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Write a Review link for that item. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca)You'd think with his common presence in the TMNT franchise, the Rat King was a regular in the old Mirage comics, but no, he wasn't. Like Shredder, his appearances were sparse, first appearing in issue #5 of the Tales of the TMNT side-series, then appearing in the main comic during the City at War arc, where we eventually learned he died right after his first appearance. Nevertheless, he was an effectively creepy character whenever he appeared, and his inclusion in the NECA line is fully welcomed. The Rat King viewed himself not as a man, but rather as a monster, and the default head certainly has a monstrous look. The head is near-completely covered in yellow bandages, with his eyes and mouth exposed. The skin is kept mostly hidden, and the crazed expression makes him someone you don't want to run into. The bandages overlap one another, and have a few tied ends sticking out on the left side of his head. Some of his hair is exposed through the top, but it's made clear he doesn't have a lot of it, with his bald scalp also being visible. The paint wash on the bandages gives them a dirty look, as if he got them out of the trash, and there's some wash to the hair as well for a more realistic look. The secondary head isn't quite as disturbing, but it still nails how intimidating the Rat King is. Much more of his face is shown, with a grimace/slight grin to the teeth, and a little bit of a beard around it. The eyes have a sunken, solid white look, and while it makes him slightly more human-like than the default head, it's still a bit ghastly. There's still some bandage ends hanging off the side of the head, albeit not tied, and the entire scalp is exposed, revealing his balding head. He doesn't appear to be balding naturally, as the red skin makes it come off as if his hair was burned off, which may explain the bandages. Both heads match his design in the Mirage comics just fine, though I prefer the less creepy look for him. You can thank Brodie Perkins to bringing the monster to life, alongside Geoff Trapp and Mike Puzzo's stellar painting. For a homeless guy who hangs out with rats, the Rat King is surprisingly muscular, so I'm assuming he was a street thug or bodybuilder before becoming whatever he is now. Standing about 6 3/4" tall, his green and yellow is clearly homemade, being crudely stitched together with various tears and holes. Not every spot of the costume is the same shade of green, and the paint wash further highlights its crude, trashy nature. There's plenty of bandages sculpted onto the body, but there are some that are separate from it, being the one around on the neck and most of them on the legs. The leg bandages are very loose-fitting, with a tendency to slide down, but both them and the neck wrap can be removed, allowing you to depict the King whatever way you want. The left shoe cuff is also a separate piece, but it's not removable, it's just like that to prevent it from hindering ankle movement. The hands have a clean, fully painted appearance, but there is a slightly noticeable mold line on the left hand. The Rat King is well-articulated, and it's somewhat similar to the toon version NECA did prior. He has a barbell head and chest, swivel/hinge shoulders, wrists, and ankles, ball-jointed hips, double-hinged elbows and knees, and swivel biceps, waist, and thighs. There's no issues with the joints here; everything moves fluidly and holds a pose, and the heads and hands swap with ease. The chest can achieve a good amount of crunch and tilt, but not a whole lot. Also, you know how the new Archie Wrestling Turtles have pinless elbows and knees? They should've done the same with the Rat King, since the green upper left elbow pin sticks out like a sore thumb through the yellow bandages. At the least, they could've made that pin the same color as the wraps. If you like extra hands with your action figures, then you're in luck, because the Rat King has plenty. For some reason, he has two pairs of fists: one set with the thumbs over the index and middle fingers, and another set with the thumbs at the side of the index fingers. It's odd, but you can at least pick which style of fist you prefer. There's also two sets of gripping hands, one tight and one wide, and a pair of monstrous claws. The claw hands have a lumpy, washed appearance with no bandages, and they look great on the figure for when you want him to come to grips with what he is. There's also the big stick he used to club Michelangelo over the head, and three rat friends: one sitting up, one running, and one designed to clip onto the stick. It's appropriate to get a couple rats here, and I can see them finding a way to put out more. Aside from a few odd choices (Why two sets of fists? Why have a green pin going through yellow wraps?), the Rat King is an excellent figure, and possibly the best figure he's ever gotten, if not one of the best Mirage figures NECA's done. Even with his small presence in the Mirage comics, he's such a cool-looking figure you'll have to pick him up, even if you don't recognize him from said comics. You don't have to get him though, but I'm just telling you, he's damn good. - 9/6/24   by RMaster007 |
| Boba Fett |  | Submission Order |  | Leonardo |
| First Turtles (Eastman & Laird) | | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics Series | | None |
| Boba Fett | | Written by RMaster007 | | Leonardo |
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