Ram-Man Heroic Human Battering Ram! He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Basic Figure Item No.: Asst. HYD16 No. JBM77 Manufacturer: Mattel Includes: Shokoti Idol, Horde Invasion mini-comic Action Feature: n/a Retail: $19.99 Availability: November 2024 Other: She will never get sore on her way to supper
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The toy version was good, but the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Ram-Man looks like the cartoon! While it lacks the toy's axe and action feature, it does have articulated legs. It also makes some compromises to capture some 2D elements on a 3D surface. Which is better? Well, we'll leave that up to you.

I like the toy version enough, and each version has something to make it a little better. Do you want the expressive face from the cartoon and the cook Idol of Shokoti? This is the one you want. Do you want the ram action and axes? You'll want the other one. Can't decide? Well, that's why this hobby gets expensive.

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The figure is new - I would've expected more sharing with the other versions of the character, but the slightly shorter body seems to be mostly unique here. The joints work more or less the same as always, although I found one of the knees to be incredibly tight and hard to move. That's not a huge deal given the version my friend had as a kid had no knees, and this is an improvement over that. The sculpting is mostly consistent with the rest of the line, with lots of molded-in-color elements, flat colors, flat detail, and a vibe that's pretty incredible. To see 2D animation designs translated so well to a $20 action figure is absolutely worth the money. I assume NECA would've done more paint and more black outlines, but Mattel's line makes things that are a bit cheaper and easier to find... and I'm OK with that.

The one place things feel weird are on his chest. The figure's flat sculpting doesn't have the "X" stitches sculpted - it's just drawn on. It looks good, but it feels weird. I assume you'd never notice if you leave it in the packaging, and I can't complain because it's consistent with the cartoons where his skirt rivets are raised but uncolored.

The head is also interesting in that he can't usually move his neck very much. This figure adapted what may be an impossible design quite well, with the shoulder armor going over the helmet. It's not what I expected - his helmet armor tucks under the helmet, and I would have bet it would go over it. You're not going to be able to tuck the shoulder armor under the helmet, so if that bothers you, well, there's your warning.

If what you want is a stiff-necked spring-loaded hatchet man, this isn't it. This is a collector-specific version of the toy, and he's not too tall (and not as short as I imagined.) The hands look like vists but can also hold accessories, and they snap in quite nicely. He cannot, though, really grip his sole accessory - it has no handle or anything.

The Shokoti Idol is a metallic orange, and is made of multiple pieces. I would've loved a shield handle on the back, but there isn't anything other than a horn or a tentacle for a figure to grab. It's pretty cool - you might want to mount it on a wall somewhere, but there's no hooks for that. Maybe someone will make a 3D printable mount for it some day, but for now it can sit on your shelf and look cool next to some of the other prop-like accessories that come with this collection of figures.

So, do you need another Ram-Man, or a first one? This one is pretty good. This is one of few He-Man figures I know the toy as well as the cartoon, so it's both exactly what I want and a departure from what I remember. If you don't have any Ram-Man figures, this is a good one. Fans of the cartoon line are going to mostly enjoy it, minus the lack of action feature, which is consistent with the rest of the line. If you see it, it's probably worth the money. Especially if you want that Shokoti Idol, a 3D printed one is going to look good but this is going to be sharper.

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