I'm finally diving back into the last few DC Universe Classics Wave 10 reviews after a long break. These seem to be a little easier to find, but there are still plenty of folks out there hunting like little foragers, which is so very appropriate for today's review of, you guessed it, Forager! Mattel sure loves their New Gods, and they hd to dig pretty deep into obscurity to find this one, but if you read on, you might find out he's worth all the digging and hunting after all. 

Name: Forager
Line: DC Universe Classics, Wave 10, Figure 6
Manufacturer: Mattel
Released: Fall 2009
Price: Retails: $13.00-$15.00, Online: $30.00+ on Ebay
Scale: 6.00 in. (Figure in 6.50 in. tall)
Accessories: Shield
Collect & Connect Piece: Imperiex's head and lower torso

     Forager is actually comprised of all the DCUC parts you've seen before, but a couple key additions really make him feel unique. Thankfully, male insect-men on New Genesis must not have any problems with opposite-gender-specific clothing, because Forager is proudly sporting a rubber mini-skirt, which does a great job hiding the articulation breaks at his hips and also captures his classic design perfectly. Another interesting piece is a chunk of rubber that's layered over the base torso, creating the shoulder-pad effect and thickening his upper body. It's a very smooth fit on the base torso and the seems aren't particularly obvious either, so I think this works well, especially since it's held nice and tight by the brand new shoulder strap too. Aside from those three pieces of new tooling, Forager also has a new head and wrist attachment, both of which are necessary additions to make him look exactly like his old comic appearances. The proportions are once again a great look, and all the muscle groups and lines of his body look very natural in a superheroic way. Some might find him a little too buff, thanks in part to the torso-topper, but I think he looks all right, and is definitely the best interpretation of the character in plastic yet.
    Although much of the body is pretty basic from a details standpoint, the wrist blaster and shoulder strap have lots of carved intricacies, while there are some cloth wrinkles adding to the mix as well. His head has plenty of details as well, including realistic wrinkling along the sides of the mask, as if it's pulled taut around his face. The eye-wear is quite bug-like and full of crisp cuts and shapes, while his mouth is drooping as if in surprise. I feel like this expression looks a little too surprised/shocked (see comic), and a more natural expression would have worked for this particular character, but it may just be a design issue, because it's a bit hard to define emotions in a face that's as simple as this one. His shield is a nice smooth circle, though I do feel it could have been 20% bigger and still fit the character while looking much cooler. The emblem is actually lowered on the shield, and not just painted on, a good touch that didn't have to be included, but thankfully was.
    Everybody likes to complain, and even though I'm pretty positive about this sculpt, there are a few problems, mainly in a manufacturing sense. Both his shield and chest strap feature a couple weak spots where the plastic didn't quite take to the mold right, resulting in a recessed area that isn't supposed to be there, especially obvious on the shield. The mold line on his head is also rather distracting, running from ear to ear and more distinct than usual. The last problem I have is something I'm not even sure I want to mention, because I think I might just be going crazy. If you look at the picture above, you'll notice one of his hands is much thinner than the other. It's not any smaller, just thinner from palm to back. Maybe I'm just making this up, because I've never noticed it before, so who knows.

Sculpt Score: 8 / 10

 

     There's only one pattern on Forager that required a lot of attention to detail in the application stage, which are the crazy zig-zag red and black socks he's wearing. Sure he might look like a slumber-party bound tween in those things (if only they were toe socks), but at least the lines are very crisp and there's no blled or fading from one color to the other. The pattern doesn't match up perfectly across body parts, though it does do a pretty fair job. There really isn't a lot more paint than that, primarily just the features of his mask and the emblem on his shield, which both look just fine to me. You might notice a small amount of overspray on his mask in the last photo; just consider that his head is being blown up much larger than the real thing in that image, so it's hardly noticeable in person.
     Most of what you see with Forager is just the color of the plastic he's made of, which isn't a bad thing. The white is a clean semi-blue that offers just enough of a blue tone to avoid being too bright, while the red and blue contrast well against the more basic black and white. The colors all match across pieces, and the white is free of any yellowing. I wouldn't  mind seeing everything just a shade or two darker to make Forager fit in with the rest of the New Gods figures released (which seem to have a bolder and darker color scheme), but in all reality I think Mattel got Forager just right, and all the other New Gods are a hair too dark. Consistently would still be nice, but it's no fault of this figure. This may not be a super complex paint job or a sight to behold, it's just one that gets the job done nicely without too much fuss or fighting.

