TMNT 2012 Series: Leatherhead!

02.15.2014 – Leatherhead has been one of the original TMNT characters dating back to the Mirage Studios black & white comic book. He’s often a turtle ally than a villain who appeared in the 1987 animated series. In the various iterations of the character, Leatherhead is mostly a huge alligator and his origins as an exotic pet that got flushed down the sewers. This origin got stuck as a template being retold in the other various TMNT series.

But mostly Leatherhead is an ally of the turtles and in the current series he made his first appearance from season one’s “It Came from the Depths” where he has little dialogue and appearing less the genius that he was portrayed in the previous series in comics and animation.





PACKAGED ALLIGATOR

Leatherhead is packaged in the standard TMNT blister card like the rest of the characters. But due to his size he was packed sideways and having his tail detached that needs assembly upon opening.

Details at the back of the card gives you his bio card and the other assortment of characters from the show which now reveals The Rat King and Cockroach Terminator where the previous card for DogPound revealed Baxter Stockman, Fishface, Metalhead and Snakeweed that came in the previous wave.





NO ACCESSORIES NEEDED

When you open up Leatherhead from the card the only accessory you’ll get is his long tail made of hard plastic. Since his first appearance in the new TMNT series did not give him any other accessory aside from being a huge alligator that needs to be chained.

The instructions to attach his tail can be found at the bottom of the blister card, and this has become a standard for all TMNT figures with parts that was packed separately or a gimmick that need to explain its use. The usual basic figure always comes with a product catalog revealing also the vehicles and playsets which Playmates toys have released.





SIZE DID NOT MATTER

Originally in the new series Leatherhead is a massive alligator which appeared to be three times bigger than the turtles. He must have been bigger than DogPound in the series but in the basic action figure line he appears to be shorter than the turtles.

The action figure appears to be hunched and his knees are permanently bended. He lacks most joints to make him flexible, and what he lacks in height size Leatherhead appears to be a long action figure. When you attach his tail it stays permanent like most figures with detached body part.





The only motion you would get from his tail is it just rotates just like his head, while his arms is the most articulate part. He doesn’t have elbow and knee joints as they are permanently in their static form, which some would say a disappointment.

YOUR AVERAGE ALLIGATOR

Overall Leatherhead looks beastly in packaging but when you free him from the card he appears to be less than what you expect from the show. Playmates Toys certainly did not produce other size scale for the series just like back when the original cartoon was being aired. It would come to no surprise that Leatherhead is undersized compared to the other characters that was released in the previous wave.



The fans of the show was expecting a little bit more size for Leatherhead just like DogPound, but the tallest in the bunch is Baxter Stockman who should be scaled with the other human characters. But what Leatherhead lacks in height and size is how long this figure appears.

Leatherhead is part of the third wave of TMNT figures based on the hit TV show manufactured by Playmates toys, and it’s distributed in the Philippines by Europlay Distributor Co. retailed at PhP 499.75 pesos.