Figure Review: Play Arts Kai Variant Bone Predator

He'll feast on your flesh and chew on your bones...

An ugly MoFo who's chock-full of calcium

Picture this: A wounded samurai, you walk down a dark and dank cave passageway, alone and desperately searching for a seemingly elusive exit. The stench of death and blood fills the air, penetrating your nostrils. As you pass through the nightmarish landscape, you step over the skeletons of the unfortunate souls who never found their way out. Suddenly, you hear a noise from behind you, and feel more than smell a foul breath on the back of your neck, instantly sending shivers down your spine. You stop dead in your tracks, reach for your katana with a weakened hand, and turn. Then you see it. It is huge. It is hideous. It is hungry. The demon - an otherworldly predator - wants your blood, and it is ready to feast on your flesh until you're nothing but a pile of bones laid on the ground...

...WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO??

Finally, the second half of Play Arts Kai's extraterrestrial duo has finally arrived, and I surely am glad to own another great rendition of a sci-fi icon. PAK's first offering was the classic/American Predator (a.k.a. Ahnuld's nemesis), which is, in my opinion, the best representation of the Yautjan behemoth's movie incarnation. The second one is what I'd call its 'Japanese counterpart', as it has repeatedly been referred to as the Oni Predator. The word 'oni' refers to a kind of humanoid yokai (supernatural monster) which has usually been portrayed in Japanese folklore as a hideous, gigantic ogre-like creature with wild hair, sharp claws, and two long horns sitting on top of its head. Moreover, it is also depicted as sporting a loincloth and wielding an enormous club known as the kanabo. Such imagery leads to the expression 'oni with an iron club', which means to be 'indomitable' or 'indestructible'. Indeed, these elements comprise the figure itself, which I will discuss in further detail.

Nope, this isn't the guy who had a few days to kill in L.A. back in '97 

When I first saw the figure's prototype in last year's San Diego Comic Con (SDCC), I honestly thought (and expected) that it was the one from Predator 2 (specifically the 'Warrior Predator'), mainly because of the figure's skin tone and that it was standing next to the prototype of the classic version. However, I eventually saw that it was lacking the signature weapons such as the combi-stick and the smart-disc, and that's when I realized that this was another variant. Despite an unmet expectation, I'm certainly in good spirits that the guys over at Play Arts came up with this figure, which is officially known as the 'Bone Predator'.

A gloomy and bloody packaging

Let's start with the packaging. The Bone Predator's box is much wider as compared to the other offerings of Play Arts Kai, which is both good and bad - 'good' because it is more of a unique type of packaging, and 'bad' considering that it could take up more space should it be displayed within a cabinet. The packaging has a red and black motif, which complements the figure inside. Furthermore, the style of the Predator's name on the packaging is much simpler as compared to that of the classic version.

"Why me?"

 Figure description:

"An Alien Race That Lives to Hunt

Lone alien hunters originating from a culture based entirely on aggressive tracking and combat, the Predators are equally feared and respected throughout the cosmos. Their existence is only rumor but their presence is intimidating. Merciless yet honorable, they have no code of good and evil -- just kill or be killed. Utilizing advanced weaponry and technology, they can adapt to any and all terrain or prey. The hunt is on...

Bone Predator
Even routine hunts can go wrong... The origins of the Japanese monster myth

While exploring a world in the beginning stages of civilization, an errant Predator is left stranded and nearly weaponless on a rocky deserted island in the archipelago of Japan. With survival as its primary goal, the alien hunter adapts, heading into direct combat and making itself even more fearsome to the natives. It covers itself in bones from fallen prey and wields makeshift weaponry. From this lone warrior springs the tale of an infamous ogre... Ancient Japanese folklore is full of legends of this creature. Believed to be demons from hell, they are said to hunt down sinners on earth, crushing their bones and peeling back their flesh to make them pay for their sins. It was said that they had an insatiable appetite for human flesh, an unquenchable thirst for human blood. Those who claim to have laid eyes on the monster all described a similar silhouette: horns atop its head, long sharp claws, skin red as blood, wild hair, carrying a massive gnarled, thorny club. The Predator survives by feasting on human flesh, hunting down anyone wretched enough to land on the rocky shores of its home, from samurai warriors to sea-bedraggled fisherman. Those unlucky enough to come in contact with this Bone Predator would have to make a deal with the devil himself to survive the encounter..."

Breathing in that new action figure smell...

The Bone Predator almost has the same dark plastic mold with the classic Predator, except that it has its own distinct accessories. It's also interesting to note that there are only three additional replaceable hands for the figure, whereas the classic one has four.

...

Then there's this one. 'Nuff said.

For the Bone Predator's accessories, he's got the following:

(1) A primitive-looking bio-mask:

It's horny

(2) A removable mandible/mouth piece:

Extraterrestrial pie-hole

(3) A pair of open hands and a semi-closed one:

He's probably a biker back at home

(4) A removable three-pointed claw:

Good ol' Jimmy ain't got nothin' on him

(5) A bone club:

Got soup?

