#3639: S.H.I.E.L.D Three-Pack

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

NICK FURY JR., DUM DUM DUGAN, & SHARON CARTER

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0118: We’ve gotten two figures of Nick Fury Jr, and both times he’s also doubled as a way to get a new release of previous director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Back when I was really into Minimates, one of my more obsessive collecting habits was SHIELD agents.  I loved them, and I had sooooooo many of them.  Just a whole army, with all sorts of different heads.  Some of them were named agents from the comics, and some of them were my own unique creations.  But they were all awesome.  In the midst of all of that, the set that I’m looking at today would have blown my mind.  Maybe it’s less mind-blowing now, but that doesn’t make it less cool.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Nick Fury Jr, Dum Dum Dugan, and Sharon Carter make up the “S.H.I.E.L.D. Three-Pack”, a Fan Channel-exclusive Marvel Legends offering.  Curiously, it’s specifically “Captain America” branded, even though Cap himself isn’t in the set.  Sharon’s a long-time supporting cast member for him, and Dugan and both Nicks are recurring in Cap stories, but…still seems like a *slightly* odd choice of branding.  Ah, well.

NICK FURY JR.

Originally introduced as “Marcus Johnson” in the pages of Battle Scars, Nick Fury Jr (revealed to be Marcus’s birth name, following the reveal that he’s also the original Fury’s biological son) is a pretty thinly veiled attempt at getting a Nick Fury in the mainstream universe who looked like the Nick Fury in the movies and cartoons, right down to him happening to lose the same eye as his father, so that he’s still got the eyepatch.  Honestly, though?  It’s far from the most contrived thing we’ve seen in the comics; at least they didn’t try to come up with some way to actually turn the original Nick into a black guy.  Jr hasn’t gotten a Legends figure before.  He did get a Minimate, and, depending on how you classify the designs, a 3 3/4-inch figure.  But no Legends.  This one’s in a standard issue SHIELD uniform, as opposed to the Super Soldier-style uniform he tended to wear, presumably to give the body a broader usage.  The figure stands 6 1/2 inches tall and he has 34 points of articulation.  He’s built using the Vulcan body as a starting point, which is reasonable enough.  It’s really just the arms and legs that are re-used, though.  He gets a new head, torso, forearms, and boots, as well as new add-on pieces for his belt and holster.  There’s a lot of sculpted elements going into the uniform, and they work very well to replicate the comics design, right down to the piping and zipper on the jumpsuit portion of the torso.  The head sculpt is obviously a more generic take on the character, rather than being too dialed in on the specifically Jackson-inspired likeness he oft sports in the comics.  It’s an okay sculpt, but…I don’t know, it feels maybe a touch off for the character, at least to my eyes.  Surprising pretty much no one, Jr is also packed with an extra head based on Nick Sr.  It’s a different sculpt entirely from the last version of Nick Sr.  It takes back a bit more of his grizzled nature than the Giant-Man Series release, but he’s not quite as haggard as the old Toy Biz figure.  The figure’s color work is pretty basic stuff.  There’s a pretty cool SHIELD insignia on his shoulder, and the other painted details are all nice and clean.  There’s one notable thing, where his neck is left unpainted above what is clearly a sculpted collar, but that’s obviously meant to facilitate this figure being both versions of Nick.  Nick is packed with six hands (a pair of fists, a pair of gripping, and two different gesturing left hands), three different pistols, a knife, two firing effects, and two smoke effects.

DUM DUM DUGAN

Dum Dum Dugan debuted right alongside Nick Sr as one of his Howling Commandos back in 1963, and came right along with him when SHIELD was founded.  He’s been one of Marvel’s most recurring SHIELD agents, and is certainly one of the most distinctive.  He’s gotten the Legends treatment once before, but it’s been a good long while, and that one wasn’t so great in the first place.  The figure stands 6 1/2 inches tall and he has 34 points of articulation.  Dugan uses a number of the same parts as Nick, but gets a new head sculpt, which is a very strong offering.  He’s got his bowler hat and everything!  He also has a new torso piece, which makes him a little bulkier than Nick, for a bit of variety.  His paint work more or less matches Nick’s, with the expected change-up for the head.  He also gets the proper coloring on the top of the neck, which looks a little cleaner than the other figure.  Dugan gets the same accessory selection as Nick, minus the more specialized of the pistols.

