Last night I reviewed the one-per-case TMNT Minimates Vision Quest Splinter figure. Today we are going to have a look at the other one-per-case rare TMNT figure from series 3: Ivan Steranko.
At work and can’t watch the video review? No problem, scroll down for the full write up!
Steranko, if you follow the Nickelodeon TMNT cartoon, is now Rocksteady after being mutated by Baxter Stockman and the Shredder. Ivan is from Russia, if the name didn’t give it away, and was known for dealing arms before becoming one of Shredder’s henchmen.
The Good: First off, what other toy company out there right now would honestly give us Ivan Steranko, the human version of Rocksteady!? Diamond Select Toys continues to offer the greatest selection of characters, and variants of those characters, from the TMNT Nick series. I will be very surprised if we see another Steranko figure produced and that goes for any company in the world.
DST never seizes to amaze with their detail. I mean, look at this guy! I know it is hard to tell from the pic, but he even has a glass eye. The small dot of white couldn’t have been easy to paint. This figure is well painted overall as we get the normal human facial features as well as facial scars. Ivan’s coat features painted buttons, a tie, both collar clips, spiky gold shoulder pads and cuff links. His hat has ears painted on and a gold painted button on the front as well.
The proportions of this figure are perfect. The coat doesn’t look too long and the hat isn’t too large either. I’m very happy with the appearance of this guy! Ivan’s face looks great on the Minimates head too, which is a plus as some human characters look a bit odd on occasion due to the head shape used by DST.
Ivan Steranko has 14 points of articulation, which is the same as all of the other TMNT Minimates. His jacket is removable, in case he gets too hot, and his hat/hair also pops off of his head as well. Obviously this figure comes completely apart like other Minimates but those two things could make for some different looks if you wanted to keep the same character. Maybe an undercover Ivan with a shaved head? It is also worth noting that Steranko’s hat is sculpted like his hat in the cartoon rather than just being a completely flat piece of rubber. Small details like that go a long way!
The Not So Good: At first I had some trouble getting Ivan to stand on his own without the use of the clear display stand. His legs were very stiff and his coat impeded his ability to move his legs properly in order to bring balance to the figure. The legs are better now that I was able to loosen them up a bit by simply bending the factory freshness out of them, but this figure is definitely more sturdy and can more easily feature different poses when it is on the display stand.
Another little complaint is that Steranko doesn’t come with any accessories, aside from the clear display stand. DST has put out some amazing accessories lately for this line, especially for the turtles themselves! It would have been cool to see Ivan come with a gun or an antique of some sort since he of course is a big antique collector.
I really don’t have anything else negative to say about this Ivan Steranko figure. I think that DST did the right thing by making him the chase figure as well. Some people, unlike me, may not be too intrigued by having to pay for a Steranko in a Toys R Us two pack. So from a business aspect, I applaud DST for that move.
Series 3 is shipping to stores now with Toys R Us continuing to sell their two pack key ring versions and of course the blind bag versions can be found at specialty stores. As I mentioned in my previous review, Ivan Steranko and Vision Quest Splinter can only be found in the blind bag versions, while the Battle-Ready Shredder is the Toys R Us exclusive for the series 3 figures. I bought my Steranko and Splinter off of Luke’s Toy Store as I only needed Ivan and Vision Quest Splinter to complete my series 3 set.
For the record, I do have a Rocksteady Minimates figure but it is safely tucked away until my birthday in May (yes, I still receive TMNT figures for my birthday). Otherwise I would take a comparison picture. Thank you for reading and be sure to visit all of the links below for more details and to purchase the TMNT Minimates figures!
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