Tag Archives: All Time Toys

#3369: Miles Morales

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

MILES MORALES

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

“Miles Morales faces a new villain with abilities that will take more than one Spider-Man to defeat.”

When Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse was released in 2018, it hit with only minimal tie-in offerings, with the major push for tie-in stuff hitting about 2 1/2 years later.  Since it’s very clear what kind of a marketing success the first film was, the sequel is coming out of the gate strong for its theatrical release this week.  The basic figures have actually been out for the while, and there’s an entire dedicated assortment of Legends hitting right out of the gate, which snuck in real quietly right before the movie’s release.  I’ve got my whole set, because why the heck not.  I’m kicking off with a look at Miles today!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Miles Morales is the first figure in the 7 figure Across the Spider-Verse tie-in assortment of Marvel Legends.  After getting the half-step “What’s Up Danger” look for the first film, this time around we get a fully-costumed Miles, sporting his brand new costume from the movie.  The figure stands about 6 inches tall and he has 30 points of articulation.  The articulation scheme this time around isn’t quite as impressive as what the Into Miles got; sure, he gets double elbows now, but he also loses the ball-jointed waist and neck, which really added to the prior figure’s posability.  This one can still pull off a good deal of poses, but the joints can get a little sticky, and it’s a little awkward to move him.  On the plus side, he’s still got the pinless construction, which works pretty well for the aesthetics.  Miles is sporting an all-new sculpt (courtesy of sculptor Dennis Chan), and it’s a good looking one.  It matches up nicely with what we’ve seen so far of the animation models, showcasing a Miles that’s a bit more grown up than the last time we saw him.  The texturing on the outfit is truly impressive, and there’s a nice flow to the overall sculpt.  Mile’s paint is more complex than it looks at first glance; obviously he gets the red accents on the black base, which looks nice and slick, but there’s also some subtle dark blue work.  It’s easy to miss, but it adds a little extra pop to the figure’s visual.  Miles is packed with an extra unmasked head and two sets of hands (thwipping and fists).  The last unmasked head didn’t *quite* land the film design, especially the hair, but this one really gets it down.  Also, they don’t have the weird ball joint for each head, so that’s a plus.  Of course, it’s still a smaller socket size than the standard, so swapping isn’t going to really be a thing, but it’s progress.  As with the last Miles, I do wish we’d gotten another set of hands with open gesture, but I’ll just have to continue to be disappointed with every Spider-Man that cuts those, I guess.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I really enjoyed the Into tie-in Legends, and I’d been hoping for more since that one small release.  One of the things that excited me the most about the sequel was getting more figures.  Miles was a figure that I wasn’t quite as jazzed for on the outset, I think just because he seemed rather basic, at least from the in-hand leaks we saw.  Having him in hand, there are some smaller issues that I’m a little let-down by, but he’s overall a figure that I wound up liking a lot more than I’d expected to.

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.

#3368: Donatello as the Invisible Man

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

DONATELLO AS THE INVISIBLE MAN

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES X UNIVERSAL MONSTERS (NECA)

