popularity of this years line will die down anytime soon.
Thank you to Playmates Toys for providing the Mastermind Baxter Fly Figure for review.
Availability: 2017
Mastermind Baxter Fly is a repaint of the previous figure that had show-accurate deco. The new deco on the shirt is brighter, and is painted in a light blue compared to the show-accurate purple. The figures sculpt is exactly the same, and while he has limited articulation, the accurate of the sculpt compared to the show is pretty much spot on. The pants are also lighter, and are painted in a light grey compared to the dark blue as seen with the first figure. The sneakers are now dark blue as opposed to brown, the eyes are red as opposed to metallic gold the eye lashes are translucent light blue as opposed to green, and even the skin tone is a darker brown on the new figure. The wings are also translucent light blue over the translucent light green, which also matches the eye lashes.
Every aspect about the figures deco has changed, and nothing was carried over from the first figure as far as deco. The sculpt is also the same as we previously mentioned, and features lumps sticking out of his skin and are easily visible through his cloths. The articulation includes a ball jointed neck, swivel-hinged shoulders, swivel-hinged hips, and swivel-hinged wings. Due to how the legs are sculpted, the figure can only stand if the right leg is in the back and the left leg in front. He wasn’t given the option like other figures were to stand up straight. The arms are also sculpted in a bent position, and since the shoulders are the only parts that are articulated, the elbows are left in that bent position. The hands are also different, with one looking like a human hand, and the other a claw or pincher.
One of the best features about the figure is that incredibly detailed head sculpt, which includes textured big red eye balls and that ugly looking hair on his head is lumpy as seen on the show. In addition, there is a good amount of detail sculpted on the wings to make them look like real wings, and the figures back has a torn shirt as if the wings burst through it as he was being mutated. That part of the back was also painted in light blue, which we believe should have been painted in dark brown to match the skin tone. This was also done on the first figure with the purple shirt. Sadly, that figure too was painted in purple on the back instead of the skin tone where the wings are attached.
Included with Mastermind Baxter Fly is a bar of chocolate, as the character craves chocolate on the show.
Overall, this is a great looking repaint, and Playmates Toys have given fans another great opportunity to own this figure.
Purchase:
