Articulation is pretty good and what we’ve 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.
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’t spring for a new bicep piece or a better way to connect it, but I find that this method just barely works. I don’t like it much. I’m glad it’s there – it’s 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.
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.
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 – though I wish it stuck to more things. Mine’s a bit fickle. Getting this picture with Fisto took a lot more work than it should have…
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.
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…
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MOTU Classics Collector’s Guide.
Can’t wait for my Leech and Flaky! (I also support the chants for Rio Blast! Right after Glimmer)
Flaky. That’s awesome. I’ll be interested in hearing your thoughts on the forum!
As soon as I get them and reissue Simba I’ll post my thoughts…
I think that last pic says it all, LOL.
The head was the big deal-breaker here for me, huge (and extremely rare) misfire on the part of the Horsemen. I did some mock-ups showing how just a few tweaks could yield massive improvements.
And yeah, no offense to those who are enjoying these, but that Horde “Rogues Shot” is just sooooo underwhelming, especially when compared to same of the Stactions.
The Horde did have some pretty awesome stactions…
I know I’m not the right person to talk to since I’m clearly biased against going “all vintage” on these toys, but I wish there was a way this line could be a little more adult? That word will raise some other implications, but I think my meaning is clear.
Anyway, I don’t mind his PBS head sculpt, but yeah, that last pic cuts both ways!
I think I see what you mean… The ‘Adult’ part of Adult collector is missing in this line…
Gummy hands, rounded out fangs/spikes, limp weapons, Unusable Dials being added for ‘Nostalgia’
There have been many figures in this line that were quite “Adult Collector” friendly in nature.
Only post-Whiplash has it been the devolution into almost pure “vintage figures standing straight and moving more” territory.
It’s all good though, I’ll enjoy choice figures like Fisto and Mark Taylor Concept Villain and hope that enough other fans pick up the scraps to keep limping along far enough to get me Extendar and Blade. 😀
Noisy, you’ve forever ruined Leech. He’s now the Porky Pig of the Horde. LOL
Great review as always. I love your honesty, even if that means trying to sell us on the positives to that cartoon head and then hit right back with that last picture.
LOL Porky of the Horde indeed.
Great review! The last pic is a-maz-ing!!
But seriously we need a new Leech now…
LOL
Maybe just a morbid head pack…??
Yeah, I think an Alternate Heads Pack would be a great idea for an add-on. Filmation Leech and Mer-Man, Melting Keldor, Hatless Orko, Battle-Damaged Faker, Helmetless Zodak and Evil-Lyn, Millennial Clawful, Buzz-Off and Sy-Klone, and an extra Battleground Teela so we can make the early mini-comic version of her. Maybe a new Man-E-Faces dial with three more faces.
All youse guyses Identicons are green… it’s kinda weirding me out. O.o
Doh! Mine is too… XD
That last porky pig picture is INCREDIBLE!!!!!
totally agree about liking Skelly and his goons more. I never watched POP so I never enjoyed them as much as Boneface and the rest. Great review!
I think not seeing the Horde on the show didn’t help much, yeah. I sometimes think it was because I was into the line earlier, but I had Rio Blast, Snout Spount, and the later heroes, so that couldn’t be it. I just never really got attached to them enough to want to bring too many home from Sears.
That creepy head massage pic convinces me how okay I am with Leech and confirms how goofy I think Grizzlor looks.
That last pic annihilates any hope I had of ever being able to look at Leech as “menacing.”, Well, that, and the fact that they refused to build him new, bigger arms to make him more proportional with that torso. (I won’t mention that they could have also used new arms to build a good Ram Man…oops.) But yes, overall I’m still cool with this figure.
I wasn’t sure about that head massage pic… I almost didn’t even run it. LOL
That’s a good call on the bulkier limbs, but that would be more about making this figures the best they can be instead of nostalgic throwbacks… yeah, I said it.
think about this, even if the bulkier bod only yielded bulkier universal shoulders, biceps, thighs, upper calves, and pins for the new elbows and knees, that’s still 12 pieces towards ram man and extendar.
So, OK, Leech has the big sucker (non-functioning) hands.