During the vintage TMNT line run, Playmates was faced with the dilemma of needing to keep the main Turtles in the line, without the line becoming just repeats of the same basic looks over and over again.  Enter the wacky variants.  But not just any wacky variants; the Turtle variants were like variants on steroids.  They covered all sorts of themes and play features, and eventually they even started doing cross-over figures with other properties.  In 1993 and 1994, they did two sets of Universal Monsters cross-over Turtles, and 30 years later, NECA is also exploring that concept.  They’re actually reaching the tail end of the line-up, it seems, but they’re also getting around to the best Turtle, crossing over with the best monster, with Donatello as the Invisible Man!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Donatello as the Invisible Man is the sixth figure in NECA’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles X Universal Monsters line, and he started hitting retailers at the end of March/beginning of April.  He’s the second to last figure in the line (at least based on what we know so far), and he’s also the final of the four Turtles.  For Playmates’ vintage versions, there was an Invisible Man, but it was actually Mikey that got assigned the identity, while Donnie’s only figure in the set had him as Dracula.  NECA’s changed almost all of the crossovers for their versions, and while I think some of it’s been a bit of a mixed bag, making Donnie into the Invisible Man is one that feels much more natural than either of the Playmates choices.  The figure stands about 6 1/2 inches tall and he has 32 points of articulation.  The movement on this guy is pretty decent, an improvement on the usual set-up for their actual Turtles molds (which were first sculpted a good long while ago), bringing him closer to their more recent Ultimate offerings.  Range of motion has some slight restriction on the mid section and hips, due mostly to how the design is laid out.  Donnie sports an all-new sculpt, courtesy of Tony Cipriano and Kushwara Studios.  It’s an all-new design, of course, since they’re not doing a direct translation of any prior figures.  It’s a pretty good set-up; the actual turtle side of things seems to be more 1990 movie-inspired than anything else, which I think vibes pretty well with the horror feel.  The Invisible Man elements are a bit more broad strokes, and less specifically the Universal version.  This one’s a tad more steampunk, and that honestly works out alright with it being Donatello.  The sculpting has quite a bit of detailing, including some impressive texturing, especially on the jacket and the scarf.  While other Invisible Man figures go for making the invisible parts truly invisible by just omitting them entirely, this one molds those parts in clear plastic, which feels more Playmates-y.  The standard head has exposed “eyes”, and the feet are wrapped up to the toes, both featuring clear parts for what you can’t see.  Likewise, the shell is also clear, which allows for some fun Playmates-esque details, notably the pizza slices visible in his shell on the back; how exactly they got there is anyone’s guess, but it’s a funny touch.  The only thing I’m not keen on is an issue I also had with the movie Donnie; the straps on the back of his shell for his bo staff storage are just cloth ties, and they really don’t work all that well, especially at this scale.  It’s really difficult to make use of them at all, and I’m honestly just not going to bother.  Donnie’s paint work is rather on the muted side, which has been the general theme on this line.  While the other three turtles kept their bandanas in the usual colors, the adjusted design for Donnie removes the bandana, replacing it with a more Invisible Man appropriate set of goggles.  To help keep some of Donnie’s trademark palette in play, the strap of the goggles, as well as his scarf, are purple, which adds a nice little splash of color.  Donnie is packed with three sets of gloved hands, one set of clear hands, an alternate set of clear feet, an alternate head, his goggles, his hat, his bo staff, a TGRI journal, and a beaker of serum.  For the most part, the extras are pretty solid.  The only one that’s weird is the extra head; it goes for the “going mad” partially wrapped look seen in the original film, and achieves its invisibility by leaving it hollow, much like the standard NECA Invisible Man did.  That’s all well and good, but everywhere else this figure commits to the molded clear plastic look, so it makes for a rather strange mix of styles.  I wouldn’t have minded seeing a standard turtle head in clear for an unmasked look, like the vintage Mikey had.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The crossover Turtles are a cool idea, but they weren’t wowing me at the start.  That said, I’m a Donatello fan, so I was always planning to wait until they showed him off to pass final judgement.  I wasn’t really big on him as Drac in the vintage line, so the move to Invisible Man, who’s also one of my favorite monsters, was quite fortuitous.  He’s not a perfect figure, but he’s a pretty good one.  I don’t see myself getting anything else from the line, but he makes for a fun standalone piece.

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.

#3367: Abe Sapien

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

ABE SAPIEN

HELLBOY (1000TOYS)

