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Name: Kubros T-800 Guardian/Worf/Hellboy
Brand: Mega Bloks/Mega Construx
Model: DPH93/DTW68/DTW66
Pcs: 158/157/162
In my Minions Blind Bag unboxing(unbagging?), I went over the (quite obvious)fact that, in recent years, we as a species have become OBSESSED with subscription boxes and blind bags! They're a craze that's simply unavoidable! You can't walk into seemingly ANY store without seeing at least a shelf or display case of blind bags/boxes, and sites like CrateJoy have made subscription boxes for ANYTHING a reality! I already went over my thoughts on why we're so crazy about these things in that review, but, to recap, I believe they're a psychological stimulant to bring joy and wonderment back into our jaded, predictable lives, and they're a safe enough surprise that we're not completely thrown off by what we get and we continue to spend our time on things with little/no purpose that fit a certain niche in our lives. ...Or they're just fun to watch others open and laugh at how much money they spent on things they'll just donate to charity. Take your pick.
However, even more stranger than our obsession with blind bags and other surprise packages is our obsession with "deformed" collectable figures. You know, figures with over/under-exaggerated features, usually cartoonishly large heads and small appendages with either anime expressions or big, black eyes, that make even the most horrifying characters in movies/TV/games/comics/etc. look obnoxiously cute(and take away all dignity from everything else)? ...Or, as you may know them as: POP!, Dorbz, Rock Candy, Q-Figs, Wacky Wobblers, Mystery Minis, Mighty Muggs, Vinyl Idolz, Finders Keypers, Mezco Toyz, Minimates, Titans Vinyls, Tsum Tsums, the list goes on, and on, and ON!
Seriously! I thought we were already swamped with pointless blind bags? At least those were small! Most of these figures measure 5-12 inches apiece, and that's not including the packaging! And in the end, what are you getting? A version of a mold that's copied more than an 80s action figure, with slightly different clothing than the others, usually with either black bug eyes or anime expressions, that you can't tell what character it's representing if you take it out of the box!
Yet, these things are EVERYWHERE! You can't walk into a toy/craft/nerd/superstore or convention without meeting a literal blockade of floor-to-ceiling and shelf upon shelf of vinyl figures! They're featureless, most lack even basic articulation, and they're worthless at the very second you buy them... And yet, EVERYONE wants one, no matter how obscure, irrelevant, or outdated they are!
Heck, we've let them become such a part of our daily lives, we are now letting them market breakfast cereals! Who needs Frosted Flakes, when you can take a bite of what's inside Elvira's box?
I've heard a lot of arguments that these figures, especially the POP! figures, are the only way to get figures of most of these characters, especially since most of them aren't characters that would get toys made of them. Fair enough, but what exactly screams "Audrey Horne" about an oversized head with black eyes, wearing a plaid skirt? Dressing up Barbie in the same outfit would meet the same criteria!
But if buying something that only shares a name and the slightest of features is enough to loosen your wallet, then here! I'm launching a new line called Taggeez, where I quickly scrawl a sketch of a cartoon character(in this case, Unikitty) on the back of an old Savers price tag. They're currently going for $12.95 apiece! Place your orders now!
...I'm probably the 35,000th person to make that joke, aren't I?
In all fairness, I don't actually hate these many, MANY featureless vinyl figures. I just find them annoying. I'm someone who looks for purpose in what I buy, and I just can't find any purpose to these things. At least with brick figures, I can pose them for videos, or Skylanders/Infinity figures can be placed inside their respective games, but with these little statues/statuettes, I'm just lost...
But, apparently, I'm in the minority here. These things are still being made, and companies like Funko are reporting yearly revenue of $28 million solely from POP! figures, so it looks like this is yet another fad that's in no danger of dying out. If you like them, more power to you! You're probably a smarter, better person than I! ...Actually, there's no "probably" about it.
Heck, even my sister couldn't resist the siren's call of big-headed collectables...
