Dead Space 2: Isaac Clarke Action Figure

Flavor Text:

"Isaac Clarke:

Three years ago, CEC engineer Isaac Clarke barely survived a virulent outbreak aboard the USG Ishimura that twisted the dead into mindless killing machines. Now it's happening again, this time on a metropolis orbiting Saturn known as the "Sprawl". Isaac fights to survive as his mind deteriorates and the space station descends into madness and chaos."



Sculpt:

I've played the first "Dead Space" many times, but I haven't played "Dead Space 2" yet (will try to this weekend), but from the images I've seen online, this Isaac Clarke in the Advanced Suit looks accurate.

As I removed Isaac from the clamshell packaging, I noticed the texture of the figure to be different; it was because NECA incorporated rubbery (plastic) pieces all over Isaac's body. In hindsight, this was a nice move since the jutting pieces of Isaac's sleek armored Advanced Suit might have caused some pain for collectors' [fingers] who like to pose their figures in all sorts of positions. Also, these rubbery pieces would less likely break off during shipment.

Isaac's pre-posed right hand grip is now tighter, allowing him to hold his trusty Plasma Cutter better. The previous Isaac Clarke figures (from the first Dead Space) had a bit too much wiggle room causing some annoyance for collectors as Isaac's weapon constantly fell through. Even with this improvement, I noticed that Isaac still has some problems holding the Plasma Cutter in place (it shifts making it look like Isaac is holding onto it by a thread).

An interesting and most welcome change is the soles of Isaac's boots no longer have the plain and boring "hollowed out" area with the "NECA 20XX Made in China" stamp (that stamp is now placed less noticeably on the back of Isaac's right boot).  Instead, we have detailed soles of Isaac's boots (the right boot has a bit more blood than the left one)!

There are some minor things about this figure (I'm somewhat of a stickler when it comes to details) that I feel need mentioning. For instance, the "light up" feature with the LED lights is a really cool idea (we've seen it done before), but all I see is just the bright white light (just like the SDCC Isaac Clarke Unitology outfit exclusive); and not the "aqua" color.  (**NOTE: The photos show the "aqua" color, but this is not the case when you view this in person**).

I would've preferred to have the "eye-holes" of the mask and RIG painted "greenish-blue" instead. With the LED feature, the painted stasis meter (on the immediate right of the RIG) looks really out of place. While I do appreciate having the RIG with the sculpted "bars" (I really do), I feel the same should've been done for the stasis meter as well. The stasis meter looks so... plain without it. A real minor thing to note is the absence of articulated "booster flaps" around Isaac's shoulders (rather they're sculpted on the backs of his shoulders).

* On a side note, I would love to see NECA release another Advanced Suit Isaac figure with an alternate unmasked head and in "clean" armor, possibly for this year's San Diego Comic Con.  That would really be awesome.*



Articulation:

Isaac has articulation in the: swivel neck, ball-jointed shoulders, ball-jointed elbows, ball-jointed wrists, swivel waist, swivel/hinged hips, swivel thighs, ball-jointed knees, and ball-jointed ankles.

Unlike NECA's usual fare, Advanced Suit Isaac doesn't seem to have the full range of motion from his ball-jointed neck; he's stuck with the swivel motion. The previous Isaac Clarke figures (from the first Dead Space collection) had ball-jointed necks, allowing for more head movement.

The ball-jointed waist wasn't incorporated into Advanced Suit Isaac either, most likely due to the cost of tooling. Again, the previous Isaac Clarke in his mining RIG had that articulation.

However, with all that aside, this is still a highly-articulated figure that NECA tends to produce from time to time. I would love to see more articulated figures from them.



Paint Application:

From the prototype pictures of Isaac, the colors looked a little too bright. Thankfully, this is not the case with the actual released product. The bright colors have been toned down quite a bit, just enough so that it's no longer a distraction.

Interestingly, this sleek Advanced Suit has seen its share of "wear-and-tear" due to the "dirt marks" applied all over his body. There are also generous amounts of blood splattered over Isaac's armor as well. This time around, NECA got it right with both the color and blood "splat" design; it no longer looks like "ketchup stains" (e.g. The Licker figure from the Resident Evil Series 2 line).



