Category Archives: Reviews

#0421: Gold

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

GOLD

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

DC Universe Classics, through all of its victories, was not without its flaws. When the line ended, more than one team of heroes was left incomplete. That being said, the line did manage to finish up a couple of teams. One of those teams, the Metal Men, hadn’t seen toy form ever before. That’s not a particularly shocking thing, truth be told. The Metal Men are far from one of DC’s more well-known properties. Still, they managed to all show up in this line, and they serve as an example of the line’s strength in rendering oft-forgotten characters in action figure form.

As a bit of backstory, the Metal Men are a team of robots, constructed by Dr. Will Magnus, who were each made out of a particular metal, animated by a “responsometer” which gave each of them a distinct personality. Today, I’ll be looking at the team’s field leader, Gold, who was the member of the team who best fit the traditional hero archetype.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Gold was a figure in Series 14 of DC Universe Classics. Series 14 was the third Walmart exclusive series in the line, and it fell somewhere in between the impossible to find Series 5 and the rather plentiful Series 10 in terms of availability. Gold is a little over 6 inches in height and he features 23 points of articulation (he was released after Mattel removed the ankle rocker joints). He was the second Metal Man released in the line, following Series 12’s Iron. The figure makes use of the mid-size male buck as a starting point, with a new head, forearms, and calves, as well as a set of die-cast hands (first used on Iron), and an add-on for the front of his torso. The mid-size body is a good fit for Gold, so it was well chosen. The new pieces match up pretty well with the body, while giving him some individual flair. The head is the only piece to sport any flaws. It’s not a bad sculpt, but it doesn’t seem quite right for Gold; he should look more confident and self-assured. The hands being actual metal is cool, though the fact that they were originally sculpted for Iron means that they have some dings and things that aren’t quite right for Gold. Gold’s paint is rather straight-forward. He’s painted from head to toe with gold paint. The decision to use paint rather than gold plastic was a wise choice, as the end result is much cleaner. In addition, he also features a few details for his symbol on his head and torso, as well as his eyes. The eyes are rather clean, but the symbols are a slight bit off center. Gold included two hand attachments: a buzz saw and a pick axe. Both are well done, but the buzz saw really stands out, just for the sheer amount of imagination that went into it. If you look closely, you can see that it actually looks like a stretched out version of his hand is holding the blade. It’s a great touch. Gold also included the left leg of the series Collect-N-Connect, Ultra Humanite, who you can read about here.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

After finding Iron at a reduced price, I was all on board for getting Gold when he was released. My dad is a pretty big fan of the Metal Men, so this was one of those instances of both of us wanting a certain figure. So, when we finally came across a set of Series 14, the single Gold figure went to him. I didn’t mind, seeing as I got all the other figures I wanted, but I still hoped to find another. The figure’s price jumped and I figured I’d missed my shot. Fortunately, while checking out The House of Fun, I found a loose Gold amongst their large selection of DCUC figures. I’m happy to have the figure. He’s not perfect, but he’s pretty close, and he’s a key piece of one of DCUC’s greatest legacies.