I bring up this pointless and irrelevant one-sided rant, because building brick companies, no doubt seeing the sales figures for these dead-eyed, featureless characters, have decided to market their own collectable 4-6 inch figures! Except in this case, you get to BUILD your own dead-eyed, featureless characters! Functionally, they're the exact same thing as a regular vinyl figure, but they're twice as expensive and take about an hour to set up! ...But they're made of building bricks, so I automatically love them!
That's why, for the next few weeks, we'll be taking a look at these brick lines that are clearly designed solely to cash in on the cartoonishly-deformed figure/figurine craze that companies like Funko have headed for the last several years! Will they be exciting takes on a stale-at-launch collectathon, or will I take them apart as soon as I'm done featuring them here to build something more interesting? ...Like a toilet? Let's dive in and find out!
...Into the sets, that is. Not the toilet...
Let's start things off with probably the first brick sets to emulate the vinyl figures of today: Mega Bloks' "Kubros" line. These were first introduced at the New York Toy Fair in 2016, and were released later that year, featuring figures from Star Trek, Despicable Me, Terminator, Assassin's Creed, Power Rangers, Aliens, He-Man, and Halo, among a few others! Clearly, Mega Bloks had a LOT of confidence in this line, putting their best foot forward with a lineup of some of the most popular, endearing characters ever to exist! This would be the game changer! Their ultimate answer to the collectable market, and one that would challenge the very definition of the "cartoonishly deformed" figure!
They no longer exist, and Mega Bloks/Construx has gone out of its way to make sure you don't remember them.
Seriously, not even 2 years after their premiere, Mega Bloks/Construx just decided "This was a bad idea; let's forget it ever happened, and instead focus on another line of collectable figurines." If you try to find Kubros on the Mega Construx site, you're greeted by the text "This world has been archived", with absolutely no other information available about what happened or what they even USED to be.
If you know the link, you CAN still find the pages for certain Kubros figures still on the Mega Shop site(though you're told on each that the product has been "Discontinued")
...But searching for Kubros, or clicking the Kubros link on the previous page, comes up with a fat load of nothing.
It's actually incredible how little information there is out there on these figures/sets! Besides Mega Bloks/Construx purging everything from their sites(and WAYBAC didn't help), there's not even any fan or other third-party information about them! The scattered build & review, sure, but nothing that tells me much about the technicals about these sets! Release dates, waves, behind-the-scenes information, the exact number of variations produced, NOTHING!
With just a few keystrokes, I can find information on the Avatar: The Last Airbender Lego sets, a line that only lasted TWO sets, yet Mega Bloks/Construx apparently decided that their "POP! figure killer" wasn't worth hyping, and nobody else decided any information was worth archiving! ...Wow! I expect this from some obscure pirate/bootleg brick company, but from the silver-medalist of the building brick market? That's just sad...
So, yeah. Apparently, these didn't sell that well, and Mega Bloks/Construx has disowned them. ...Though, to be fair, I don't think they put that much effort into marketing them to begin with. Starting with the name itself. "Kubros". ...What about that name screams "buildable, collectable figure"? It sounds like a YouTube channel that features a duo of Asian brothers who do Let's Plays of Overwatch. "We, the Kubros, just pwnt that Genji newb! Remember to like, subscribe, and click that bell for more updates! T-Shirts in the link below!"
Was it originally going to be "Kubrick", but they found out that was already taken, and they had 2 minutes before they needed to announce their product name? ...It's a brick set! Call it "Brickures", or "Brick POPs", or SOMETHING that gets across that this is a line of buildable figures based on (mostly nostalgic)pop culture icons!
The ONLY hypothesis I have why they chose this name is that it's a variation of "Kouros", which were Greek statues of naked young men. ...So they made a corruption out of a word that most people would never have heard of, based solely on the fact that they're both statues, and then marketed it as said word, so even people who KNEW what "Kouros" were wouldn't catch on? Much less their 13-25-year-old demographic? ...I don't usually wish this, but PLEASE tell me my hypothesis is false!
