Here we have Deathstroke in+hand. This might be a whole new sculpt just for him, or it could be a heavily modified Blue Beetle body buck. Regardless, I appreciate that we get a nice level of sculptwork for the costume, making it appear fairly tactical while being an obvious comic design on its simplicity. Reminds me a bit of how Cap's costume is designed with the chainmail. The small but if texture does the areas in the brighter blue help contrast those smoother darker blue areas, and I dig that the orange has a bit of a wash to make it less neon. Normally, a color scheme like this makes him appear less like a practical assassin and more like a tropical Jolly Rancher bag, but it works for him and it doesn't come across as entirely gaudy. I also like the strap of bullets that could be removed if you want, but he feels a little bare without them; it almost adds to the asymmetry of his mask.
Head sculpt is good as always with ensuring a simple design like this looks like a living, breathing human underneath without having that balloonish look. Always appreciate the anatomy somewhat studied for a comic design like this as much as I do the asymmetrical eye design no doubt carried over from him being half blind. While articulation is mostly the same as per usual with the line, I love that we get four different firearm options with these rapid fire/sniper types.
He also has these other guns, with one pistol held in his holster while we get yet another larger BFG. While the lack of deco on these weapons sucks apart from the red dot on the pistol's silencer, at least the weapons are fairly realistic or high-tech for an assassin like him; most figures would either get theirs colored green or have some other gun-control friendly appearance, and with there being an era where WB banned guns from being included with DC figures unless they were 18+, it's a miracle Deathstroke got his. Oh and the Platinum version. Has a more realistic monochrome deco apart from the signature orange on his mask. There are even vents for him to breath through to make this feel more like a helmet than a mask.
As for how he stacks up with a normal Batman and the Page Punchers version of Deathstroke. I find anyone who prefers more classic versions of comic characters are going to like this Deathstroke immediately thanks to the design being done pretty well in McFarlane's case. Not saying the rebirth version is bad if you want a more tactical take, and he has plenty of melee weapons yet no knife for that empty ankle sheath, but I know the ammo strap and pirate boots for the character perfectly unless they go Arkham/Snyder.
As for Professor Pyg, this figure is a reuse of the Penguin from The Batman 2022. Honestly didn't expect them to go with a buck like that, and as someone who doesn't mind when a toy company knows the right sculpt to undust for a specific character and have it be done right, I think this is better than I expected. Had it been something like The Dark Knight Returns Joker, I would have been critical instead. The somewhat husky proportions fit someone less known for combat like Valentin, as you'd see him focus more on cleaving his victims with blood stains going all over the apron (which seems difficult to untie given the material it's made of versus the one BvS Alfred came with). Weird how the rest of the outfit is more pristine for the sleeves, but I guess he's lucky only the blood reaches the apron and nowhere else. I should also bring this up now: this is the Platinum Edition with that manages to get away with any blood splatter versus the regular version having a black yet more pristine apron (yet both are rated 12 and up versus the 18 and up we get on things like Jonah Hex or the Batfleck 2-pack). Also, nlome more compliment is despite not being obvious at first glance the gloves have a slightly different finish from the shirt, making them look more like separate pieces of clothes than having them blend in.
His head sculpt is appropriately a pig mask with tbe eyes whited out, though some artwork has his pupils visible. I also like that he has a bit of a butcher mouth between those chubby cheeks only fitting for a gruesome guy like himself. Even the strap is painted on the back, which I always appreciate given how important that detail usually is. Articulation is mostly the same as the standard McFarlane affair, but he has single jointed elbows and knees with swivels in those joints. Two of his accessories include a drill and a meat cleaver in his swappable hands.
The other tools include a hammer that looks like it's mostly used to test how strong someone's knees are in a doctor's office as well as a unique surgical tool that resembles a screwdriver but with a ball at the tip. As for the original version of PP, he has a pristine black apron and green gloves. I chose the Platinum since it was at my 2nd and Charles as well as fitting his character better.
Oh and he has some pliers to pull things like teeth out. Overall, I ended up liking this figure more than I thought I would; while the character is far from a classic like with Joker or Riddler, he is still a great modern addition to the DC lore and any collection just for how ruthless and gory he comes across. Amd unlike Ice, who reuses Catwoman from the same Batman movie this figure's Penguin originates, reusing Oswald works for a body type found on Pyg. Other than the apron likely not intended to come off easily, the weapons could be a little less flexible, especially the meat cleaver and how much I fear the blade will be torn off from trying to remove the whole thing from the tight grip of the hands. Still, this is another good way to do a Collector Edition figure.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (for both)
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