#0420: Guardian

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

GUARDIAN

DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS

Ah, yes, DC Universe Classics. One of the most confusing lines I’ve ever collected. Purely viewing the figures offered, it’s easily the greatest DC toyline ever released (beating out Kenner’s Super Powers). The sheer breadth of the line is truly astounding. But, it was a Mattel toyline, which means the line was met with mismanagement, strange choices, and some of the worst distribution I’ve ever seen on a major toyline. An entire series of figures would be completely absent from store shelves in most areas of the country, leading to insane aftermarket prices. Because of this, I’m still filling holes in my collection two years after the line ended. One of my recent acquisitions is Guardian, DC’s resident shield wielding hero who is totally not Captain America. Let’s see how the figure turned out!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Guardian was released in Series 9 of DC Universe Classics. He’s one of the line’s more odd-ball choices, but that’s never a bad thing. The figure is a little over 6 inches tall and he features 25 points of articulation. He’s based on the original Jack Kirby-version of the character. Early prototypes for the figure showed the 90s incarnation of the character, and comments from Mattel indicated that that version might surface as a variant, but such a figure never surfaced. Sorry Guardian fans. DCUC was primarily a “buck-system” line, and Guardian is no exception. He’s built on the mid-sized buck, with a belt add-on and a new head. The mid-size buck seems like it might be a bit too small for Guardian, but it doesn’t look terrible. One thing I’ve noticed is that since getting back into Marvel Legends, the shoulders on the DCUC bucks look larger than they should, but overall, the bucks were well done, so this is a good starting point. Guardian’s head is really nice. The helmet is a separate piece, so the face is actually below it, which gives the figure the appropriate amount of depth. Guardian’s paint is rather simple, but what’s there is cleanly applied for the most part. There is a tiny bit of slop on the neck line, but that’s about it. The work on the face is the highlight of the figure, mostly due to just how clean everything is. The colors on the costume are really bright, which is befitting of a character like Guardian. They really make him pop. Guardian included his trusty shield, which is sort of silly looking, especially given the size, but it’s actually quite well sculpted. He also included the right leg of Chemo, but my figure was purchased loose and therefore did not have that piece.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I wanted a Guardian when he was released. In fact, I wanted pretty much all of Series 9. However, the series never really showed up in my neck of the woods. I was able to track down a few of the other figures from the series, but not Guardian.

The weekend before Thanksgiving, I accompanied my dad to Philcon. We decided to explore the surrounding area on Saturday and came across a very nice toy store, called The House of Fun. The store’s selection was actually a bit overwhelming, if I’m honest. Anyway, my dad and I decided to focus on the large selection of DCUC figures they had, and Guardian happened to be amongst them. I’m glad I finally found the figure. He’s often been referred to as the sleeper hit of this series, and I can see why. He doesn’t have the bells and whistles that some of the better DCUC figures had, but he’s a solidly put together figure who is just undeniably fun.

#0419: Peter Venkman

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

PETER VENKMAN

REAL GHOSTBUSTERS (KENNER)

Prior to the last few years, if you wanted any kind of Ghostbusters toys, you were limited to what the Real Ghostbusters toyline had to offer. Seeing as there were only normal versions of the ‘busters offered early in the line, that meant that more often than not, settling for the wacky variants became the best option. So, let’s look at one of those!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

This Peter Venkman figure was released in 1990 as part of the “Power Pack Heroes” series of Kenner’s The Real Ghostbusters line. The figure is about 4 ½ inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation. Peter’s “Power Pack” shtick was a “Bouncin’ Bazooka” which was a missile launcher thing. Pretty much, this series was made up of re-decos of the first series ‘busters. So, it follows that Peter is head to toe a repaint of the original Peter Venkman figure. Fortunately, the original sculpt was pretty good. It’s a nice approximation of what he looked like in the cartoon, and everything looks nice. Peter’s paint job is one of the distinguishing features. In place of the usual brown jumpsuit, he has a dark green jumpsuit, with orange and light green details that form some sort of art deco design. It’s an interesting look, and the paintwork is nice and clean. The eyes are done in a bright green, which looks kind of odd, but it’s not terrible. Originally, Peter included the aforementioned “Bouncin’ Bazooka” and a Lightning Ghost, but my figure never had them, so I can’t really speak to their quality.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I came into Ghostbusters at probably the most difficult time to be a Ghostbusters fan. The glut of movie toys was a good 10 years off, and all of the Real Ghostbusters stuff was gone before I was born. I remember coming across one or two Extreme Ghostbusters figures, but they weren’t the actual Ghostbusters. So, I resorted to finding loose figures at flea markets and antique stores. Peter was an Antique store find, and I think he was the last figure I added to my rather modest Real Ghostbusters collection. He’s actually a pretty good figure, and I find the art deco look of his uniform to be oddly compelling.

