KISS Series 4 "Rock and Roll Over" Action Figures | Source: The Pop Insider

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FIRST-LOOK REVIEW: KISS SERIES 4 ACTION FIGURES

Get ready to revisit “Rock and Roll Over” and “Psycho Circus” in 3.75-inch plastic!

by James Zahn
3 m
KISS Series 4 “Rock and Roll Over” Action Figures | Source: the Pop Insider
“You wanted the best, you got the best!” That’s a phrase that KISS fans know very well, both as a rallying cry for the band itself, and as the title of its 1996 live greatest hits album. “You Wanted the Best” is also the title of a song from KISS’ Psycho Circus (1998) album, which makes it a fitting introduction for the latest batch of 3.75-inch KISS action figures from Bif Bang Pow! For the past five years, Entertainment Earth‘s house brand has been serving up choice cuts from the KISS catalog, each having been carefully curated to pay tribute to a specific album cycle and era. Series 4 focuses on two periods more than 20 years apart: the Rock and Roll Over era (1976-1977) and the Psycho Circus era (1998-2000).
KISS Series 4 Action Figures | Source: The Pop Insider
Cracking into the Rock and Roll Over figures, I’m taken straight back to a simpler time. I distinctly remember seeing KISS on TV for the first time while hanging out at my cousin’s house. If it wasn’t a rerun of The Midnight Special, it was certainly something like that. As a kid, it was simultaneously terrifying and incredibly badass. These figures capture some of that magic, and it starts with the packaging — vintage style, weathered cardbacks that would’ve looked right at home on the pegs at Zayre or Toys “R” Us next to the Kenner Star Wars collection.
KISS Series 4 Action Figures | Source: the Pop Insider
Packed with 11 points of articulation, KISS can properly hold their weapons — in this case, guitar, bass, drumsticks — and one element that makes it work is another throwback to a classic line: the swivel elbows that were made famous on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero figures. The classic lineup of The Demon (Gene Simmons), The Starchild (Paul Stanley), The Spaceman (Ace Frehley), and The Catman (Peter Criss) are all here and looking fantastic. The Psycho Circus set flashes forward a couple of decades to when the band — fresh off of their mid-1990s reunion tour — decided to give it another go with the classic lineup, one last time. In “collectible” form, The Spaceman and Catman are essentially repainted versions of their 1976 counterparts with subtle differences here and there.
KISS Series 4 “Psycho Circus” Action Figures | Source: the Pop Insider
Gene is a full repaint with a different head sculpt, and the addition of his famous Axe bass. The weak point is The Starchild. For some reason, the shirtless version of Paul Stanley just looks off. His face and neck appear elongated. What redeems it is the inclusion of his “cracked mirror” Ibanez Iceman guitar.
KISS Series 4 Action Figures | Source: the Pop Insider
Collecting the full run of 3.75-inch KISS action figures can be a little daunting at this point for those entering the arena late in the game. Secondary market prices for the early series’, box sets, and variants can be at a premium, but the good news is that focusing on a favorite album or era offers casual fans an easy entry point, especially now. The collection already includes Destroyer (1976), Love Gun (1977), Alive II (1977), Dynasty (1979), and Unmasked (1980). With how prolific the band has been there’s still a lot of ground to cover and that leaves some intriguing possibilities left to be explored. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qGCk_ceL_Q

KISS Series 4 ‘Rock and Roll Over,’ ‘Psycho Circus’ Action Figures

It's time to "Shout It Out Loud" as KISS comes together in these detailed 3.75-inch action figures based on the 1976 Rock and Roll Over tour and the 1998-2000 Psycho Circus tour. Each figure includes 11 points of articulation (neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, hips, and knees) and ball joints in the shoulders for maximum rock…

Product Facts

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  • $14.99

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Entertainment Earth

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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