Moving on to the core figure:

A calcified alien

Just like the classic version, the Bone Predator sports some neat sculpting. He stands around 11 inches tall, and has over 20 points of articulation. One thing that's notable is that the figure's aesthetic design looks more primitive than the other, which suggests that he could either be an ancestor, or simply someone who shared almost a similar fate with Tom Hanks who's been forced to go into 'survival mode'. He's quite 'bony' from the bottom to the top, which justifies the package description stating that he covers himself in bones from his unlucky victims.

They're getting prettier by the minute...

When it comes right down to it, the Bone Predator is another ugly MoFo. He has the same facial structure with his distant cousin, save for some horns on his noggin. Also, his mouth basically has the same style as the other one, with the exception that he's got bigger teeth and mandibles since he's the carnivorous-type based on his description - more of a monster than a hunter, so to speak.

"Mi gat big hair, mon!"

The Bone Predator also has the signature alien dreadlocks, which are long, hair-like appendages on its head set into its skull. As compared to the classic Predator's dreadlocks, he's got a thicker mane with a black/red hue and semi-translucent tips.

Bony dud

Looking at the torso area, the Bone Predator, as his name suggests, is composed of a red/yellow bony armor. He's got that primeval look, devoid of any weapon or armor plating, and I'd picture him as someone who prefers brute force over fancy weaponry. He's got a couple of hinged shoulder pads which can be moved upwards and downwards. Moreover, he wears a codpiece on the crotch area and a Tarzan-like loincloth covering his high-knee.

Jurassic tootsies

For the lower limbs section, the Bone Predator sports a hinged hip armor on both sides that can be slightly moved upwards and downwards. He also sports a black/yellow leg armor, which serves as shin guards. Furthermore, he has the same feet as his American counterpart, which resembles that of a dinosaur's, specifically a T-Rex.

All he needs is a sword... and a bottle of Sake.

The Bone Predator also has a couple of neatly sculpted bracers/gauntlets just like his counterpart. However, his bracers are more of the armor-type than technological, which works well for the figure. 

Now for some cool poses:

He's in the mood for boxing

Snikt!

BP's ready to go clubbin'

And here he is posed with the classic version:

Hats off to these bad-ass Predators!

Final thoughts: Now, you might be wondering why there's no picture of the Bone Predator wearing his bio-mask. The reason for this is that his removable forehead has been inserted snug tight, which is really a tough nut to crack when it comes to taking it off. I'm still figuring out how to remove it without chipping the paint or surface, and perhaps I'll just update this blog post once I've successfully set the helmet in place. That nitpick aside, I consider myself lucky to own this excellent figure from Play Arts Kai, especially since I'm a big Predator fan. The Bone Predator has got a superb sculpt, a cool body armor, some nifty weapons, as well as an archaic yet flamboyant ogre-like design. Despite the undeniable steep price tag, it's absolutely worth every penny considering the overall package!

He's happy with his new souvenir    

Would you like to see more Predator figures from Play Arts Kai? Sound off in the comments below.

Packaged Review: Play Arts Kai Marvel Universe Variant Venom

Marvel's infamous 'mouth with a face' gets no cooler than this...

He's the personification of the word "sticky"

Play Arts Kai has recently introduced their rather interesting 'twist' to the characters from the two 'big guns' of the comic book industry, namely DC and Marvel. As a comic book fan, I have always been more on the Marvel side than DC, but strangely enough my current collection of Play Arts figure consists almost entirely of the latter. Perhaps it's because DC came first instead of Marvel in their 'Variants' line, or I gradually became more interested with the brainchildren of Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson than Michael Goodman's, I'm not sure. Anyway, moving along, when I heard of Play Arts having their own take on the Marvel characters, I made a personal vow not to get any of such figures to limit myself, considering the sweat-inducing price tag. Then along came this image:

Brock's got the mother of all tongues

Let's put it simply, this is one of those promo/prototype pics that made me say "Oh sh*t!". Venom, a.k.a. Eddie Brock, is one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Comics, and him being rendered by Play Arts (particularly by Hitoshi Kondo) is an eye-candy that I certainly wouldn't want to miss out on. As a brief character background, in the comics Brock is a journalist who exposes the identity of a certain 'serial killer', only for the real suspect to be caught by Peter Parker's alter-ego, Spider-Man. This left him disgraced and suicidal, and eventually he came into contact with an alien symbiote (an amorphous extraterrestrial parasite known as the 'Klyntar') which Spider-Man previously rejected. Sharing a mutual hatred for the web-slinger, Brock and the Klyntar bond together, resulting in the ugly MoFo known as Venom. Though he repeatedly clashes with Spidey, he also tries to redeem himself, becoming some sort of an anti-hero who protects those he considers innocent. This earns him the moniker "Lethal Protector".

Along came a spider...

The figure comes in a standard PAK Marvel Universe Variant packaging. which is comprised mainly of a black/red motif (excluding the obligatory package labels). The magnetic front cover/flap of the box shows Venom in an arachnid-like pose, wherein he menacingly crawls on his obsidian webbing, seemingly stalking an unsuspecting prey/enemy/whatever.