Accessories:

Like his previous plastic reincarnation (from Dead Space), this Isaac comes with only one accessory: the Plasma Cutter. What's really great about this particular Plasma Cutter is that it has a "swivel" feature just like in the video game! If you peek in front of the Plasma Cutter, you'll see the "blue-white" color (laser beam) painted on! While I was hoping for more accessories, the surprising addition of the "swivel" feature of the Plasma Cutter kind of makes up for it.



Packaging:

As with most of their recent offerings, NECA has reduced the amount of space in their clamshell packaging (most likely to save both money and space), which works quite well. The background design of the packaging is nice, no doubt taken from the video game cover of "Dead Space 2". However, the background design from the first "Dead Space" action figure packaging with the shadows of the incoming Necromorphs is no doubt still the best package design.

Interestingly, the slightly enlarged photo of Isaac at the bottom right of the packaging shows him with his trusty Plasma Cutter (from the first Dead Space video game).



Price:

I pre-ordered Isaac Clarke through CornerStoreComics for a total of $40.14 (this also included a Necromorph figure) and from an eBay seller (also purchased together with the Necromorph) for $34.42.



The Good:

* The highly anticipated Isaac Clarke finally makes his appearance in plastic form!
* Extremely detailed (Advanced Suit) Isaac figure!
* Highly articulated.
* Video game accurate sculpt.


The Bad:

* Missing some minor attention to detail (not a bad thing, but didn't have any other place to put this).
* Color of LED feature.
* One accessory.


The Ugly:

* The long wait it took to finally get this figure in my grubby hands!



Score:

Dead Space: Isaac Tonal Tee - Black (T-Shirt) Review

If you signed up on Facebook and "friended" Dead Space, then you'd know that the Visceral Games Store is up and running.  Earlier on, they gave a preview of apparel that were going to be sold via their online store.  Unfortunately, I was late to the party (so to speak) and missed out on the "crowd favorite" Vintage Comic Tee.  Stung with bitter disappointment, I reluctantly purchased this t-shirt.

The Good: 

• This shirt was both packaged and shipped nicely from Treehouse Brand Stores, LLC.  The t-shirt was neatly folded and actually packaged in a separate plastic baggie.  There was no big [wasteful] cardboard box, but a thin but sturdy plastic wrap.  Now, that's great customer service!

• Isaac Clarke's [three-slit] visor is made with "glow in the dark" ink.

• The entire front of this t-shirt is a picture of Isaac Clarke from the amazing Dead Space video game.  This image is the same as the one used on the cover of the "limited edition" The Art of Dead Space: Designing a Nightmare art book, which was given out as a bonus at the time of the game's release. 

• T-shirt makers, take note: no tag t-shirts are the best.  Don't you always get annoyed by the "bump" on the back of your neck from the tag?

• Although the t-shirt itself is thin (enough to wear on a hot sunny day), the feel and quality of the shirt is pretty good.

The Bad:

• Isaac Clarke's [three-slit] visor is made with "glow in the dark" ink.  Although the concept is cool enough, aren't we pass the time and age where anything "glow in the dark" is used?  Just something about that "feature" that sounds really childish.

• The back of the shirt has "Visceral Games" near the top middle area (right under the back of your neck).  I think it would've been better if it just said "Dead Space" instead, just like on the cover the video game. 

• At first, I wasn't a big fan of the overall design; it seemed to "showy."  I would've preferred to see a smaller front print of Isaac at either the bottom left or right.  And on the back, have a Necromorph on the opposite bottom left or right lurking around to "ambush" Isaac.

The Ugly:

• If anything is ugly, it's the price of these shirts.  Luckily, this shirt isn't as ridiculously expensive as the Vintage Comic Tee (but it's still on the "pricey" side).  With the money being spent on this, you'd expect it to do more.

Additional Notes:

• This shirt comes in all sizes: small, medium, large, extra large, and extra extra large (just like pizza).

