Earlier this year, back at Toy Fair in February, McFarlane Toys stunned collectors with the announcement of a new figure series called Color Tops. The premise was simple: detailed 7-inch figures from a variety of licenses, including The Walking Dead, Fear The Walking Dead, Assassin’s Creed, Titanfall 2, and more. Skeptics saw “McStatues”, a term coined by disgruntled fans in the past to describe action figures that were essentially non-moving statues. McFarlane assured collectors that Color Tops figures would have articulation, that the prototypes on display didn’t reflect the final product. So who was right?
I hate to say it, but the skeptics win. Color Tops DO feature articulation- cut joints at the neck, shoulders and sometimes the hands and feet – however none of it adds up to a figure you can dynamically pose in a way that looks good. Color Tops figures are meant to be posed one way, and one way only. Any deviation from that dedicated display pose often results in goofy results.
For those hoping for super articulated figures, Color Tops so far are a huge let down.
For those seeking a great sculpt from some cool licenses, Color Tops are mostly a success. There has been at least one release that missed the mark (*ahem* Rick Grimes), but everything else I’ve seen is looking good. That includes today’s review subject, Titanfall 2’s Pilot Jack Cooper.
I LOVE Titanfall. The first game was a blast to play and Titanfall 2 (releasing October 28, 2016) is going to be even better (I recently played the beta, or Tech Test as they called it). Fun game aside, its Titanfall’s design that really appeals to me. Both the mechs and pilots just scream future military cool. Especially the pilots. It’s the reason I splurged on Threezero’s 1:6th scale Titan Pilot last year and the reason I had to have McFarlane’s new Color Tops figure.
Armed with a CAR submachine gun, RE-45 auto pistol, and a data knife, Jack Cooper is ready for combat. The CAR is the weapon meant to be displayed with the figure, however collectors can have Cooper hold the data knife. Otherwise, the knife stows away in a sheath on his chest. The pistol, due to an unsightly peg attached to the handle, is best left plugged onto Cooper’s right leg. The sculpt on all these accessories is good, although I feel the CAR’s colors are quite muddied. Where it should be white and orange, the colors come across more baby blue and red. It’s something I plan on correcting if I find the time, though to be honest, it’s not all that bad on display.
As a final accessory, the Color Tops Jack Cooper includes a themed display base. It features one peg that corresponds with the hole in Cooper’s right foot. While the figure stands well enough on the base, McFarlane made the odd decision of adding small ball joints in each foot. These joints allow you to adjust the figure’s stance, which is fine, but it’s really unnecessary. What irritates me is that the feet also feature a slight up and down rocker movement that makes the figure lean forwards, unless jammed in a position leaning back. I added a small dab of superglue to the ankles to rectify the problem.
The sculpted details on the figure are quite impressive. Jack Cooper’s outfit is simply loaded with components, including spare ammo pouches, explosive devices, backpack and jump pack. The Tampo work on this figure is also awesome, from Cooper’s arm tattoo to the various insignia on his armor pads.
As a Color Tops figure, Pilot Jack Cooper is meant to be posed one way, and really one way only. I mentioned he can hold his knife (and pistol if you desire), but then you encounter the problem of what to do with his CAR rifle. He can hold his CAR up in the air one-handed, but the truth is that he looks best firing it two-handed. And that’s okay with me. It’s a killer display pose. It’s the pose I most likely would have put him in had the figure had useful articulation.
Color Tops aren’t for everyone, certainly not for die-hard fans of articulated action figures. I love articulated figures too, but I judge a collectible first and foremost by how cool it looks. McFarlane’s Titanfall 2 Pilot Jack Cooper looks damn cool. Priced at $19.99, it’s also a good buy in my book.
Sadly, the first Titanfall video game didn’t receive many collectibles, and what it did get were mostly out of my price range. Thankfully, Respawn’s sequel is seeing some affordable collectible love. In addition to Jack Cooper, McFarlane has even more Titanfall 2 Color Tops planned (see HERE), as well as a 10-inch Titan figure releasing by year’s end (see HERE). As a Titanfall fan, I couldn’t be happier. Prepare for Titanfall…
Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor
Color Tops Titanfall 2 figure purchased by the reviewer.
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