EDIT: After a bit of searching around, I came across the theory that it's an amalgamation of "Cube Bros", hence the heads being shaped like solid quadrilaterals. ...Well, considering how "Ku" was always pronounced "Coo" in most things talking about this line, I never would have gotten that, and I have to wonder how many other people would! Besides, that still doesn't explain what the product is or what it's about! For all I know, it's another set of Roblox toys! I don't usually associate "cubes" with building bricks. ...I mean, I probably should, considering the shapes, but not until this moment did I make that connection...
Besides the name not reflecting what they're selling, the way they marketed these brick sets not only doesn't explain the name, but completely misses out on any hype! Back in 2016, Mega Bloks released a few "teaser trailers" for this line, featuring people going about their day, when something suddenly happens. They turn towards it, and it cuts to the name of the product. ...Ok, that's not TOO bad a teaser. ...Though I question why they chose a 60-year-old man to be the center of something obviously Halo-related...
Then later, when the sets were ready to hit shelves, they released the video again, with the last part intact! So now we can see that what they were building towards was Master Chief on top of an oven next to a boiling kettle! ...YEAH! Watch in awe as a brick figure built out of bricks stands on a stovetop and does absolutely NOTHING! THRILL! EXCITEMENT! WONDER! EARL GREY TEA! That'll get the kids talking and loosen the pockets of any rabid collector!
Also, word of advice: If you're building up what your product is going to look like, DON'T PUT A PICTURE OF IT ON A NEWSPAPER IN THE CENTER OF YOUR SCREEN! Citizen Kane didn't start with Kane saying "Rosebud" while holding a Polaroid of his sled! ...And I just spoiled the ending for you... You're welcome!
They released another commercial several months later, and this one does a MUCH better job at explaining the product! ...Or at least, it tells us what they are, what their purpose is, shows them being built, and what the line contains. ...But again, it's just the figures standing around! Mega Bloks/Construx LOVES making little stop-motion videos of their products, so why couldn't we see these figures moving around, interacting with each other? At best, you're marketing your product on the same level as POP! figures. ...Namely, they just stand there, take up space, and collect dust, while displaying the barest resemblance to a character you enjoy. ...But they cost less than Kubros, so why not just buy a POP! figure?
Then there's the tagline: "Not the Heroes You Expected." ...Meaning they're NOT heroes? Sure, you have figures from Family Guy, Futurama, and Minions in this line, but a good chunk of figures are from action-oriented shows and games(Power Rangers, He-Man, Hellboy, Terminator, Star Trek, etc.) and fit the archetype what I'd consider "heroes", so, actually, YES, these ARE the heroes I'd expect!
That is just a weird, WEIRD tagline to give a line of retro-collectible sets! Normally, something along the line of "Not the X You Expected" is given to a line comprised of things you WOULDN'T expect, usually for humor. This is a tagline for Garbage Pail Kids, or Wacky Packages, or the book "The League of Regrettable Superheroes", just something you're not supposed to take seriously!
To give us a line of heroes with the tagline "Not the Heroes You Expected" is like giving Jurassic Park the tagline "Forget about every dinosaur you've ever heard about, they're not going to appear in this movie! ...Unless we show you the dinosaurs you were thinking about!" Just... What was the thought process behind ANYTHING pertaining to Kubros' marketing?
Alright, I think I've run into the ground just how badly Kubros was advertised, and possibly why Mega Bloks/Construx wanted to sweep it under the rug. ...So what ARE Kubros anyway?
What I have here are just random Kubros figures I found while shopping for second-hand stuff. There's no particular order or reason why I have these. They're just what I have on hand. ...Let's hope I got the best of the bunch...
The front of the box wastes no time in giving you an idea of what you're getting, as they've pasted a front profile shot of what you're getting! A pretty detailed picture, at that. You can see every line, crevice, and separate piece that makes up this figure! Why even pack instructions, when the front of the box gives you all the information you need?
But, if you're dying for more detail, they've also included a full 45° isometric look at the figure on the side! I legitimately like how they lay the images of the figure out like this. It truly makes the box look like a super-exclusive collector's figure, one where they can't even show you the figure in a window, they want perfect protection and never-been-seen condition!
