Did someone spill a box of Skittles or is that a toy? I never actually thought I'd see a figure that looks quite like Mattel's DC Universe Classics' Killer Moth, but now that I have, I'm happy about it. Despite his vibrant nature, Killer Moth is actually a great action figure underneath all the gleeful colors.
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Killer Moth's sculpting is really simple except for a few spots because his body is just another reuse of the basic DCUC slim male buck. Some people might be getting tired of the hugely recycled nature of these basic bodies, but it allows us a huge cast of characters, and this body just looks good anyway. The muscles are well defined without being hulkingly big and his proportions and posture is stylish without representing a specific artist's physical rendition. None of his costume details are sculpted in, just his belt, helmet, and wings are unique pieces. This means he's generally lacking detail in his sculpt, and even his belt, head, and wings are pretty simple compared to some figures. You're not going to find any "texture" on this toy, he's very reminiscent of the age he comes from with a simple design. His head sculpt is great, evoking the insect look perfectly with crisp curves and mismatched anntennae. The wings also look sleek with beautiful leaf shapes and the mechanism holding them on his back is even okay looking, unlike Hawkman's. I really like his accessory too. It's a gun that looks high tech in a silver age sense--matching the character and costume perfectly. The only real problem with this sculpt is its simplicity, but the most important thing is that he just looks good from any angle you pick with a great silhouette.
Sculpt Score: 9 / 10
So the most obvious part of this action figure is probably his paint and color scheme. What a wild looking costume that Mattel chose to use for this guy. It's definitely pulling out all of the silver age stops and to good effect. The colors may be wild but they work exceedingly well together. The orange is crazy bright and it's paired with the equally glowing green. The stripes sure catch your eyes and offer a nice contrast to the solid purple of his chest. The applications on the stripes are okay but not exceptional. There are a few spots where one color bled into the other and some of the lines are wavy. The same things going on with the gloves, and the figure even has a pretty sizable black spec on his right wrist. His head in molded in green and his wings are molded in an attractive translucent red/orange that goes a long way towards making them look like real insect wings. The red eyes on his face are painted in cleanly, though his decal isn't getting full coverage over the purple.
Paint Score: 7 / 10
Killer Moth has the standard DCUC articulation, which I won't describe in detail, you can probably see everything in the photos. I think this model is almost perfect, a few more points would be nice, but there is still a lot of posing and play that can be had with this guy. Thankfully his hips are both functioning perfectly, unlike previous waves of DCUC, as well as every other joint which all turned perfectly right out of the bubble. They're all tight too, so he's going to hold his poses for as long as needed unlike some of my other recent DCUC figures. In an amazing coincidence, the moment I was typing that, Series 6 Superman fell over behind me from weak ankles. The articulation looks good with the sculpt too, especially his hidden thigh cuts which disappear into his leg colors. With nothing broken and full movement
Articulation Score: 9 / 10
Looking at this category and Killer Moth, I really don't know what to say. I guess his design is sort of fun just because it's so unique and he has a cool element in that he's obviously a flying character. Some people will just absolutely love him and others will really hate him. There's no inbetween, so I've decided to go with my gut and give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he's an inherently fun character. He has a bright lovable design that'll just pull you in. It may not look great on paper, but in plastic he's amazingly cool to have on your shelf. It doesn't hurt that he offers a great articulation model and comes with a cool and classic gun. You can find some amazing poses with this character whether it be standing or flying, he'll look natural and definitely stand out. He's just fun to show to people and will always catch your eye.
Fun Score: 9 / 10
Killer Moth was only $12 and in the current realm of action figures that isn't a terrible price for a good sized 6" figure with an accessory and a giant build-a-figure piece. Killer Moth is average height compared to the DCUC line but he also includes some giant wings, so it feels like you're getting a hefty chunk of plastic out of your money. Add that onto the high quality construction and durability that he seems to exhibit and you're looking at a long lasting toy. I might be a little concerned about breaking the wings off, but I've tugged at them a bit without any issues cropping up. Moth includes an accessory, and although small, it's still nice to see it there. He's packaged in the now standard DCUC style which offers some great photos and a nice biography. The biggest value improvement is simply the collect & connect piece that is Kalibak's torso and head. This is like getting 1/5th of a figure as a cheap bonus for an already reasonably priced toy.
Value Score: 9 / 10
Summary
9 - Great use of the basic body, accurate build and proportions, stylish, great wings and head sculpt, gun looks great, body is too simple.
7 -
Colors actually manage to look good together, may be bright for some, mixed application quality, great color effect in wings, some slop in spots.
9 - A lot of articulation, full range of movement everywhere, nothing was stuck or broken, everything is tight and holds poses, just a few more points is all he needs.
9 - Fascinating design, great articulation for posing options, cool accessory, he has wings, only thing missing is an action feature or wing movement.
9 - Feels durable, not a tiny figure, includes an accessory and C&C piece, packaging is well done, not a super great deal just a fair one.
Overall Score: 87 / 100 - This is a Great Toy - P.S. I'm implementing a slight reviewer's curve into reviews from here on out, it will only adjust scores by a point or two if I feel like a toy doesn't totally match up to my originally holed scaling.
Killer Moth is a surprisingly great figure that offers a fantastic sculpt and articulation model that's worth every penny and fun to boot.
P.S. This could be the figure I'm giving away this month, just leave a comment for a chance to win (if it's the one).
-The Articulated One