SHARON CARTER

Sharon’s been a little luckier in Legends, at least in terms of numbers, with two prior comics-based releases, as well as an MCU variant.  The figure stands 6 1/4 inches tall and she has 32 points of articulation.  She’s making use of the 60th anniversary Black Widow body from last year, which is a pretty top of the line body, and a solid starting point for Sharon’s white spy suit look.  She gets two new heads, as well as a new add-on for her belt, and a pair of feet with actual soles for her boots.  The heads give us looks with her hair both up and own, but are otherwise the same general look.  Her color work is basic, but generally okay.  The detailing on the faces seems a little dark, especially the shading on the eyes; it just feels a little over done for Sharon.  I’m also not a huge fan of the black for the shoes; it just stands out too much from the rest of the uniform, I feel.  Maybe if they were boots instead, it would look alright, but as is, it’s very jarring.  Sharon is packed with two pistols (one with attached silencer), three sets of hands (trigger fingers, fists, and open gesture), two firing effects, and two smoke effects.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I wasn’t sure I was gonna get this set.  I feel like I say that a lot about Legends these days.  But, there was a Dugan, and I knew I wanted him.  And the last Sharon wasn’t great, so an update didn’t seem like a bad idea.  And Nick didn’t look bad.  So, I’m three for three on it, and there it was in front of me, so I went for it.  I’m very glad I did.  Dugan is fantastic, and Nick’s no slouch either.  Sharon’s still not perfect, but she’s a step-up from the last one, and I like that.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

Mutant X Re-Read #32: Blame Canada!

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Mutant X Re-Read

BLAME CANADA!

MUTANT X #30 (MARVEL COMICS)

“In another place–in another life–Alex Summers led a team of mutants in a battle against oppression. His methods were extreme, his tactics questionable, but–in his soul–he knew that he was fighting for the greater good.

Now that soul has been transferred to another world, and Summers, also known as Havok, has found himself living a lie, allied with a team of mutants who are sinister, parallel versions of his friends and family. It is to this dark, new place that Havok has come, where he stands as a man alone… a mutant alone. Alex Summers is Mutant X.

Fear him. Fear for him.”

25 years ago, Marvel Comics launched Mutant X, a Havok led X-spinoff. I recently came into a complete run of the series, and so now I’m going to re-read the series once a week, and you guys get to come along for the ride!

This week, the team helps Logan evade the Canadian forces, while also facing down this Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in “Blame Canada!”

THE ISSUE ITSELF

Mutant X #30 is dated April 2001. It has story and art by Howard Mackie, Ron Lim, and Andrew Pepoy, letters by Chris Eliopoulos, colors by Gina Going, and a cover by Michael Golden.

The Six’s jet flies towards the Canadian border. The onboard computer informs the team that crossing the border will violate international treaties. Captain America overrides the computer, and gives everyone the chance to sit this mission out, before the team ventures into breaking international law. As they near the border, they’re halted by Iron Giant Man, who is followed by Deathlok, Typhoid Mary, Hawkeye, and the Black Widow. They are this universe’s Avengers, and they have been sent to stop the team from aiding Havok and Logan. Meanwhile, Havok and Logan scope out the Canadian forces. Logan makes Havok promise to look after his kids, as he plans to create a distraction. A short distance away, Hudson, the Professor, and a squad of armored super soldiers land, and begin searching the forest. The Six and the Avengers exchange words. Widow calls Cap a coward for deserting them, and demands to speak to the team’s “real” leader. Bloodstorm steps up to speak. As she and Widow discuss terms, Cap talks with Ice-Man concerning his departure from the Avengers. Widow orders the Six to turn back, but Bloodstorm refuses, and strikes Widow with a bolt of lightning. A full battle breaks out, and Cap looks on in fear. On the other side of the border, a Super Soldier stalks Logan, but Logan reverses it on him. Havok and Jean aid Logan in defeating the soldier, and they make their way to The Six. They discover the remains of the battle, both teams lying around the battlefield. Cap remains conscious, but can only offer cries of “not again” in explanation of what happened. Before Havok can gather more information, Hudson and the rest of the Super Soldiers arrive.

After an absence, we finally get to see the whole team in action again this issue. Granted, Brute and Gambit are without speaking roles, but it’s a good focus for Cap, and Bloodstorm finally gets to act like she’s actually part of the team. After hints of them for the past 30 issues, the Avengers also arrive, with an interesting line-up to say the least. The backstory between them and Cap is an intriguing set-up.

