This review was originally published on March 9th, 2012.
Even though I really wanted them, I never actually expected Mattel would get the Filmation characters added to MOTU Classics. But here we are. It’s 2012 and our Club Eternia exclusive is the first ever figure of Shadow Weaver, Filmation MOTU Classics style!
I’ve always felt like Shadow Weaver was one of the more menacing Horde members. Where the other creatures and abominations were in your face with their terror, Shadow Weaver was always hidden away behind a mysterious shroud. Was her face being hidden by shadows, or was there even anything there aside from two glowing eyes? Plus, I don’t even think she has legs anymore. The character definitely has a Lovecraftian vibe to her, which fits in quite nicely with the source material.
Shadow Weaver’s sculpt is pretty damned perfect. She’s a one hundred percent new sculpt, which is really nice considering our last two Club exclusive figures. (I expect equal dedication to next year’s figure, Matty!) Shadow Weaver’s cowl is actually a separate piece from the dark head inside. It has an interesting Arabian feel to it with the veil. The sculpted folds on the bottom do a great job lining up with her cape, and I really like how far back the hood tapers off.
I was a bit disappointed that the Four Horsemen didn’t sculpt more to her face. That would have been a cool little Easter egg, like Tri-Klops’ eyes.
The sculpting on the rest of her body is pretty nice. Shadow Weaver’s definitely got some sexy curves, even though she’s pretty much covered from head to toe. Her cape is made out of a super soft plasitic, like the DCUC Steppenwolf’s, and it does a great job of blending in with her sleeves. The bottom of her robe is also nicely sculpted. This piece doesn’t come flush to the ground and still gives her the illusion of floating, even when not on the stand.
Shadow Weaver has an incredibly simple paint job. All of her robes are made out of a dark maroon, with an even darker airbrushing to give the illusion of depth and shadow. Her hands are painted a sickly green color and tipped off with black nails. Her actual head is molded black and given bright yellow eyes. My figure almost turned out perfect, except for the slop coming off the Horde bat belt.
Since she has a new dress/robe piece, Weaver’s articulation has been changed up a bit. Her head is still on a ball joint. Shoulders are swivel/hinges. Biceps, wrists, and waist are all swivels. But her elbows and thigh/crotch piece are hinges. This is a pretty nice joint. It gives her the freedom to move forward, but still keeps the dress from looking chopped up. Continue to page 2…
I still think that SW as a sub exclusive was a jerk move by Mattel… Wouldn’t be surprised if Ram Man is the 2013 exclusive…
The fig looks pretty cool though.
Agreed, the one subscription figure I really wanted -_- but they didn’t get me this time sorry Matty.
Great review! Shadow Weaver looks great all around.
Oh man…if they pulled that crap and made Ram Man the exclusive I think I’d sell off my MOTUC collection in anger.
That sinister green tome is The Eldritch Book of Spells, as seen in She-Ra Season One’s “The Eldritch Mist”.
Is she the same color as DCUC’s Desaad? That’d be a couple.
can you imagine the kids? or worse, the copulation? ugh…
weaver’s not a bad looking figure, but there’s something very “set dressing” about her. i don’t see her getting much play in a collection full of bad ass fighters. i know not everyone plays w/ theirs, but i do, and playability is pretty high on the list of criteria i need met to pull the trigger.
Uuuh… no. but apparently you did! 😉
if you are looking for playability stay away from SW.
does the face on the book remind anyone else of the Monarch?
like the DC monarch?
If you mean the Monarch from Venture Bros., it really does look like his symbol.
The hollow hard plastic dress definitely feels a little cheap to me, but it’s not like there was any reason to fill it in, I suppose.
Anyway, she looks cool and spooky, and that’s about all I need her to do.
I think if it had been a softer material around a harder core it would have been better..it jsut feels kind of cheap in hand
This DAME is a thing of beauty. Finally glad she was designed after all these years. She makes the Evil Horde look unstoppable. Cool review as always!
Her empty spot on my shelf is growing dustmites like crazy, not to speak of the little dustcattle herde on the space for the Star Sisters… ooooh, Digital River!!! Ship out my girls!!
Rant aside, sweet review!
Damn, them Jawa chicks are hot! U-u-u-u-u-u-u-tini!
Seriously, though, great review, as ever.
Still waiting for mine to arrive (perhaps this week), but I gotta say that I don’t think I’m going to be thrilled with the way they managed the robe / cape / shawl / thing. In any pose other than arms spread out wide, it’s gonna look really weird, like Mantenna put waaaaaaaaaaaay too much starch in with the Horde laundry this week.
I reckon for Shadow Weaver and Sorceress, they should’ve gone with fabric for the shawl and wings. Apart from perhaps Darkdream (like he’s going to get made; Kothos has more of a chance), I can’t think of any other MOTU Character they might need to use that kind of approach for, so they could’ve written it off as a special 30th Anniversary extra-poseable soft goods treat, and then they could go back to being cheap gits next year.
As much as I rail against exclusives, I’ve actually got to hand it to Mattel on this one. They give you months and months and months to sign up, and they let people outside the USA sign up for their clubs — practically unprecedented in my experience. They even sell the convention exlcusives (with perhaps some packaging changes) on their own website after the conventions are done with them . . . also to people outside the USA, if we want ’em. They may seem otherwise incapable of organising a drinking game in a brewery, but Mattel’s have got to be some of the easiest-to-get exclusives in the world.
I fully understand it must be a pisser if you’re a cherry-picker looking forward to certain figures (2011’s Dial-Tone really helps me feel your pain), but as MOTU completist, I’ve got to say that in MOTU Classics, Mattel has delivered the most satisfaction for being able to collect a line that I’ve ever experienced.
That’s how it’s done, Hasbro.