So
by now everyone knows that the next theme is supposedly B.A.T. related, with
the ever-popular Overkill at the helm. It's pretty much inevitable that Overkill
is getting some more exposure, which is cool with me, I guess.Valor Vs. Venom Wave 7 - Overkill
Toy
name: Overkill
Assortment: Valor vs. Venom
Wave 7
Price: MSRP $7.99
Availability: February, 2005
So
by now everyone knows that the next theme is supposedly B.A.T. related, with
the ever-popular Overkill at the helm. It's pretty much inevitable that Overkill
is getting some more exposure, which is cool with me, I guess.
The B.A.T.s are a tough call for me...I don't mind them to a limited extent, but going overboard with COBRA powered robots leaves me somewhat trepedacious. It's easy to think too far ahead into the future, and so far Overkill has kind of walked that thin line pretty well.
In spite of the overly robotic nature of this Overkill figure, I still think it works well in the pseudo future of the Joeverse and it's a new and different look, which really works, I think.
Figure Mold
I'm sorry, I know a lot of people are bugged by the mold of this figure, but honestly, I love it. It's something new and different, and a lot more dramatic than your generic COBRA fare. Hasbro took some big chances and really experimented here, in a similar way as they did recently with Venomous Maximus, and like VMax, I think they're very successful.
The most important thing here is that Hasbro was able to push the envelope and try something great and new, but was able to do it without sacrificing too much articulation. Overkill still has a poseable waist, ball-joint hips and shoulders, and pretty much a full range of motion. Like most of the BATs, he doesn't have swivel arm battle grip (which DOES stink) but this doesn't seem to be much of an effect of this new figure design as it is an asthetic look for his robot arms. However, the slight lack of articulation on his waist, is a little bothersome. His swivel waist does offer a decent amount of movement, but with no o-ring, he does get limited in mobility somewhat. However, I find myself quite shocked to admit...that the rest of the joints actually seem to work BETTER than o-ring'ed joints. With nearly every figure released these days, we run into o-ring problems, it seems. Too small, too tight...figures get bow-legged or lean, or just look weird. Overkill's joints move seamlessly, smoothly and he was the easiest figure to pose and snap pictures of out of all of Wave 7. Now I'm not advocating any kind of articulation change! But I just found it interesting how Hasbro doesn't quite have a grasp on the o-ring "arts" like they used to. Still wouldn't trade the o-rings for the world, of course.
The mold all blends very well together, looking very robotic and powerful. His thickly armored torso and legs mixes with the piston-like arms perfectly, and I love the powerhouse of a gunarm he's got. Yeah, his head is Robocop-esque, but I love how it meets the robotic half of the back of his head, and overall the figure just looks fantastic, I think. He stands out in a crowd, which is a big appeal to me, and just looks like an imposing figure, as he should.
Another interesting aspect of the Overkill mold is that he completely comes apart. It would really seem this may be an integral part of Hasbro's next robotic theme, but at the moment there's nothing really for him to interact with. I look forward to seeing how this all works, but for now it just seems like a neat little aside with no real concrete purpose. Time will tell. Of course, in spite of Hasbro's instructions claiming his legs pop off, I was unable to duplicate that. I didn't want to chance putting any more pressure on the figure, but at this point, I do not believe that the legs come apart from the waist. Perhaps someone will prove me wrong, and I'm just not daring enough to yank that hard. ;)
Paint Applications/Color Choices
Overkill's paint apps are quite straight forward and simplified, but it really works for him. The copper-tone robotic metal armor look may be somewhat monochrome, however it really works in this fashion and looks awesome.
Somewhat darker bronze metal colors line his arms and other joints and they all come together great...with a black COBRA sigil on his thickly armored chest, everything looks great and Overkill definitely looks the part. Even though I'm not big on the whole B.A.T. thing, I can appreciate a neat looking figure when I see one, and Overkill definitely is neat.
Accessories
Well...hmm. There really aren't any. He comes with his big, honking gun arm and a drone, but absolutely nothing else. As a result, this is a big downside to the figure as he comes across looking very unfinished. There looks to be a ton of potential here...lots of holes on the figure for things to connect to. Holes on his head, his shoulders, his back...all over the place. Yet he doesn't come with anything to connect to them. I have no doubt in my mind that eventually items will come out that give this Overkill a serious "upgrade" but at this point, the lack of real accessories and the strange unpolished look of the figure seem half-finished.
Final Comments
New, different, and dramatic. Those are big pluses to me and Overkill comes with all of this stuff in spades. His face is mean, his body is large and threatening, and I really dig his gunarm and intricate armored plating. I've seen a lot of complaints about this guy, but I know I have some odd tastes compared to your general Joefan...personally, I dig him.
However with the rehash Duke, I can see some folks skipping this set. Personally, I recommend it, but I could see why it might be a question to some people.
Now this figure doesn't amaze, wow me, or knock me out...but it's a solid figure that deserves a second glance even with a lot of people slamming it based on pictures. It definitely isn't the highlight of the wave, but it's neat enough. It does feel a little "cheap" with this new construction, but I'm really looking forward to seeing what Hasbro does with all of these peg cavities and room for upgrades. It has some great potential.
Ratings (out of 10)
Character: 7
Mold : 7
Paint Apps: 6
Value: 6
Overall score (not an average): 6.5