Especially with the overly-shaded still of a promotional shot from the license they stick on the other side of the box! This is possibly the most "collector pandering" box setup I've ever seen for a brick set!
...Besides the Millennium Falcon UCS, of course...
The front of the box also displays the piece count, the age recommendation, the franchise this is licensed from, and, tucked away on the right, what the figure is actually called. Plus, all the warnings that what's in this box is so delicious, you shouldn't let anyone under 3 hog it all to themselves.
The back shows us the other figures in the current line, including characters from He-Man, Star Trek, Halo, and Assassin's Creed, each with their model numbers. ...And, for some reason, a number above each. I'm guessing this corresponds to a "section" of the overall lineup, and they predetermined how many figures of each franchise will be in the overall Kubros release, so as later waves were released, they could be numbered and fit in the simplistic "1,2,3,etc." numbering. ...Pretty presumptuous in my opinion. Almost like they knew these wouldn't be around for long...
Also, the "Kubros" logo on the back is raised. ...Nothing to really point out. I just like how it looks.
The rest of the back of the box contains some important-looking small text in every language known to man. ...Except Esperanto, so any native speakers can legally sue them for discrimination!
Also, for some reason, the copyright year on this box is 2015, despite the product not being released until 2016. ...Too busy riding their hoverboards to Jaws 19 that year to remember they had a product to stock?
Before we open the box(which I already did, but just pretend), I'd just to point out the really nice brick-stud pattern on the top! It's simplistic, but it gets across what the product is(unlike the name)! Also, since these figures are built with plates on top of their heads, it fits perfectly with what you're getting!
Plus, it's resealable. ...These are officially the best-designed brick set boxes I've ever come across...
When you open the box, you're greeted with two surprises. First, you have what you just bought printed in the inner flaps, staring you in the face! ...Just as one final attempt to intimidate whoever bought this into thinking this is too intense for them. And then I pick them up from the thrift store!
The second is the INCREDIBLE design they put inside the box, featuring a blueprint-like outline of multiple Kubros figures against an abstract drawing of long building bricks! Why is it on the inside, where nobody would notice it, and why is it not used as a design for the FRONT of the box to help sell it? ...Stop asking questions like you're not impressed!
Seeing this beautiful design on something that really doesn't need it, but it enhances just how amazing it is anyway, reminds me of the tiny sketches on the LOZ Ideas Pikachu set box. And anything that reminds me of that masterwork gets +1000 points out of the starting gate!
Heck, they were so proud of it, they reused it for the plastic bags the pieces come in! There are many things that can be said about Mega Bloks/Construx, but lack of attention to detail isn't one of them! ...Now if they could do something about overall quality and marketing...
And don't forget about the "0-3" warning
Yet the whopping "10+" age recommendation!
Anyone between those ages is transformed into a cube-headed monstrosity, just like these figures! ...Which, if you're a minifigure, actually isn't that bad!
Alright, they were nice enough to print the instructions in these little book-shaped booklets, as opposed to their annoying top-down read manuals, so we'd better take advantage of their kindness and get to building!
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And they're complete! ...And, I gotta admit, despite my snark earlier, the more I look at these, the more I find I REALLY like them!
First of all, these are collectable figures I can actually consider FIGURES! They're not just nearly-solid shapes with eyes, or large-headed characters with tiny bodies(or vice-versa). They have arms, legs, heads, and a body structure that accommodates the strange proportions, PLUS unique facial and other features that each give them a distinctive design! Sure, they each have nearly the same basic body design, but the cosmetics are different enough that I can at least tell that I purchased three different figures!
Seriously, here they are next to some Mighty Ducks and Small Soldiers figures I just so happened to have on hand. Tell me if they look that out of place next to these overly-muscled "tough guy" toys from the 90s! They actually LOOK like nostalgic collectables! ...And probably fetch a higher price than the figures on the sides!
Don't see it? Well, let's include a POP! figure in there. Which one seems like the odd one out here? And don't give me an answer based on how solid the figure's material is!
