Action Figure Spotlight: Red Sonja 1:12 Scale Epic H.A.C.K.S. Action Figure by Boss Fight Studio

Red Sonja is by far one of my favourite comic book heroes. From her origins in the pages of Marvel’s Conan books to her ongoing adventures in Dynamite’s publications, there isn’t much I love more than some bad-ass female-led sword and sorcery shenanigans. Taking inspiration from Robert E. Howard’s similarly named Red Sonya, though more or less in name only, she has had a long and storied history that nonetheless often goes overlooked when standing in the towering imposition of Conan’s mighty shadow. This may be due to several reasons; however, a film adaptation in the 80s, which failed to set the box offices on fire, and a costume that can leave raised eyebrows on the faces of the uninitiated surely did not help. To those in the know, though, she is a tough, no-nonsense paragon of the medium whose comic books have sailed the shores of the highest quality for decades, featuring some of the greatest writers and artists to ever ply their trade.

I’m not here to convince you of the merits of the character, though. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of issues out there to check out should you need that done for you. No, I am here to shine a spotlight on one of the best pieces of plastic perfection released in the last couple of years. A figure that I have been wishing for ever since I was a child. A high-quality, highly articulated collector’s figure of Red Sonja herself, jam-packed with weapons and accessories, and enough variations of clothing, facial emotions and poses than you could shake a very, very large axe at.

With the recent release of the trailer for the upcoming new Red Sonja movie (a film I have been hotly anticipating for years), I thought there was no better time than now to finally crack this baddie open and see what Boss Fight has to offer, not only in the realm of collectables, but for fans of Red Sonja the world over. And boy, was I not disappointed!

This is my first figure from Boss Fight Studios, though I have long been fascinated by their H.A.C.K.S. system, an interconnected line of figures that have been made with removable and interchangeable body parts, faces, weapons and accessories that can lead to almost unfathomable amounts of customisation. Indeed, with other figures in the line, such as pulp heroes like The Phantom, Flash Gordon and unlicensed, original characters like pirates and skeletons, you could very well change up Sonja’s arms and legs with those from another franchise and series, or even give the swashbuckling Hyrkanian a laser rifle instead of her signature sword. This is a very cool idea which can lead to endless possibilities and could very well lead to some awesome scenarios for you to pose your figures in. Sonja and The Phantom fighting glow-in-the-dark pirate skeletons, armed to the teeth with Flash Gordon’s laser rifle? Count me in! This will not be the last figure in this line I will pick up, that is for sure.

Just look at all those weapons, accessories and heads! Axes, swords, grimaces, daggers, circlets – oh my! The inclusion of the cardboard backing board (1 of 3 possible ones included in the box, and I just so happen to get my favourite one!) and the custom stand really top off the package, and make the whole thing feel just so…complete. I have lost track of the number of times I have fought with a high-end figure that hasn’t come with a stand, or even worse, doesn’t fit a standard-size stand (looking at you, Marvel Legends. Why don’t you fit on my NECA stands?). The little Red Sonja logo plastered on top, as well, ups the quality factor and shows me that this is a company that thinks of just about everything. So far, so good. It is posable right out of the box, and in a way that feels special and unique. The board gives us the ability to pose her in front of a custom backing that ensures the piece stands out amongst other collectables and ensures she will carve out a little place of her own inside my cabinet. She is here to stay, and she is making herself known.

Here she is, right out of the box (apologies for the fallen knife holder, whoops!) in all of her Hyborian Age glory. With over 30 points of articulation, there aren’t a lot of poses you can’t put her in, and the variation in accessories means that no two poses could ever quite look the same. There is truly something wonderful with high-end figures such as this, the variation. If you were to tell me when I was five years old that we would get figures that looked THIS good and could be set to perform any scenario my imagination could conjure, my jaw would have hit the floor!

This is a far cry from the likes of The Power of the Force, where Luke Skywalker looked more Hulk Hogan than Mark Hamill. There is no confusion about who this is here, and she looks like she stepped right out of a Barry Windsor-Smith panel. Six inches of chainmail bikini-clad perfection!

These weapons and expressions are incredible. It is so hard to choose which weapon I like the most in her arsenal, both the sword and axe are so kick-ass! This roaring face is fantastic in showing the rage of the character when mid-battle, and the way in which her hair flows out behind her is such a lovely little addition. The figure looks deliciously mid-action and really animated, something which makes it jump out when positioned next to my other figures.

Boss Fight seems to excel in this particular factor, giving their figures a feeling of movement and life. All the little accessories like scabbards, holders and pouches give her a lovely read-for-battle look as well. Something perfect for this character, and it shows that the studio has a real love for her and her history.

This is my favourite head; her sassy, bejewelled face giving us the look that she is ready for battle and KNOWS she will win. Here we can also see some more of her interchangeable shoulder pads and belt, giving her a cool, almost pirate queen-type look (especially when paired with the extra jewellery).

I LOVE the way she looks so good in every pose. They are natural and powerful, and never look bizarre or uncanny, despite the huge amount of articulation. To have a figure move so realistically is a feat that few companies manage to perfect and can often leave the figures looking unnatural and static. There is nothing worse than having to keep your figures stuck in T-pose because they are poorly weighted or refuse to stand up on their own – which certainly isn’t a problem here! Just look at the power on display!

I’m not a big fan of too over-the-top display poses, but believe me when I say she can do them perfectly. I think if she didn’t look just so damn cool the way she does here, I would have gone further with how I display her, but for now, I am happy to have her cockiness reign over the rest of my collection with a pose similar to this, with this smirk kept firmly in place.

Here she is, and how I will display her, going forward. With my favourite accessories, face, and pose. Please excuse the background change, as I couldn’t make up my mind how I wanted to finally display her, and so kept coming back over subsequent days to re-post and re-photograph! (There very well may be an article on that Tomb Raider comic collection in the future – keep your eyes peeled!) She really has so many variations that it was almost impossible to choose!

The sassy face, classic shoulders, ribboned belt and her classic sword (with axe and knife attached to her legs and back!) really give her an all-encompassing, ready for battle, sure of herself pose – and I am in love with it all. If all Boss Fight figures are as great as this, then I am going to have a hard time stopping myself from filling my cabinets up with the entire range!

All in all, this is a brilliant figure made by a fantastic company, which I am happy to have finally had the pleasure to sample the products of. They have done justice to Red Sonja and gone above and beyond in a way I was very surprised by. At a price of around £50, it has no right to be this good and include so many accessories. I have figures from other manufacturers that cost double this price, and pale in comparison to the amount of articulation and detail that is on display here.

I hope that Boss Fight can continue to get licenses as cool and quirky as this (and their focus on other pulp heroes within the H.A.C.K.S. line seems to point to this – something that I am definitely here for!), as it really sets them apart from their competition. I imagine this focus on less popular (and therefore, less expensive) IPs gives them more wriggle room to charge less whilst offering more, and I really hope they get all the success that is deserved to them.

With the new Red Sonja movie set to release this month on August 15^th, I know I will be watching it with bated breath, excited to see the character finally done justice on the silver screen, with this figure sitting by my side, enjoying the show.

https://www.bossfightstudio.com/

https://www.dynamite.com/

Here’s to horror!

-              R.A. Daunton