Futurama Series Seven figures
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Good news everybody! As you are probably all aware, Futurama is being resurrected from the dead once again. And in a few years, we should have
new episodes airing on Comedy Central. And as if to celebrate its latest resurrection, Toynami has released it seventh and most recent series
of Futurama figures. Now with Professor Farnsworth and Hermes joining the previously released Fry, Bender, Leela, Amy and Zoidberg figures we
have almost the entire Planet Express staff. (There is still one important member missing, Scruffy.) But it is impressive that they managed
to release as many characters as they have. And there are more to come. In the mean time, we will just have to settle for the Professor and
his number one bureaucrat.
Packaging - 3/10Another pair of Futurama figures and another opportunity for me to remember how I dislike this packaging design. They do a great job of using images from the cartoon. But then they alter the colors until they are barely recognizable. The figures are nicely displayed in the windows on the front of the boxes. But the windows also show how over sized the boxes are to the figures. That extra space comes in handy with large figures like Zoidberg or when there are larger parts such as with Robot Santa. but that isn't the case for either of these two figures.
Sculpting - Hermes 8/10, Professor 7/10The sculpting on these figures continues to be top notch. The likenesses for both figures is excellent. And both have a good balance of detail while still keeping to the simple designs of the show. I was a bit concerned about the scale since Farnsworth is so small compared to the other figures that have been released. But it is hard to tell just how tall the Professor should be compared to the others. But I typically think of him as being about as tall as Amy, which makes the figure just a bit too small. I also don't like the extremely plain pose in which his hands are sculpted. Since he doesn't have anything to hold I guess it isn't a huge issue. But they still look slightly unnatural.
Paint - 7/10The paint work on the Futurama figures isn't usually very complex, but it is usually well executed. And series seven is no different. There are no quality control issues on either of my figures. The only issue I have is the skin tones which were selected. Both figures seem to be too pale. It is particularly noticeable on Hermes who should have a fairly dark complexion. But his skin is no darker than Amy's. He is sometimes drawn with a lighter complexion, but not this light. The issue is made worse by the fact that both figures have a gloss finish for their skin. The previous Toynami figures have painted the skin for the human figures which gave them a matte finish.
Articulation - 4/10both Hermes and Professor Farnsworth have just three points of articulation. They have rotating joints at the neck and shoulders. They really don't need to be highly articulated, but they could have included a waist joint or rotating wrists at least. The fact that both figures' designs offer a perfect seam line for such joints means that they can't even claim it was an aesthetics's issue
Accessories - Farnsworth 6/10, Hermes 0/10 (add two points if completing Roberto)There is only one actual accessory between the two figures. Professor Farnsworth comes with a Nibbler figure. At first glance, I assumed that they just reused the mold for the Nibbler from the MAC Toys Leela figure. But that isn't the case. The new Nibbler figure actually has an articulated neck and has its cape made from a separate piece from the body. You can't tell the difference unless you look closely. But if you do, the difference is quite obvious. I wish they had tossed in one or two of the Professor's inventions for good measure, such as the What If Machine or Finglonger, but the updated Nibbler is very nice. Hermes on the other hand has nothing but his piece of Roberto, the build a bot for the next two series of Futurama figures. The build a bot pieces don't really add much value to the figures yet since it will be months before you can get the remaining pieces and complete the figure. But at the same time, it is nice that it will only take two series to complete the build a bot this time instead of three.
Value - 7/10You can expect to pay between $12 and $15 each for these figures. That is not a great price, but it is still pretty reasonable for figures that won't see a mass market release. And there is the added bonus of being able to complete the Roberto build a bot quicker and while having to buy fewer figures than Robot Santa or the Robot Devil. There is also the additional bonus of being able to complete the Planet Express crew (or come close to it). I was even fortunate enough to get the figures for 20% off during a sale at the local comic shop which meant that I was able to buy them for the same price I would have paid online, but avoid shipping charges.
Happy Hunting:Series seven is just shipping now. I bought my set from Westfield Comic's local store. So they should be available at your local comic shop if they ordered them. Alternatively, you can order them online as well. I've usually ordered my Futurama figures from Big Bad Toy Store. They do have them in stock and have an excellent track record for their customer service.
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