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ADVANCE REVIEW: NECA's SDCC Exclusive ELITE THERON
Gears of War Villain Returns Cooler Than Ever...
* PLEASE NOTE: Packaged photos of the Elite Theron do not have a "SDCC 2012 Exclusive" sticker. The figure you buy at the show WILL.
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The Theron are cool. Not only do the Theron look awesome in the Gears of War video games, but NECA's treatment of them as 7-inch action figures has been nothing short of stunning. First introduced into the line way back in 2008 as part of Gears of War Series 2, the Theron have been highly sought-after figures by fans. It's not just because of their rarity, the "Sentinels" being the only two Theron releases (Marcus and Dom in Theron disguise don't really count). It's really because the Theron are so cool.
Hitting retail now is Gears of War 3 Series 3 which at long last brings collectors two all-new Theron: the Savage Theron. Decked out in white and black armor, the two figures also feature wicked new helmeted head sculpts (we gave you the first sneak peek of them with our NECA studio tour HERE). These complete (for now) the many in-game Theron looks.
In another very smart San Diego Comic-Con exclusive move, NECA is taking one of those new head sculpts and using it on another new figure: The Elite Theron. Dressed in the reversed Sentinel colors of predominantly black with red highlights, the Elite Theron is essentially a color variant of the new Savage Theron (though they are both totally separate characters). The SDCC Exclusive Elite Theron is different enough to excite passionate Gears of War collectors, but not SO different as to alienate those who can not attend Comic-Con and get one. And Comic-Con is going to be the ONLY way to get this figure... NECA has announced that they will not be offering these for sale online through their club or Amazon storefronts (though other retailers may). Grab your SDCC Exclusive Elite Theron at NECA's booth #3145 priced at $25.
In closing, the Elite Theron is an amazing new version of the already fantastic-looking Theron. The new helmet is the star of the show, the slick eye visor and snarling expression really knocking it out of the park for me. The color scheme is also fantastic, the reversed color scheme looking, well, ELITE! Other than that, the only difference I can spot on the Elite Theron over the older Theron Sentinels is the waist joint. Where the past figures could swivel side to side, the new Elite Theron features a very noticeable ball-joint. This allows for some more robust display options. We also get the Torque Bow, which we haven't seen since, if memory serves me correctly, Gears of War Series 2 in 2008. Speaking as a die-hard Gears of War fan, the Elite Theron is one figure you don't want to miss. Because Theron are cool.
* PLEASE NOTE: Packaged photos of the Elite Theron do not have a "SDCC 2012 Exclusive" sticker. The figure you buy at the show WILL.
Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor
Review Sample Courtesy of NECA
