Review – Ashley Wood’s Little Shadow in Shadow Mode

Manufacturer: ThreeA Toys * Year: 2010

We’ve looked at several different World War Robot* and Adventure Kartel toys over the past couple of years, but this is only the third 12-inch scale action figure from 3A Toys that I’ve reviewed. So how does Shadow Mode stand up against the Shadow Zombie (review here) and the World War Robot EMGY Dropcloth (review here) action figures? Basically just fine, but with a few tiny issues. Keep reading for my thoughts, or just scan the photos. Either way, enjoy!

Packaging

I absolutely love the box designs for the 3A Toys 12-inch scale action figures. In a change from the way the 3A Membership Shadow Zombie was packed, Shadow Mode here got an original box. And it’s every bit as cool as the boxes for the last two 12-inch scale action figures I’ve bought from 3A. And the toy even comes with a poster, with beautiful Ashley Wood artwork on one side and a one-page comic on the other. The poster’s folded so it’s not a great display piece, but it makes a cool extra.

Plus, you’ve gotta love the “The adventure continues with . . . you!” word balloon at the end of the strip. I wish the mass-market action figure guys would go back to this sort of attitude; encouraging people to play adventures with toys was one of the coolest things of some of the toys from when I was a kid. I don’t see that sort of marketing much these days.

First, the Bad

Since there are a few downchecks to what’s otherwise a fantastic action figure I thought I’d get the bad out of the way so that we can focus on the good. And there are only two (minor) issues, neither one of which ruins the toy. But both are annoying enough (to me) to mention.

1. Shadow’s jeans are so damned tight and skinny that she barely has any leg articulation at all. It’s not that there aren’t joints in the hips and legs, but rather that the jeans are so tight that they seriously restrict her movement. Of course this is kinda like real skinny jeans, so it’s a minor annoyance. And it’s possible that getting the fabric wet will allow you to pose Shadow and her jeans will dry in a new pose, but I don’t have any personal experience with the “wet and position” trick with 12-inch scale action figure clothing so I could be horribly wrong. And it’s not even an issue if you pose Shadow standing in a display case.

2. Shadow’s clenched fist is gummy, kinda tacky, like the paint didn’t properly dry. The other two hands have a slight tackiness to them, but nothing like the first. Posing her and playing with her didn’t reveal any other paint issues, and it’s possible the fist’s problem comes from being packed in a plastic bag and the air just not getting a chance to properly dry out the paint. No idea, but it is a little annoying to open a high-end action figure and find your finger slightly sticking to a piece.

All the Rest is Good

But that is absolutely it for negative points. Everything else about the toy is fantastic, from the hoodie (though I wish the hood shaped to her head better; again, the “wet it” trick might work) to her extra, high-heel clad feet. And the $80 price tag — I paid $68, after the 3AA Membership discount — puts her pretty much in-like with the Sideshow releases (maybe even just a tad under). She doesn’t come with quite as many accessories as the 12-inch scale Sideshow action figures, but she feels durable and should withstand ordinary use. I wouldn’t recommend taking her out to the park for a rough afternoon, but she’ll hold up fine to your brute friends picking her up and saying, “Dude, you play with dolls.”

Weathering

Little Shadow in Shadow Mode exhibits 3A’s fabulous weathering techniques, with washes and paints applied to give her a rough, weather-beaten appearance that I wish we would have seen in a piece like the Sideshow Collectibles Indiana Jones 12-inch scale action figure (I really should review this guy, cause he is cool). I’ve never bought 12-inch scale action figures from some of the major high-end manufacturers, but I hope they use these same weathering tricks because the results are remarkable.

Grays

Like the Shadow Zombie (review here), Shadow Mode is painted and dressed in various shades of gray. There’s a little brownish/tan colors on her from the weathering effect, but overall she’s a monochromatic action figure. And it’s a great effect, and it was the coloring (plus the membership exclusive status) that led me to order Shadow Mode instead of a basic Little Shadow. (I also ordered the Cherry Shadow, but that was mostly because she came packed with a Zombot). I hope we get more 12-inch scale action figures from 3A in the grays, because I would love an entire shelf packed with nothing but gray-shaded action figures.

SkullBOOM!

Below you can see Shadow Mode’s skull-shaped bomb, identified as a SkullBOOM. It’s a simple design, but it’s so cool I kinda would like to see 3A produce a SkullBOOM pack with ten or so bombs in different colors. I can’t be alone in saying I’d drop $20 or so on a pack like that.

Closing Thoughts

Despite the minor issues with the toy, Little Shadow in Shadow Mode continues 3A’s improvements in overall design and quality. The shipping delays are annoying, but the end toy that reached me is excellent. And as an exclusive I’m sure the after-market prices on this are going to be ridiculous, so congratulations to all of you who managed to score one of these when they were posted for pre-orders back in March.

For those who missed out on a Little Shadow, I suggest watching places like eBay; one of the variants of this figure should surface at a reasonable price. And I don’t know if there were any retailer versions, but I would expect 3A to offer the toy again — at least with new coloring/accessories — but that’s just speculation.

Philip Reed still needs to review the Armstrong 8-pack. That’s a massive undertaking, though, so he hasn’t done any more than play with a couple of the bots. They are very nice works of art, and he must sit down and start photographing them soon.