Toy Review: RAW10 Makes McFarlane Toys Monsters for Kids

It’s been a while since McFarlane Toys offered a new innovation in the marketplace. The grim and gritty LEGO-ish building sets were striking, and they probably inspired Mega Construx to offer better competition. But they also seem to have run their course. RAW10, however, might just turn out to be a stroke of genius. Like the building sets, it’s the company seeing a new niche and putting their spin on it. And in the process, offering a touch of nostalgia throwback for older collectors as well.

Anyone who frequents Walmart toy aisles may have noticed, over the last few years, several store exclusive licensed lines focusing on giant animals and monsters. Kong: Skull Island, Jumanji, Rampage, and lately Godzilla vs. Kong have targeted kids’ love of creatures and general lower budgets. RAW10 — the letters stand for Robot Animal Weapon, and the number ten implies the number of creatures — looks like a McFarlane spin on that. From the open packaging and limited articulation to bright dominant colors and a $9.99-$19.99 price point, these are clearly toys first, adult collectibles only to the extent that adults like them. Which they will. Not only does the line see the return of the classic Spawn figure Cy-Gor, but it also features designs that look more like Todd McFarlane sketches than anything since the heyday of Spawn as a separate toy line.

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McFarlane Toys’ philosophy has always been that good sculpts cost the same as bad sculpts, and frankly, the direct competition for this line has tended to assume kids aren’t picky. RAW10, however, sports the same level of detail as any McFarlane figure, with a wash to bring out all the smaller details. The larger $20 figures, Cy-Gor and Fren-Z, use hollow, rotocast parts to keep the price down. Mostly these are hard plastic, though Cy-Gor’s arms and legs have a little elasticity to them. Articulation is limited by modern standards, though old-school Spawn collectors are probably okay with that.

And Cy-Gor is BIG. Bigger than the biggest box-set Cy-Gor that came before. Compare to the seven-inch Spawn figure used for comparison in these pics. At this level of detail, he’s likely the biggest monster available at the price. Since he’s also bigger than the rest of the line, though, he may have gotten more costing bucks. But that’s fair, since his name recognition among toy buyers is the marketing hook. His arms can pose in a bodybuilder flex position or overhead smash; hip joints mostly just steady him, and the neck turns.

Fren-Z, the other $20 figure, features four points of articulation: bends at each body segment, and his jaw. It’s hard to see how a shark effectively takes on the thoroughly non-aquatic fellow creatures, but kids have better imaginations for that. But watch out…those teeth are actually kinda sharp. And solid. It’s not the safe “soft” material one might expect on such a thing.

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Raptar, more than anything, feels like an old-school Spawn figure. Made of solid plastic, featuring more articulation than the rest but essentially forced into one pose, and yet at a price point of $9.99 that’s as much a throwback as the figure itself. It’s the right size for Spawn to ride on, but mostly meant to be displayed supporting itself on one hand while looking backwards. The neck can turn forward but then it looks down. Tail sports two joints, with hip and shoulder cuts and a jaw that can open extra wide. Cy-Gor may be the Spawn character, but Raptar is the most “McFarlane-y” of the bunch. And yes, that’s a good thing. What other figure goes for $10 and looks like something only Todd McFarlane would design?

And then there’s Battlesnake, a name that shockingly hasn’t been trademarked by anyone else. His body is the same consistency and elasticity of pretty much any toy rubber snake. The hood and upright part is hard plastic, and the very tip of his tail is bendy, while the jaw has some articulation. That’s about it, but the detail is superb. He is also $10. Each figure includes a mini-poster, and while they are unfortunately not drawn by Todd, they clearly do use his designs.

McFarlane Toys has a real winner with this line. Whether for kids who like to smash things together, or collectors who appreciate a fine sculpt, RAW10 satisfies both, stays affordable, and fills an unexplored niche. Because of the open packaging, buyers may want to note that any figure purchased could have been handled by multiple people. So wipe down for COVID protection if that’s your thing.

Still on the fence? Feast your eyes on the full gallery below. Then let us know what you think in comments.

Recommended Purchase: Spawn Series 4 Cy-Gor Action Figure

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