This issue is also notable for being the first to acknowledge the impending cancellation of the series. The letters page is almost entirely dedicated to this fact, with many calls to avoid cancellation of the book, while the editorial staff sets the stage to wrap up the book’s plot lines in the next three issues.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I liked this one. After being unimpressed by the last two issues, this one’s pretty fun. I liked the Cap focus, the Avengers are nifty, and I even liked Bloodstorm this time around. I have a loose idea where it’s all headed, but I’m excited to read more.

I snagged this whole run from my usual comics stop, Cosmic Comix, so I want to give them a shout out here, because it was a pretty great find.

#3638: Original Action Team

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

ACTION MARINE, ACTION PILOT, ACTION SAILOR, ACTION SOLDIER, & ACTION PILOT ASTRONAUT

G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO (HASBRO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0117: The 3 3/4-inch G.I. Joe line has twice had a period of stagnation ushered in by a 30th anniversary celebration.

I feel like I’ve probably talked about my introductions to G.I. Joe here before, having first learned of the franchise through its 12-inch origins, and finding my first real love of the line with Adventure Team.  My first exposure to the 3 3/4 inch stuff wasn’t actually a Hasbro product at all.  In fact, it was via Fun 4 All’s “keychains” from the late ’90s, which, though I didn’t know it at the time, were making use of molds from Hasbro’s celebration of the franchise’s 30th anniversary, which saw them shrink some of the original 12-inch Joes down the the smaller scale.  It was a good many years before I actually encountered those original down-scaled figures, but when I did, I opted to go big or go home, with a whole big batch of them.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

The Action Marine, Action Pilot, Action Sailor, Action Soldier, and Action Pilot Astronaut were released as the “Original Action Team” boxed set in 1994, as part of the “Commemorative Collection” sub-line of the G.I. Joe line.

ACTION MARINE

The Action Marine was one of the two figures in this set that also got single releases the same year, with no modifications, largely because there were no real notable changes to the Marine’s basic look in the main line, or at least not ones that just a repaint could cover.  The figure stands 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 14 points of articulation.  This sculpt is, of course, the one that inspired the keychain.  That version was a much softer take on it, so it gets a better chance to shine here.  It’s certainly a sharper look, and more accurate to the 12-inch figures.  I especially like the likeness on the head.  This one’s still got the issue with the shoulders looking rather disconnected, which remains odd, but at least it’s consistent?  His paint work is much like the sculpt: similar to the key chain, but a bit sharper and cleaner.  The finish is matte, rather than shiny, which works a bit better.  The Marine, regardless of release, included a rifle (with mount), backpack, missile launcher, raft, and oar.

ACTION PILOT

The Action Pilot got a single release the same year, but he got two different looks, albeit only in a color-oriented sense.  The sculpt was the same between the two, and, is again the one that inspired the keychain release.  It’s a little sharper, and more defined, allowing you to see how many smaller details went into the whole assembly.  He gets us a standard Joe head, this time without even the peghole needed for the keychain release.  Definitely one of the best parts of this set.  As noted above, the main difference for this release is the color scheme.  While the single was based on the actual toy colors of the fully kitted out Pilot from the original line, this one instead goes for his colors from the illustration on the front of the original Action Pilot box.  It’s a color scheme that the key chains never touched, which is pretty cool.  The Pilot was packed with the same rifle as the Marine (but in olive instead of black), a pistol, backpack, helmet with mask, and a parachute.

ACTION SAILOR

Like the Pilot, the Action Sailor got a single release covering one look, while the boxed set version covered another, once again going for a differentiation of color, rather than sculpt.  The Sailor is actually the one figure here for whom I’ve already looked at both the Hasbro and Fun 4 All versions of the sculpt, since I looked at the single Sailor in addition to the keychain.  It remains my favorite of the 30th sculpts, regardless of which version it is.  There’s just something really strong about how the frogman look translated into the smaller scale, and Hasbro really made the whole thing flow really nicely.  The single release went with the standard black wetsuit look, but the boxed set goes for the later Adventures of G.I. Joe orange-suited look.  It’s a pretty drastically different look, and also one of the best known variations from the original line, so a solid choice (so solid that it’s the one variant look that Fun 4 All copied when they did their own boxed set release).  I also enjoy it because it’s a precursor to Adventure Team, which is, as noted, my favorite incarnation of the brand.  The Sailor is packed with his scuba tank and hose, a pair of flippers, a harpoon gun, flashlight, and seasled with attached missile launcher.

