Aquaman is coming out in a few weeks, and I'm excited. Not because we're gonna see Aquaman actually getting his own movie. Not even because of Amber Heard. It's because DC, for some insane reason, decided to bring Black goddamn Manta to life on the big screen.
It's crazy. DC has lost its mind. The same studio that won't even let Superman have fun is going to give screen time to a villain whose claim to fame is wearing a helmet with big red goofy eyes.
And I love it. So much so that when I saw the new Aquaman movie toys come out of my local toy store, I snagged a figure of Black goddamn Manta just to review today!
The figure is packaged in a clear blister pack that shows off the figure pretty well. You know this is a Basic figure because the more high-end Aquaman action figures are in boxes instead.
Aquaman movie Black Manta feels really solid in hand, with no floppiness to speak of. Molded in black matte plastic, the sculpting and detail is great for a Basic figure. I particularly like the high-tech-looking backpack with all the hoses that run around his torso because it's just a really cool visual. The most paint you'll find on him is the red in his eyes and in some details around his armor, but just out of the box, movie Black Manta cuts a dashing figure for a villain who wears such a ridiculous helmet.
He's got some sort of blade coming out of his left forearm which is the only bad thing I could say about the sculpt. It's just a dull piece of soft plastic that's already warped and limp out of the packaging, and doesn't look really good in any angle. I wish they could have made it a separate attachment instead, but I guess the price point doesn't justify it.
Articulation is basically just swivels and hinges here, with some joints like the neck not having much range (Black Manta here can't look up), but what's surprising is a Basic figure having an actual waist swivel and hinged wrists! Maybe I'm just used to the cheaper versions of high-end toys getting the bare minimum in the articulation department, but movie Black Manta being this poseable is a welcome surprise.
Aquaman movie Black Manta's action figure doesn't come with much. He gets what looks like two "boosters" that plug into his backpack (which, based on movie stills looks like it should be there anyway), and what the packaging calls his "Dark Power Sword". It's just a black short sword, but it looks nice and fits his hand well.
Mattel's Aquaman movie Black Manta Basic Figure is a great toy for its price, and looking at both this and the DC Multiverse 6-inch line's Black Manta in box, there's really not much difference at first glance. If you're on a budget but are still looking for toy representation of this glorious hunk of movie villain, the Basic figure is more than a suitable replacement.
Congratulations, DC. You found a way to make Black Manta actually look cool!
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