Figure: Captain Benjamin Sisko
Wave: Deep Space Nine Series 1
Body style: Mid-sized FC/Nem uniform (FC Data)

    Being that DS9 is one of the most popular of the Star Trek series, many fans had been expecting a lot from this latest offering by DST. For the purposes of this review, I have removed a brand new Sisko from his packaging.

   To start the packaging for this figure is the standard TNG era packaging that DST started using with the release of TNG series 1. The DS9 version though has the appropriate changes made to both the logo (show title and delta on side of package) and picture of the cast in the upper right hand corner. Overall this packaging, although somewhat bulky in my opinion, is a very nice display item. It also fits in seamlessly with the other TNG figures of this era. Some people might question whether or not DST should have created a whole new packaging style for DS9, but I believe in the end that this style fits nicely with what most Trek collectors would accept.

   The figure by itself is a very nice piece. The head sculpt overall captures the likeness of Ben Sisko nicely. The airbrushing of the various browns/reds gives the face more depth than if DST would have simply used one color. The head itself seems to be the same head used for Sisko on the T&T version previously released by DST/AA. The DS9 version uses a darker brown that more closely matches the skin color of Sisko. This Sisko also has eyebrows placed on the face whereas Avery Brooks on the series did not have any (or if he did, they were extremely light!). Its interesting to note that the T&T Sisko also has eyebrows, but they are much thinner. I'm not sure how the face would look without the eyebrows on the DS9 figure but overall I do not think they detract greatly from the overall look. The eyes also seem to be painted in a way that enhances the figures "mood" that comes pretty close to capturing the way Brook's portrayed the character for most of the time. As a side note I would have liked to see some variant heads such as a "smiling Sisko" and a more "brooding" Sisko. The expression provided almost is somewhere in the middle of those two. Being that his characters demeanor changed so greatly from the beginning of the series to the problems faced in the Dominion War, it might have been cool to get some variant heads to reflect those moments.

   The joints on this figure that I opened were all good and the figure was able to be stood properly. This seems to be consistent with what I have generally heard from other collectors. I haven't head much of a leg warping problem. I should also note that there is also no oily substance on the figure which also seems to be consistent with what I have heard.

   DST chose the standard mid sized body style in FC/Nem uniform for this figure. This style has been used by FC Data with no variation at all. I personally am against this choice for Sisko. When standing by himself, the figure looks fine, but when put next too other figures he seems small. Brooks had very broad shoulders and is a bit taller than this body style suggest. It would have been nice for DST to create a new mold for Sisko to add to their repertoire that includes the small body (Geordi), mid sized (Data), large (Riker), and large & bulky (Worf). A body style between Data and Riker would have been perfect and doubtlessly could have been used for future figures. The black uniform on this figure also utilizes a matte paint as opposed to the semi-gloss that was used for the Geordi/Data S7 TNG wave. This matte paint gives the figure a nice smooth feel with also representing the Starfleet uniform color better. The noticeable absence on this figure is the lack of a front zipper on the uniform. Sisko never to my knowledge wore the "jumpsuit" style of FC/Nem uniform. He always had the "jacket" style and most of the time had the zipper on the front zipped down a bit. These two flaws (body style and zipper) are the two biggest detractions I have about this overall nice figure. The red paint on the collar and sleeves is well done and the pips on this particular figure are perfectly spaced. This particular figure I opened does have an imperfection on the grey part of the torso but overall I have not had that experience with the majority of my other Sisko I purchased for customizing. Finally the communicator pin is also painted perfectly. I also like how the they used a slightly darker gold on the bars of the communicator because I think that it makes it stand out more against the silver delta and black uniform.

    The accessories chosen by DST once again reflect the character. One of the great parts of this line is how DST chooses these accessories and how much detail they put into them. Sisko includes a fully painted phaser, PADD and phaser rifle. All three are very nice. He also comes with his signature baseball from his desk that is just greatly detailed. Look at the ball almost every red stitch is perfectly placed and the color used gives it that used feeling. I just absolutely love the detail on the ball and think it might be one of the best accessories DST has done thus far. The baseball hat on the other hand representing the DS9 team called the forty-niners is not as detailed. I have yet to open a Sisko (probably about 5 or so) that has a clear 49er logo on the front of the cap. The cap itself fits nicely onto Sisko's head but the logo is just not clear. If you look at it from a far, you can grasp what it is, but up close it loses all detail. In spite of that, I would say that the accessories are overall and excellent job.

   In conclusion, this figure only has a few flaws: the eyebrows, the zipper, and the body style. Out of those three I can live with 2, but the body style IMO significantly detracts from the figure when being displayed with other Trek figures. DST really should have made a new body type for Sisko. However, the figure itself is nicely done and the accessories only add to the overall presentation of the figure.

Rating: out of 5 stars.

As Always,