#0418: Back to the Future Part II Minimates

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

MARTY MCFLY, DOC BROWN, BIFF TANNEN & DISGUISED MARTY

BACK TO THE FUTURE MINIMATES

Minimates are really great, just based on how many properties you can get in one style thanks to them. In many cases, they’re the only way of getting toys from popular movies, as was the case for the longest time with Back to the Future. The first Back to the Future set was something of an experiment for Diamond, to see how boxed sets based on popular movies would do. It was a break away hit, ending up selling out pretty much everywhere. So, naturally Diamond continued on to the next two films in the trilogy. They weren’t quite the success of the first set, but they did alright. Today, I’ll be looking at set number two.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

These four figures were released as a boxed set, the second in the line. All of the figures are based on the looks seen in Back to the Future Part II.

MARTY MCFLY – FUTURE

Marty is the star of the movies, and he has a fair number of looks over the course of the three films, so he was a natural fit for multiple figures. His first figure in this set is based on his appearance while he’s exploring the 2015 timeline. The figure is about 2 ½ inches tall and he’s got 14 points of articulation. He’s built on the standard Minimate body, with a unique set of feet to represent Marty’s self-lacing shoes, as well as add-ons for his jacket and hair. All of these pieces were new to this figure, though the feet and hair would see a few re-uses down the line. All of the pieces are well sculpted, thought the hair seems a little bit off for Michael J Fox. The paint is okay, but not amazing. Everything is clean, and there’s some great detail work on the clothing. Unfortunately, the face looks nothing like Fox, and it’s only compounded when added to the hair. I don’t really know what happened, but that’s just not him. Marty included a hoverboard that, aside from the forgivable omission of the Mattel logo, is a spot on recreation of the one from the movie.

DOC BROWN

Doc was a very close second to Marty in terms of role in the films, so it’s no surprise that he made his way into each of the boxed sets. Like the previous Marty, this figure is based on Doc’s appearance in the scenes set in 2015 (and also the end of the first movie). Doc is roughly 2 ½ inches tall and he has the typical 14 points of articulation. He uses the standard body, but he has his own unique head, as well as an add-on for his jacket/shit/tie. Both pieces were new to this figure, and only the head has seen re-use. The both are well sculpted, although the holes in the temples are a little distracting. The paint work on Doc is quite nice. Everything is nice and clean. The slightly iridescent yellow used for the coat looks fantastic. The detail lines are all nice and sharp, and the likeness on this figure is much better than the one on Marty. Doc includes a pair of sunglasses that hook into the holes on the head. They look fine, but they sit a little too low, and it would be nice if there were a way to have them at the top of his head like they are for most of the movie.

BIFF TANNEN

Biff starts out the series as a rather despicable character, but he goes practically into supervillain mode in Part II. This particular figure represents Biff in the alternate 1985, after old Biff has altered the time line. He represents Biff at his worst, so he’s a pretty good choice for a figure. The figure is about 2 ½ inches in height and sports 14 points of articulation. The figure makes use of the standard body, along with add-ons for the jacket/shirt and the hair. Both pieces are new to this figure, and they are very well sculpted. The only thing that’s a little off is that the hair is perhaps a little too full in the back. 1985 Biff had a very definite bald spot. Biff’s paint is good, if a little drab. That’s true to the movie, so I suppose there’s no room for complaint. At the very least, the face looks a fair bit like Thomas Wilson’s Biff, so that’s good. Biff included no accessories. It would have been nice to at least get the Almanac or even the revolver he tries to shoot Marty with. Oh well.

MARTY MCFLY – DISGUISED

The second Marty in this set is based on Marty’s look in the second half of the film, after he’s travelled back to the 50s again. In order to avoid his past self, who’s already there, he has to wear a disguise. The figure is a little over 2 ½ inches tall with the hat, and he has 14 points of articulation. He’s built on the standard Minimate body, with add-ons for his hat/hair and his jacket. Both pieces are new to this figure, and they both look pretty good overall. The hat might sit just a tad bit too high, but it’s not terrible. The jacket is a nice, basic leather jacket, and it ended up being re-used a few times. Marty’s paintwork is decent. His torso, waist, and legs are identical to Future Marty, which makes sense, I suppose. He’s got some decently detailed shoes, which is cool, but he’s got the same likeness issue with the face that the other Marty had. Disguised Marty included no accessories, which is a shame. An extra, sunglass wearing head or a walkie talkie would have been cool.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

After missing out on the first set, I was a little discouraged about getting the rest of the figures. Fortunately, not long after the release of the third set, I was able to find the later two boxed sets, as well as two of the supplementary two-packs, at Baltimore Comicon. While the Marty likenesses are disappointing, and there could definitely be a few more accessories, this is a pretty decent set.

