Bart (Skateboard / Blue Shirt) (Simpsons (Jakks Pacific)) Review

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Bart (Skateboard / Blue Shirt) (Simpsons (Jakks Pacific)) Review

Bart (Skateboard / Blue Shirt)
Simpsons (Jakks Pacific) (Jakks Pacific)Jakks' Simpsons line has been coming out at a quick pace, but it seems for now it's taking a short break. There hasn't been anything officially announced or released aside from the Amazon-exclusive Funzo doll, but there's been plenty of leaked figure and plush listings, and my guess is that within next month or so we'll get some news on upcoming products. Until then, the fourth wave has been out for a while for both scales, and I'll be looking at the 5" ones first.

Of course, they had to include one main family member in the wave, so Bart fills that position. This isn't a specific outfit or anything, just a regular Bart, and the same mold as the one in the first wave at that. So what's different? His shirt. The prior Bartman figure had a blue shirt, and that's what this release gets. It's a memorable look for those who read the comics, played video games, or got most of the merch from the 90s. If I'm not mistaken, he was merchandised with a blue shirt to tell him apart from bootleg items, even though he didn't wear it in the show. Shirt aside, this Bart is no different from what we got before, with the same articulation and skateboard accessory, and the work is just as solid.

Bart's the only family member and kid in this wave, as the rest of it is Springfield's older citizens, including town drunk Barney Gumble. Barney has his usual semi-tired/hungover expression, and it's some of the best portrait work I've seen from this line. There are a few seam lines on his face, but they're only visible if you look really close. He stands a bit over 5" tall, and has a bit more girth to him than Homer, but keep in mind it's mostly hollow plastic for the torso, so he's as light as the others. The body is good as are the colors, and the only painted areas are the pupils, shoes, and chest hair. The pupils and shoes suffer from a bit of bleed and misalignment, but the chest hairs are very clean, and are even sculpted on.

The usual articulation is present here, with Barney having a swivel neck, swivel/hinge shoulders and wrists, ball-jointed chest, hips, and ankles, hinged elbows and knees, and swivel biceps. Swapping out the waist joint for a chest one was a good move, as it allows for plenty of tilt and lean. The hips also work very well, as the pelvis is designed to allow them to kick forward completely. Barney has some of the best articulation of the line, and he's not even the most posable figure in the wave. He doesn't have any booze, since Disney and/or Jakks was uncomfortable about including such accessories with a line meant for kids, but he does have a small hoagie and a lunchbox, and he can hold both fine.

Rounding out Homer's friend group is Carl Carlson, made to complement Lenny from the previous wave. If you haven't seen the leaked render/prototype images of this wave, the initial Carl sculpt looked really off-putting, but thankfully they touched him up for the final product. He has the same blank stare and smile most of the figures in this line have, but the likeness is great, especially given the unique facial features like smaller eyes. Also standing around the 5" mark, he's thinner than the other two adults in this wave, save for a bit of a gut, and the proportions are good. I noticed the shoulder joints on these new molds are a little different, with the disks being a little smaller than they should, creating some gapping at the hinges. Once you see them, it's hard not to unsee them. Carl has all the usual joints, including a surprisingly good waist, and he also has the same lunchbox as Barney, albeit gray, as well as a coffee cup with a little straw.

The last character in the wave is Bumblebee Man, and his inclusion this early in the line came as a surprise to me, since he's a much more minor character. He has a more somber expression than most in the line, befitting his role as Channel Ocho's long-suffering slapstick comic, and like Carl, the final product is a notable improvement over the prototype. The antennae of his costume are made of a softer material, so you won't have to worry about damaging them, same goes for the stinger. He's a bit smaller than the other adults at 4 1/2", though the antennae bring him closer to the 5" mark. The colors on the outfit are great, though the sleeves should be dark gray and not solid black, and making the wings transparent was a nice touch. The paint on the clothes is good as well, as they line up well with the sculpted lines.

The Bumblebee Man is the most articulation figure in the line so far, as in addition to the usual joints, he also gets the thigh swivels Bart got, as well as ball-joints for the wings. These joints work great, allowing for the wings to move around plenty (though they often collide with each other), and the waist and hips are just as good as Barney's. His only accessory is a big one, and it's a tripodal TV camera. It's a solid piece, but the sculpt is great, and it'll fit well with the Playmates line. A yo-yo for him would've been nice as well, but I'm not sure how they could make it work.

We're already four waves in and Jakks' Simpsons line has been getting better with each wave, but this may be the best one yet. The variety is good, and the articulation has improved, getting a little better each time. The blue-shirt Bart can be an easy skip for those not interested in redecos, but I wouldn't pass up on the others, especially Barney and Carl to complete Homer's friend group. I'm not sure how much longer it'll be until the next wave comes out, but at least I have more than enough for now to tide me over.

- 6/12/25