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Wecome to the first post of the new monthly toy review column. Each column will bring you reviews of the new science-fiction action figures and toys, as well as a first look at upcoming releases.

Since this is my first review, I'm going to base it on the following criteria:

Coolness factor: To what degree do I want to rip open the packaging and play with a toy?

Likeness factor: To what degree does the toy look like who or what it is supposed to look like?

Are there other thing you think I should be rating these toys on? Then click on the "Talk about this story" link at the end of the column and let me know what you think.

And just something to note on this review. Next month, Diamond Select Toys will release the first series in its set of "Stargate: Atlantis" action figures, and Airlock Alpha has been given the opportunity of a first look. Created by Jean St. Jean Studios, the set includes Lt. Col. John Sheppard (see picture), a field ops version of Sheppard (see picture), Dr. Elizabeth Weir (see picture), a Wraith (see picture) and a limited field ops Weir. Also, for these collectors that collect four UPCs and mail them in to Diamond Select, a "Steve the Wraith" action figure will also be available, however, I didn't get a sample of him.

Coolness Factor

This factor is definitely high. Each figure comes with a piece of a sculpture of the stargate (see picture), as well as several accessories. For example, the Dr. Weir figure comes with a copy of "War and Peace" (not a real copy, but a nice looking miniature). Once you get the figures out of the packaging, many of them have movable (not removable) clothing made of a rubbery plastic that gives it the feel of leather.

Also, the figures are fully jointed. You can move the knee and hip joint although I found the hip joints to be a bit stiff. And the arms come with multiple joints so you can post the figures in a variety of ways. The hands are in a grip, so you can place the accessories in them. Field Ops Sheppard comes with a gun in hand, which you can remove and place in its holster.

This gives the COOLNESS RATING 4 out of 5 stars.

Likeness Factor

However, the likeness factor on this series is mixed. When I opened the box that was delivered to my door, I immediately recognized Col. Sheppard. Both Sheppard figures carry Joe Flanigan's signature snarky smirk. Also, the Wraith looks very much like the photo that comes with it.

However, if the packaging didn't say "Dr. Weir" on them, I would only have inferred that from the hairstyle. Torri Higginson has a distinctive jaw line (kind of reminds me of Sigourney Weaver) that just doesn't come through in the figures.

So as for a LIKENESS RATING, I give it 2 out of 5 stars.

That said, I'd still recommend these figures because, for me, the coolness factor greatly overpowered the likeness factor for these figures.

So I give it an OVERALL RATING of 4 out of 5 stars.

Behind the Scenes Interestingly enough, the original sculptures used to define what the eventual action figure would look like do look like Higginson. So I thought it would be cool to give an overview of the process that leads to the action figures you find in the store. Of course, there isn't much room to do that here, so I'll go over each step in the next several column posts.

But the first step is concept development. This usually starts out as sketches of what the action figure will look like from several angles. These sketches are called "turnarounds," and are given to the sculptor who then creates a 3-D statue of the proposed action figure. (Here is the concept and here is the (finished product).Tomorrow's Toys

Diamond Select Toys has given Airlock Alpha an exclusive sneak peak at the "Stargate: Atlantis" Series 2 figures, which should hit stores sometime in the Spring. This series includes Dr. Rodney McKay, Field Ops Teyla, Field Ops McKay, and the Wraith Queen. a Athosian Teyla will be available as a Diamond Previews Exclusive.

These images are of the paint masters, which illustrates what the eventual action figures will look like. Therefore, they don't have joints and look somewhat stiff. I'll be getting advanced copies of these figures and will have a review of them shortly before they hit the stores.

If you would like to order your own "Stargate: Atlantis" Series 1 action figures, you can do so by clicking here.

Carma Spence-Pothitt is a special assignment reporter with Airlock Alpha, writing out of California. She can be reached at cspothitt@airlockalpha.com.