But the crowning feature of what makes them so action figure-like? Arm and head articulation! They're on pegs, so they're capable of 360° movement, allowing you to pose them in a variety of ways! ...Of course, "capable" doesn't mean "can", since the bulkiness of the figure can limit the angles these things can be posed in. ...But it's THERE!
The legs, however, are built out of immobile bricks, rendering them stiffer than any of these characters' acting abilities.
Since figures that are meant for adult collecting(that are meant to be taken out of the box) need some sort of marking to validate authenticity and tell you who made them, Kubros come with a little golden button with a pixellated "K" on it, which can be inserted into the back of one of the feet. It's actually a pretty nice addition, and adds to how much these feel more like actual figures instead of brick sets! Truthfully, I think Mega Bloks/Construx hit the ball right out of the park in designing buildable action figures!
It's actually an even better overall design than the LOZ Ideas Mini Block Pikachu! ...I'll probably be struck by lightning by the almighty Pokemon god for saying that, but it's the truth!
Now before it sounds like I'm heaping an unfair amount of praise on these sets and I'm ready to set them up in my house as new gods to worship... They're still from Mega Blocks/Construx, a company that likes to let tiny errors slip into their sets. Whether they're instructions they needed to insert an "Addendum" into, bricks/figure parts that don't fit, or straight-up not including crucial bricks. While we're luckily spared the first, there are quite a few instances of the second and third...
A number of pieces, especially for the arms, were either especially loose, or designed in a way that made it very easy for them to come apart. Besides the Terminator's arm above being easily snappable, Hellboy's arm here, which I'm assuming is their take on his "Right Hand of Doom", is especially easy to accidentally pull off. It's made from 2x2 pieces hanging from a 1x2 support, so it's never flush or secure. Besides that, it just doesn't look right...
Then again, we DO have Schwarzenegger here. Maybe the loose arms are intentional so he can tell these figures he'll see them at the party?!
Still, ill-fitting pieces is understandable. Not fair, but at least they included them. What IS unforgivable is the cardinal sin of brick sets: Forgetting to include a few pieces! I'd like to point out that, despite me getting these second-hand or in clearance, the boxes were still new and sealed, yet most of them were missing pieces! The Terminator here was missing nearly every single 1x2 smooth plate, and a 2x3 used as one of his soles. Luckily, I was able to replace them with pieces from my own collection.
You gave me all these pieces as extras! Couldn't you have given me the ACTUAL pieces I was missing?! I had a joke about what I COULD build with these... But I won't...
Worf luckily came with all HIS pieces*, but Hellboy here was the worst of the lot. I think a bag was missing from his box, because a LOT of smaller pieces weren't included! While I was able to replace most of the smaller, more common ones, there were a few I had to replace with pieces that don't exactly gel as well...
*As far as I can remember. Maybe a piece or two were missing, but they were so inconsequential, I don't remember having to substitute anything. Very uncommon for Mega Bloks...
I kinda like how I had to substitute a few red circular 2x2s for black ones, though. It looks like he's wearing a black armband, which all tough guys should do! ...How he gets an armband around his oversized right arm, I have no idea, but it still needs to happen! Dark Horse! Next time I read a Hellboy comic, I want him to be wearing a black armband!
Think of it as a counter to the villains he fights that wear another certain symbol...
However, those problems are general problems with the manufacturer itself. If I had to point out something I don't like about the actual figure designs... I legitimately can't! I literally analyzed these figures for about an hour, trying to find something off or that I couldn't excuse, but everything works out just fine design-wise! Sure, I wish the legs were articulated, or that the hands were built to accommodate a wider variety of accessories, but these are collectable figures! They're not meant to be played with, they're meant to sit on your shelf and look cool! Faulting them for not holding something or moving in a certain way is like saying NECA TMNT figures are badly designed because they can't wear NECA Predator's mask! These are some of the best designed figures I've ever seen of their kind, and I have NO complaints!
Except maybe their mouths open like this kind of gives them a derpy look, like a bored fish? ...Kind of...?
