Introduction

Again my focus has been captured by the incredibly fun line of figures from Cartoon Network’s “The Venture Bros.” As cleverly crafted by Bif Bang Pow! This time around the object of my affection is the beloved and beguiled arch nemesis of Dr. Venture, The Monarch! I must admit this guy brings out the feelings of love and hate when it comes to critiquing him. Oh the dilemma that comes from being an objective reviewer! See your way through to the end and you’ll see what I mean.

Point #1. What it is.

Point #2. Where it came from.

( aka greatest place on the planet www.megomuseum.com ).

Point #3. The Good.

Here is where we find some serious love on my part. The head sculpt is beyond a shadow of a doubt the coolest looking I’ve seen of all of the new “Re-Mego’s on the market. The sculptor did a fantastic job of capturing the Monarch’s likeness. The decision to go the extra mile with using separate pieces for the finer points of his looks (i.e. the eyebrows, crown and goatee) are beyond admirable. It really is a sign of exceptional quality from the BBP folks.

Another thing about the Monarch that makes me smile and applaud BBP even louder is that the re-purposing is kept to a minimum. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the practice and in most cases appreciate it, but to create new pieces specifically for a figure is to me a sign that these toy makers have more heart in their project than at least half of Santa’s elves. The torso armor, the sculpted pointy toed feet, and of course the deadly weaponized wrist gauntlets are something to behold, even if you can’t take them off.

Point #4. The Bad.

Here comes that hate part I warned you about. Considering the presumed collectors market that these figures are intended to reach I immediately spotted a big gaff when it comes to finding Mint In Package specimens. The shortcoming I speak of is how the paint used for the beard rubs very noticeably on the inner side of the bubble. A blight such as this could be deemed as completely unacceptable for the “mint” collector. Luckily for me I’m not one of those types.

Another big gripe for me is the leggings that are intended to represent the Monarchs Thigh High boots. Understanding that creating footwear that would be cartoon accurate could be a production nightmare if molded in plastic I do see the reason as to why they went in this direction. With that said though I have to say that the pleather look looses me. It’s mainly the separation that you see where the leggings meet the ankle. Perhaps a stirrup configuration would have closed the gap better and made the boot seem more cartoon accurate. Plus they make the figure look chunky.

Whew! Glad to be done with that part. I hate the bad points but what are you gonna do? In all though the figure himself is another great effort from BBP and Honestly I would rather have the clunky leggings versus no Classic Style Re-Mego Monarch at all.

Point #5. Why I like it.

As I continue to become a bigger fan of the show and it’s characters I can’t help but snicker when I look at this guy’s mean and somewhat imposing grimace. If one didn’t know any better you might actually think he could do some damage on purpose. But as fans of the show know that is simply not the case. The Monarchs victories if any come through by way of accidental occurrence and in the end wind up biting him in his butt. I guess it’s that when I see this fellow staring at me I know that thanks to his efforts good will always prevail. That’s uplifting and inspiring. Oh who am I kidding? It’s just super cool to have another new Re-Mego on the shelf that is part of a collection of toys for grown ups who refuse to grow up.

Point #6. Why you should or shouldn’t get one.

Why you should:

Because you can’t have any other figure in this line without the dreaded Monarch to torture or vice versa. Plus to have him paired with Henchmen 21 and 24 is something that is really cool in the world of 8-inch Classic Styled action figures. Seriously how cool would it have been if back in the day that Mego could have cranked out some of the Penguin or Riddler’s TV goons to help in their efforts to thwart Batman and Robin? Army building is cool, especially when someone else has done all the work for the wonderfully reasonable price of $14.95.

Why you shouldn’t:

If you’re really OCD about footwear or the possible paint rub issues I mentioned above you may want to steer clear. But if you’re a loose collector there is no reason to not get this guy. So seriously go order one know or pop into a Toys R Us.

In Conclusion

Again I point out the fact that this property that is the Venture Brothers has to be the coolest assortment for the Re-Mego fan. Plus with six new figures on the horizon (Hank, Dr. Girlfriend, Phantom Limb, Dr. Orpheus, Dr. Venture and Rusty) this looks to be a line that will continue to satisfy the collector for the rest of the year and beyond. Seriously, with all of the super cool characters that haven’t come out yet the possibility of these guys giving you something to look forward for years to come is an awesome collecting opportunity. Now – Go Play! – Jim 06/21/11

Jim Bumgardner is a 20 year veteran of the broadcast industry and currently serves as the news director for television station TKO 8 in Harrison, Arkansas. Jim is the father of two the husband of one and firm believer in the power of toys for both the mind, body and soul. You can contact Jim via email at jimstoybox@gmail.com or visit his website at www.jimsmegos.com

All images and products are the sole copyrighted property of it’s respective owners. Specialty photographs and graphic work used for this article were done by Jim at the TKO 8 Studios located at 500 N. Main St in Harrison, Arkansas. “Little Jim” was created by Dawn O’Connell of Little Buddies Action Figures. Learn more about getting your own Little Buddy at www.littlebuddiesactionfigures.com

Mini – Jim’s New Body is the product of Castaway Toys!` Check out their hot bods and so much more at www.castawaytoys.com