{"id":12132,"date":"2011-03-30T02:33:56","date_gmt":"2011-03-30T07:33:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=12132"},"modified":"2011-12-05T02:33:22","modified_gmt":"2011-12-05T08:33:22","slug":"vault-review-light-dark-talisman-scarabus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=12132","title":{"rendered":"Vault Review: Light & Dark Talisman Scarabus"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> I was so excited for the upcoming Fantastic Exclusive Scarabus figure by the Four Horsemen, that I decided I couldn\u2019t wait for the official release. So I saved up a little bit of extra money and placed an order for the Light & Dark Talisman set that debuted at the Horsemen\u2019s Toypocalypse showing. <\/p>\n

For those of you who don\u2019t know, Fantastic Exclusive is project started back in 2005 by Four Horsemen Design Studios (yes, those Four Horsemen). They give the fans a choice of various characters\/themes to choose from. Whichever character wins the vote becomes a toy. From there, the fans get to choose the scale, articulation, and even submit suggestions for possible variants. It\u2019s a really great project, and the Horsemen deserve beaucoup props for sharing this process and allowing the toy buyers to actually choose what they want.<\/p>\n

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Fantastic Exclusive 3 was won by the Dark Lord of Gothitropolis, Scarabus. The packaging describes him as an ancient demon with the power to control the dead that was born into this worldly plane by way of a scarab beetle. Since centuries have passed since his initial resurrection, you get the feeling that he\u2019s a big picture fellow that chooses to bide his time while amassing greater strengths and armies. The card back also states that he hails from the year 2332, and he\u2019s about to make his move and establish his presence on an unsuspecting humanity. His city of the undead, Gothitropolis, will be his new capitol in a world of shambling corpses that he commands.<\/p>\n

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The card back states all that more eloquently, of course, and there’s more there too. I don’t want to spoil it all for ya. The cool thing here is that the first character we get from the property is the Big Bad himself. (Well, technically he\u2019s the second. The first was Scarabus\u2019 little demon servants, the Timekeepers.) Originally there were going to be nine variants of this figure. Two of them are Scarabus in his Demon Fire and Dormant forms. The other seven not only have different decos, but also entirely different heads, making them unique characters. But The Horsemen are sneaky, and they found a way to slip two more figures into the mix.<\/p>\n

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From what I understand of their back story, the Dark & Light figures are true scale totems for those of us who worship the Dark Lord. Making them into life size props is a really cool idea, but I\u2019m not going to be worshipping them so much as putting them with other toys. So I decided to come up with my own explanation. To me the Dark one is Scarabus\u2019 Shadow, while the Light is Scarabus\u2019 Ghost. If the guy\u2019s as evil as they make him sound, there should be no problem with his ghost and shadow also being badass.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re like me and just really love the hell out of a good toy, no matter what the brand or character, then you have to buy this toy. Maybe not the Dark & Light ones specifically, but you\u2019ll need to pick up at least one of these figures. The first thing that will strike you is how much fantastic (no pun intended) sculpting has gone into this figure. This is where The Horsemen truly shine as artists. There is so much detail, Scarabus really seems to have a life of his own. His style and detail rivals that of Mandarin Spawn, which is another incredible 4H figure.<\/p>\n

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This toy has so much detail packed into it that I don\u2019t know where to start. Sure the scales of his horns are sculpted, but there\u2019re also small fractures and chips along the very organic looking edges of each scale\u2019s rim. The bands of his armor are easy to see, but you have to look closer to notice the shoulder pads of his cape have an intricate labyrinthine pattern etched into them. Even his armor pieces have tiny little rivets dotted all around. Not to mention that his leggings have the cracked look of old leather and his hooves are splintered and worn, even on the bottoms. Continue to Page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n

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The 4H also use the detail in another terrific way, to help hide the articulation. Scarabus has a ball jointed head, which is removable. His shoulders, wrists (also removable), hips, ankles, and even the scarab legs on his back are all swivel\/hinge joints. His biceps, waist, tail, and thighs have swivel joints. And the elbows and knees are hinge joints. This gives Scarabus a huge amount of articulation. Add the fact that you can change out his face, head, or hands and you have even more possibilities for different poses.<\/p>\n

One particularly impressive idea is that the two side pieces to his skirt are actually connected to his thigh above the swivel joint. This allows him to have the full range of movement of his legs while still keeping the impressive look of his armor.<\/p>\n

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There\u2019s not much I can say about the paint job on these two because they are pretty much molded in their black and white colors. One thing that is a little disappointing is the black joints they had to use for the white version\u2019s swivel\/hinge joints. I realize they had to use them for structural reasons, which I\u2019m fine with, but they still break up the figures look a bit.<\/p>\n

But one thing I was really impressed with is how closely they got the red and blue painted details to match the red\/blue molded parts. I get so used to so many toy companies screwing this kind of thing up that I forget it actually can be done right. I don\u2019t know how much effort it took to get little details like this accurate, but it\u2019s much appreciated.<\/p>\n

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Scarabus is also loaded with accessories! Scarabus\u2019 main gear is certianly his large ceremonial looking staff. Although the design is simple, it\u2019s just as detailed as everything else with its sculpted rings and scarab symbol at the top. But if the staff\u2019s not your cup of tea, then you can always switch out the orbed top for a large spear tip. If you don\u2019t want to use the scepter or spear, you can always equip his hands with energy flames. These flames slip over his fingers and really look alive with their twisting sculpt.<\/p>\n