I've pretty much gone over all the important bits of these figures, but let's take a quick look at each figure anyway. First, we have this figure to tie in with Terminator: Genisys, the latest Terminator movie that everyone hates, but I didn't think was that bad. Sure, it's a pointless reboot, and I don't like how they made John Connor the villain, and it did drag in a few places(especially the beginning). But, at the same time, I liked how Sarah Connor had the Arnold T-800 as her guardian, it was pretty interesting going from the 80s to today, the evolution of Skynet and how it was going to launch was intriguing, and it was overall a pretty fun and interesting chapter in the Terminator franchise. ...At the very least, it was better than Terminator: Salvation...
Still, this is obviously based on the Terminator from the original movie, so anyone who hates the newer movie need not worry.
Obviously, due to rights issues and the design of the figure, they couldn't exactly transplant an exact likeness of Arnie onto this figure. However, I do like that they at least tried. There is a bit of Schwarzenegger to this, both in the remaining human eye, and in the color of the hair. I can legitimately believe this is based on the actor, and not just a generic human they're trying to pass off as the Terminator.
Especially when compared to previous attempts from other brick companies.
This is clearly based on the character after he's gotten half his synthetic flesh face blown off(which I think happens in practically every movie), so he has a large, exposed section of his robotic head. It's a REALLY good interpretation of what it would look like in brick form, with sloped bricks on top of the head to simulate a hairless chrome dome, the iconic red computer eye simply being a red stud with a black ring around it, and even the inner workings of the robotic portion on the side! It is VERY well done, and syncs well with the rest of the face, as the original makeup did!
Though the pieces they chose for the inside of his skull make me question what they're representing. In all honesty, they look more like cogs and gears than anything futuristic, like this is the mid-19th century's idea of the Terminator franchise. ...Oooh! Steampunk Terminator! Make that happen!
Admittedly, it's been a long while since I've seen the movies, but I don't remember the part where his arm is blown off, leaving robotic pieces. ...Or is this an interpretation of his robotic hand after the skin was blown away? I legitimately don't remember, but I do like how it looks! It's like a retro-futuristic serial connector. ...Or an overelaborate syringe. The Term-Injector!
And, of course, in the other hand, we have the shotgun. Because it's not the Terminator if he's not armed with a pump-action shotgun! Just play some 8-bit Guns 'n Roses over this shot, and you have yourself the most epic shot in building brick history!
...ONE of the most epic shots in building brick history!
Next up is Worf, from everyone's favorite or second-favorite Star Trek series The Next Generation. Admittedly, I didn't follow either series that closely, but I do know that having a Klingon on the side of good is VERY helpful, and anything Michael Dorn plays is just awesome!
You can put him in pajamas, and he'll still be rocking them!
Probably because it's not an actor likeness, or because the heavy makeup gave them more to work with, Worf's face is given a lot more detail than the Terminator's. He has big eyebrows, big sideburns, and some very apparent head ridges, all beautifully interpreted as individual bricks! This guy and his facial hair are ready to inflict pain from his sheer manliness!
It's made even better with how the eyes and facial hair can be swiveled. If you've ever wanted to know what a fictional sorrowful Klingon looked like, now you can!
Or if you've ever wanted to see anime Klingon, that's possible too! ...Somebody make this an emoticon...
They did a beautiful job of crafting Worf's hair, using long, sloped bricks to emulate his mane. ...Do Klingons have barbers? ...If they do, I hope for humanity's sake they remain on Kronos!
I LOVE how they designed his belt here. Being Mega Bloks, it would have been easy for them to just use a silver rubber band draped across his chest. Instead, they used 4 different pieces to emulate one long strand, allowing it to run along his chest, shoulder, and back! Simplistic, yet ingenious, with a design that more matches the aesthetic than if they used a piece of rubber!
Also props to including the Starfleet insignia. And not using a stupid sticker...
Then, of course, there's his Bat'Leth weapon, which I'm impressed they included! I don't think he's seen with it in the show that often(at least when on duty), and it would have been easier to give him a phaser, but they just went all out and gave him a customary Klingon weapon! And it looks great! It looks the part, it fits in the hand design they went with, and it's a pretty simple design that can be taken apart and put back together with ease! Just what any Klingon warrior needs!