He holds his crossbow how, exactly? 🙂
And using that net as a stole, or shawl, is brilliant! It looks designed for that!
Other than that, yeah, that head is a kind of miss. Not too sure how you could really make it better without a complete re-design into a more true leech-like sucker face, ala that one Sinestro Corps figure. I can’t find it to recall the name!!!
the crossbow clips to his arm
Excellent! thank you!
Just like we remember! 🙂
Low was his name.
People just need to accept that sometimes the Millenium look is just better. **** nostalgia, this line is supposed to be the best MotU line we’ll have, and Mattel should try harder.
Thanks on Low, Bigbot.
Snout Spout is the one that I feel absolutely destroyed about not getting hardly any MO2K from…
Maybe he and Clawful can hang out as some goofy face club?
If leech wore the net backwards it would look like a Horde Poncho
That’s actually the purpose it currently serves on my Megator.
Althought it’s really more of a half shirt on him. Still looks cool though.
All great ideas! I’m going to have to try those. LOL
You do pose a good question there, why didn’t Catra get an armband?
i asked the horsemen, and the answer was “we didn’t sculpt one for her.” i’m sure there’s a cosmic “why” in there, but i didn’t bother to dig deeper. sorry.
yeah, like paxie, i think they missed the boat in not making big body limbs that could be re-used later for rammie or maybe even extendar. oh well, what the hell do i know?
let me ask though, on mike crawford’s review of leech, he mentioned that leech feels kind of light and “cheap” as the line goes… any truth to that, or is he nitpicking?
His weight… that’s an interesting observation. He does feel lighter than he should given his bulky chest, but I don’t think he feels cheap. Maybe in that sense that heaviness is an indication of value, but the construction of the figure feels teh same as the others. The hollowness in his chest cavity does give him a more “rotocast” feel, though, so I could see how he might “feel” cheap.
That’s something they need to look into with the future Horde females they now have access too. I know I’d appreciate it (and it’d only take one mold).
Excellent review and fun pics, as always! Is it just me, or does it seem like Leech came with two right hands? Maybe other people got two left hands. But on mine (as it seems to be with yours, Noisy), the hinge on the wrist joint looks like it’s angled for the right arm somewhat. It’s even got the exact same wart pattern. I would’ve preferred a Filmation Leech head, but the one we got could’ve been worse, I suppose. Wide-eyed psycho with huge teeth. Seems to fit.
As for the “Giant Leech” conundrum, I looked at it this way when I was a youngster: that was the most hideous, badly-drawn mini-comic of the lot (though the Mantenna one was a close second place in the “Eeeuuurrrrggh” stakes). The Leech comic played stupid with scale. The colours were often wrong or sloppy. The drawings were sub-standard and ugly. Therefore, I just ignored the damn thing as ridiculous and unworthy. I had a lot of hate for that particular mini-comic. Still do.
Bearded Merman… ‘Nuff said!
Exactly.
The head sculpted on Leech with all these teethes really brings this figure out. Another great edition to the Horde & Classics lineup.
Great review. I opened my Leech a few days ago. I like him, but there is definitely something “off” about him. Not sure what though.
Mine had a couple minute QC issues, and I’m not sure whether or not to contact Customer Service or not. The figure itself seems fine (knock on wood…) but the problems I had are with the accessories… the first one I noticed is the netting… its a little torn in the very centre right above the Hordak face… just one or two rungs. Its not an important issue, but it bothers me a little. Second, my Leech’s axe got deformed/malformed, I’m presuming due to the way it was packaged. I’m sure if I heated it in hot water it’d revert back to normal shape. Thoughts?
you got an axe? he didn’t come w/ an axe (i’m not nerd nitpicking you here, sorry if it sounds that way… but if you got an axe, hang on to it!)
Leech is one of my favorites so far in the line…he’s just plain fun.
I like the update to Classics from the vintage figure, but my favorite representation of him is the staction.
Yeah, what’s this axe look like? Are you sure it’s not the crossbow that clips on his arm?
Your subscription was cancelled? So was mine! Customer Service was such a nightmare that I gave up, it’s like you’re completely invisible to this company.