The newest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles release from NECA is a 1/4 scale Raphael in Disguise figure. This 16.5″ tall figure is based on Raph from the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live action film. The figure is the fifth release in the line up, as he joins, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and the standard Raphael. At San Diego Comic-Con 2017, NECA revealed a further series of releases for the 1/4 scale line up, including Shredder, Foot Soldiers and an accessory pack featuring the baby Turtles! The Raphael in Disguise figure includes an assortment of interchangeable hands, two sais, a Casey Jones baseball bat, a slice of pizza, a removable trench coat, and a removable hat.
Toyark sponsor Entertainment Earth provided us with the 1/4 Scale Raphael in Disguise Figure. Read on to check out my thoughts and a full gallery.
Related Entertainment Earth links: 1/4 Scale Raph in Trenchcoat, 1/4 Baby Turtles Set, All NECA TMNT Items
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990 – Raphael in Disguise 1/4 Scale Figure by NECA
Pros
- Outstanding sculpt
- Excellent paint deco
- Trench coat is nicely done
- Lots of good accessories
- Good articulation
- Throwback style packaging is still great
Cons
- None
Overall
Like the other figures in the line, Raphael comes packaged in a large window box. The packaging is based on the iconic original poster for the Ninja Turtles 1990 film. It has retro style touches throughout, such as the NECA logo in the style of the old F.H.E. logo, and the photo of the Turtles from the original VHS cover. Raph is held onto a cardboard backer with a few twist ties. His accessories sit in a plastic tray, which is glued onto the backer. The figure includes multiple interchangeable hands, two sais, a Casey Jones baseball bat, a slice of pizza, a removable trench coat, and a removable hat.
Before I had pre-ordered the original Raphael release, I saw that this figure was on the horizon for an eventual release and simply held off for this version. I’m really glad I did, as this feels like the definitive version of the 1990 movie Raphael. The trench coat and hat look just about perfect on the figure. The fabric used on the coat itself is sewn using an authentic feeling material, with small thread lines which help to make it look like a scaled down coat. The coat has plastic buttons and a functioning belt. The material is loose enough to allow for full articulation while it’s on Raph. It’s easy enough to remove or put back on once you remove Raph’s hands. The hat sits on his head nicely, with a cut out to slide over the knot on his bandana, helping to keep it in place.
Once the trench coat is removed, you have the standard Raphael figure that was previously released. As with the previous Turtles, Raph has an outstanding sculpt. Details on the skin, shell, and carapace are all excellent. The head sculpt is equally as detailed, even featuring the scar on his cheek. The paint work done here really highlights the sculpt. The color is vibrant with nice transitional colors and washes over the entire figure. The small painted spots are sharp and clean, and the lines between different areas have no noticeable paint bleed. The paint on the eyes is especially clean, with sharp details.
The accessories included with Raphael (aside from the hat and trench coat) are all welcome inclusions. The Jose Canseco Bat from Casey Jones is an especially nice touch. It’s made from a sturdy plastic with no warping. The sais are also made from a stronger plastic, and they fit nicely in the belt. Hands swap out easily, with no fear of breakage on the pegs. As with the other figures, a pizza slice is included.
I know some fans felt cheated that the coat, hat and bat weren’t simply released as an accessory pack. But I’m pretty much ok with this release. Beyond the initial release of the figures, there’s not much chance for secondary releases or parts reuse on other figures. Releases like this help to fund future releases like Shredder and the Foot Soldier. Many other fans expressed interest in displaying the two Raph’s separately, but I do get that the large size makes that difficult for a lot of fans. If you haven’t bough either Raphael figure, then this is the one to go with for sure. If you did, then I’d say this is worth it if you have the space or decide to part ways with the original Raph (which still seems to have some decent demand). Regardless of all that, on it’s own, this is an absolutely stellar release that looks to close out the initial Turtles releases.
You can check out some select photos below and the full gallery after that.
CompaniesNECAEntertainment Earth
CharactersRaphael
Scale1/4