#0417: Ultraman Jack

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

ULTRAMAN JACK

ULTRA-ACT

My Ultra-Act collection started off with something of a bang, but lately I’ve moved into a “slow and steady wins the race” pattern. I’ve got a number of upcoming figures on pre-order, and I’ll probably be doing a little bit more catch-up once I’ve got some freed up funds again. Anyway, one of my standing pre-orders was just filled, and it’s Ultraman Jack, the third Ultraman.

Jack was the star of his own show, titled The Return of Ultraman. Why “The Return?” Well, originally Ultraman Jack was actually just supposed to be the original Ultraman with a slightly tweaked look. However, they instead decided to go with the pattern started in Ultraseven and create and all new Ultra. Thus we were introduced to Jack. Let’s see how his figure turned out.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Ultraman Jack was originally released in mid-2013 as part of the Ultra-Act line. He was a standalone release, as is the standard release method for this line. Jack is roughly 6 inches tall and he features 40 points of articulation, another standard for the line. Jack was released after the second version of the basic Ultraman, which means he’s up to date with the rest of the more recent releases in the line. Jack features a sculpt that is unique to this figure. Given the closeness of Jack’s design to the original Ultraman, it’s surprising that Bandai didn’t go for any re-use, but that’s hardly a complaint. The sculpt is up to the usual standard of the Ultra-Act line. It’s accurate to the source material, and it actually looks like a person in a suit, which is cool. Like Ace, it seems the shoulders may be a bit too broad, but that’s a relatively minor complaint. Jack’s paintwork is solidly done. It’s cleanly and evenly applied, and all of the cuts and such are appropriately sharp. The red and silver are both nice and bold, adding some very nice pop to the figure. No Ultra-Act release would be complete without an impressive accessory selection, and Jack does not disappoint. He includes his trusty Ultra Cross, his Ultra Lance in two forms, the Ultra Shield, the Ultra Bracelet given to him by Ultraseven, an extra color timer, a clip to attach him to a stand and 10 hands: fists (L and R), open gesture(L and R), karate-chop (L and R), a hand for holding the small Ultra Lance, a hand for the holding the larger items, a hand holding up the peace sign, and a hand with the Specium Beam attached. That’s one of the larger assortments of accessories for an Ultra-Act figure, and they all are very well done.

 

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Jack is a figure I tried to get a few times. I had two separate pre-orders of his original release, neither of which came through. When his after-market price shot up, I kinda gave up. Fortunately, he was given a rerelease, this time through Bluefin, the US distributors of the Ultra-Act line. This allowed for me to place a pre-order through Amazon, who continue to amuse me with their numerous emails informing me that they have literally no idea when these figures will arrive. Jack was worth the wait. He’s rather similar to the original design, but he’s got just enough personal flair to make him a very welcome addition.

