{"id":14632,"date":"2011-09-28T00:01:50","date_gmt":"2011-09-28T05:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=14632"},"modified":"2011-09-28T01:44:14","modified_gmt":"2011-09-28T06:44:14","slug":"motuclassics-com-leech-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=14632","title":{"rendered":"MOTUClassics.Com:
Leech Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Yes, we\u2019ve had to skip Man-E-Faces. Our subscription was cancelled last month and we abandoned efforts to get it back after some issues with customer service. We\u2019re winging it the rest of the year, but we\u2019ve yet to pick up a good deal on Man-E-Faces, so we\u2019re moving ahead to Leech. <\/p>\n

I almost let Vault review Leech because he’s the bigger Horde fan between us. He insists on their badassery and scoffs not only at my preference for Skeletor\u2019s minions, but that nearly all my favorite characters tend to be the lesser known Heroic Warriors (where\u2019s Rio Blast & Extendar, Mattel?). It\u2019s not that I think the Horde isn\u2019t cool or anything, they\u2019re easily one of the coolest things Princess of Power<\/em> contributed to the mythos, but they\u2019re just not my guys \u2013 particularly Leech. But Classics Leech just seemed to fun to pass up. I mean, doesn’t he look like a guy that wants to party? <\/p>\n

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That said, I do have one issue with Leech that I just have to get out of the way. It’s his size. I don\u2019t know how many of you have ever read the mini-comic ( The Master of Power Suction Unleashed<\/em> ) that accompanied Leech when we were kids, but it featured Leech\u2026 uh, a little<\/em> bigger than the rest of the cast. To put it simply, he tried to eat the Land Shark, okay? That mini-comic forever altered my perception of Leech \u2013 he should be huge! A behemoth! A gargantuan! And no Leech from the vintage figure to the Staction to this Classics figure has measured up yet (but then again, being a giant in MOTU Classics would make him an under-articulated, overpriced piece of junk… so maybe I should count my blessings?).<\/p>\n

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Anyway, yes, subsequent Leech appearances showed him more in-scale with the others (and, hey, Hordak gets pretty big in that same mini-comic too, so who knows how big Leech was really supposed to be), so a regular-sized Leech is in no way inaccurate and it certainly isn’t a problem with this figure. Maybe I just need a little Micro Machine Land Shark for him to munch on. That’d be pretty kickass, actually…<\/p>\n

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Now, there\u2019s been some controversy over Classics Leech. Since he debuted, some collectors have been rather adamant that he sucks \u2013 and not in the way he’s supposed to. Admittedly, I’ve come to really appreciate the head because he does look more cartoonish (despite favoring the toy over any cartoon appearances), but there are a few angles where he can look menacing and crazed if that’s your thing. <\/p>\n

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Having said that, there are still a few things about the head that give me pause. One, I just don’t like screaming \/ yelling \/ open-mouth heads. I’ve enjoyed playing with Leech the last couple days, but if he could just close that mouth or have an updated head sculpt that was a little less agape, I’d be appreciative. I feel like I have to pose his head at some sort of angle because if you look at him straight-on… well, he couldn’t see you. It really doesn’t make much sense – if your power is sucking things into your mouth, I imagine you better damn well know what’s going in there, but I digress…<\/p>\n

Also, I wish the teeth could at least appear to be a little less rounded or at least more detailed. Even my vintage Leech appears to have sharper fangs than the Classics figure…<\/p>\n

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Beneath the head, I think the figure is downright fantastic though. I love his hands and feet, the wider body, and that so many of the little details on the classic sculpt were captured and transferred to the Classics figure. There’s a healthy mix of new and reused parts, but it all comes together to make for a fun figure. The sculpts on the hands and feet are particularly nifty – I would’ve liked to see more detail on the “palms”, but the rough and cracked nails are nice. It’s also funny to note that the smooth upper arm does transition into a wrinklier, wart-covered appearance as you get down to the hands. The Four Horsemen did a great job making that look convincing despite the reuse.<\/p>\n

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Paintwise, I ended up with a little slop here and there – the nails and the teeth, but nothing that gives me too much grief though because I’m impressed how detailed the deco is and how much of it is spot-on. The airbrushing on the arms and legs is pretty awesome as is the mixed used of gloss and matte finishes throughout the figure. The colors work really great together and it really helps me to appreciate a figure that I wasn’t initially looking forward to. Continue to Page 2<\/a><\/p>\n

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Articulation is pretty good and what we\u2019ve come to expect from the line, but we do get the added ball-jointed wrists. I’m still adamant that the entire line should have these, but whatever. They really get Leech into some convincing poses where he can use his “power”. The ankles are similarly well-ranged, but my Leech’s ankles are a bit loose. His huge feet give him a steady base to stand on, but some of those more extreme poses find him slowly teetering one way or another as the ankle gives way to his bulk. <\/p>\n