ACTION SOLDIER

Like the Marine, the Action Soldier’s single release is the same as the boxed set version.  The basic Soldier’s a basic soldier, so it makes sense, just like with the Marine.  He’s once more the inspiration for the keychain release.  As I noted on that one, the Soldier is a little bit skinnier than the other three, for whatever reason.  I don’t know if it’s just a difference of how the details read, but it does seem a bit less pronounced on this original version of the mold, which is a plus.  His paint work is notably pretty drab, as you’d expect, but it works pretty well, and makes him nice and generic.  The soldier was packed with a backpack, pistol, rifle, stand, missile launcher (with mount), and a bunker display piece.  While the Marine’s accessories are the same between both of his releases, the Soldier’s accessories change all of the “tree” parts to black, rather than the brown of the single.

ACTION PILOT ASTRONAUT

Hey, look, it’s something new!  Yes, there’s one truly exclusive element to this set, and that’s the Astronaut.  So unique, in fact, that he didn’t even get retooled into a keychain by Fun 4 All.  Feels like a missed opportunity if you ask me.  This one’s sculpt was totally unique, and it’s pretty solid.  I don’t know that it quite beats the Sailor or the Pilot sculpts in my book, but it’s still a very good one.  I particularly like all of the stitching on the suit; it adds a nice touch of realism.  The Astronaut’s paint work is pretty basic, with a lot of molded silver, but the paint application that’s there is clean enough.  The Astronaut notably gets fewer accessories, but also makes up for that in sizing, since he gets his helmet (with working visor), and a whole space capsule.  My release is actually the international version, as noted by the presence of Canadian markings on the capsule, in place of the American markings from the domestic release (though the actual Astronaut was always marked with a US flag no matter the release; I guess even if Canada finances the mission, it’s still an American who goes into space).

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I’ve wanted a set of the 30th figures for a while.  Honestly, I wanted *this* set, since the Astronaut was only in this one, and I love the whole capsule set-up.  Back in 2020, during some very rough days for me, All Time Toys got a rather sizable 12-inch Joe collection, which I spent many early mornings working on listing, filling my time after dropping Jess off for her treatments.  It gave me something I knew very well to put my focus into, and it made a real difference in my mental state when I very much needed it.  This set was in that collection, the one, lone 3 3/4-inch piece included, and, well, maybe I needed more of a distraction, I guess, but it called to me.  I didn’t ultimately have much time to appreciate it, at least not for a couple of years, but I finally got the chance to open it up more recently…well, it made for a nice distraction.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3637: Spider-Man – Last Stand

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews

SPIDER-MAN — LAST STAND

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0116: The older, rougher Peter “Pete” Parker of the “Last Stand” story hails from Earth-312500.

I can’t say I’ve ever been the world’s biggest Spider-Man fan.  Sure, I dig the character overall, and there’s so much out there that it’s hard to not be a fan of at least some of it.  One of the cooler aspects for Spidey is just how many different versions of him there are.  The Spider-Verse movies have certainly popularized the concept, but it’s been toyed with my times over the years, including in the finale to Spider-Man: The Animated Series, which was my first proper introduction to it.  Since then, I’ve been pretty fascinated in the concept, especially as it pertains to action figures.  One of the coolest things to come out of the “Spider-Verse” comics event was just how many spider-variants from it got toys pretty quickly.  Almost a decade later, we’re still getting new ones, like Last Stand Spider-Man, who I’m looking at today!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Last Stand Spider-Man is part of the latest Retro-carded assortment of Spider-Man Marvel Legends.  There’s a split of old and modern style cards, and he’s on the modern side, which makes sense, since he wasn’t even introduced until 2003.  The figure stands about 6 1/4 inches tall and he has 27 points of articulation.  He’s sporting a brand-new sculpt, courtesy of sculptor Fred Aczon.  Aczon’s work for Hasbro has been predominantly on the GI Joe side of things, which honestly work to this design’s favor, since it’s got more of a faux-military flair about it. It does a good job of taking the John Romita Jr artwork of his original appearance, and translating that into a more generalized look to fit with the rest of the line.  I quite like how the jacket has translated to figure form; something about all those flaps just really works for the figure.  I enjoy how his whole look reads as Spider-Man, without really having many explicitly Spidey elements.  It’s got sort of similar vibe to the WW2 Cap look, though they of course have very different backstories in-universe.  While the sculpt is certainly a strong one, the color work is…well, it’s not quite as strong.  He’s got blocks of red and blocks of off-black, and that’s really it.  Unfortunately, a good deal of the sculpted detailing gets lost in the bright red and dark black, and there’s very little accenting to bring any of it back out, resulting in very little pop.  It’s not *awful*, just not terribly impressive.  Last Stand Cap is packed with two sets of hands, one in fists, the other in open gesture.  He’s an all-new, head to toe sculpt, so a lighter accessory count is somewhat expected, but it’s still too bad we couldn’t maybe get an unmasked head for him.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

