Man-At-Arms Sketch MOTU Origins Book Series In-Hand Review

Sketchbook Man-At-Arms turns an early prototype-style design into one of the strangest and most interesting versions of the character in MOTU Origins. I really like the historical angle behind this series, and the pointed helmet, oversized armor, and unusual weapons make him feel far removed from the familiar Man-At-Arms most collectors know. Unfortunately, some of the accessories are also where the figure starts to fight back. The cape is my biggest frustration because it does not attach securely, feels cumbersome once fitted, and can leave Man-At-Arms unstable on display. One of his weapons can also be difficult to work into his hands. That leaves me torn between appreciating this figure as a fascinating piece of MOTU design history and wishing its wild prototype details were easier to use in practice. If this unusual take on Man-At-Arms belongs in your collection, you can pick him up at Target.

Overall Impressions

The Sketchbook Man-at-Arms is the kind of MOTU figure I appreciate primarily because of what Mattel is trying to do with it. Taking an early version of the character and turning it into a physical figure gives us something genuinely different. I do wish some of the accessories worked better in practice. The cape is easily my biggest frustration because it doesn’t attach as securely as I’d like and makes the figure more difficult to keep stable. The more elaborate weapon can also be awkward to get into his hands. Neither problem ruins the figure for me, but they do make some of the most unusual parts of the release less enjoyable to actually use.

For me, the appeal ultimately comes back to the Sketchbook concept and getting interpretation of Man-at-Arms in figure form. I like having the cape and prototype-inspired gear represented, even if I probably won’t display him with everything attached. It’s an interesting piece of MOTU history translated into an action figure, and that’s ultimately what I enjoy most about it.

Packaging

Here we get a full look at the black-and-white packaging, covered in loose character sketches that run across the tall card and around the window. The yellow Sketch Book Series burst and original concept art callout are the only strong color accents, and I like how completely the presentation commits to the early-design concept.

The full-color artwork pairs Man-at-Arms and a blonde version of Teela against a huge horned beast, surrounded by the character sketches. I hope Teela’s appearance means she’ll eventually join the Sketch Book Series.

Here the side panel gives Man-at-Arms a large, rough-painted portrait surrounded by smaller pencil scenes of him battling Skeletor and other enemies. The tall header and deep window box give the package a book-shaped profile rather than the usual cardback format.

Here the full-color front illustration shows Man-at-Arms Paladin version in heavy layered armor, armed with a large rifle and spiked mace. Purple clouds and a ringed planet give the artwork a nice fantasy setting.

Figure Details

Out of the box, Man-at-Arms has a bulky concept look, from the narrow eye openings in the pointed helmet to the oversized spiked shoulder armor and layered guards on his arms and legs. The cape is my biggest frustration because it doesn’t attach securely, feels cumbersome once fitted, and can make him unstable on display.

From the back, the cape covers nearly the entire figure, falling from the helmet to just above the boots. Its dense sculpt is packed with overlapping leaf-like clumps and an uneven, ragged edge.

With the cape removed, the orange back armor shows crossed straps and a broad diagonal band wrapping around the waist. The green skirt armor breaks into rectangular panels tipped with round studs, above dark green pants and two-tone brown boots.

Across the front armor, raised hoses feed into a ribbed bar with a small red band at the center, and another red tab sits over the crossed chest wraps. The exposed green arms have an exaggerated, knotted muscle sculpt beneath all that bulky armor.

Here’s a close look at Man-at-Arms’ stern portrait, with a heavy black mustache, deep cheek lines, and a broad squared jaw. The blue helmet wraps closely around the face, and two small tabs project from its pointed crown. The disappointing fact about the head sculpt is that is glued on to the helmet.

Tilting Man-at-Arms’ head upward gives you a much better look at his face beneath the helmet and high orange collar.

The included spiked mace has a simple orange finish, while the broad-bladed rifle. One of these can be difficult to get into Man-at-Arms’ hands, making the weapon set more frustrating in practice than it first appears.

Here the full loadout shows just how oversized the spiked mace and rifle are next to Man-at-Arms. The rifle stands nearly as tall as the figure.

Here we can see the rifle-like sculpt in the hooked stock, box magazine, top-mounted site, and vented section near the axe head.

Here’s a closer look at the spiked mace, with chunky cone-shaped spikes surrounding a deep circular recess and several raised rings around the base of the head. Man-at-Arms’ green hand has thick, squared fingers and deep creases across the knuckles.

Here we get Man-at-Arms stripped down to the helmet, belt, waist armor, and boots, showing how much of his bulk comes from the removable armor. The armor separates into the spiked chest section, green-and-orange skirt armor, and two orange forearm guards with long flared fins.