I received a set of the four turtle brothers from the new Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series from Playmates Toys. They sent them to my for free to play with and review. Opinions are my own.

Off the bat I am happy to see that Playmates Toys is still pricing their figures under $10 each. When I see other toy companies charging more for less it is frustrating. The Playmates figures have been consistently under $10 and they continue to improve with time. This latest set has many points of articulation and details. With each new iteration of the turtles there are more and more changes to make them unique. The first turtles toys back in the late 80’s and 90’s had four turtles that were almost exactly the same save for the colors of their masks and their weapons, oh and the letters on their belts. Granted the only thing that would differentiate the turtles in the comics was their weapons and personalities. The books were black and white.

These turtles are well done. They have tons of articulation and can pose in so many ways. Their heads turn, knees and elbows bend, hips and shoulders swivel and even their arms twist and their ankles bend. They all have unique designs.

Now the turtles of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles are all different shapes and sizes. They are even different species of turtle. Leonardo is a Red-Eared Slider, Mikey a Box Turtle, Raph a Snapping Turtle and Donnie a soft-shell turtle. Having these different looks to each turtle is a cool design choice. Raph is huge and muscled with a bumpy shell and sharp teeth. Leo looks like the all-american guy in perfect proportions. Mikey is a little smaller than all the others and his shell has some painted symbols on it. Donnie has a tall and lean look and a battle shell attached to his back to protect his soft shell.

Donatello is my favorite Turtle. He always has been and always will. I think that this version of him makes a lot of sense. He’s the big geek of the group and he uses his brain to solve problems. One major problem is that he has a soft shell, not great for all the punching and kicking. Well, he built his own battle shell to solve the problem.

In this iteration Raph is the leader. He’s the biggest and strongest turtle. In the past he has not had the temperament to be a leader. I am not sure if he is any better as the leader in this series but hopefully he is.

Mikey is now a artist and in addition to skateboarding he’s out there tagging things with his art.

Leo has always been my least favorite turtle and now he thinks he is a cool guy. Pretty big change from his previous personality of a somber disciplined leader.

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Action Figure Assortment

• Based on Nickelodeon’s new animated series, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the all-new, highly detailed action figures are uniquely sculpted and fully articulated, with heights ranging from 3.25” to 5.0″.
• The collection features the four Turtles, as well as new characters Baron Draxum, Meat Sweats and others introduced in the series.
• Each figure comes with unique translucent accessories, and is compatible with most of the vehicles and playsets in the line.
• Assortment includes: Raphael “The Leader,” Leonardo “The Trickster,” Donatello “The Tech Wiz,” Michelangelo “The Wild Card,” Splinter “The Chill Master,” April “Street Smart Best Friend,” Origami Ninja “Confetti Commandos,” Meat Sweats “The Tenderizer,” Baron Draxum “The Maker of Mutants”
• Recommended Age: 4+
• Availability: October 2018 at mass retailers nationwide
• MSRP: $8.99 each