Review of The Walking Dead Series 5 Daryl Dixon and Chopper Deluxe Box Set

Character Bio:
An expert tracker and hunter, Daryl's skills honed during a contentious and largely self-sufficient childhood in the mountains of Georgia are especially valuable after the undead outbreak. Daryl and his older brother Merle eventually join up with a group of survivors headed by Shane and Lori, though they're commitment to anybody other than themselves is suspect from the start. It is eventually revealed that the brothers came from an abusive home. While Merle turned largely to anti-social behavior and even crime, Daryl has long retreated into a survivalist mentality in which he relies only on himself and refuses to get close to anyone other than his brother, who holds an undeniable and unhealthy influence over him.
As the months progress, Daryl becomes a more and more integral part of the group, forming a particularly strong bond with Carol putting himself in harms way over and over again in order to protect his fellow survivors. He is trusted and, more notably, begins to trust others. This trust isn't always consistent, but never wavering is Daryl's proficiency in coolly dispatching walkers, especially with his trusty crossbow and knife. Daryl is a perfect example of why the survivors cant judge books by their covers. The seemingly reckless redneck is actually a force to be reckoned with and an effective, if reluctant leader.

The Basics:
Scale: 5"
Price: retail: $34.99, online: $26.99 and up

Sculpt and Paint:
      So I never got into The Walking Dead figures when they were initially released. The first two waves had figures that were all "pre-posed" meaning they did have articulation, but it didn't do much as it only accommodated one or two particular poses, and the facial sculpts were good but could have been better...especially that Shane... Those days, however are far gone, but I still wasn't sold on the line. I received The Governor as a gift, and really enjoyed it. A few weeks later images of this figure hit the web and I knew I had to have it. So for the past few weeks I was beyond vigilant. Sure enough, he hit Toys R Us' website and stores early, so I jumped on it, and just in time as he soon sold out. Now with all that said, this figure is remarkable, and has completely sold me on this line (as I type this my wallet is weeping in the corner).
     For all of the newer figures, McFarlane Toys does a 3-D Scan on the actors in order to get in every detail. In this case, Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl, is captured perfectly in plastic form.  The hair is actually a separate rubber piece glued onto the head for more realism, and the vest is also a rubber piece, so you don't have to worry about it breaking or limiting posability. Every single detail from the stitched on wings on the vest, the rag in his back pocket, his patched knee, and shoes. It's all here. Take a look.

     Now a good sculpt is nothing without fantastic paint  and this guy has amazing paint apps. The skin tone is consistent throughout save for the  new wrists, but the plastic it was molded in is close enough that it isn't noticeable unless it's right in your face. The clothing looks weathered and has that "lived in" look crucial to an apocalypse survivor. It's truly incredible.

Articulation and Accessories:
     One of the main appeals of this figure was his upgraded articulation. Daryl has a ball-jointed head with an insane range of movement, swivel-hinge shoulders, swivel-hinge elbows, a swivels at the forearms,  swivel-hinge wrists, a ball-jointed upper torso, waist swivel, h-joint hips (I think that's the proper term, they're DCUC style basically), swivel-hinge knees, and swivel-hinge ankles. That is so awesome and a huge upgrade compared to the other Walking Dead figures in terms of torso, wrist, and hip movement!
    In terms of accessories, Daryl comes with a hunting knife that fits into a sheath on his right side, and his signature crossbow that can be slung on his shoulder.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Daryl is also packed with the first ever vehicle in The Walking Dead figure line. Daryl's chopper, which the packaging says he "inherited" from his brother Merle, is done in amazing detail. All of the decals from the shows chopper are there, save for one they had to leave out to avoid controversy (or so I'm told). It has a joint at the front for steering as all choppers do. The kickstand can be flipped down and up, it has removable saddle bags, features two  clips on the front to store his crossbow, and has a really cool feature.

 

There is a little stand that can be pegged into the back tire to keep it standing up without the kick stand as though he were riding it. One thing worth noting is that the handle bars are on the big side, so if his hands stay on them too long they may stretch them out, loosening his grip on the crossbow, and the already loosely-held knife.

 

 

OVERALL:
This is by far the best Daryl figure of the 2 that they released (4 if you count the repack of the original and the 10" statue-esque one). He is super-poseable, incredibly detailed, comes with all of his main accessories from the show, and is just one hell of a display piece. Now this is a McFarlane Toys figure making it a higher end piece, so I would be careful while posing the figure, because if this guy is like his predecessor, he is going to be fetching hundreds of dollars in the near future. This Daryl Dixon is a true masterpiece and I hope this new articulation model is here to stay.

 

10 OUT OF 10!!