Comic book companies sure do like their fish men, don’t they? After Hellboy did a few brief appearances in other books, and moved to headlining his own series, he brought with him his own host of supporting players. Debuting in the first issue of “Seed of Destruction” was the franchise’s own resident fish man, Abraham Sapien. Abe became a popular character in his own right, eventually taking a leading role in his own self-titled series, as well as the BPRD spinoff series. As the franchise’s secondary lead, he’s a good go-to for merchandising, making him a pretty natural choice for the second offering in 1000toys’ Hellboy line.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Abe Sapien is, as noted above, the second character added to the 1000toys Hellboy toyline. Not quite the second figure, counting the various versions of Red, but the second, and thus far final, unique character. There were two versions of this figure released: a standard version and a Dark Horse-exclusive version with a non-articulated Rasputin figure. This one is the standard. He stands 6 1/4 inches tall and he has 36 points of articulation.  Abe’s articulation scheme has a lot in common with Hellboy’s; obviously, his right arm doesn’t get the extra movement with the individually jointed fingers, instead mirroring the way the movement on the left works.  Like Hellboy, his torso is a softer material, to allow for more posability.  Abe winds up with some segmenting at the middle, which allows for even a bit more range than Hellboy was able to get.  In general, Abe’s movement is up to the impressive standards that everything else from 1000toys has set.  Abe’s sculpt is all-new.  He’s again got a heavily Mignola-inspired design, albeit just a touch more polished.  Abe is, of course, less rough and scarred than Hellboy, but he still gets a lot of smaller details, capturing his slightly more amphibian skin.  I also appreciate the difference of texturing between the skin and his shorts.  The only thing I’m not super crazy about is how his gills attach to the neck; it’s a whole slip-over piece at the top of the torso, which results in a separation between the two parts, which looks a tiny bit like his throat’s been slit.  Thankfully, it’s usually covered by the chin, so it’s not a *huge* issue.  In place of the cloth greatcoat sported by Hellboy, Abe gets a rubber BPRD vest piece, which fits pretty snuggly over the figure’s torso.  It stays on securely; securely enough that I didn’t actually realize it was meant to be removable at first.  Abe’s color work is strongly rendered, with plenty of accenting, especially on the exposed skin.  It really emphasizes the strengths of the sculpt, and matches up nicely with his incarnation from the comics.  Abe is more impressively accessorized than Hellboy, with six different pairs of hands (in fists, tight grip, loose grip, trigger finger, relaxed, and open gesture), a dive watch, knife, sheath for the knife, handgun, holster for the handgun, and a spear.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Abe’s my favorite part of the Hellboy mythos, and I’m always down for a good figure of him.  Back when Mezco did their comics-based line, I really wanted an Abe, but they made him a convention exclusive, and it honestly kinda killed me on the whole line.  I’ve been waiting for another chance since then, and it was actually this guy’s announcement that really sold me on this line as a whole.  Thankfully, when the Hellboy that I snagged got traded into All Time, this guy was alongside him.  The partners remained partners!  Abe’s a fantastic figure, just like HB.  Now I don’t even mind that I never got the Mezco.  And, if this is all we get from 1000toys, I’ll be content.  But, I certainly wouldn’t say no to a few others.  Like a Liz.  Or a Lobster Johnson.  Or a Johan.  Or a Roger.  Or just a whole entire line of really amazing figures based on all the characters.  And maybe some movie ones, too.  Right?  Right.

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

#3363: Wicket

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

WICKET

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES (HASBRO)

