Posted in: Collectibles, Playmates | Tagged: donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, nickelodeon, raphael, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, rise of the tmnt, sdcc, sdcc 2018, sdcc exclusive, teenage mutant ninja turtles, tmnt, turtles

Let's Take a Look at the New Rise of the TMNT Figures From Playmates

TMNT fans have had some…lets say qualms about the new animated series hitting Nickelodeon on September 17th. From the design of the characters down to the personality switches going on, this is going to be a radically different take on the Heroes in a Half-Shell. The good news is that no matter what, we will still get toys out of it! Playmates is planning a full-scale release for this show, and we got our hands on the first four figures from SDCC. Let's take a look at the newest incarnations of the Turtles!

First, the packaging. Each Turtle is housed in their own slipcase box with a flap. The flap has the TMNT in all their glory, and the other side is a full window box for each brother with their name, turtle species, and weapon of choice. The presentation here is top-notch, and I really wish I wouldn't have had to open these in the first place, because they display really nicely in here.

But we open our toys in my house, and we show them to you. So, looking at each Turtle separately, we will start with the new leader of the group, Raphael. He is the bulkiest figure, which limited his mobility once out of the box. He also has a bit of an issue holding his tonfas, but once they got into his hands they stayed there. Each figure comes with two throwing stars each as well. Of the four he is actually my least favorite (historically also true), but still a decent figure.

Donatello has always been my person favorite member of the TMNT, and I really like this new design. His tech staff fits really well in his hand, And the added articulation in his feet are a nice touch. I am glad he will still be all techy in this version, and his drone pal Sheldon should be interesting to see. Also of note: with all four Turtles Playmates did a fantastic job with their QC. I had no paint rub or loose joints in my figures.

Leonardo takes a backseat of sorts in this version, and is more of a sarcastic, one-liner spewing character. Whatever, this energy sword thing is massive and cool. It does make the figure fall forward quite a bit, but like the other figures the added articulation in the legs really make posing less difficult than you would imagine.

Lastly, Michaelangelo. I am assuming the battle paint and such on all four Turtles are his doing, since in this show he is an artist, but I like it! It adds a little flair to each Turtles personality. His weapons are the worst however. The energy parts n the ends make them really tough to fit into his hands. Also: what are those kneepads? The figure itself is solid, but the accessories are the issue with Mikey.

Overall though, these are solid figures! The regular editions of the TMNT will be in stores later this month/early September. Fans: I know this is a big change. But I think this has a solid shot to be a pretty decent show, let alone a solid toy line.

We will all miss the last series, and especially the toy line it spawned. If these four figures are any indication though, these will be a worthy successor.

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premieres September 17th on Nickelodeon.

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