Like Jack O’Lantern, I waffled a little bit on this guy.  I really dig his look, but I’m slowing down on Legends, and I’ve got a lot of Spider-Men already.  Ultimately, though, I just couldn’t turn down this design as a figure.  He’s not without his flaws, but that sculpt is just so very nice.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3636: Parallax

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

PARALLAX

TOTAL JUSTICE (KENNER)

Fun FiQ Fact #0115: According to Wikipedia, a parallax is “the difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight,” which is honestly not a terrible name to attach to a former hero driven to extremism.

Growing up, thanks to my dad’s old comics and re-runs of Challenge of the Super Friends, I became rather attached to Hal Jordan, despite his having been replaced by Kyle Rayner in the role before I started reading comics.  Options for Hal figures were, admittedly, a little limited in the ’90s, with the only option in 5-inch scale being not a Green Lantern figure, but Parallax, Hal’s villainous turn from the comics.  Of course, in my collection, he was never *really* villainous.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Parallax was released in Series 3 of Kenner’s Total Justice, which wound up being the line’s last series.  Each set got one “villain”, which was Parallax…I guess.  Like I said, never so much to my eyes.  The figure stands just under 5 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation.  Total Justice‘s sculpts were always very heavy on the pre-posing, and Hal’s no exception.  This one’s definitely one of the better ones; Hal’s flair for the dramatic during this era translates well into the sculpt, and he’s got a pose that reads as dynamic, without being too absurd. The sculpted elements of the costume are a pretty good match for the source material (certainly a closer match than McFarlane’s attempt from two decades later), and there’s a nice sharpness to them. The head’s my favorite part of the whole thing, capturing Hal’s likeness, while also getting the crazed expression he was so wont to have during this period of time. The last set of Total Justice got a lot of its paint budget slashed, resulting in a lot of unpainted elements. For his part, Parallax was pretty fortunate, getting all of the base details he was supposed to, and really only missing out on a few metallic details. The end result still looks totally fine, and you’d be unlikely to guess what was cut if you didn’t know it was supposed to be there. Another notable change-up for the last round was making the accessories into things that made a little more sense for the characters. Rather than “fractal armor”, Parallax gets a missile launcher and a shield, both molded in clear green.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I had a few Total Justice figures when they came out, but Series 3 was pretty rare at the time. I wanted a Parallax, of course, since he was the only option for Hal, but it took a bit for me to find one. I wound up getting him just a few years after his release, at a toy show my dad took me to, I think for my birthday. He’s a solid figure, even now, and remains my favorite of the Total Justice line-up.

#3635: Soundwave

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

SOUNDWAVE

TRANSFORMERS REACTION FIGURES (SUPER 7)

Fun FiQ Fact #0114: This is the fifth non-transforming Soundwave I’ve reviewed on the site.

