IANTO JONES ACTION FIGURE - T7

Information

Status: Out

Pictures:

Full review

Over the years of Doctor Who and Torchwood action figures and toys we have had a number of ‘men in suits.’ Some, like The Editor for example, have worked well. Some, like The Master, have been a bit of a flop. This figure is indeed an example of how to make a ‘man in a suit’ exciting – and he achieves a number of other notable things as well.

Yes, he looks good in a suit – surely essential for a figure of Ianto Jones?! As with the character his suit is unusual in design but ‘fits’ very nicely, the sculpting is excellent. His jacket is flexible, adding to the realism. It was a brave choice perhaps to go with the red shirt and striped tie, because it’s not all that well known, but it has definitely worked out for the best because it’s a very striking look. He certainly stands out well on a shelf, and this is a feature true of all the Torchwood action figures and toys I think it’s fair to say.

I think one of the great achievements as well is that he can either look calm when stood naturally, but when ‘running’ looks just right as well - caught in the action, and this can be a very striking way to display him too. Here, of course, the Torchwood plinth is essential as it allows you to balance him on one leg.

His face is very ‘Ianto’, even moreso from the side than from the front I think. His arms are particularly interesting, there’s no bicep swivel which could have posed a problem, but because he has quite a large elbow joint (which is very well camouflaged actually – it looks better than a lot of the smaller joints on Character Option’s action figures and toys) this actually doesn’t matter, you can get some ‘life’ into his arms very easily. They’re not at all wooden.

I originally felt that this was the weakest figure of Wave 2, simply because he didn’t quite grab me with something as special as the others. This was not to undermine him as a figure at all, overall compared to the other ranges as well, he is particularly strong. However since planning a review I’ve come to appreciate him a lot more. There’s definitely something about him that sets him apart from other action figures and toys.

His biggest achievement is probably that he is just a man in a suit but, as I say, there’s much more to him than just that. He has got that essential ‘life’ to him that all members of the Torchwood team must have (ironic in the circumstances after Children of Earth!) and he’s an excellent addition to both a Torchwood collection and a figures collection as a whole.