That being said, the 24th series of his popular Spawn line takes a truly creative approach. Each of the six figures is based on a cover from the Spawn comic. This includes issues 1 (actually called Hellspawn), 39, 43, 64, 88, and 109. There's a large deluxe set based on Spawn: The Dark Ages issue 23, and issue 98 is a Collectors Club exclusive, just available starting today at the store at the Spawn website.

The issue numbers are only useful to the true Toddite though, who has every cover memorized, and is far too reclusive and weird to be reading this column anyway. For all the normal people, some sort of description is necessary, and since Mcfarlane didn't provide them, the fans have named them themselves. Hench, issue 1 is Hellspawn (duh), issue 39 is Santa Spawn, issue 43 is Flying Spawn, issue 64 is SWAT Spawn (or Blue Frog), issue 88 is Halloween Spawn, and issue 109 is Wall Spawn.

For a line of nothing but Spawns, the line is one of the best in recent memory. It's a great concept, and has been executed fairly well. Everyone is going to have their favorites of course, and nobody is going to be buying SWAT Spawn, (okay, maybe you, but nobody else), but very few Spawn fans won't find something to get excited over.

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!

"SPAWN 24 SANTA SPAWN"

Of the available figures, Santa Spawn was top of my list. He might not be the coolest looking (or he might, depending on your tilt), but he's certainly the most unique!

Packaging - ***

I've said it enough times, but I'll say it again just in case you weren't paying attention - I like the clamshells. They hold up well, are fairly easy to store, and give a nice complete look at the figure. Too often though, McToys doesn't take advantage of the opportunities for text and graphics though, and this is no exception. There is a good shot of part of the actual cover behind the figure, but the interior has no real info on the line or specific figure. Worse, they need to have the name or at least the funky issue number somewhere visible. They don't, and figuring out which figure is which on the peg is far more annoying because of it.

Sculpting - ****

McFarlane Toys blah blah blah, sculpt quality yadda yadda yadda. Santa Spawn looks great - big surprise. All the detail and exceptional artistry that you've come to expect is in this figure. From his hamburger head to his huge, soft rubber cape, every detail, every wrinkle, every crease is lovingly crafted and highlighted.

He's hands and body are sculpted for the specific pose from the issue cover - he's crouching over a partially open bag of goodies, reaching inside with the other hand, with a big grin and a floppy Santa hat on his head. Can you imagine the lifetime of therapy the kid would need after seeing this guy in the living room on Christmas Eve?

If there's one complaint about the sculpt, it will be over that aformentioned head of his. Some folks simply don't like the hamburger look, but you can't take points off for it, since this is just what he looked like on the cover. You may pass over this figure and buy Hellspawn, Flying Spawn or Wall Spawn instead, but you can't say the sculpting on Santa Spawn is bad.

The cape is as intricate and large as every other well done Spawn cape, but mine is removable. Now, I'm not sure it's supposed to be, since I was also able to easily remove my tenth anniversary Spawn cape. But there's no sign of any glue on the peg for the back or the two pegs for the chest, so I'm betting it's supposed to come off.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint application is solid, with the usual great use of washes and hues. The snow effect across the base is well done, and Spawn's normal red lends it that extra Christmasy feel. If it weren't for the spikes, chains and rotting flesh, you'd think he really was Santa.

This figure also has a nice variety of color, something that not all Mcfarlane figures can claim. There's the dirty white snow, the silver of the chains and spikes, the brown sack of goodies, and the bright red of his costume. He's certainly an eye catching design, and you're sure to get some questions when you add him to your holiday display.

Articulation - **1/2
If you're buying this figure - or any of the classic covers for that matter - for their articulation, you're missing the point. These were done to mimic exact covers, so the articulation is secondary. Actually, it's lucky to be there at all.

Santa Spawn has neck, shoulders, cut bicep on the right arm, wrists, waist, and cut thigh on the right leg. These joints are basically there to make it possible to get him into the cover pose, with little room for error. I actually had one arm pop off as well, which is surprising since they usually break before they do that. It popped right back on.

Accessories - ***
I'll skip the cape as an accessory, and just talk about the two obvious ones - the Santa cap and the base. The cap is sculpted of a soft rubber, and fits on the head in one position. It doesn't stay on particularly well, but once you manage to get it to stay it looks terrific.

The base is well sculpted, and I already mentioned the great paint job. The sack is a permanent fixture, and there are two slots in the base to hold the ends of two of the chains. There are two pegs, one for the left foot and one for the right knee. It takes some serious effort to get all the limbs and joints in just the right spot, but once you do, he attaches to the base and looks great.

Value - ***
I picked this up at Media Play for only ten bucks. That's quite a surprise, since most of the past McFarlane items have been $12 or $13. Usually, I can't find McToys for $10 except at Meijers, but now with Wal-marts picking up the regular Spawn line again, it looks like we're going to get better pricing across the board. This is a much better value, and makes the entire series far more attractive.

Overall - ***1/2
While I wasn't a big fan of the last McFarlane release (Twisted Oz), they managed to come back with another great Spawn series. There's not a lot of articulation here, but I wasn't expecting it since these are intended to be little statues representing specific scenes. There isn't much point in giving them tons of articulation, and I'm also thrilled to see a lower price point. I wonder if stores like Meijers or Wal-mart, that were carrying them for $10, will have them at an even lower price point?

Where to Buy -
These will be hitting the usual suspects - comic shops, specialty stores, and retailers like Media Play, Sam Goody, Electronics Boutique, Gamestop, etc. This series also marks the return of regular Spawn figures to the pegs at your local Wal-mart. On-line options include:

- Aisle Sniper has a case available for $90, but no single figures.

- Killer Toys has the deluxe boxed figure available for just $23.