Paint Score: 8 / 10

 

    I'm going to make this short and tasty, because it's just the norm with Forager. If you're unfamiliar with the DC Universe Classics articulation design, it's detailed above, and the only interesting things to mention with Forager are his hips (which might look restricted by his skirt, but actually move quite freely into reasonable poses), and his neck (which is reduced to nothing more than a swivel). All the other joints work wonderfully well, tight enough to hold their positions without being too difficult to maneuver. He also looks rather nice, given the hidden joints beneath his skirt (that's not all he's hiding under there!), and joints which seem to fade visually into the black paint on his legs. Even his shoulder pads make the sometimes awkward swivel/hinges up there look okay. Overall, this is a nice looking set of joints that allow for some pretty interesting poses and chances at play. 

Articulation Score: 9 / 10

     If you're reading this, then there is a better than average chance you know who Forager is, and you probably even like the characer a lot. I'm in that same situation, this is one of my favorite comics characters out there, so this figure is a real joy to me, whether it be to just hold him and stare longingly or to actually throw him on the shelf, high-fiving Orion over the trampled body of a Parademon. It's probably not going to be the same for everyone out there though, because let's face it, Forager isn't a big-name character, and he's honestly even kind of lame. Aside from the potential character limitations (I know you hate to admit them (like me), but they're there), this figure is relatively enjoyable. The articulation is definitely playable and poseable, meaning collector and child alike can find something to do with this fellow, and the shield/wrist-blaster combo make him seem like some sort of threat in combat, even if you don't know who he is and why he's so surprised (see comic, again).
     There's nothing frustrating about his construction or anything that Mattel absolutely missed when designing him, so I think fans will be relieved to see he's problem and stress free. The packaging is the same old standard, but it does feature some nifty photos and biographical information, which does add a little more fun to the mix. The biggest advantage Forager has here might very well be the inclusion of the Imperiex Collect & Connect pieces, because assembling that big hunk of a plastic alien is entertaining, especially since that's such a strong figure anyway. And even if you don't buy every figure necessary to complete Imperiex, having a loose head is still a fun addition, allowing your Superman (or Forager, I guess) to carry it around proudly. Forager will certainly please the devout DC fan, and while many a mom and kid may not instantly identify him, if they manage to take him home, they'll probably have their fair share of fun as well. 

Fun Score: 7 / 10

     I feel like this scoring category could just be copy and pasted for every DCUC review, because they're all pretty much the same. At $13 or so, Forager is just an average sized figure, and while he has a few examples of new tooling, it's not some superb amount. All the same, costs do add up, and new tooling factors into that, so I see any attempts made my Mattel to increase the diversity of molds being used in the line as a positive sign of value, even moreso when they are done as artfully as they were with this toy. There's one accessoyr included, along with the C&C pieces too, which is a little extra plastic, but still not enough to make me feel like this was any kind of splendid deal. Thankfully all the parts are in working order and the plastic and paint seem durable (except for the minor manufacturing errors in the plastic), so the toy should last for somet time to come. I do not regret my purchase one bit, but I also think for a line this popular that's featuring so much part reuse, that lowering the price $1 or $2 would be a reasonable step. Unfortunately, Mattel is heading in the exact opposite direction and raising prices, and when that happens, you're going to see this category's scores start to plummet. 

Value Score: 8 / 10

8 / 10 - Design that captures the character and looks stylish while doing it, with only a few small faults.

8 / 10 - The colors and applications are good, just not stellar. 

9 / 10 - A nice articulation model that is hidden rather effectively. 

7 / 10 - A fun toy that's based on a character just a little too obscure and includes only one play-enhancing accessory. 

8 / 10 - A fair sized toy that includes an accessory, C&C piece, and doesn't fall apart. 

82 / 100 - This is a Great Toy

If you love the New Gods or Forager, then you'll adore this toy despite his flaws. He's mostly well executed and should look great on any DC Universe Classics shelf, making him another strong release in a splendid Wave 10, even if he isn't the most fun toy of the year. 

-The Articulated One

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