Okay, so maybe not. But in the Family Guy episode "Da Boom", Peter recalls his battle with a giant chicken, who gave him a coupon that had already expired. The chicken was back again this season for another major battle, and I suspect it won't be the last time we see this feathered nemesis.

Mezco has been having great success with their line of action figures based on the show. Series 3 hit recently, as did the two pack of Lois and Peter in bondage gear, and the large 12" talking Stewie. But the set that has most fans thrilled is the two pack of Peter and his arch-enemy, battling it out in the street.

The fourth series of figures is right around the corner, including fat Stewie, Lois in her karate gi, Cleveland, Mort, Mr. Weed and Tom and Jake Tucker. There are photos of the figures in my SDCC coverage, along with the giant Peter. Heheheheheheh. I said 'giant Peter'.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, you can always reach me at mwc@mwctoys.com. If you enjoy this review, take a minute to check out my other site at Michael's Review of the Week, and let me know what you think. Now on to the review!

"Peter vs. the Giant Chicken"

Of course, one of the funniest aspects of the giant chicken is that while the initial flashback is spawned by a guy in a chicken suit trying to give Peter a coupon, the original chicken that gave him the expired coupon was just that - an actual, giant, chicken. This is also one of those 'ad nauseum' jokes, where the battle goes past funny to silly, past silly to stupid, and then so far past stupid that it gets funny again.

Packaging - ***
The graphical designs that Mezco is working with - along with the basic colors - are fairly dull, and that's hurt some of the packaging. However, Mez makes a smart move here. Instead of using the graphics, colors and text on the box to sell the set, he uses the set itself, with a huge window and the figures displayed as they will be on the base.

Boxes are always nice too, since they are easier to make collector friendly. Here you can open the box and remove the figures, and then replace them later if you feel the urge. The box is also pretty easy to store, and there's very little wasted space inside.

Sculpting - ****
This set is designed more as a single pose diorama than as 'action' figures. And considering the intent, that's pretty sensible.

I really love the look of both these figures, but the chicken is dead on perfect. They've been sculpted in a very Matrix-like situation, and while I don't recall this exact flying jump kick move in the sequence, it fits with the theme perfectly. It also makes for a great looking diorama!

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The head sculpts look great on both figures, with their expressions matching the tone of violence. The poses work well together, or with other 6" - 7" scale figures, as you'll see in later photos. These figures are also in scale with the rest of the line, and the proportions on their bodies - arms, legs, head, torso - is correct.

Paint - ****
Not only do the paint ops look perfect on both figures, but they've used the paint to add so much additional character to both figures.

I love the puffed up and blackened eyes, the cross hatching for injuries (just like in the cartoons), and the shading used to create 'false' shadowing on both bodies. The paint adds to each expression, especially with Peter's squinted eyes, and there's no sign of slop or bleed.

Articulation - **1/2
While the regular series figures have gotten more articulation over time, these two take a step back. That's not a serious issue though, since these are intended as a static diorama piece, rather than as figures you can pose in many ways.

The chicken has neck, shoulders, top of legs, and one cut elbow (right arm). Peter has neck, shoulders waist, and one cut elbow as well (left arm). The articulation works well with the sculpt, and allows you to do some minor adjustments on the basic look.

Accessories - ***
The set comes with a plastic sidewalk for the base, a clear plastic rod to hold Peter in the air, and a cardboard backdrop of the store.

The backdrop looks good, but I really wish there was some way to snap it into the plastic sidewalk, to keep it standing. As it is, you have to rest it against a wall, or get out some handy Scotch tape.

My biggest worry is on the rod that suspends Peter in the air. The hole to insert it into Peter is deep enough and tight enough to work well long term, but the same is not true for the base. The hole is fairly short (since the sidewalk is thin), and I have a feeling that the rod will tend to droop or tip over time because of it.

Fun Factor - ***
This isn't much of a 'play' toy, although with the fighting stances that both these figures are in, kids will find plenty of ways to have fun with them. I've posed them with other figures in battle for a couple of the photos, so you get the general idea.

Value - **1/2
These are an average value, running about $20 - $25 depending on the location. Since the figures run in the $10 - $12 range, the price is fair, but not outstanding.

Overall - ***1/2
I'm a huge fan of cartoon lines. I love 'em. Some folks don't, and feel that no three dimensional line has ever captured the two dimensional work of cartoons properly. Pish posh.

The World of Springfield was one of the greats, and when it died, the Muppets line from Palisades took up the slack. Now the Muppets is winding down, and there are two lines that are really emerging as excellent 'animated' properties - Family Guy from Mezco and Nightmare Before Christmas from NECA. These are two lines that just keep getting better, and I anticipate every new release.

Mezco's South Park line looks interesting as well, and I have high hopes that they'll be able to do what several other companies have failed to do - capture the boys and their friends in plastic. If anyone can do it, Mezco can. And if Mezco can't - well, then we'll probably never get perfect South Park figures.

Where to Buy -
I've seen these at the local Media Play, but I used online resources this time around:

- Amazing Toyz has this set for $22.

- Killer Toys has this set for $23.

- CornerStoreComics has the set for $23.

- Krypton Collectibles doesn't have this set listed yet, but they have an excellent sale on some of the other figures and sets.

- Toy Fellas has the set for $25.

Related Links -
I've done a pretty good job keeping up with this line:

- here's my reviews of series 1, series 2, series 3, the 12" talking Stewie, and the Peter/Lois two pack.