Scratch (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Super7)) Review

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Scratch (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Super7)) Review

Scratch
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Super7) (Super7)Being a toy collector can be a pretty costly hobby, especially in the case of TMNT. A good handful of the original figures fetch a pretty penny nowadays, especially Scratch the cat, who is worth thousands of dollars. Fortunately, Super7 has given us a cheaper option.

Scratch's sculpt, like most TMNT Ultimates, is an updated and upscaled version of the original Playmates figures. Standing around 6 3/4" tall, Scratch has a few changes to his appearance, the most notable of which being a ball and metal chain attached to the clamp on his left leg. I wish it was removable, but I can live. He also now sports a bandage on his tail and messier hair on his cheeks. The file that hangs around his neck is a separate piece now as well, but you'll have to pop his head off to remove it.

The feline's head sports a rather wicked look, with one eye more open than the other, and a big ol' grin. One of his teeth is deeper in his mouth than the other, making me suggest that it wasn't supposed to be painted white there. Scratch gets an alternate head sculpt, with the mouth closed on the left side and eyes looking off to the right. If you've read the "Rad Plastic" book, you'd know this was based off an unused head for the Playmates figure. The paint bears a few differences in color from his 1993 counterpart, with his head having a good blend of orange and tan to give it some realism. The work is clean, though there are some fuzzy edges, which are thankfully barely noticeable.

Aside from a lower value, the other plus new Scratch has against the old one is more articulation. He has a ball-jointed head with pretty good tilt, but nothing too extreme. The arms can manage good poses thanks to the swivel/hinge joints at the shoulders, elbows, and wrists, and the gun-grip hands offer interesting movement with a vertically-hinged right, and a horizontal left. The ball-jointed chest is really impressive, with plenty of tilt and lean, and the tail also gets some tilt out of a simple ball-socket joint. The rest is basic Super7, with a swivel waist and thighs, along with swivel/hinge hips, knees, and ankles. The legs are a little wonky due to limited bend in the knees and left ankle, and the lack of proper rocker motion on the right ankle, but they still move well.

Super7 made sure to outfit the catburglar with plenty of accessories, starting with the alternate head sculpt. It looks great, though some heat will help make swapping it out easier. Four pairs are hands are also included: gun-grip, tight grip, clawing, and closed. They fit tight in the forearms, but it's not too much of a struggle to swap them. His little buddy, Jail Bird, is a nice sculpt, though there's no articulation on him. The bag of loot, cake gun, and fish are all carryovers from the original, and are now joined by a hammer and larger file. Lastly, there's the typical, ever-pointless unpainted weapons sprue, but I actually like this one, thanks to the ball-and-chain design and pastel yellow color.

I have to admit, I wasn't expecting Scratch to be a part of this line, especially as early as wave 6, but Super7 did him justice, and is ideal for those who want this cat, but not pay a goldmine for him. Given Playmates' recent kick of reproducing old TMNT figures, I imagine they'll do Scratch again at some point, but until then, this is a perfect alternative.

- 1/3/23