#0416: Wasabi No-Ginger

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

WASABI NO-GINGER

BIG HERO 6

Aside from knowing that it was an adaptation of a Marvel comic, I didn’t really have much to go on when I went to see Big Hero 6. But, the previews looked good, so I gave it a shot. I’m very glad I did. It’s a very well done movie, and it tells a very compelling story. I really liked the movie, and me being me, that meant I had to have at least one of the action figures, right? So, let’s have a look at the one I picked up, Wasabi No-Ginger.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Wasabi is part of the first series of Bandai’s Big Hero 6 toyline. The figure is about 3 ½ inches tall and he features 13 points of articulation. He’s based on Wasabi’s armored up look from the second half of the film. It’s his most distinctive look, and definitely the most toyetic. Wasabi features a brand new sculpt based on his character design from the movie. Overall, it’s a pretty good sculpt. Not perfect, but serviceable. Some of the proportions are a little bit off. His legs are a tad too stubby, and he’s generally just a little too wide. That being said, the exaggerated nature of the original design means that the problems aren’t quite as apparent as they might be. The best work is definitely the figure’s head, which is a pretty much spot on recreation of the character’s look in the movie. At first glance, I thought they had left off the goggles, but a quick look at a few screen captures from the movie shows that the goggles aren’t always present. The paint, much like the sculpt, is good, if not anything spectacular. All of the application is nice and clean, with no issues with slop or bleed over. The colors are simplified versions of the ones in the movie. Everything is a little brighter and flatter. The end result isn’t quite as exciting as the on-screen look, but it’s a passable interpretation of it. Wasabi includes two clip-on energy blades, and a sleeveless jacket thingy. The blades are moderately disappointing, mostly due to their solid coloring. Translucent plastic would do a lot to improve them. The jacket is nice, though superfluous. Evidently, it was based on a work-in-progress version of the character where he wore the coat as part of his final outfit.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Wasabi is another figure to join the ranks of “Stuff my Super Awesome Girlfriend bought me.” Wasabi had a few traits that reminded her of me, so when we saw this figure at K-Mart the day after seeing the movie, she insisted on getting it for me. She’s really waaaaaay too supportive of this hobby. Isn’t it awesome?

What surprised me the most about this figure was that it was made by Bandai America. Generally, I find their figures to be extremely off-model and low quality, and that’s not even getting into the scale issues. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this figure. Sure, he’s not going to be winning any “Best Figure of the Year” awards, but he’s a solidly built, fun little figure. If the rest of the line is anything like him, I’d say the license is in good hands.

#0415: Batman

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

BATMAN

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (DC COLLECTIBLES)

Danananananananananananananana na, Batman! Hey guys, you know what’s awesome? If you said “Batman: The Animated Series,” you are correct. Also, you should really stop reading my mind. It’s very rude.

The only thing more awesome than a super cool cartoon is a super cool toyline. The toys released at the time of Batman: The Animated Series weren’t bad, but they were limited by what could be done with toys at the time. Enter DC Collectibles, who have just launched a brand-new line of 6-inch scale figures based on the series. Each figure has a show accurate sculpt, plenty of articulation, and tons of accessories, making these possibly the greatest Batman toys of all time. Today, I’ll be looking at the line’s first figure of the main man himself, Batman!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Batman is part of the first series of DC Collectibles’ Batman: The Animated Series line, which apparently isn’t so much of a series as it is a loose grouping of figures being released around the same time. Batman is number 01 in the line. Batman is about 6 inches tall and features 26 points of articulation. Batman is based on his appearance from the show’s second incarnation, Batman: The New Adventures. This has caused a bit of controversy due to some fans wanting the original look first, but have no fear, that look has been slotted for Series 4. Batman features an all-new sculpt, which simply put is fantastic. Rendering a 2D design in 3D is no easy feat, but this figure manages to be an almost perfect recreation of the design. It’s truly an amazing piece. What amazes me even more is how well they’ve worked in the articulation. Part of the reason the older figures were so under-articulated is that the character designs don’t really lend themselves to sturdy joints, but DCC has really made it work. Perhaps the one area where this figure could stand to be improved is the paint. It’s not terrible, but there are some things that really stand out. The biggest issue with my figure is something I’ve actually already fixed. The paint on the nose of his cowl extended way too far down on the left side. A quick examination of other figures showed that this was a definite fluke, but make sure yours doesn’t have that issue. A quick bit of work with some nail polish remover provided an easy fix, but I’d rather not have to do such things. Other than that, there’s just some general sloppiness, especially on the symbol. Another issue is that since almost the entire figure is painted, there are some problems with stuck joints. The hip on my figure won’t budge. All that aside, the paint is mostly clean, it’s very even, and the finish looks fantastic. When the prototype of this figure was first shown, there was some concern about the cape hanging over the shoulders and blocking the movement of the arms. Fortunately, DCC listened and changed the cape to the swept back look he has now. But they didn’t want to deprive fans of the show accurate over the shoulder look, so that piece has also been included as an accessory. By popping off the head, the cape can easily swap out, with no issues. In addition to the cape, Batman also includes a batarang, a grappling hook (with removable hook), 7 extra hands in varying poses(two relaxed, two gripping, two for holding batarangs, and one with the grapple sculpted in place), and a display stand featuring the character design sheet. The plentiful accessories are a welcome change to DCC figures, which tend to be rather barebones.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I picked up Batman from my local comic store, Cosmic Comix. I went back and forth on whether I wanted to get into this line. I like the idea, but I must admit the early prototype pictures were just “meh.” My opinion changed when I saw them on display at a few of the conventions, and when I eventually saw this guy in person, I just couldn’t say no. Truth be told, this is the best Batman figure I’ve ever owned, and he is perhaps the best Batman ever made.  Sure, the paint could use some work, but other than that, this figure is all win. I can’t wait to get the rest of the line.

