Introduction:
In 1998 Playing Mantis issued the first of their Captain Action series figures in story book type boxes, Captain Action and Dr Evil. The boxes were bright and colorful and adorned with the artwork of Carmine Infantalino, and they opened up to show the figure and all of the accessories. But there was a great cry across the land because the boxes were not like the original Ideal "long" boxes, and Playing Mantis heard that cry.  And Playing Mantis laid their hands upon the boxes and said "let their be long boxes" and there were.  Thus describes the  exodus of Captain Action from the story book boxes to the retro type packaging used today.  So it is only natural when PM released the next figure in the Captain Action series, the Captain's young sidekick would be in a retro style box.  There is an old saying "Be careful of what you wish for, you just might get it".  Of course there is another saying "don't judge a book by its cover", and we will see how both apply to Playing Mantis's newest release.

The Review:
Lets start with the box (figure 1)  The first thing you will notice is that "Action Boy" has been renamed "Kid Action"  This is apparently due to a copyright conflict with "Action Man".  But a rose with any other name... (Ok, that was the last of the Clichés).  The box looks kind of like the original Ideal Action Boy box, only the three characters (Superboy, Robin and Aqualad) are gone (understandably), and the artwork is less professional looking.  What happened to Carmine Infantalino?  Jerry Ordway's artwork on the back insert (figure 2) makes the front of the box look weak by comparison.  Let me point out that this doesn't really mean much, I like the retro styling of the box, it just would have been nice if it was done as well as the "Captain Action" and "Dr Evil" retro boxes.  So lets stop wasting time and open it up.

Once you get that box open you will do a double take (figure 3).  How often does something inside the box look better than the picture on the front?  Kid Action looks great!  The face paint is top notch (figure 4) The emblem is vivid and printed on a metal backing (figure 5).  The uniform is a faithful recreation, down to the vinyl shorts and metal snaps on the back (figure 6)  The boots even have yellow lightning bolts painted on the front (figure 7).  Very nice touches.  Playing Mantis has gone the extra mile here and it shows.  He comes with a bevy of accessories, including a black panther with a painted face and leash (figure 8).  The boomerang, knife, belt and the obligatory beret are all present (figure 9).  The accessories are faithful to the originals, and look great.  For overall presentation value this figure gets perfect scores.  Now lets take a look at playability.

His joints are a bit stiff, as most new figures from this series are.  Especially in the wrists, which I am unable to turn at all for fear of tearing his hands off.  The elbows too, turn them at your own risk.  His shoulders and knees were looser (quite loose on mine) but they hold a pose well, and while the swivel at the elbow was tight, the bend of the elbow was fine.  So I tried out a few poses, and while I didn't get to 1001, I did manage to find a few that did him justice alongside the Captain.  The hands seem a bit small, but he holds his accessories very well, and decked out in full regalia he looks spectacular (figure 10 and figure 11). 

One thing I noticed was that his head doesn't quite sit right.  I spoke with a few other people who said the same thing about their heads (the one's on their Kid Action figures of course).  I tried straightening it out but it always snapped back to a slightly cocked back position.  Not a big deal.  Its due to the way in which the neck post is terminated.  Instead of a "ball" type ending which would allow a greater range of motion, it is a conical shape which is better suited for rotating than tilting.  Other interesting points are that the torso is not a single piece, it is two halves snapped together.  I have no idea why this was done, but it doesn't detract from the figure (although it is a slightly different plastic from the rest of the body). 

Another thing I want to mention, since there has been so much buzz about it, is his height.  Yes, as was reported, he is definitely a little shorter than Ideal's Action Boy.  Somewhere in the 1/4 inch range.  He is not an Action Jackson, he is just slightly shorter than Action Boy.  His legs are a little shorter, but the main reason for the height difference is the midsection.  The opening where the torso fits into the midsection is large and the torso drops down a bit, accounting for some height loss.  The same is true for the lower portion where the legs sit, the hole are big and the legs fit in deeply.  This also accounts for some minor restriction of the leg movement. 

The big question is "Will he still accommodate a vintage uniform set?"  The answer is a resounding yes.  The height difference is minor and he fits well into the Ideal uniforms.  The masks fit fine as well.  If you are looking for a figure to display a loose vintage Action Boy uniform set, this is a great way to go (especially if you don't want to spend almost two hundred bucks on a figure)

In Conclusion:
I have three things to say about Kid Action: buy it, buy it, buy it!  Kid Action is a great addition to the line.  He has the best face paint of all the figures, making his looks the most faithful to the vintage.  The elbows and wrists should loosen up with time, so bring out the kid in you and play with it a while.  The Captain Action line is once again complete, and we send our thanks out to Playing Mantis for making it happen.  Great work guys!

Daniel Webster April 2000

For a comparison of Kid Action and Action Boy, take a look here:  Kid Action Meets Action Boy