Bad-ass extraterrestrial poses

The back of the packaging shows the figure being placed on several nifty poses, mostly with his alternate hands which I will discuss later in detail.

Open Sesame!

Opening the flap of the packaging, there's the detailed description of the action figure itself, which I could say is somehow longer than the ones seen on the packaging of the DC variants. The window of the packaging sports a horizontal red bar striking across the lower section.

Figure/package description:

Venom

"Spin your webs, little spider... Venom is always watching, always waiting... always hungry!"

- Eddie Brock a.k.a. Venom

Disgraced reporter Eddie Brock discovers a corrupting alien Symbiote and the result of their bonding is Spider-Man's greatest nemesis: Venom.  Brock has inherited knowledge not only of Spider-Man, but also of Peter Parker, from the symbiote's brief bond with our web-slinging hero, understanding his opponent literally inside out. The thirst for vengeance is twofold, since both Brock and the Symbiote despise Spider-Man. That hunger is expressed in the distortion of Spider-Man's iconic emblem on Venom's chest, and the hulking exaggeration of Brock's already considerable physique. 

Venom has adopted various inhuman traits displayed prominently on this figure. Tightening its skin to protect itself during combat or extending its form for intimidation is just the beginning. Brandishing multiple, powerful webbing nozzles atop each clawed hand, this Symbiote is a formidable foe. Once venom has prey in sight, its mouth unhinges like a serpent, revealing a frightening vision of innumerable teeth and a terrifying tongue unraveling from within its maw.

A constant, looming threat to any who would cross its way, MARVEL Variant Play Arts Kai Venom is always right where you least expect. 

A jolly inmate

In a typical Play Arts tradition, the core figure is stored within a sticky clamshell packaging along with the accessories, which include the following:

1) A pair of closed nozzled fists: [If he chooses to beat the crap out of Spidey the old-fashioned way!]

If Brock's in the mood for fisticuffs...

2) Three hands sporting some webbings: [Though it is a sensible way to depict how Venom shoots his webs, I'm not particularly impressed with the representation of his predominant ability. I mean, the webbing-symbiote combination that springs from the nozzles of his knuckles is kind of short (literally). They could have made it a bit longer, or they could have added another fist that shoots a single long webbing, as he usually does in the comics. Anyway, it's a 'variant', so what are you gonna do, right?]

Oozing with extraterrestrial snot!

3) An open-mouthed head: [In my opinion, this is where the figure shines. According to some online reviews that I've seen, the alternate head features a removable tongue, which is something that I would look for in any type of Venom action figure. Even the jaw is articulated, which is also kind of cool. Furthermore, the tongue is designed to be shifted sideways, which allows for more option when it comes to posing the head.]    

He's making that nasty face again...

Now, let's get on to the core figure:

Tall, dark and never mind

Looking at the actual figure itself, I'm happy to say that I'm impressed with it overall. It's one of the best designed variants produced by Play Arts Kai, just like this figure, It is truly a unique take on the character, which is comprised of neatly meshed black and violet/purple hues. Standing around 10 inches tall, Venom sports over 20 points of articulation, which is typical being a PAK figure.

Brock never gets tired of smilin' that damn smile

The default head features the signature "Venom smile" seen in the comics, and I'd say it is well-executed through the sculpting - the teeth, gums, and the lips are chiseled to perfection! The eyes are a bit thinner as compared to its comic book counterpart, but blends well with the overall facial design. Another nifty feature of the figure is the emblazoned (and twisted) metallic 'spider' insignia, which is somewhat spread all over the upper half of its torso.

He's got the groin

The figure's default hands are the opened ones, which again show the nozzles on the knuckles. The lower torso is not adorned with any of the metallic 'residue' from the spider insignia, rather it is sculpted with lines and in overlapping patterns as well.

Alien fungus

The figure's foot are sculpted nicely also, as the toes are visible underneath the black symbiote. This is another factor that makes the figure stand out above the other renditions of the character, as most of them (if not all) only depict his foot like an almost triangular shoe.

Final thoughts: Initially, I was planning to get the figure out of the box and then do a full review of it. However, when I was carefully examining the figure's packaging, I found that it's in a 100% flawless condition - without dents, folds, and other elements. I tried to look for the slightest imperfection, but to no avail. So, I ultimately decided to only do a packaged review. I must admit that a 'perfect packaging' is my personal Kryptonite as a collector - once I get my hands on it, it will stay that way forever. Taking everything into account, Play Arts Kai's Variant Venom is certainly a must-have, especially for those who consider him as one of their all-time favorite characters in the Marvel Universe! It's superior sculpting as well as the effective combination of colors make it one of the line's coolest offerings. 'Nuff said!

Ehem! How's about a Carnage, Play Arts?

So who's your favorite Marvel character that you'd want to be rendered as a Play Arts Kai variant? Let me know in the comments below.