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[HR][/HR]Ben 10’s Ben Tennyson has some pretty cool alien forms he can turn into with the Omnitrix/Ultimatrix. The majority of them are relatively humanoid in shape and size, but when Ben and his friends face their biggest threats sometimes something a bit more intimidating is required. The largest and strongest (though not most powerful – that would be Alien X) of the Omnitrix/Ultimatrix aliens is Way Big, an homage to Ultraman! And while the character first debuted way back in the first Ben 10 series and has appeared in each subsequent incarnation, there hasn’t been an action figure put out until now.
Ben Tennyson is an impulsive kid with... let’s say limited creativity at times. And so it was that the first time he turned into the gigantic alien he called it as he saw it, naming the transformation “Way Big.” Naturally giant, Way Big appears to be from 100 to 200 feet tall, possibly with the ability to regulate his size at will. With that great size comes corresponding strength, and other powers like super speed and energy blasts. Way Big has a basically humanoid shape with a lean body and long thing limbs. His combat suit has built in heavy boots and long gloves with reinforced forearms and fins. In the center of his chest is the Omnitrix, and his alien head has slanted diamond-shaped eyes, no nose, and an enormous vertical fin. Way Big is very stylish (and further connected to Ultraman) with a bright white and red color scheme.
A larger than life character, Way Big is perfect for the Ultimate Alien “deluxe” lineup. He comes packaged on a tall card with the same green and white decoration as the rest of the current Ben 10 toys (featuring the show’s logo at the top left and Ben Tennyson himself at the top right). Way Big is front and center in his plastic bubble, mostly shrunk down with one arm waving. There’s a small insert at the bottom with his name and character art, while at the top of the bubble is a graphic showing his two sizes. The back of the card shows the other available deluxe figures along with the Ultimate Ultimatrix. Be sure to take a look at the bottom of the bubble (very easy to miss) to see the instructions on how to grow/shrink the figure.
The Way Big figure has two basic sizes with a decently complex set of mechanisms to go between them. At his smallest he’s 6 inches tall, still head and shoulders over the 4 inch Ultimate Alien figures. The double-hinged legs fold down, the arms slide down, and the figure’s neck and fin extend upward to bring Way Big to a full height of 8 inches! In this configuration he’s the most screen accurate and he looks great next to the smaller figures. The legs lock down pretty securely, and all of the other parts snap into place.
Way Big’s sculpt is about as good as expected for such a visually simple character. There’s a tiny bit of muscle/anatomy definition with details here and there like kneecaps, layered glove fins, and the head. Except for on the boots there are sculpted lines wherever colors meet which is cool. Speaking of colors, Way Big is primarily white with red on his extremities. Black outlines the feet, gloves, fins, and neck while green appears on the Omnitrix and Way Big’s eyes.
As with most Ben 10 figures he has relatively little articulation, but what’s there is helped out a little by the transformation scheme. Other than the basic extension parts Way Big is articulated at the shoulders and wrists, and the arms get bonus joints at the bicep/elbow depending on the configuration.
One of the more unique Ben 10 aliens, Way Big has been long-awaited by toy collectors and fans of the show. Despite his low articulation he really doesn’t disappoint, looking just like the cartoon character and coming in at a great scale in relation to the standard Ben 10 action figures. Look for Way Big in toy stores now.
Review and Photos by Scott Rubin
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