I looked everywhere on eBay before going through with my purchase in Visceral Games [online] Store.  I really didn't want to pay $24.00 (which doesn't include shipping and handling charges) for a shirt.  Can you blame me for that?  I had some reservations about the design of the shirt before (for instance, I wasn't convinced that the oversized front print of Isaac was a good idea; I figured it would've been better if the size of the print were a bit smaller and placed near the bottom left or right).  However, once I received this in the mail and got to view this shirt up close and personal, I was immediately won over.  I paid a total of $30.00 (which includes the shipping and handling fee of $6.00 for "domestic standard" which takes 3-5 days for delivery).


NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT eBAY OR THE VISCERAL GAMES STORE.  I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES.  I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING [OR NOT] SOLELY BASED UPON MY EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.

For a t-shirt, this is definitely on the pricey side.  However, if you're a big fan of Dead Space and want to show the world (without embarrassing yourself with your little or big action figure collection), then I'd recommend getting this shirt.  If you want to spend a little more cash for a shirt, I'd most definitely recommend on getting the Vintage Comic Tee instead (here's the link for the same-styled shirt for women).


Score (out of five):

Dead Space: Isaac Clarke Figure Review

As a Dead Space fan and being hungry for Dead Space figures, I snatched a set of regular versions of Isaac Clarke as soon as I saw them up on eBay. I have to tell you, these figures put the SDCC exclusive to shame by quite a lot. Just something about seeing Isaac Clarke in his regular RIG outfit that makes me excited. However, this figure isn't without any flaws.





Flavor Text:

"Briefing Data:

Isaac Clarke

Update from Recipient: Have arrived on board USG Ishimura. No survivors present, power running low. Cut off from security detail at onset of mission. Ishimura crew has been overrun by alien hostiles. Attempting to restore ship systems. Unsure if communications are working, if message received send military support.

Assignment: Investigate lost signal and repair all repair all necessary equipment in order to restore communications.

Mission Briefing Recipient: Isaac Clarke

Mission Location: USG Ishimura

Issue: Total communications blackout

Support Team: Standard Security Detail"



The Good:

• Isaac has 29 points of articulation: ball-jointed head, ball-jointed shoulders, swivel upper arms, ball-jointed/swivel/hinged elbows, swivel hands, quasi-ball-jointed/swivel hips, swivel/hinged legs, swivel thighs, ball-jointed/swivel/hinged knees, and quasi-ball-jointed ankles.

• Like his SDCC exclusive counterpart, "regular" Isaac sports LED lights too (on both his visor and spine)! Because of the blue plastic used, the LED brightness is considerably dimmed.

• This Isaac figure has a pretty good grip on the Ripper weapon. I (sheepishly) admit that it took me some time to figure out how Isaac would hold the weapon.

• Thankfully, the regular Isaac doesn't suffer from the LED lights bleeding through the paint on his spine like his SDCC exclusive counterpart.
  

• I can breathe an easy sigh of relief to see that Isaac doesn't suffer from the "male cameltoe" which was last seen prominently displayed on the Chris Redfield figure.

The Bad:

• The "bloody" variant Isaac comes with the Ripper weapon as the only accessory. The "standard" Isaac comes with the 211-V Plasma Cutter. As mentioned in my previous review of the SDCC exclusive, the figure is sorely lacking in the accessories department. Although the Ripper weapon is nice to have, it would've been better to have additional weapons such as the Flamethrower or even the IM-822 Handheld Ore Cutter Line Gun.

• It's not necessarily a bad thing, but the overall design of Isaac and the greenish-bluish tinge (when the LED is switched on) eerily remind me of Bioshock. As a side note, I really hope that NECA doesn't incorporate the LED "light feature" in their upcoming Bioshock figures. NECA, please don't do this to us.

• The color of Isaac's RIG suit is a bit too orange for my tastes. I'm pretty sure his suit is more of a gold color than anything else. **Actually I just checked to confirm my belief: http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/deadspace/images/1/11/Dead_Space_2009-05-26_22-56-43-51.png ** (It is gold).
  

• Again, this Isaac suffers the same problem from its predecessor of the three [slightly] deep yet visible holes with screws in the back of Isaac just look ugly as hell. Obviously, this was needed to allow collectors to remove the dead battery and replace it. I just had to point out that it's distracting.

