Bet you didn't see this one coming. Though to be honest, neither did I - not because I didn't order it, but rather because even after a year a Canadian retailer still had not actually gotten their stock. Luckily, Black Friday 2022 had all sorts of fun sales, including this figure directly from the Bandai Namco store for like $50 USD. A purchase order and a favour later, this figure has finally made its way into my collection.
I'm not sure how far and wide Waldo's reaches are, but for the uninitiated, these are generally speaking children's books, 100% made up of drawings where your goal is to find this guy. Some times it's easy, but most of the time it's incredibly tough.
My first Blitzway figure, this release is part of their Megahero series. I have no idea what other properties are on the list, but I have to say based on this, they must be atypical choices.
The figure is quoted at being 1/12 scale, and is a decent 7 inches tall.. which makes Waldo/Wally a pretty tall mofo in real life. Why is it so hard to find a 7 ft. tall white dude in glasses, dressed like he's ready to go to Santa's prison is somewhat beyond me.
This is the Deluxe version, and comes with a crap ton of accessories that aren't available in the Standard edition. There's quite a bit and I'll let the pictures do the talking. The set also comes with a neat stand that can contain all the accessories that the set with. You also get some neat stickers and a postcard. Spot also makes an appearance, albeit in really limited articulation form. One thing that really impressed me was just how much Blitzway actually cared about ensuring that their product was delivered in a good condition. Pretty much every single piece that came in the set was wrapped in plastic within the tray. I can't say I've seen that from any 1/12 company, no matter how high the price tag is. I can only imagine how much of a pain in the ass the actual labour involved is.
This is not a very complicated action figure. That's not to say it's not nicely made, but rather, it's just not meant to have some MCU level of detailing. Waldo/Wally is a very simply designed character, and I feel this sculpt captures it quite nicely.
I mean, look at the picture perfect sculpt - Hot Toys could only dream of being this accurate and true to the character.
Articulation is about what I'd expect for a figure like this - TBH it's actually a little better than I'd have thought. You're not exactly going to pulling off superhero poses here. While the range of motion isn't extremely dynamic, you have more than enough to get the basic job done. In fact, the only joint that is technically missing is an ab crunch.
Paint work is simple, but effective. Honestly, I have no complaints in this regard. Nor do I have any complaints as it pertains to Build Quality. This figure is quite possibly one of the best made figures I've owned at this size. It sort of reminds of of a Playmobil toy on steroids.
Putting on the accessories is a relatively simple task, with some hands designed to hold several of the the accessories. The backpack contains a magnet that lets you stick on the shovel - maybe even the cane? Of course, the accessories have been used in his various adventures, though typically Waldo/Wally would have a different look when using his swimming stuff, for example.
Here is Spot in all his glory. As mentioned, he's really not that articulated at all, but he certainly looks nicely made.
So there you have it. An interesting figure to say the least, and there's a pretty good chance unless you're a nerd like me, the IP itself won't interest you. Have no doubts though - this is a very well made figure that if you can find for the right price, would at least be worth a purchase for just how well the thing is packaged and shipped out. Other companies should take note, because if Blitzway can do this at their price, there's really nothing that should prevent others from doing it.
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