#0414: Ms. Marvel, Captain America, & Radioactive Man

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

MS. MARVEL, CAPTAIN AMERICA, & RADIOACTIVE MAN

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

Okay, last day of Marvel Legends reviews this round. But, we’re going out with a bang. Not one, not two, but THREE (count ‘em THREE!) figures this time. Target is doing something of a push for more business in their action figure department, so they’ve just started carrying exclusive sets from Hasbro’s Marvel Legends Infinite Series and Star Wars: the Black Series lines, as well as Playmates’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line. I just got the Marvel set, so let’s see how that turned out.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Ms. Marvel, Captain America, and Radioactive Man are part of the exclusive Marvel Legends Infinite Series three-pack currently for sale at Target. Radioactive Man was previously slated for a regular release in the Marvel Legends line before the move to the Infinite Series branding, but he ended up getting cancelled. It’s nice to see him find a place here.

MS. MARVEL

“When her human DNA fused with that of the mighty Kree warrior Mar-Vell, Carol Danvers became the superhuman Ms. Marvel.” This is the star attraction of the set for a lot of people. It’s understandable, given that the character hasn’t seen a figure in this scale since way back in the Toybiz days. That’s a pretty dated figure, and near impossible to find, at that, so a new figure is a great move. The figure is about 6 inches tall and she features 29 points of articulation. She’s depicted here in her second costume, designed by the late Dave Cockrum. It’s generally the design she’s most associated with, and it’s probably one of the better ones. Ms. Marvel’s sculpt is head-to-toe identical to that of the Moonstone figure from the Thunderbolts boxed set. Generally, a complete re-use for a separate character doesn’t work out for the best, but Ms. Marvel and Moonstone have generally been rather similar in looks, so a little bit of paint is enough to make it work. It’s a pretty solid sculpt, with good proportions and movement. In addition to the Moonstone pieces, Ms. Marvel’s also been given a sash add-on, which actually does a nice job hiding the flatness of the lower torso. That was the only real issue with the original sculpt, so it makes the figure even better. The paintwork is, obviously, key on this figure, and for once Hasbro really made it work. Everything is really clean, and all the details are nice and sharp. The gold on the logo in particular looks really nice. About the only issue with the paint is the decision to have the exposed skin go up quite so high on the hips. If the costume came down a bit further, the articulation would be pretty well hidden, but as it is they look a bit unsightly. Ms. Marvel included no accessories, but apart from maybe an energy blast or something, there’s not much that would make sense.

