But not all of them fit that stereotype, and one of the most popular is the Trigun series, including Trigun Maximum. Kaiyodo has the license for quite awhile, and we've seen a ton of collectibles in the past around the show/comic, with Vash the Stampede getting the most treatment. Now Yamato USA steps into the ring with the Story Action Figures, figures in a 'new' scale.

There's a series of 6 figures in this first release - Vash, Nicholas Wolfwood, Raidei the Blade, Zazie the Beast, Legato Bluesummer, and Midvalley the Hornfreak.

As you might expect, these will be import shop and specialty store items only, and suggested retail is $15 each. If you shop around though, and/or buy the full set, I'm betting you can get them closer to $10 each. I have the usual retailer suggestions for you at the end of the review.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, you can always reach me at mwc@mwctoys.com. If you enjoy this review, take a minute to check out my other site at Michael's Review of the Week, and let me know what you think. Now on to the review!

"Trigun Maximum Story Image Figures"

The box proclaims that these are figures in a new scale - it's at least a new scale for Trigun, I believe. These are around a 5" scale, with some of the smaller characters coming in below that.

Packaging - ***
Each figure comes packed in a window box, with a fairly good view of the figure. The fronts and backs of each are not character specific, which is a bit disappointing. If I could read Japanese, I'd probably get more out of the box. What I can read makes little sense, as they all say "Deep Space Planet Future Gun Action" on the front. I can't even begin to imagine what that's a bad translation of.

Another nice feature is that these are completely collector friendly, as you can open and remove the figure without damaging the packaging at all. No twisties in sight, and that will make some of the MIBBers happy.

Sculpting - ***1/2
All six figures sport exceptionally nice sculpts, particularly in this smaller scale. Raidei is easily my favorite though, because the character himself has so much potential for small detail work and has such a striking visual design.

All of the figures are done in dymanic poses, particularly Vash and Raidei. Some of these characters, like Legato, haven't had much in the way of plastic interpretations, so it's nice to see them get such an amazing treatment.

The smaller scale does mean that some of the detail work gets lost to the human eye. The camera lens can still find it, but when you're holding one of these in your hand, you might not see or appreciate some of the finer detailing.

A few of the figures have seams showing in awkward places, and the general anime/manga style means that there's not a ton of detail or personality in the face sculpts. But the overall appearance is dead on to the source material (although more manga based than anime based).

Paint - ***1/2
When you're doing statues, two areas must be as perfect as possible - sculpt and paint. Thankfully they didn't have issues in either area. The paint work across the board is clean and neat, with almost no over spray or bleed. Colors are bright, consistent and plentiful, and of course you can thank the character designs for some of that. These are characters with a lot of personality, and you won't find them wearing drab, plain clothes.

Some of the intricate details are a little soft, and there's the minor flub here and there. Considering the price point however, these are well above average in this category.

Articulation - Bupkis
This won't effect the overall score much, since they aren't going for articulated figures but rather large PVC type statues. Still, if you were expecting the ability to move arms or heads, don't.

Accessories - Midvally, Raidei, Wolfwood **1/2; Vash, Zazie, Legato Bupkis
All six figures come with bases, but since the figure and base are all part of the intended display, and the figure must use the base to stand, I'm not counting them as separate accessories. That leaves Vash, Zazie and Legato with a big goose egg in this category. That didn't really surprise me though, as I wasn't expecting accessories per se.

However, Midvalley comes with his horn, Raidei with his sword and sheath, and Wolfwood with the huge cross like gun weapon. These all fit in their hands and can be removed or repositioned.

I did have a hell of a time keeping the sax in Midvalley's hands, and finally had to give up and put his hand through the center. But the cross fits perfectly in Wolfwood's right hand, and both the sheath and sword fit properly for Raidei.

Fun Factor - *1/2
This is another category that doesn't relate to these particularly well, but it's still worth mentioning in case you thought your 8 year old would find these a hoot. They aren't toys, and won't hold up to any sort of real play.

Value - **
I'm grading these based on the $15 suggested price point, which is a tad steep for the 5" scale. Yes, the sculpt and paint are excellent, but to get these within reason you need to pick them up in the $10 range.

Overall - ***
A nice solid set of collectible figures from Yamato, based on a tremendously popular set of characters. Fans of the books will really enjoy these, and while the style is a little different from the show, I'm betting fans won't mind.

They aren't cheap though, and that was the only sticking point holding them back from another half star. Hunt around for a decent bargain, and these get an even better overall score.

By the way, there is a variant. There is the usual black suited version of Vash, with a new head sculpt sporting his uber-cool sunglasses.

Where to Buy -
Hot Topic and the Musicland family (like Suncoast, Sam Goody and Media Play) should have these in. You can also find them online:

- Amazing Toyz has just the black Vash variant, but he's just $11!

- Yikes Comics has these for $15 each EXCEPT for the black Vash variant, which is just $13.

- Killer Toys has these for $10 - $15 each, depending on the character, including the variant Vash.

- YouBuyNow has several of these in the $12 range.

- Circle Red doesn't have this particular set listed, but may have them if you call. They carry a ton of anime and manga related figures, including some of the earlier Trigun stuff.