Grayskull Mania (Masters of the WWE Universe) Review

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Grayskull Mania (Masters of the WWE Universe) Review

Grayskull Mania
Masters of the WWE Universe (Mattel)So, WWEternia. I've been an on-and-off wrestling fan for most of my life, and this set was actually what got me started on the line. A couple basic toys and a playset seemed pretty nice for, what, $20? And it is, mostly.
Getting the ring itself out of the way, this one's solid enough. The base and ringposts are pure Grayskull, while the mat itself is pretty standard. Feels a bit hollow, but that's a result of the spring action. I never understood that, since the figures don't really weigh enough to bounce on it, but oh well. The ropes are oddly bright, but have a good spring to them. The steps are as Eternian as the base, and tab in on either of two sides.
My only gripes are the mysterious clips on the sides of the steps (none of the weapons so far really fit in there), and the lack of foot pegs on the ringposts. C'mon, there's a Rey Mysterio in the line, fer cryin' out loud!
Speaking of wrestlers, I find it odd that this is the only proper John Cena available. I'll get around to the nitty gritty of the body type in another review, but it's basically the old MOTU aesthetic with 15 POA. Cena seems to be a rough He-Man analogue, wearing the classic Corodite harness in orange with his own logo, and carrying the familiar shield and axe- both of which are, oddly, translucent blue. Huh.
I thought the jorts and shoes would clash with the fantasy-flavored upper body garments, but somehow it works. It's the weapon color I take issue with, but as it turns out, they can hold vintage MOTU weapons just fine, so mine's already looking better.
HHH is less fortunate. For whatever reason, it's just HHH. White (painted) wristbands, boots, elbow and knee pads. No armor, loincloth, nothing. A decent figure, there's just no fantasy element at all.
Well, he is rocking Skeletor's Terror Claws in black, which helps a little, but frankly, it's going to get set aside pretty quickly as one's collection grows.
I gotta say, this is a fine start for the price. Any complaints can be put down to the fact that both figures are merely pack-ins, along with Mattel's usual quiet undercurrent of mediocrity. Hell, it got me to buy their products for the first time in a decade or more, so if you're looking to collect this line, it's kind of a must-have for display. Just do something to either improve or replace that HHH.