CAPTAIN AMERICA

“Science made Steve Rogers a super-soldier with extraordinary speed, agility, strength, and durability, but it’s his heart that makes him Captain America.” Cap here is kind of the requisite heavy hitter of the set. It’s highly unlikely he’ll have much pull for the set’s intended audience, but he’s kind of unavoidable. The figure is about 6 inches tall and he has 32 points of articulation. He’s something of an amalgam of Cap’s various looks over the years. The strongest influence seems to be from the Ultimate universe version of the character, but the color palate is more classically inspired, and the painted on head wings are from the most recent incarnations of the costume. The end result is actually not bad. Like the design, the figure’s pieces are also something of an amalgam of previous figures. Most of the figure is re-used from the most recent Ultimate Cap (Which it should be noted took a lot of its parts from the ML Face-Off version of Punisher). The only pieces not from that figure are the right thigh, which is from the X-Men Marvel Legends Infinite Series Magneto, and the shoulder strap, which is from the ML Commander Rogers figure. The body is a little dated in comparison to some of the more recent stuff, but it’s not terrible. The add-on shoulder strap and belt pieces do a lot to mask some of the flaws, allowing it to serve as a decent mid-way point between the body like we saw on Carnage and the one used for Radioactive Man. I’m still not 100% sold on the head, but it could be worse. It’s just a bit too mean looking. The figure’s paint is pretty solid. Everything is pretty clean. I dig the boldness of the blue. The stars on the shoulders present a bit of an issue with posing, as moving the shoulders causes them to be a bit misaligned. Cap includes his mighty shield and an extra unmasked head. The shield is the same one we’ve seen a few times. It’s a good piece, plus it can be placed on his back, which is cool. The head is a re-use from Commander Rogers. It has a lot of the same issues as the regular head, but at least it matches.

RADIOACTIVE MAN

“A nuclear physicist with his eye on taking over the world, Dr. Chen Lu transformed himself into the walking atomic meltdown known as Radioactive Man.” Not to be confused with the Simpsons character of the same name. Radioactive Man is probably one of the primary reasons for this set’s existence, since I imagine Hasbro didn’t want the sculpt going to waste. The figure is about 6 ½ inches tall and he features 32 points of articulation. He’s based on Radioactive Man’s classic appearance, which is one of my favorites, as goofy as it is. Radioactive Man’s a big guy, and as such he’s built on Hasbro’s new bulky body, which I believe was first used for Hyperion. It’s a pretty good body, especially for larger characters, although the neck might be just a tad too far back. Still, it’s well-proportioned and poses well. Not much else you can ask for. Radioactive Man’s also got a brand new head and an add-on piece for his, uh, skirt. The head is pretty decent, though Hasbro’s male heads are starting to look a bit repetitive. Too many similar features, I guess. The skirt piece is nice, though it can end up being a bit restricting in some poses. Radioactive Man’s paint is pretty decent, if a bit sparse. For the most part he’s molded in translucent green, which is definitely cool. The skirt and boots are molded in s darker, solid green, and the torso’s painted to match. The logo on the chest is clean, which is good. I would have liked it to be more of a yellow, but it looks fine. The only other details are his eyes, which are just simple white. Unfortunately, the left eye on mine is out of place, but it’s not too noticeable. Radioactive Man includes no accessories.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Unsurprising for a set that is exclusive to the store, I picked these three up from Target. My brother and I had gone to pick up Lego Batman 3 (which is awesome by the way), and I happened to find this set as well. As luck would have it, I had exactly the right amount of cash on hand to get both. Sure, I don’t really need another Captain America, but this one’s inoffensive and the other two more than make the purchase worth it. Plus, Radioactive Man. How can you say no to Radioactive Man? You just can’t!