Before I can jump into any given Transformers product line, I always have to ask an important question: is there a Soundwave and an Ultra Magnus?  If there’s not, I’ve got some serious thinking to do.  Super 7’s ReAction had one, but not the other for a bit, and then both, but it took me a bit to get them, so, you know, more waiting.  But it’s okay!  No more waiting now!  Well, I mean, I guess a tiny bit of waiting, since I’m only reviewing one of the two.  It’s Soundwave!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Soundwave was released in the first series of Super 7’s Transformers ReAction Figures line, which hit in 2020.  The figure stands 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation.  As with the rest of the ReAction line, he’s going for that vintage Kenner style, which is…well, it’s certainly a divergent style when it comes to Transformers.  They’ve gone animation model styled for these, which has been pretty much Super 7’s bag for TFs.  I’ll hand it to them, there’s a lot of internal consistency between this guy and the Ultimates version, so they’re certainly doing a good job of pulling the same general stylings there.  This one is, of course, a lot more rigid.  In fact, he’s downright pigeon-toed, which is just a tad goofy looking.  Other than that, though, it’s a decent enough sculpt.  Very squared off and technical, and very clearly Soundwave.  Hard to argue with that, really.  His paint work is basic, but decent itself.  It matches again with the Ultimate (or, I guess the Ultimate matches this one, since the ReAction came first), which goes hand in hand with the animation stylings.  The application is clean for the most part, with minimal fuzziness or bleed over.  Soundwave is packed with his concussion blaster, which is just one solid piece this time around, rather than having any of its usual collapsing components.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I recall seeing this one when the line launched, but I just wasn’t sure I wanted to jump in on it, especially without the certainty of a Magnus.  I did come very close to grabbing him on multiple occasions, though.  Unfortunately, by the time Magnus was announced, sources for this one had largely dried up.  Thankfully for me, a loose one got traded into All Time, and, hey, there we go.  Non-transformy-sound-boi.  He’s nifty.  I don’t know that it really elevates beyond that, but I wasn’t really expecting that.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3634: Jack O’Lantern

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

JACK O’LANTERN

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0113: Due to a technicality (that technicality being Toy Biz using the “Mad Jack” name on the package for their Spider-Man Classics Jack O’Lantern), I own every Jack O’Lantern figure!

Jack O’Lantern is one of those characters that, like, I know, but, like, also I don’t?  I mean, that’s what happens when you have five different guys who use the same lower-tier super villain identity, the first two of whom actually used more popular legacy titles, and the last two of whom don’t even have secret identities.  He’s not even in the top two Spidey villains who use gliders and have a pumpkin theme!  Really cool visual, though, so I think that makes up for a lot of sins.  Oh, god, is Jack O’Lantern my Boba Fett?  Do I have an attachment to a character that contributes very little to the narrative because he looks cool?  I don’t know what to do with this information.  Guess I’ll write an action figure review?

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Jack O’Lantern is the second figure from the latest Retro-carded assortment of Spider-Man Marvel Legends.  Like Scarlet Spider, Jack’s on one of the ’90s style cards, and, like Scarlet, it doesn’t match up to an actual vintage release.  Jack was at least actually single carded in the ’90s line, though, so we’re closer.  The figure is 7 1/2 inches tall to the top of the flames (6 1/2 inches to the top of the head) and he has 34 points of articulation.  Jack O’Lantern’s starting point is the Vulcan body, although it’s really limited to just the arms and legs.  Everything else is all-new, sculpted by Daniel Salas.  It’s…well, it’s honestly fantastic.  The texturing and flow is really strong.  The head uses a multi-part construction for the pumpkin, interior, and the flames, allowing for a really sharp set of details.  The scarf piece sits well, and hides the neck joint, allowing for motion, without having to directly address how exactly it connects to the body.  The scale mail on the torso and pelvis is very consistent, and I also really dig the visible stitching on the gloves and boots.  This whole sculpt is a great example of adding extra details to a more basic design in a way that doesn’t overcomplicate anything.  The color work keeps up pretty well with the sculpt.  The body relies on molded colors, but certainly well-chosen ones.  The head gets more actual paint work, and there’s some fantastic subtleties going on there.  Jack is packed with two sets of hands (fists and an open gesture/gripping combo), a bomb that can be stored on his belt, and his hover disk.  The disk is great, because you can remove the bottom piece, which makes it compatible with the standard hover stands.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I’m generally scaling back my Legends collecting, and focussing in more on my 5-Inch Marvel set.  To that end, I’ve been refraining from grabbing a lot of figures that are more direct updates to 5-Inch figures.  As Jack is one of those more direct updates, I wasn’t sure I was going to grab him, at least initially, but he just looked so very nice, so I broke on him.  I’m glad I did, because he’s really, really nice.  Like, honestly, just one of those top tier Legends we only get every so often.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

Mutant X Re-Read #31: Logan’s Running

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Mutant X Re-Read

LOGAN’S RUNNING

MUTANT X #29 (MARVEL COMICS)

“In another place–in another life–Alex Summers led a team of mutants in a battle against oppression. His methods were extreme, his tactics questionable, but–in his soul–he knew that he was fighting for the greater good.