• I really hoped to see Isaac sculpted in his Level 5 armor, where he is covered from head-to-toe in armor.

• The "shoulder armor" covering Isaac's right shoulder is glued in place which limits his arm movement (preventing him from doing any "high-five" poses). The SDCC exclusive doesn't suffer from this problem.
  

The Ugly:

• Obviously, the "bloody version" of Isaac would sport blood on his armor. But when you examine the "blood splatter" it's rather... disappointing. The red paint applications look more like ketchup stains than anything else (especially on the visor and Isaac's right leg). NOTE: The "regular" Isaac (supposedly "non-bloody") actually sports a little "blood deco" as well on his RIG helmet and right shoulder.

• Also what's up with the paint application here? Right on top and at the bottom of Isaac's spine, you see an unsightly splotch of orange paint. You bet your ass that's sloppy. Would someone please explain to me why the hell are white dots applied liberally all over Isaac's body? Space dust, perhaps?

• Starting from the fourth "row" of Isaac's chest armor, the lines of armor are [quite visibly] crooked and no longer are following the pattern (as seen in the above three "rows" of Isaac's chest armor). There's a noticeable gap betwen the third and fourth row, which is plain ugly as it is sloppy. I suspect the black "twisties" that are used to hold the figure are partly to blame (the other half of the blame goes right to the sculptor/Chinese factory).

• The "regular" version of Isaac sports a noticeably crooked HUD display (the little blue plastic sticking out on Isaac's chest). Examine these figures in person before buying them! It seems NECA still has quality control issues.
  

• As I mentioned in an earlier review [of the Isaac Clarke SDCC exclusive], if NECA was going all out to include LED lights for the spine and helmet, why not include that for the kinesis module as well? I understand that the engineering behind that could be quite complicated, but to have the LED spine "light up" next to a painted kinesis module, well.... it looks pretty bad.
  

I purchased this set online via eBay for a total of $34.90 (price includes S&H). I recommend searching through eBay for these. If you can't seem to find a reasonable price order from CornerStoreComics.com (last I checked, they charge $25.99 for both; $13.99 individually). They're really good about packaging and sending out items in a timely manner, and they seem to get their items a little earlier than most electronic retailers I've dealt with.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT eBAY OR CORNERSTORECOMICS. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING THEIR SERVICES BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.


Overall, NECA's Isaac Clarke is one AMAZING entry into the Dead Space franchise. Despite a lot of glaring negatives, I'm really glad to see NECA getting into the idea of heavily articulated action figures. I recommend examining these figures in person before purchasing, so you can avoid the crap that I've viewed as negative. It may be just me, but I think getting both (the "regular" version which isn't really regular and the "bloody" version) is a pretty stupid idea.

Dead Space: Isaac Clarke (SDCC 2009 Exclusive) Review

As a latecomer to the Dead Space franchise, I was indifferent to hearing the news that NECA was going to produce Dead Space figures. However, once I started playing the game, I was excited at the prospect of owning an Isaac Clarke figure. Having seen the preliminary sculpts of Isaac, I wasn't surprised at the high level of detail. All I was worried about was NECA screwing up an amazing sculpt with limited articulation. I'm really glad that NECA came through.



Flavor Text:

"Briefing Data:

Isaac Clarke

Update from Recipient: Have arrived on board USG Ishimura. No survivors present, power running low. Cut off from security detail at onset of mission. Ishimura crew has been overrun by alien hostiles. Attempting to restore ship systems. Unsure if communications are working, if message received send military support.

Assignment: Investigate lost signal and repair all repair all necessary equipment in order to restore communications.

Mission Briefing Recipient: Isaac Clarke

Mission Location: USG Ishimura

Issue: Total communications blackout

Support Team: Standard Security Detail"



The Good:

• Once again, NECA gives us an action figure with over 20 POINTS OF ARTICULATION! Last I checked, Issac has approximately 25 points of articulation.

