Last month Super7 blessed ALIEN Day with a pair of striking ReAction figures that are among the best they have given us to date. This month, just a few days shy of ALIEN’s 40th Anniversary, they released their latest Wave 3 of SPACE VILLAIN variants. Let’s take a closer look at this cadre of interstellar rapscallions.
This selection deviates from previous SPACE VILLAIN releases with the introduction of Kane in his pressure suit. Prior sets in this series exclusively featured the Alien and no one else. Super7 decided to break with tradition and keep us on our toes with this release.
As I’ve already called attention to this figure, let’s take a closer look at Kane first. This isn’t the regular release version of Kane we were introduced way back in 2013 when the compression suited Kane spearheaded the ReAction line up in imitation prototype guise. This is a re-release of the revised 3 pack iteration and also the same as the spectacular red Kane figure included as part of the recent ALIEN Day releases from Super7. The notable physical changes to these versions over the orginal piece is the breached faceplate providing ingress for the space yabbie attached to Kane’s face.
The Kane figure is known as ‘Ghost’ and is the rarest of the items comprising this selection. It’s a nice presentation, cast in clear material and highlighted in subdued colours. Sure, these colours could have been inspired by bodily fluids of someone with a nasty head cold but the scheme works well on the figure and the highlighted points are well chosen. It doesn’t really do a lot for me but I love the fact Super7 have thrown a spanner into what our expectations can be. I have noticed they like to do that. I’m thinking this piece would have benefited from having glitter scattered throughout or maybe could have had a warm glow in the dark finish. A glow in the dark compression suit would have been fantastic! It is called ‘Ghost’, after all. It just doesn’t feel like it has earned the privilege of being the rare, special figure in this batch it should be. Compare it to the stunning ‘Supernova’ Alien figure from the previous SPACE VILLAIN Wave 2 and you’ll know what I mean.
While Kane is the only human figure in this lot, I’m certain the most popular item in this release of blind box figures will be the purple ‘Nebula Nightmare’ Alien figure. Well, half purple, anyway, as this figure transitions its way down at about the midriff to become clear at the lower legs and feet. Of all the figures in this set of Wave 3 SPACE VILLAIN figures, this one is definitely my favourite. It’s also going to have a lot of appeal to women ALIEN fans, too. I’ve already had multiple discussions regarding this item’s interest to women so I know that’s already the case. The purple Alien is the bomb! In the past was frequently requested by fans and you can be happy with this one.
There are two other figures in this set. The red and black ‘Rage’ figure is also translucent. It is cast in red and given a liberal wipe of black across all surfaces. Of all the figures in this set, I find this one the least attractive. I bet there’s a really neat red figure buried underneath that sooty finish. It just doesn’t make the impression on me that an unpainted translucent red figure would have done. Black is such a major theme throughout the ALIEN range, a raw translucent red figure would have been fantastic. Maybe if the overall wipe wasn’t so dominant and revealed more of the base figure it might have been better.
The green spattered ‘Acid Blood’ figure is the only truly opaque item in this set. It hearkens back to earlier releases particularly the Alien included in the recent 3 pack which was also black but with red paint spatters. When I first heard about this item, I wasn’t that enthusiastic about it. Green on black. Big deal. The contrasting repaint didn’t have that much of an appeal to me. Now, holding the item in hand I find I prefer this item other the earlier red painted one. The green complements the black base perfectly and delivers a surprisingly startling and impressive presentation.
Overall, this is a nice set of figures. Sure, we’ve seen ’em all before. Many times, in fact. This release brings the Alien figure up to 21 variants to date. Even the Kane figure has been released no less than 11 times. For me, that is one of this sets problems. We’ve also seen the clear translucent compression suited figure released before. A prior iteration of it was available in the Deep Space Mystery Egg blind box set. This 3rd Wave of ALIEN SPACE VILLAIN ReAction figures is actually the 4th blind box set from Super7. That prior set included a clear Ripley in the suit with very similar presentation. It was just lacking the various highlights we see here – and of course the damaged helmet and the presence of an amorous crustatean attached to the figure’s face.
For Collectors who have been around long enough to have seen these figures when they were initially released in 2013 as promotional faux test shots, this line of figures is definitely beginning to tire. Counter to that, people new to the series will enjoy it a lot. This is a great selection despite covering the same ground. The production quality is still maintained at the same level these things were introduced to us 6 years ago and if you want to own just one or two ALIEN ReAction figures, these are a great choice. Especially that purple one. Thankfully, it’s one of the commonly found items in this blind box ALIEN series.
Score: 7/10
More of the same but still a lot of fun. Lemonade Kane is a welcome surprise but could have been a better piece considering its ‘special’ status in this batch. Purple Alien is purple.
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