Now that soul has been transferred to another world, and Summers, also known as Havok, has found himself living a lie, allied with a team of mutants who are sinister, parallel versions of his friends and family. It is to this dark, new place that Havok has come, where he stands as a man alone… a mutant alone. Alex Summers is Mutant X.

Fear him. Fear for him.”

25 years ago, Marvel Comics launched Mutant X, a Havok led X-spinoff. I recently came into a complete run of the series, and so now I’m going to re-read the series once a week, and you guys get to come along for the ride!

This week, there’s more Wolverine in “Logan’s Running.”

THE ISSUE ITSELF

Mutant X #29 is cover dated March of 2001. It has story and art by Howard Mackie, Tom Lyle, and Andrew Pepoy, letters by Chris Eliopoulos, and colors by Gina Going. One again, Michael Golden provides the cover art, and it’s one of his better ones for the book.

Logan runs a program in the Six’s training room, as Havok and Jean look on. They discuss telling him something, wondering if his mind can handle it. Jean goes to talk with Logan as Havok converses with someone unseen. Jean and Logan discuss their lives since they last saw each other. They’re interrupted by the unseen figure, James Hudson. Hudson is a cyborg, pieced back together after an incident where Logan left him for dead. Logan tries to finish the job, but Jean restrains him. Hudson reveals the Creed is after Mariko and the children. Hudson takes Havok, Jean, and Logan to the border. Meanwhile, Wildchild tracks the children. He discovers them and tells them he’s one of the good guys. He’s ambushed by Creed, who quickly kills him. Logan splits off from Alex and Jean, who are set upon by Creed. After a brief fight, Creed captures Jean. Logan discovers Wildchild’s remains, and also finds the children unharmed. Alex finds Logan, telling him Creed took Jean. Alex stays with the kids, as Logan confronts Creed. Creed attempts to force Logan to choose between Jean and Mariko’s lives, but Havok intervenes, using his powers to superheat Creed’s bones. Logan uses the opportunity to finish Creed off, finally reuniting with his family. Before they can depart, the group is set upon by Hudson and the Canadian forces.

Like last issue, this one largely feels like a pretty run of the mill Wolverine story. On the plus side, Havok does at least get more to do this time, but the rest of his team is unfortunately absent. The sequences with Alex interacting with Logan’s kids made me really miss Scotty, whose absence from the book has definitely been felt. I did at least like the reversal of the Jean/Logan dynamic, where she’s the one forced to admit she’s happy for him.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Last issue was a letdown, to be sure. This is…well more of that, I guess. I found this one kind of meandering and trickier to get through. The resolution was at least a little more intriguing, but I’m not thrilled about another issue devoted to this plot line.

I snagged this whole run from my usual comics stop, Cosmic Comix, so I want to give them a shout out here, because it was a pretty great find.

#3633: Vincent Price

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

VINCENT PRICE

TOONY TERRORS (NECA)

Fun FiQ Fact #0112: Masters of horror Vincent Price and Christopher Lee shared the same birthday, May 27, and fellow horror actor Peter Cushing’s birthday was only one day earlier on May 26.

I have a deep-seated appreciation of Vincent Price, the root of which comes not from anything Price himself did, but in fact from a stand-up comic’s bit that I heard on Laugh USA some time in the early ’00s, which featured an impersonation of Price attempting to pick up women in a bar, culminating in the phrase “gaze upon my haunting VISAGE!”  I knew Price’s work enough to get the joke at the time, and it’s been stuck in my head ever since, so that it’s the first thing I think of when encountering Price’s actual work.  It’s also become a go-to response to me for unrelated things, because it amuses me.  So, you know, with all that said, I felt like maybe I needed a Vincent Price figure.  As luck would have it, here’s a Vincent Price figure.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Vincent Price was released as part of Series 9 of NECA’s Toony Terrors line.  While the line initially began as strictly fictitious characters, they’ve started working in some horror associated personalities.  Vincent’s the first time that we’ve gotten someone under their own name, but we’ve gotten the likes of Elvira and Svengoolie, and an argument could be made that Vincent was as much a persona as a real person.  The figure stands 5 3/4 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation.  Ash, the only other Toony Terror I’ve looked at, was pretty stiff, but still had a surprising amount of movement.  Vincent…does not have a surprising amount of movement.  He’s still got the ball-jointed neck, which is certainly useful.  However, he’s just got cut joints at the shoulders and wrists beyond that, meaning he’s really just got the one pose.  Thankfully, it’s at least a pretty in-character pose for Price.  The sculpt is all-new, and true to the rest of the line’s Saturday Morning Cartoon-inspired stylings.  Price is clearly patterned on his look circa the ’70s, which is a pretty classic look for him.  The head sculpt in particular is impressive in its ability to capture everything signature to Price’s likeness, while still looking appropriately cartoony.  Vincent’s paint work is basic, but clean and to the point, and without any notable issues of bleedover or slop.  Vincent is packed with two different right hands, one bearing a cigarette, the other open for gesture or holding.  He also includes a skull (which fits in the open hand), and a black cat.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