• This SDCC NECA Exclusive sports LED lights as advertised on the front packaging! It can be seen through Isaac's visor and "spine" (found on the back of his RIG suit). When this baby is turned on in the dark, Isaac's LED lights are bright enough to be used as a flashlight during a blackout (no joke)!

• As seen in the previously released Chris Redfield figure (from NECA's Resident Evil 5 line), Isaac Clarke also sports the knee joint which is covered by his boots!

• Just had to point out the Unitology "scribbles" all over Isaac's body armor is done pretty well. It must've been really hard to paint those on. I wonder if those symbols translate into anything...

• The paint application on this figure is fairly consistent, which is a nice change from NECA's usual fare. I found only two pieces of dried paint: one piece of dried paint sticking out noticeably when I swiveled Isaac's right leg forward and back; the other sticking right behind of Isaac's kinesis module "meter" (found on his back right shoulder).
  

• I can breathe an easy sigh of relief to see that Isaac doesn't suffer from the "male cameltoe" which was last seen prominently displayed on the Chris Redfield figure.

The Bad:

• The lack of pack-in accessories is somewhat irksome. Isaac only comes with his standard 211-V Plasma Cutter tool with Unitology "scribble" all over it. In the video game DEAD SPACE, Isaac was able to carry four weapons of the seven found or purchased in the game. It would've been nice to see either the Flamethrower or even the Pulse Rifle as an extra weapon accessory.
  

• It would've really been nice to be able to swivel the Cutter tool horizontally as in the game (although I understand the difficulties that would come with such a feature).
  

• In the beginning, Isaac had a great grip on his Cutter tool. However, each time I slightly moved him from one position to another, the Cutter tool just slipped out of his right hand. Isaac can't even hold onto the Cutter just standing!

• The three [slightly] deep yet visible holes with screws in the back of Isaac just look ugly as hell. Obviously, this was needed to allow collectors to remove the dead battery and replace it. I just had to point out that it was... distracting.

• I really hoped to see Isaac sculpted in his Level 5 armor, where he is covered from head-to-toe in armor.

• NOTE: Isaac has 4 "slits" in his visor as seen in the pictures on the Dead Space clamshell packaging. Unfortunately, the figure only sports 3. I wish NECA paid more attention to that specific detail. In other words, I wish NECA added on another "slit" to his visor (it would've been nice to see the SDCC exclusive sport a slightly different sculpt when compared to the original DS figures).

The Ugly:

• When you turn on the LED lights (by pushing the "button" on the top of Isaac's spine), you see the light bleeding through the black paint with the Unitology "scribble". Also you can see very clearly, the glue scuff marks and black paint smears all over the "blue" colored plastic.

• As much as I love the idea of the LED lights incorporated into the NECA exclusive, I wish NECA made some changes to this. Don't get me wrong, the LED light shining through Isaac's visor is great. However, having the "spine" light up in blue cheapened an otherwise cool idea. When you turn on the LED light, you can see that the entire "spine" portion is made up of blue plastic (this is due to the blue plastic bleeding through the black paint application). It would've been better to keep the bright [white] LED light as is. As much as I understand the difficulty of coming up with incorporating LED into an action figure, NECA should've also done that with the kinesis module as well. By giving Isaac's visor and "spine" LED light, it unintentionally calls attention to the painted kinesis module. By leaving it out, it cheapens the overall look.
  

I purchased this NECA Exclusive online via Toyrocket for a total of $47.94. I recommend searching through eBay or Amazon for better deals. If you can't seem to find a reasonable price (the MSRP is $20.00), order from Bigbadtoystore.com (last I checked, they charge approx. $32.99). They're usually good about packaging and sending out items in a timely manner, but they seem to get their items later than most electronic retailers.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT TOYROCKET, eBAY, AMAZON, OR BIGBADTOYSTORE. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING THEIR SERVICES BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.



Overall, NECA's SDCC 2009 Exclusive Isaac Clarke is one AMAZING entry into the Dead Space franchise. I'm really glad to see NECA getting into the idea of heavily articulated action figures. During these harsh economic times, I'd recommend just getting one (unless you're a hardcore Dead Space fan AND have the money to purchase another for your MOC collection).