I recently painted my first Mantic Dwarf and did a little comparison with a Battle for Skull Pass dwarf (
http://rotgutmanglers.blogspot.com/2011/07/mantic-dwarves.html)
Anyway, what was most interesting to me was the reaction by non-gamers. I did a little taste test and showed the two models to some friends and family who really know nothing about gaming. They unanimously preferred the Mantic model. They said things like "he looks mean;" "he looks bulkier;" "he doesn't look like a confused old man." To be fair, the skull pass models aren't the best in the world, but it's all I had.
Personally, I wasn't sure I liked the Mantic model until he was painted up. I agree with the poster above me who said that the lack of head options is problematic. I did find, however, that they seemed to have less mold lines (and went together easier, for obvious reasons).
I'm a fan of everything but the elves.