I’ve gotten behind on indy, “Seventh Market” stuff of late. To counteract that, we’ve got a Week of Glyos-Related reviews scheduled, but I still wanted to get to one for Reviewapalooza. The Four Horsemen must’ve read my mind, as they sent over some review samples of the newest Outer Space Men!
One of the fun things about falling a little behind on the latest news for a particular line is that it can turn back the clock and make you not know what to expect when you open up a particular toy. That is totally the case here. Usually, I know what I’m going to be looking at before taking pictures, I have some things in mind. That wasn’t the case here. The SDCC exclusive Alpha Phase editions of Wave 5 and the Deluxe Cyclops basically came straight out of the shipping container and were plucked down into the “studio” for pictures. The red backdrop from the Reviewapalooza banner even makes a brief appearance in the photos here.
Normally, when it comes to the Alpha, Beta, or Galactic Holiday editions, I tend to keep things brief and hold the real review for the Infinity Editions. I still want to do that, but there is so much here to talk about. In a way, these three are executed so differently from what’s come before that they don’t even seem like the same toy line. I’ll elaborate on that in a minute.
As I’ve repeated over and over the last few years, the Outer Space Men is one of my favorite “new” things. They represent an era of “toydom” that I had been unaware of and am now fascinated by. We’re at a point in collecting where so many of us are obsessed with “wasted” slots in toy lines or buying for every other reason other than “that’s a cool toy”, that it’s refreshing to get a little toy line like this. There are surely collectors getting their nostalgic kick from these. And should the new figure, Terra Firma, have been released before the original thirteen, I’m sure someone, somewhere would’ve thrown a temper tantrum. Nothing’s perfect after all. In any case, this line appeals to me on its own merits and I’m having a good time seeing where it goes rather than worrying about what I want from it.
While I love the first eight figures, particularly the likes of Commander Comet, Metamorpho, orElectron+, these three kinda blow what’s come before out of the water. The previous figures featured excellent sculpts and these three are no different (I still can’t believe they’re sculpted 1:1!). This assortment has two completely new figures, Orbitron & Cyclops, and Gemini who, looks to share a few parts with Alpha-7, but it otherwise all-new as well. So visually the new sculpts really move the line forward. The top-notch sculpts are still there and the new pieces and heights really make the growing collection pop off the shelf. Orbitron’s lithe from looks fantastic. Cyclops is so massive that he’s the line’s first 5” figure. Other than some wonky paint on Cyclops’ eye, these three look sharp and this is just the Alpha Wave! I can’t wait to get these guys in full color.
While the sculpts are what we’ve come to expect, this trio makes clear that the Four Horsemen and Mel Birnkrant have gotten a lot more comfortable, shrewder in how to include the Glyos compatibility. We saw some humble beginnings in Waves 3 & 4, but there was still a lot of shared tooling from Waves 1 & 2 present in those figures. These three, as all-new sculpts could go all out. And they do. Continue to the Page 2 Gallery.
My kingdom for a glow-in-the-dark Orbitron.
It’d be awesome! I hope they’re in the cards. We’ve seen Mel’s Cosmic Creators for Wave 3 & 4, but no word yet on NYCC Beta Phase for Wave 5. I’m not sure when they debuted last year.
painted ones came always arround november. at least there announcement/pre-order.
Thanks! I don’t think we normally see the NYCC ones until just before the show. I’m just too used to knowing about figures months out. LOL
Nice work here!
I’m feeling a little down on OSM lately..I think the new on3es may be just what I need
It’s a long-term line to collect for sure. It’s like if we had to assemble the DCUC Justice League without the hundred figures between them. I’m excited for next year with Gamma & Colossus!
And after that, who knows where we could go? I’m not a big fan of how Terra Firma came out, but hopefully they’ll be cool stuff in the years to come.
What was it about Terra Firma you didn’t like?
It’s twofold. One is the sculpt, I hate when a clothed woman’s chest is sculpted as if she were nude. It’s way too common on the part-shared lines and it really takes away from the figure overall. Now, it’s been done purposely on Terra and I can appreciate Mel’s goal, but it doesn’t change the annoyance I feel to that sculpting choice. The other reason is harder to describe – she just doesn’t feel like she fits in with the line yet. As always, I’ll reserve my judgment until I have her, but I’m not really looking forward to getting her with Gamma & Colossus much at all (which is sad because the bug in Mel’s ear that created her came from here).
These are very cool and retro. Where can I order these? BBTS doesn’t have much in stock, and they certainly don’t have the one I want, the escapee from This Island Earth.
Im not sure what the international shipping options are, but you can get them at http://www.shopfourhorsemen.com/
I added a link into the review too.
Thanks for that link! I was hoping they’d be sold singly. Oh, well.
Sorry, yeah, the OSM almost always come in a set of two or three.
these things are pure toys, fun, interactive, inspirational… how do you beat that? by making them artisanal, that’s how.
Artisanal? What, made out of iron by a blacksmith and covered with horse-flop? };D
Funny, I thought the only reason ever needed to buy a toy was the “that’s a cool toy” factor. Most talk on forum boards seem to revolve around the magical 80s, child hood nostalgia, and obsessive desires to complete a collection; it makes me want to puke. It’s nice to see that some folks can enjoy a toy just because it’s a great piece of work.
While Glyos isn’t really my thing I do love the OSM’s 50s/60s sci-fi feel. That era’s crazy anything goes / anything is possible vibe really comes thru in the figure designs.
I couldn’t agree more. I have lots of figures that I don’t have any knowledge or personal attachment to but I purchased because they looked awesome or had unbelievable articulation. **** nostalgia.