Now, if it turns out that Terminator was the evil one from the first movie, Worf can ensure that he will experience Bij!
Lastly, we have Hellboy! Admittedly not a comic character I follow that closely, but I have seen the two movies, and they were pretty cool! Can't wait to see Chief Harper as him in the next movie!
As I mentioned, a lot of pieces were missing, so the fact one of the horn stumps is orange isn't the set's fault(though not having the piece to begin with is...) However, even if it was, it makes up for it by having my favorite facial design of these figures! They gave him a different look than the "fish-mouth" of the previous two, with a slanted brick that's covering up a row of teeth, like he's scowling with one side of his mouth! That is REALLY inventive, and spot on with the character! ...Now if he had his cigar...
While he's bare-chested and not wearing his trademark jacket, they made sure to give him abs! He looks ready to take on John Cena and tear him apart! ...Though that fight might end in a draw...
Also, I hope that's a belt buckle, or I may have to put an adult content warning on this blog...
Even his shoes are designed differently from the previous two, given a much more hoof-shape than actual shoes! ...Though I don't remember him wearing shoes like these, especially since, as far as I can tell, he has normal feet, not cloven hooves. ...Eh, it makes him look more badass, so why complain?
They even remembered to include his tail, which is jutting out his backside here(and making it a little difficult to pose against a wall.) ...Honestly, it looks too cute to be a part of this figure... Does anyone else want to grab it and turn it like a gramophone crank like a 1920s cartoon? ...Eh, I value my head not being cracked like an egg by his right hand, so better not...
Speaking of which, here's his "Right Hand of Doom"! ...Like I mentioned earlier, I don't really like this design. The size and build of it is impressive, but it just isn't connected to a strong enough shoulder to be convincing! ...Or stay put. As is, it looks like he's wearing a boxing glove that goes up to his elbow, and Hellboy does NOT need boxing gloves with his line of work!
I think if he tries to punch anybody with it, it'll instantly snap off...
But then he'll just blow the opponent's head off with his big freakin' gun, so it all works out in the end!
And that was a sample of the Kubros line. ...Why didn't this take off?! This is the definitive figure-built-out-of-building-bricks line! They're well-made, they're creative, they're articulated to the point I can actually call them action figures, and they take the best parts of figure collecting and set building and put them into one! Somebody get Mega on the phone! Tell them that we want a revival, and that they're poised to overthrown Lego and their line of figures! Just get someone to do the marketing, get it right this time, and you're rolling in the dough!
...As long as the marketing guy's not David Lynch...
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Quality: It's Mega Bloks quality, with the plastic that feels softer than Lego and the slightly rubbery form that feels like it'll warp at a moment's notice. For the most part, it's still solid and fits together fine. ...However, like I pointed out, a small number of pieces don't fit together that well, resulting in loose connections that'll break if so much as touched. Still, I'm impressed with the number of different brick designs, the fitting colors, and the Star Trek decal on Worf, as it's an actual decal instead of a sticker that has to be manually applied. Overall, it's standard Mega Bloks quality. Both the good and the bad points...
Design: These are some of the most unique brick set designs I've ever seen, to the point I keep waffling back and forth on whether I should call them brick sets or brick figures. They are very 90s figure-esque, with articulated arms and head, bulky body structures, and an overall "action hero" feel to them, making them great for either collecting or rebuilding with! In fact, they have a major point in their favor against most other collectables, namely that I can tell what they are! Show me any POP! figure, and it loses its identity as soon as it's removed from the box. These, however, have enough unique details to each that I can tell which character it is AND that they didn't just change a few clothing and facial details to trick you into thinking it was an entirely new mold! Sure, they still share the same overall body structure, but I can tell there was effort to create unique characters that stand out from one another(which I can't say for most other collectable figures.) It's a design that can be easily reproduced, yet easily changed around to create entirely new, stand-out characters! I love the style, I love the uniqueness, and I love how it's a brick set and a figure in one!