Plus, as an added bonus, the 4H have included a helmet, shoulder armor, and spear tip to replace the hourglass for the Timekeeper figures. These accessories come in the specific color of each Scarabus figure. This new look gives an added bonus to army build these little guys. <\/p>\n

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One thing I wanted to mention was just how customizable this figure is. Each figure comes with three different faces: normal, demon, and dormant (not to mention the different heads for the variants). I felt that the dormant face added to the ghostly look of the Light figure, while the demon face added a wicked look to the Dark. But the fact that we get to make the decision is the awesome part. You can also remove the scarab legs from his back, or even pose them differently. Then there\u2019re the three sets of hands that each figure comes with: clenched fist, open clawed, and open fists for holding accessories. And don\u2019t forget that you can change out his staff heads and remove his cape.<\/p>\n

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With all these different choices, I think it will be very easy to display all twelve figures while making them unique enough to be their own character. But if you\u2019re looking for a little more, then check this out. The two scarab legs on his back will also fit into the holes for his hands, giving him a strange tentacled look. Not only that, but so will the spear and scarab tips to his staff (although you\u2019ll want to be careful when doing this because they are very snug).<\/p>\n

One thing I was really disappointed in though was that his feet are not removable. I was hoping we could change out the hooves on the bird-headed variants with bird feet from the upcoming FanEx Raven figure. <\/p>\n

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The Dark and Light figures are almost sold out, so if you\u2019re looking to pick them up you should do it soon. They may seem a bit expensive at $50 each, but you have to remember what you\u2019re getting for that price. A figure that stands over seven inches tall with a unique body, comes with plenty of accessories and interchangeable parts, has fantastic articulation and paint apps, plus I haven\u2019t heard of any quality control problems. Compare that to the $20 I dish out for MOTUC, or the $15 for DCUC and I think it’s certainly worth it. <\/p>\n

I love discovering a figure that you can tell was made with passion. I love figures that push the creative boundaries of what we thought was possible. I love when I don\u2019t care who the character is or what property it came from, as long as it\u2019s fun to look at or pose or even play with. This Scarabus figure is all of those things, and that is why I love him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was so excited for the upcoming Fantastic Exclusive Scarabus figure by the Four Horsemen, that I decided I couldn\u2019t wait for the official release. So I saved up a little bit of extra money and placed an order for the Light & Dark Talisman set that debuted at the Horsemen\u2019s Toypocalypse showing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12133,"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":[1279,14,34,10],"tags":[951,178,2562,950,952,848,869],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/scarTN.jpg?fit=50%2C50&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-39G","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11334,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=11334","url_meta":{"origin":12132,"position":0},"title":"4H Toypocalypse Gallery: Exclusive Scarabus Update","date":"January 24, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"The Four Horsemen have sent some new information regarding the exclusive Black & White Scarabus. They're still debuting at Toypocalypse: A Four Horsemen Retrospective show, but the Four Horsemen will make some sets available online for fans that can't attend the gallery. Details after the jump.","rel":"","context":"In "7th Market"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11760,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=11760","url_meta":{"origin":12132,"position":1},"title":"Dark & Light Talisman Scarabus Sale + Four Horsemen Checklist!","date":"February 18, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"The Four Horsemen's extremely limited Dark & Light Talisman Scarabus figures will go on sale this Saturday night at StoreHorsemen.Com. They've sent along all the info you need as well as a look at what makes this run unique. Plus, we figured this would be a good time to unveil\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7th Market"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11618,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=11618","url_meta":{"origin":12132,"position":2},"title":"4H Toypocalypse Gallery: Packaged Scarabus Exclusives","date":"February 9, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"The Four Horsemen have released packaged images of their Light Talisman Scarabus and Dark Talisman Scarabus figures. This set of figures will be exclusively available at the Four Horsemen's upcoming gallery show, TOYPOCALYPSE: A Four Horsemen Retrospective at the TT Underground Gallery in New York City.","rel":"","context":"In "7th Market"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11072,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=11072","url_meta":{"origin":12132,"position":3},"title":"Toypocalypse: A Four Horsemen Retrospective","date":"January 12, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"IAT won't be able to make the trek to Toy Fair this year and the Four Horsemen are making that sting just a little harder with the announcement of Toypocalypse: A Four Horsemen Retrospective - a special gallery event showcasing their work in the toy industry. Plus, there's an exclusive\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7th Market"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5864,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=5864","url_meta":{"origin":12132,"position":4},"title":"Four Horsemen Update: FanEx, SDCC, New Site, & More","date":"May 28, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"The Four Horsemen are nearing the end of their tenth year in business, and they're gearing up to make the next year one of their most productive years ever! Not only are they going to continue to handle the creative duties on Mattel's DC Universe Classics, Masters of the Universe\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7th Market"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13394,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=13394","url_meta":{"origin":12132,"position":5},"title":"Scarabus Week, Day Five: Haures & Azazel","date":"July 15, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Day Five of Scarabus Week is here! Today instead of focusing on a particular aspect and ending on the figures, I'm going to start off with some thoughts on Haures & Azazel and then move into some final thoughts on all the figures, some images of things I didn't get\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7th Market"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12132"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12132"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15721,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12132\/revisions\/15721"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}