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Figure Reviews

The Walking Dead Carl Grimes figure review Series 7 McFarlane Toys

Jeffrey Lyles 0 Comments , , , ,

Somebody’s going to come up on the wrong end of Negan’s barbed wire baseball bat Sunday as The Walking Dead returns. Chances are pretty good it won’t be Carl. The show hasn’t shied away from terrible things happening to children, but getting pummeled with a bat would probably even cross the show’s barely there line.

That said, I figured now was as good a time as any to review the McFarlane Toys’ Walking Dead Series 7 Carl Grimes figure.

Packaging: This is the unofficial Terminus series as the infamous destination is atop the package.

This remains a very simplistic package design that lacks basic information like a bio or a list of the included accessories. It’s streamlined and definitely not much to look at for MOC collectors.


Likeness:  McFarlane previously made a younger Season 1-2 era Carl figure. This version is based on Carl’s status as a valued junior member of the Grimes Gang. The likeness to Chandler Riggs is pretty good for this scale right down to the sweeping front hairstyle.

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I always appreciate the amount of detailing MT sculptors put into the clothing. They feature a terrific textured appearance with little details like pockets and stitch lines incorporated. Underneath the jacket, some of Carl’s T-shirt and undershirt is visible giving it that real world look. The boots also sport great attention to detail.

Scale: Getting the right scale hasn’t been a big priority for the line. There’s been some weird discrepancies here and there, but that’s not the case here.

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As a pre-teen, Carl is shorter than the others and his figure reflects that thankfully. Carl being eye to eye would have been one of the few instances where the scale would have been a problem.

Paint: This has been the tricky category for this line. The clothing has never been an issue despite washes that really convey denim and leather well. And the plaid pattern is terrific. Nope, the problem has always been the head sculpts.

The basic face paint on the front is fine right down to the smaller strands. But as usual, there was some issue. Carl has a massive mold line along the left side of his neck that’s impossible to miss. There’s some inconsistent coverage of the skin just above the shirt collar as well. Fixing those types of problems would have gone a long way overall with the line.

RELATED: McFarlane Toys may not have killed off Walking Dead line after all

Articulation: Had MT continued to improve upon the articulation scheme, I bet this line would still be rolling. There’s just enough limitations that it cuts down on posing options. That’s always been this line’s biggest drawback as you can only do so much when pitting them against walkers or crazy fellow humans.

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Carl gets good range out of his neck and shoulders. The elbows and knees remain too limited to be especially useful and a waist articulation point was badly needed.

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Carl has:

  • neck
  • shoulders
  • elbow
  • wrist hinge
  • hip (hinge)
  • knee
  • ankle

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Accessories: Ordinarily Carl would come with his silencer, but for the sake of panicky mothers McFarlane Toys opted to include it with another figure. Carl isn’t lacking on the accessory end though. He’s got a flashlight, a can of chocolate pudding, his dad’s sheriff hat and a candle stand to add to your Terminus diorama.

Worth it? You can find Carl online for about $13. That’s cheaper than the $15 retail price. This line would have been better served at the $10 price point, but $12.99 isn’t awful.

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Rating: 7 out of 10

Despite my problems with the line, my collecting OCD made Carl an essential pickup for my Walking Dead collection. He’s one of the better figures though.

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Where to get it? Stores have largely sold through their allotment of these figures, but you can still stumble onto some at Toys R Us or Walgreens. The best bet at this point is Amazon.com.

I’ve reviewed a decent amount of the McFarlane Toys Walking Dead figures. Recent ones include: Rick Grimes, Maggie and Andrea. The full Walking Dead figure review section is here. As always, while you’re here, feel free to check out the full action figure review page.

Curious about The Walking Dead? Check out the TV Reviews and Episode Guide here.

Want super-sized versions? Check out the 12-inch line by ThreeZero: The Walking Dead Rick Grimes The Walking Dead Sixth Scale Figure

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