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Not an accessory per se, but Leech does include his Horde Armband. It’s not the same one we’ve been getting with the Horde members, as the shoulder pad apparently had to be attached to it for logistics reasons. I’m gonna guess they couldn\u2019t spring for a new bicep piece or a better way to connect it, but I find that this method just barely works. I don\u2019t like it much. I\u2019m glad it\u2019s there \u2013 it\u2019s one of those old unpainted details on the original figure, I just wish it had been executed better. As it is, it just kinda floats over there. <\/p>\n

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Leech also includes his Horde crossbow. It’s a nice piece, unique like the others and still a variant on a theme just like we remember. I just don’t care much. I imagine that’s just me – I appreciate that they have standard issue gear and the Classics figure must absolutely include them, but I rarely pose any of the Horde guys with their ‘bows. They all go to the accessories bin and this one isn’t going to be any different. <\/p>\n

Leech – amazingly – had some budget leftover, so he was given a “Horde Net” to make up for his own lack of suction. It’s a cool piece – I love that the vintage figure had his vice-like lips – he’s hanging out in the back window of my car right now, but the net is more useful in play. It’s a cool piece and a nice addition to the line \u2013 though I wish it stuck to more things. Mine\u2019s a bit fickle. Getting this picture with Fisto took a lot more work than it should have…<\/p>\n

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Overall, Leech more or less won me over. There are some details I could nitpick to death like the shoulder pad or the teeth and I’m still anti-open mouth – think of how cool a hinged jaw could’ve been – but the truth is I’ve enjoyed having Leech around. Still, I understand – if you’re looking for a more menacing, nightmarish Leech – this Classics figure isn’t for you. This is an update to guy whose claim to fame was that he could stick to your TV or fall onto a hardwood floor in the middle of battle and not be able to get up. That’s this Leech. He’s not out to eat Land Sharks and scare the crap out of Mer-Man. He’s just looking for a good time. <\/p>\n

In my display, most of the Horde take up residence towards the back of my MOTU shelf, but that doesn’t seem like the right place for Leech. I’m going to need to find him a spot towards the front. I even think I’ll work that silly net into the display, though maybe not as intended…<\/p>\n

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For more MOTU reviews, check out our
MOTU Classics Collector’s Guide<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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<\/center><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yes, we\u2019ve had to skip Man-E-Faces. Our subscription was cancelled last month and we abandoned efforts to get it back after some issues with customer service. We\u2019re winging it the rest of the year, but we\u2019ve yet to pick up a good deal on Man-E-Faces, so we\u2019re moving ahead to Leech.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":14634,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[7,34,10],"tags":[795,959,20,16,2558],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/leeTN.jpg?fit=50%2C50","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-3O0","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13060,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=13060","url_meta":{"origin":14632,"position":0},"title":"First Look at Hurricane Hordak & Leech in Package","date":"June 26, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"As last week was drifting into the weekend, we got a few news tidbits from Mattel. First was the update to tomorrow's Mad Monday sale that we reported on previously and then came our first look at the biographies for the two MOTU Classics figures shipping in September: Leech &\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12180,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=12180","url_meta":{"origin":14632,"position":1},"title":"Matty on Facebook: Leech & Hurricane Hordak Debut!","date":"April 1, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"WonderCon kicked off today in San Francisco and it's the second stop on Mattel's 2011 Collector Appreciation Tour. At each show, they promised a few reveals and today Mattel posted an image on their Facebook page of the September's MattyCollector Offerings: Club Eternia's Leech & Hurricane Hordak!","rel":"","context":"In "Matty on Facebook"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":40,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=40","url_meta":{"origin":14632,"position":2},"title":"MOTUClassics.Com: Hordak Review","date":"July 3, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5073,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=5073","url_meta":{"origin":14632,"position":3},"title":"MOTUClassics.Com Wun-Dar Review","date":"April 26, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I don't know how to start this article. For Scareglow or Man-At-Arms, I could regale you with memories of childhood past. For Goddess or He-Ro, I could talk about how it's cool to discover these old characters that didn't make the cut in my youth. For Zodak or King Grayskull,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23269,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=23269","url_meta":{"origin":14632,"position":4},"title":"Vault Review: MOTU Classics Mosquitor","date":"April 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s easy to fall behind on Masters of the Universe Classics figures.\u00a0 There\u2019s always a new one or two coming out, or just around the corner.\u00a0 So today I\u2019m going back a few months to check out a figure we missed, the Horde vampire Mosquitor. I didn\u2019t have Mosquitor as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/msqt6.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10518,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=10518","url_meta":{"origin":14632,"position":5},"title":"MOTU Classics Update: First Look at Sy-Klone","date":"December 13, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Last night on Facebook, Mattel released official images of the Sy-Klone figure that was revealed in this month's issue of ToyFare. Like most of the recent releases, he feels like the \"Classics\" style is slowly being replaced by a straight up \"Vintage\" style. I don't know how I feel about\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "MOTUClassics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14632"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14632"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14632\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14661,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14632\/revisions\/14661"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}