Playmates TMNT Vampire Raph Monsters+Mutants Review!

The time is now as we have entered into the spookiest month of the year; October!! We love Halloween and we are not alone. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles also love this time of year and thanks to Playmates, we have the newest assortment of TMNT toys! This particular theme might not be a direct result of Halloween but the timing is absolutely perfect. The line in question is the TMNT Monsters+Mutants and up first, as promised is Vampire Raph! 

Playmates has been home for the Turtles for quite some time and the company is always looking for fresh ideas in advancing the line. If you have followed Needless over the past few years, you guys know we always run a top 10 toy list. There is a reason why Playmates always score high on the list and this year will be no different. The question to ask is how can a company continue to reinvigorate a toy line that has been an action figure staple year after year? The answer to this is what we have; Monsters+Mutants. While this line is short it is awesome to see and play with! Playmates is not afraid to take chances and this is proof of that. Now lets look at the toy!

First glance of Vampire Raph is wow, this looks cool! I do love new toys and this one was fun but how and why is it fun? The figure sports the articulation one expects from the line and with today’s market, this is indeed special. Other toy lines have switched from highly articulated figures to 5 POA and that is a shame. This is not the case with Raph. He clocks in at around 16 points of articulation. This will give kids play options and as someone who enjoys building dioramas, he has options. Now the articulation is not perfect as his outfit does hinder some but that is a mute point.  Kids love monsters and I already know he will be popular and this is where Playmates show their brilliance. 

Now as a vampire how does he look in-hand? Oh this one is easy guys, not only does he look like a real monster, Raph does it in a major fashionable way! Playmates nailed the sculpting (just look at those fangs!). I know i’m being over dramactic but I really do like this figure. Playmates made this figure where kids and adults can take off the cape and the cape is cloth! This of course makes posing him much easier and I do hate plastic capes. 

Raph also comes with a few accessories; a dagger, a sai, and a vampire bat buddy! This is perfect since he was mutated into a vampire and he needs something to fend off those pesky hunters! The bat buddy will sit on his shoulder or arm but know he sits a tad loose. If that is the only negative aspect to this toy then so be it. As a collector I do love solid paint applications, articulation and overall sculpting. Playmates delivers on every single one of these and more! My advise, go get this toy and by the time we are done with this assortment, get them all! Just wait till you see the next one folks, he is even better! Now for the images! The first one is a dozy as Raph emerges from his slumber and from there we are off! Enjoy!