Dustin & Max (Stranger Things)

When Funko announced the first wave of Stranger Things Pops for season 4, I was… well, to be honest I was a little underwhelmed.

Dull variations of Will (who, let’s be honest, is pretty much always dull), Eleven, Lucas, etc… and a disappointing lack of new blood (I contend that Funko *drastically* miscalculated when they made Eddie a Target exclusive and can’t imagine they won’t rectify that at some point). I like Steve and Robin in their video store getups (and the poses are perfect), but I already have the two of them in their far superior Scoops Ahoy uniforms, so they didn’t feel like much of a priority.

In the end, I settled on Dustin and Max. Dustin is the obvious standout here, with his literal “thinking cap,” walkie-talkie and Hellfire Club tee (which is rendered *perfectly* - for all that Funko haters like to act as if Pops are the artistic standard of a claw machine prize in Singapore, I’m continuously impressed at the level of detail that gets packed into these figures). Visually, he has pretty significant shelf appeal, particularly with his shirt’s bright colors and the eye-grabbing graphics on his hat.

Max is a little less exciting at first glance (hey, she was dealing with depression this season, she’s *supposed* to appear a bit drab), but within the context of said season, her walkman and headphones are an awesome detail (if you squint *reaaaaaally* closely, you can see the Kate Bush tape. Can’t see it? You aren’t squinting hard enough). She also looks better out of the box, as you can better appreciate her ponytail and fully revel in her Sadie Sink awesomeness. ​

Wave two has since been announced, and I still have mixed feelings. Robin looks particularly badass in her commando getup, Argyle is fine if you’re into that character, and while I love the idea of a Vecna figure in theory, I agree with the general reaction that he doesn’t translate very well at all to the Pop style, particularly in terms of his skin texture and coloring. Mostly I’m wondering why Nancy keeps getting the short shrift. There is a two-pack of her and Robin inspired by their visit to Pennhurst Asylum at least, but a shotgun-toting combat version felt like a no-brainer. She now literally has fewer figures than Erica, for God’s sake. I really don't get it.