Creativity: As I mentioned, the overall body structure, mostly the legs and chest area, is the same across most, if not all, of the figures. However, the arms and head can be easily tweaked to accommodate a wide variety of characters and features, and this is where the creativity shows forth! I LOVE how unique every figure looks, and the details that go beyond simply changing the paint job slightly to make new figures! The Terminator's eye, Worf's head ridges, Hellboy's tail and right arm, all are built into the head using different pieces, instead of simply changing the colors to suggest they're present! On top of that, I'm pleased, almost ecstatic, that each figure was given an accessory that matches their character(Terminator's shotgun, Worf's Bat'Leth, Hellboy's big gun, etc.), and the figures can hold each with no problem! Admittedly, since they use the same body mold for each, I guess I have to knock a point or two off of creativity, but at the same time, it reminds me of other lines where most of the figures are all molded with the same body structure(such as the MotU line), so it actually somewhat adds to the line's collectability and status as figures! Overall, each figure is given enough variation and stays faithful enough to the original design that I feel like I got three different characters! ...And that I NEED to collect the rest!
Readability: The instructions are VERY clear, detailing the list of parts needed for every step, and exactly where they need to go via colored lines connecting the bricks to the rest of the figure. Admittedly, this can make the image a little muddy and hard to follow if there are too many of them, but they're there, which is more than can be said for even Lego instructions! Also, I have to give huge props to them printing the instructions in a BOOK, as opposed to their typical oversized vertical-style manuals that are REALLY hard to keep open and follow, making even the BOOK something you want to collect! Overall, these are the best Mega Bloks instructions I've ever seen! ...Not a high bar to set, admittedly, but still...
Packaging: These are collectors items, and they want you to know it! Each element of the box corresponds to the collector checklist. Resealable? Check. Large front view of the figure? Check. Large front-and-side view of the figure? Check. Sketch-like picture of the real character? Check. Franchise logo? Check. Picture of the rest of the line? Check. Blueprint-like print of the characters on the inside of the box? Check. Blueprint-like print of the characters on the piece bags?! Check. Little button bearing the symbol of the line on each character? ...Ok, that should have gone in the "Creativity" category, but CHECK! These are boxes you WANT to keep around, that you WANT to keep the figure in or on, because they're just as interesting as the figure itself! The only thing I can fault the packaging for is, like I mentioned, a LOT of pieces were missing from the figures. I don't know if this is necessarily a problem to list in this category, but I had to bring it up somewhere, and this category seemed the most fitting. I REALLY wish Mega Bloks would make sure that at least all the crucial pieces were included, as I'm sure not everyone who buys brick sets also has several tubs of replacement parts at their disposal(and even then, having exact piece shapes and colors is unlikely.) Still, while missing pieces are an issue with these figures, and Mega Bloks in general, the packaging is just as well designed and creative as the figures it contains!
Compatibility: Most of the pieces are standard, universal designs, so there shouldn't be much trouble getting them to work with other regular brick sets. Heck, these are sort of "double-compatible", seeing as how they can be used as figures as well as sets! If you're comfortable with 6-inch figures coexisting with your 1-inch minifigs, these can easily be used as either characters or elements in the background!
Overall:
I LOVE these things, and I legitimately can't find anything to complain about(that's directly related to the figures and their designs)! The builds are great, the design works as both a brick set and figure, the creativity is extremely accurate and malleable for shared-design figures, and even the instructions and packaging are notable and fun! Mega Bloks has done the unthinkable: Taken a very stale and easy to cheap out on line, and made a line of figures that not only look great, but function great as both toys and collectables! I'll take these over POP! or Dorbz any day! ...Heck, I'll take them, PERIOD! The figures I have here are so good, I need to collect the entire line! This is a line so good, it's inducted me into the world of collectable figures, and I have NO regrets! I can't recommend these highly enough, so if you ever see them... ANYWHERE, pick them up! You'll be pleasantly surprised!
Alright! Wonderful start to this theme month! The first line we looked at has basically perfected the concept of buildable collectable figures! I'm excited! I'm elated! I'm ready for anything! What's up next?
...Well, crap...
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