There aren’t many surprises in collecting these days. Long gone are those magic moments of walking down the toy aisle and seeing something on pegs for the very first time. We live in an era of reveals, sneak peeks and preorders. When you get something that breaks those norms, it feels special. For the second year in a row, Four Horsemen Studios have brought us back to those special moments by dropping a Figura Obscura for their Mythic Legions line. The great thing about these Figura Obscura offerings is that they’re IN STOCK and ship almost immediately. Last year, we were blessed with a Krampus to celebrate the holiday season. This year brings us The Headless Horseman and his Steed in a deluxe two pack which is sure to bring fear and fright to your Fall festivities.
The Horseman has collector friendly packaging featuring beautiful artwork by Nate Baertsch. The magnetic slipcover doubles as a backdrop for figure photography, as does the box interior. The Horseman himself has some unique modifications to capture the spirit of the season. The peg that the head traditionally sits on can be swapped out for a bloody stump with exposed spinal column. It’s such a small inclusion, but shows you the attention to detail that fans of Mythic Legions have come to expect from the brand. The Horseman has multiple hands to wield the included sword. Additionally, there is a newly designed hand with an attached peg to rest your pumpkin heads on. The perfect way to pumpkin bomb the hell out of Ichabod Crane at the end of a wild ride.
Since we’re on the subject of heads; this may be the Head-less Horseman, but you still get two Jack O Lanterns that can port onto the neck or hand until a suitable replacement is acquired. Both of the carved pumpkin heads have very nice paintwork, but the one that’s captured my imagination the most is the flaming pumpkin head. The orange and red translucent plastic catches the light really well. Shining a light into the flames sets the scene ablaze. I would challenge the Four Horsemen to find a way to add an LED to the next offering that features some translucent elements like this. That would have been a great addition!
One item the Four Horsemen included that truly makes this feel like a premium offering is the fully wired cape. It attaches to The Horseman by a clasped chain and a flip of the collar. The wire feels firm and holds a pose well. The cape is layered with a black exterior and red interior and has a nice weight to it. It’s large enough to put some really dramatic folds and sways into the cape, allowing you to add motion to your display or figure photography. Once you get your hands on a cape like this, you will never be happy with the plastic capes that are the mainstay of so many of our favorite toy lines. It’s that good.
The Steed features a unique paint application to set him apart from the rest of the Mythic Legions horses. The body is Midnight black with a brownish red mane. The Steed also receives an alternate flowing mane to help add motion to your figure pics. The hooves have red accents and the eyes complete the supernatural look with a deep fiery red. The open mouth is chomping at the bit; eager to carry the Horseman on his hunt for a new head. The bridle and saddle feature some excellent detail work down to the blanket the saddle rests on. The joints are nice and snug allowing for some decent poses. You can get him up on his hind legs with the assistance of his tail, but I wouldn’t recommend leaving him in that pose for extended displaying. Gravity can be a fickle bitch and you wouldn’t want this beauty to take a nasty spill.
Overall, this is a premium offering and will inevitably end up on many Figure of the Year lists, and deservedly so. The Four Horsemen have knocked this one out of the park. While they haven’t announced another Figura Obscura just yet, I would highly recommend signing up for their newsletter if you want to get in on the next one. These sell out fast and with another holiday right around the corner, there’s no telling if we might get a Father Christmas to battle last year’s Krampus…
