The action figure mash-up of Stranger Things x TMNT has been a most unusual collaboration, considering the Turtles exist as comic book characters within the ST world. Nobody’s complaining, though, when the resultant Playmates two-packs gave us pretty decent Hopper and Eleven action figures, plus another Mirage-style incarnation of the Turtle boys. And while it made sense to lead with breakout stars of the show David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown, they’re not the main protagonists of the show. Hence set #2 was inevitable, completing the TMNT quartet with Mike and Don, and adding Lucas and Dustin action figures.
Let’s get the TMNT out of the way first. Aside from the heads, they seem to be the same base figure. This makes some sense, except in the case of the hands, which would work better fi sculpted for their specific weapons. As is, one of Mike’s hands runs a bit loose for his nunchuks, while one of Don’s gets too tight for the bo. Mike’s nunchuks do have metal chains, though, which is nice. But take their weapons away, and it’s impossible to tell who’s who.
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It’s a decent representation of the Mirage comics TMNT, but with one questionable design choice. Does that look like a tail to you?
The main lure is the new Stranger Things figures, with Lucas and Dustin prior to their actors’ latest growth spurts. Some of their items are repeated — walkie-talkie, Walkman — while others are unique. Dustin gets a new custom hammer and spray can, while Lucas includes binoculars and slingshot. To properly place the slingshot on his arm, popping the hand off may help, and it’s easy to do.
The Turtle scale may seem large, but look at it this way: if they were created as man-in-suit effects for Stranger Things, they’d be a similar size. The scale overall works best with 7-inch or 6.5 inch figures, which should match the existing McFarlanes.
Likenesses are decent. They aren’t quite the laser scans and digital faceprints of some companies, but certainly recognizable. The small-print details on Dustin’s clothes look particularly impressive. And are more visible in these blown-up photos than on the toy itself. As with many Playmates figures, they utilize primary colors and colored plastic, without washes or too many overpaints.
In case anyone wondered, Playmates did concoct a storyline for this.
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These figure sets sell exclusively at target, for $39.99 each. Now that most basic 6-inch licensed figures go for $24.99, $20 apiece seems a reasonable market price. Whether you want Mirage Turtles that you may already own some version of is your call. But Stranger Things figures with good likenesses in a classic Playmates style? Those may be worth snapping up regardless. Now let’s see two more Street Fighter sets to complete those Turtle four, and maybe give us Ken and Guile.
Take a look at a few more images in the gallery below. Then let us know what you think in comments.
Recommended Reading: Stranger Things: The Other Side (Graphic Novel Volume 1)
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