#0413: Black Cat – Skyline Sirens

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

BLACK CAT – SKYLINE SIRENS

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

So, more Marvel Legends. Alright! Hasbro’s been putting a lot of effort into getting the line running successfully again. Over the summer, they did several series of figures that sorta tied in with this year’s Marvel movies. One of those lines was done to cash in on Amazing Spider-Man 2, and I’ll be looking at Black Cat (essentially Spider-Man’s version of Catwoman) from that series. Like Carnage, she was a figure that eluded me for a while, but I was finally able to track one down.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Black Cat is part of the Amazing Spider-Man 2 Marvel Legends Infinite Series, officially released under the name “Skyline Sirens.” She was replaced in later shipments by the other Skyline Sirens figure, Spider-Girl, which led to some scarcity for a while. Fortunately, it seems Hasbro has started shipping out Black Cat again. Black Cat is a little over 6 inches tall and she sports 29 points of articulation. I’m not incredibly well versed in the looks of Black Cat over the years, but this figure seems to be based on the “classic” design of the character. It’s a look not seen on her previous figures, but it’s what I think of when I think of the character. Anyway, the figure makes use of Hasbro’s new larger female base body, originally used on Moonstone in the Thunderbolts boxed set. It’s not a bad body, though it’s not quite as well-proportioned as the slightly more modest body used for Spider-Girl. The biggest issue is that the lower torso, which looks fine from the front, but is oddly flat from the side. They’ve also elected to give her high-heeled shoes, which are annoying, especially when trying to get her to stand. You really have to question the practicality of a cat burglar wearing high heels. The Cat has a unique head, upper torso, lower arms, hands, and lower legs. They’re all pretty solid sculpts, especially the head. Hasbro’s recent trend of female figures that actually have attractive head sculpts is a very refreshing change for Marvel Legends. Like so many other Hasbro figures, the paint is where things get iffy. However, to their credit, this figure’s problems aren’t with sloppy lines or bleed over. Everything is actually pretty clean. The real issue is the blue was that’s been done on the white areas. It’s just too heavy, especially on her hair, which ends up looking like some wacky dye job. Black Cat includes a whip (which is honestly more Catwoman’s speed, but whatever) as well as the requisite Ultimate Green Goblin piece (the torso, if anyone’s curious).

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I found Black Cat at the same K-Mart where I picked up Carnage and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates. Ha ha! I successfully vanquished my arch-nemesis The Scalper! Take that vile villain! …*ahem* Anyway, I’m glad to finally have the figure. While she doesn’t wow me quite as much as Spider-Girl did, but she’s still a really strong figure. Let’s hope Hasbro can continue with their upward trend.

#0412: Carnage – Spawn of Symbiotes

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

CARNAGE – SPAWN OF SYMBIOTES

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

There have been quite a few Minimates reviews as of late on this site, as well as a surprising number of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reviews. So, now for something slightly different. The next couple of days are going to be Marvel Legends related. Fun fun fun.

Today, I’ll be looking at Carnage, a figure that eluded me for a while and led me to go off on one of my angry rants. Fortunately, today’s review is rather free from ranting. ….Yay!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Carnage was released as part of the Amazing Spider-Man 2 Marvel Legends Infinite Series. His official name within the context of the series is “Spawn of Symbiotes,” a name he shared with Toxin, who replaced Carnage in later shipments of the series. It seems Hasbro has flipped back again, resulting in a plentiful supply of Carnage once more. Carnage is about 6 ¼ inches tall and he features 32 points of articulation. This figure depicts Carnage as he’s best known: bright red and covered in tendrils. The figure makes use of the current standard mid-sized body Hasbro’s been using, which first cropped up on their Bucky Cap figure from a few years ago. There are a few minor issues with it (I’m still a bit weirded out by the veins right at the start of the shoulders), but overall it’s a pretty great base body, and it’s a definite improvement on the ones we’ve seen in years past. The figure’s lower arms and legs have been tweaked to allow for the attachment of Carnage’s trademark tendrils. The transition from limb to tendril could be a bit smoother, but it’s not so jarring as to ruin the figure. As far as new pieces, Carnage gets an all new head and hands, as well as another tendril attachment which plugs into his back. The head is a fantastic piece, and it really captures Carnage well. The hands are just basic spikey, clawed hands, but they do that well. The tendril piece is alright, but it seems to have been slightly malformed by the package, so it’s always hanging in his face. Carnage’s paint is a lot cleaner than a lot of recent Hasbro figures, but I feel it’s also not quite as interesting. It’s not bad, but it seems just a touch too simple. Previous Carnage figures benefited from the symbiote’s texture being sculpted, which is less of an option in this day and age. Still, the black details could be a little more interesting. Carnage, or rather, Spawn of Symbiote is packed with the head and, uh… back flames (?) of the series Build-A-Figure Ultimate Green Goblin.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

After much searching and a run in with my sworn nemesis, The Scalper!, I finally was able to track down Carnage at a K-Mart in a town I was visiting while my mom and brother were doing a run (Incidentally, it’s the same K-Mart where I got my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates). I’ve only ever been a moderate fan of Carnage, but for whatever reason, this figure just really appeals to me. He’s a solid design, and a pretty solid execution. I just wish he’d been a little easier to find.