Funko Mystery Minis: The Walking Dead In Memorium Review
For years Funko has been releasing Mystery Minis of characters and walkers from The Walking Dead. Today I am opening two from the In Memorium series consisting of only characters (not walkers) who have died on the show.
I have been collecting Funko Mystery Minis from The Walking Dead for years. First and foremost, this is not a sponsored review. In the past these series included both characters and walkers.
The first ones I ever opened were a walker and Merle. Since then my collection has grown to obtaining Glenn, Beth, Daryl’s motorcycle and Carl. I also have doubles of Michonne, Daryl, and Tara and a handful of walkers. (Such is the nature of mystery packs!)
What was happening on The Walking Dead at the time influenced which characters you could find. For instance Daryl has been in several series boxes with his look changing from his season 1, short hair cut, no sleeves and angel winged vest with his signature crossbow appearance to his more recent, longer hair, long-sleeved black shirt with angel winged vest and crossbow.
Each series provides a selection of new characters along with some repeats. Daryl and Rick, for example, have been in several series.
In the beginning the figures had a solid appearance. They were the same size and most figures’ arms and legs were closed and against the body. More recently in subsequent series, the space between legs and arms are wider. The hands have changed in style but every figure including walkers have white eyes with no pupils.
The figures are solid with limbs that cannot be moved. This new style enables a later series Daryl to actually sit upon his motorcycle. It’s worth noting that the wheels on the motorcycle do not move.
The boxes are very standard in appearance like other mystery minis from television shows with images of some of the characters surrounding three sides of the box. The back provides every character in the series, what they look like and how rare they are, with rarity meaning the odds you will get that particular character. Each box contains one figure inside a black bag. Prices vary depending where you purchase them from. You can find them in stores and online.
Some of the characters in this In Memorium series include: Shane, Merle, Dale, Nicholas, pregnant Lori, Gareth, Denise, Glenn and Abraham. Before I opened them I was hoping for Gareth and Dale in particular but I was very happy with the ones I received.
1. Shane: Rick’s best friend turned villain
I couldn’t help but smile at Shane’s figure considering we haven’t seen him since season 2. Holding this figure brought me back to the very beginning of the show and how the end of the world literally destroyed his friendship with Rick.
I noticed on the back of the box there are two versions of Shane you can get. The one I received was Shane before he turned into a walker.
He is dressed in his jacket and cargo pants, holding a gun with blood covering his mouth (this was the self-inflicted wound he used as false evidence that Randall attacked him and escaped). This Shane is 1 out of 6 whereas the walker Shane (who Carl later kills) is 1 out of 72.
Even though the Shane I got is more common I was impressed with the attention to detail. Not only was this his exact outfit on the fateful night he was killed but the figure even had the small cut on top of his head.
2. Joe: Leader of the Claimers
Though Joe was a short-lived villain who ran a less than trustworthy group of men (Claimers) I was very happy to obtain him as well. Gone but not forgotten, fans may have recognized Joe during The Walking Dead’s Red Machete tale that aired during commercial breaks.
The Claimers came across Daryl at the end of season 4 as he was trying to rescue Beth and unfortunately failed. Daryl stayed with them, unwillingly, knowing full well they were bad news, until he was reunited with Rick before their arrival at Terminus.
Joe is 1 out of 36 making him more rare than Shane. He’s wearing the only outfit we saw him in before Rick viciously killed him (the unforgettable ‘ripping your enemy’s throat out with your teeth’) and carries his gun.
All I can say is, “Claimed!”
The two will make an excellent addition to my collection, fitting right in. The brief rush of excitement and anticipation returned the moment I purchased the mystery minis.
I couldn’t wait to open them, with slight dread that they would be doubles and thus end this piece earlier than expected. Like series past the figures hold a charm behind the creepy.
Even the walker figures I have consisting of one of Michonne’s chained walkers and the ones Milton lit on fire seasons ago have an appeal to them. The soulless eyes make them anything but and I have to compliment the details in the outfits and how well they stand on flat surfaces.
I’m glad Funko decided to do a In Memorium of some of The Walking Dead characters, villains and heroes alike. It was a nice change, even down to the pale, grey complexion of each figure as opposed to their actual skin tone like other figures in previous series.
If Funko decides to do a second In Memorium Series I hope to see the likes of Simon, Sasha, Shiva, Olivia, Gareth, Morales and sadly a deceased Carl in the future. In future series I will be on the lookout for Rick and Morgan to add to my collection.
Next: AMC reveals submissions for Emmy consideration
If mystery boxes are your cup of tea, pick up a few and see who you get. If not, Funko makes other Walking Dead toys and merchandise you can purchase and collect.