Pumyra closes out of round of First Looks features for ThunderCats ULTIMATES! series two. As far releases go, she is definitely the most familiar, having had a figure in the old Mattel line. But Super7 has made some changes and additions so new fans get to add this new ThunderCat to their collection.
I can comfortably say that, of all of the Mattel ThunderCats figures, Pumyra was my least favorite. That old figure was overly tall, and just not terribly dynamic. So, when Super7 announced way back that she would get a release with some changes in their ULTIMATES! line, I happy to get another shot at the character. This figure is different in several ways, some expected and some not, but with the exception of one of those changes, I would say this figure is an overall better attempt at the character than the one we got before. She is still not perfect, but this one took her place in my collection immediately bouncing the previous version.
So, the big thing that was touted was that this figure would have a better relative height compared to the Mattel version. If you have that old figure, or if you have seen pictures, you know that figure is way too tall, especially compared to the other figures in the line. This figure corrects that somewhat, it is definitely shorter than the other, but maybe not as much as it could have been. This new figure does not put her at a height significantly less than, say, Lion-O, but she no longer towers over him. I would say that they are about the same height now, so while I wish there was actually more difference there, it is still relative conundrum. Frankly, I would like to see Pumyra still be about a quarter inch shorter, but I ALSO want a taller Lion-O. I actually think that he needs a new height just as much as that old Pumyra, so maybe we will eventually see an improvement there, too. Overall though, I am glad this new Pumyra is shorter than the previous, but I would have taken even less height here.
Some other changes that was not expecting were made to the base body, too. Her knees are now pinless, but she also has a new articulation cut that the mid-torso that allows for some additional range. The twist works better than any front to back movement, but it does add to the posing options. Pumyra also gets new fists (along with the previous grips and relaxed hands) and a new alternate “sneering” portrait. I think Pumyra has some of the best overall paint applications of this wave, but my standard head has an extra reflection dot in one of the eyes that kind of throws off the crispness of the expression.
Pumyra also gets the standard accessories that we have seen before in her sling, glaive, and Totem of Dara. Those remain unchanged from the previously release save for being cast in a softer plastic than the Mattel versions. My biggest nitpick with the figure comes from the fact that her “belt” (which is actually the slingshot) is NOT an accessory and is permanently affixed to the figure. This should have been removable as it is odd for her to be wearing it at the same time she is using it as a weapon. I think this was originally planned to be removable, so I can only speculate that there was a communication breakdown with the factory about this, or maybe it was a production decision. Either way, I wish it was removable.
Aside from the belt issue, I think this figure will make for a solid Pumyra for those who do not have the previous version. For those that do, it might be more of a decision now as to get it as the figure isn’t quite as significantly shorter as maybe originally thought. That will be up to each collector, but I find the height to be an improvement, so this one definitely wins the spot on the shelf. We will just have to pretend she now has a couple of slings instead of just one.
If you missed any of these, you can still order them from BBTS:
*Thanks again to Super7 for sending long this figure for a First Look, we really appreciate it.
Source: Fwoosh