One of the places in particular that the “Haunting VISAGE” quote gets thrown around a lot is work, and it’s very specifically hurled Max’s way a lot of the time, to the point that it’s become a very recurrent gag for us.  There was no way I was missing this figure when it arrived at All Time, and I didn’t.  It’s not a very “playable” figure, I suppose, which is a little bit of a shame, but it’s still very fun.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3632: Scarlet Spider

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

SCARLET SPIDER

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0111: In the ’90s Toy Biz run, Scarlet Spider was released twice, both times as an exclusive.

I have my fair share of Scarlet Spider figures.  It goes back to the Toy Biz Maximum Cloneage set, which was my first taste of the character.  I just really like the derivative nature.  It’s a shame they’ve always kind of done him wrong in the end.  But, at the very least, he’s prone to getting cool action figures, right?  Ben’s gotten the Legends treatment a lot as of late, with no less than three figures in the last year and a half.  With all that, though, we hadn’t gotten an update to his actual Scarlet Spider look for a good while.  Now we have.  Oh yeah.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Scarlet Spider headlines the latest Retro-carded assortment of Spider-Man Marvel Legends.  Like the last one, this one’s got a split of “old” and “new” for the cards.  Ben’s on a ’90s-style card…which is amusing, since he wasn’t actually ever on that card style, but, you know what, we’re letting it happen.  The figure stands 6 1/4 inches tall and he has 38 points of articulation.  One of the main purposes of this figure is to update Ben to a more modern body, which they’ve done.  He’s now on the “Renew Your Vows” style body.  Personally, I still angle a little more towards the Amazing Fantasy body for Spidey-types, and I tend to think of Ben in particular as being a little more lean.  That said, there are a lot of benefits to this particular base body, and I think it does lend itself to ’90s-style overly detailed musculature pretty well.  Plus, it’s got the toe bends, and they do really make a difference on this guy.  I think what I really want is just Amazing Fantasy with toe bends.  Make it happen, Hasbro!  In the mean time, this is a totally reasonable choice, and I actually like it more than I initially thought I would.  Ben gets a new head, courtesy of sculptor Dan Mitchell, complete with more angled detailing for the eye shapes.  He’s also got new add-ons for the hoodie, belt, wrist shooters, and, I think, new pouches on the ankles.  I expected the hoodie to end up a little puffier, but it works well, and all of the new parts really do a good job of melding into one cohesive look…well, as much as Scarlet Spider’s look can be cohesive, anyway.  We’ve had a lot of variation over the years on Scarlet Spider’s coloring, and this is yet another different set-up.  He seems to kind of average the two prior Legends releases, going flatter on the shades and generally more saturated like the Rhino Series figure, but also steering clear of that figure’s outlining, more like the Retro version.  Honestly, I think this one’s done it the best of the three, and reminds me the most of the old Toy Biz figure in many ways.  The only thing I’m not super crazy on is the white pull strings for the hoodie; they’re kind of distracting, and I feel like blue would work better.  Still, not the end of the world.  Scarlet Spider is packed with three sets of hands, in fists, open, and thwipping.  I’m always glad to get the full hand complement, and it was a definite selling point for me.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I quite liked the Rhino Series Scarlet Spider when he was released, and couldn’t bring myself to get rid of him when the first Retro one came out, largely because I just really wanted those extra hands, and they didn’t match with the Retro.  And, obviously, I wasn’t getting rid of the Retro, because he came from Jess.  Then this guy was announced, and, well, he’s just a pretty straight update to the Rhino version, so that made the swap out easier.  He’s quite strong, and easily the best of Scarlet Spiders Hasbro has put out.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.