One:12 Collective Spock is a Wonderful Testament to the Sci-Fi Icon
Late last year, Mezco revealed the Star Trek license would be part of its One:12 Collective series, beginning with the most memorable science officer in fiction, Mr. Spock. Though not due to arrive on shelves until later this spring, Mezco surprised us with a pre-release version at Toy Fair earlier this month. Though it doesn't come with all the accessories, the Spock we got was the final figure version, which gives a strong enough idea of what to expect from the complete release. As we'd expected from the production photos shared in December, the One:12 Collective Mr. Spock is another fine entry into what is quickly becoming Mezco's signature figure line.
Out of the box, this pre-release Spock includes the base figure, the posing stand, and a Starfeet insignia base matching Spock's rank. The retail version will come with an alternate head, multiple alternate hands, a phaser, tricorder and communicator. Kudos to Mezco for thinking to include the "Live long and prosper" salute hand in this version though. The simple hands would have been fine, but at least now we can honor the man the way he should be remembered forever --- as a kind, smart man who wanted nothing but peace and prosperity for all life.
More importantly, Mezco's head sculpt is a great likeness. The calm portrait is the one that was included, but the version everyone else will get also includes a raised eyebrow expression. Too many figures have faces that look flat and lifeless for characters that are anything but. Spock was always a stoic figure though, and this is one of the rare exceptions where it makes complete sense for the face to be devoid of all emotion. This sculpt doesn't play as lifeless, but reads more along the lines of the logical and practical persona Leonard Nimoy embodied for so many years.
Even though he doesn't come with much to pose with, that doesn't mean we couldn't put Spock through the motions. The articulation is great, and you can get pretty expressive with your posing. The clothing isn't constricting at all, which gives you plenty of freedom to have Spock standing at attention or to make him look like he's boogying down like a Vulcan schoolboy. Once other Star Trek figures release, you'll be able to reenact key scenes of every time Spock kicked Kirk's ass without any trouble.
As to the uniform itself, it's well made, and has all the detailing one would expect of a Starfleet officer. The shirt and pants weren't all that detailed way back when, but Mezco gets the small parts right, and that matters. There are belt loops and pouches to hold the phaser and communicator for the retail release, but we couldn't really test them out. We'll just have to take Mezco's word for it that everything will fit accordingly. Based on how things have worked so far for figures like Batman and Judge Dredd, there's no reason to believe otherwise.
Mezco's One:12 Collective is going to be one of the hottest collector lines of the year, and Spock is just the tip of the iceberg. If this kind of quality can be maintained across the Star Trek, Marvel and DC lines, the One:12 Collective will be a force to be reckoned with from competitors like Sideshow and Hot Toys. The affordability, the accessories, the sculpts, it's all there. All Mezco needs to do is be consistent, and fans will be happy for a long, long time.
The Mezco One:12 Collective Star Trek Mr. Spock is available for pre-order now for $70, and is due to arrive between April and May. This figure was provided for review.