Nickelodeon's TMNT Slash Action Figure :: Turtle Power!

Slash has always been one of my favorite TMNT characters. I love the Edward Hyde/Bizarro aspect of the character, the mad twisted tweak on the cuddly loveable Turtle Teens.

So when I learned Slash would appear in the Nickelodeon TMNT cartoon, and that he would later appear as an action figure, I was pretty stoked.

At first I was unhappy with the action figure's shortcomings, and had decided to pass on him. But Toys R Us is having a 'Buy one, get one 40% off' TMNT sale, and since I was buying Newtralizer I decided to nab Slash anyways.

I am glad I did.

I admit, the pin-headed design isn't my favorite. And of course it has been said time and again (even by me) that Playmates' non-turtle TMNT action figures fall short in many ways (paint apps, articulation, accessories...you name it.)

But I took a step back from the toy collector mentality for a minute and realized a few things: primarily, if 'OtherToyCo.' was in charge of the TMNT license, they would be asking upwards of $20 plus for these guys. And while you might get slightly more articulation, or perhaps more paint apps, there would still be plenty of issues to complain about. PLENTY! And would you really be getting more/better for your more money? I say thee 'nay.'

So is Slash perfect? Heck no. But at BOGO 40% off he and Newtralizer came to about $6.30 each, and that's simply incredible in this day and age. Heck, $8.99 for a figure this size is incredible this day and age, especially for a licensed property. Playmates keeps these guys at around $8.99, sells them everywhere, has yet to release an impossible to find anything, and stores stay well stocked and have sales all the time.

All that considered, I just can't complain about Playmates handling of TMNT action figures anymore. I will continue to like/dislike character designs and whatnot, which is anyone's prerogative, but I'm absolutely okay with how the toyline is being handled and how many kids it is able to reach at this price-point while still (somewhat) appeasing old jaded toy collectors at the same time.

Nickelodeon Slash is scaled smaller than he appears in the cartoon, but his scale works well next to the original Slash. And having grown up a Transformers/GoBots fan, scale is just something you had to let go of. In the Transformer world, Semi trucks are larger than jet fighters, and cassette players are even larger than that! Scale, shmale - who needs it?

Modern Slash comes with one weapon: a nice, solid mace.

There are currently two paint variations on the modern Slash. The one I picked up has yellow paint apps on his chest. The other available version lacks this paint app and instead has the paint applied to small spikes on his left shoulder. I've seen both versions in person, and although it's a small thing, I prefer this one. Your mileage may vary, or you might not care either way, but something to consider if you are in the market for Slash.

"Paradise!"