Isn’t it great how the Star Wars movies are all spaced out in such a way that you’re bound to be celebrating some sort of anniversary for them, almost every year?  The more recent theme on the Hasbro side has the been the 40th anniversaries of the Original Trilogy films, and up to bat this year is Return of the Jedi and its original 1983 release.  As with all the other 40th celebrations, Black Series is getting a couple of rounds of retro carded figures, which are a mix of old and new offerings.  There’s but one new offering in the very first of those assortments, and it’s one of those devilishly divisive Ewoks.  But it’s not just any Ewok: it’s Wicket!  He’s, like, the best one!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Wicket was released alongside re-carded versions of Endor Leia, Endor Han, the Scout Trooper, and Skiff Guard Lando in the first series of the RotJ Retro Carded Black Series figures.  As noted in the intro, he’s the only unique figure this time around, and he’s our third Ewok in the line.  As the main Ewok, it’s a little surprising that it’s taken quite this long to release him, but he’s at least a good choice for an anniversary.  As of right now, he’s exclusive to the Retro Card, but it wouldn’t be that shocking to see him show up in the standard line later, as they’ve done with a few of the other anniversary figures.  The figure stands 3 inches tall and he has 20 points of articulation.  Given how small he is, he’s honestly got a pretty impressive articulation set-up.  The only major joint missing is the knee, but that would probably have broken the legs up too much, and it admittedly doesn’t mess with the movement too badly, due to the range on the hips and ankles.  Wicket’s sculpt is all-new, and it’s a very strong one.  He’s very small, of course, but that’s proper scaling for him, so it makes sense.  Even with his smaller stature, there’s a ton of texturing, and it’s got a great likeness of the Wicket costume from the movie.  The face in particular really captures the look of the character.  His hood is a separate piece, which can be removed if you’re so inclined, but it’s not really much to look at that way.  He just looks extra goofy.  But, it’s cool to have the option, and it stays in place very well.  Wicket’s paint work is pretty well handled, with accenting on his hood and his fur.  The fur jumps a bit in intensity from piece to piece, but the head is again the best work, with a rather subtle set-up, as well as gloss on the eyes that really helps to make they pop up against the rest of the face.  Wicket is packed with his spear, which is his signature weapon.  Presumably to make up for his smaller size while still occupying the standard price point, Wicket also gets a bow, an arrow, and two different styles of club.  They’re not things that he uses in the movie, but they’re good base Ewok weapons, and it’s not like he *couldn’t* have used them at some point, and it does give you extra options.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Back when I was still operating under the delusion that I was only buying a very select run of figures from Black Series (in 2013, when the line first launched), Wicket was one of the figures on my list that I was definitely buying.  I assumed he’d be the first Ewok at the time, and also thought we’d be seeing him sooner than ten years into the line, but I knew I wanted him all the same.  In an otherwise kind of lack-luster launch wave for the 40th RotJ figures, Wicket was a pretty exciting figure, and in hand, I really dig him.  Sure, you’re paying full price for a figure that’s half the size, but there feels like an extra attention to detail on this one, and to me he feels like a better deal than Yoda and R2 were.  And he’s just a fun little guy.

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.

#3362: Hellboy

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

HELLBOY

HELLBOY (1000TOYS)

I don’t get to talk about Hellboy nearly enough on this site.  The last time I talked about anything Hellboy-related here on the site was all the way back in 2018, which honestly seems absurd to me.  But, there it is, I guess.  Well, I’m gonna try to make it better!  While the majority of Hellboy product has been courtesy of Mezco, there have been a few other manufacturers to take up the reigns since Mezco last left things off.  There have been a small selection of figures on the higher end side of things, including a couple of offerings from 1000toys, a company that always does its best to impress with me.  Today, I’m taking a look at their take on the titular character.  Is he sufficiently awesome?  I mean, more than likely.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Hellboy is the debut figure in 1000toys’ Hellboy line and was released in 2019.  There are a few different versions of him, but the one seen here is the most standard of the releases, which was the very first of them to hit.  This one covers all of your basic Hellboy needs, without delving into the more involved stuff.  The figure stands just shy of 7 1/2 inches tall and he has 45 points of articulation. Hellboy figures have a tendency to be a little more restricted on the articulation front, especially when it comes to the Right Hand of Doom, but that’s not the case with this guy. 1000toys has put their usual care into giving this guy a quite impressive range of motion, which even includes the Right Hand of Doom getting fully articulated fingers. Oh boy, are those a lot of fun. The shoulders took a little bit of getting used to for posing, and the right elbow can look a little odd depending on the pose, but its otherwise quite nicely implemented. Hellboy’s sculpt was all-new, though at this point it’s obviously been shared with his variants. It’s clearly Mignola inspired in its design, though it’s a slightly more cleaned up Mignola look, which lends itself just a little bit better to an articulated figure. He’s got a bit of a mixed media thing going on; the torso is a softer plastic, to allow for a little more movement, while preserving the cleanness of the design. It’s a little spongey when posing, and I always worry a bit with durability on such things, but it seems to work alright.  It also maintains a nice level of detailing, including his more rock-like features, as well as the various scars littered throughout his body.  Furthering the mixed-media set-up, he’s got his rosary, which hangs from his belt on an actual chain.  Likewise mixed-media is his coat, which is cloth goods here.  It’s bulky, as it should be, and has a wire running through the bottom, to allow for some minor posing.  The coat can be removed, though it will require popping off the right hand, which is a little tricky the first time around.  The color work on this guy is pretty solid stuff; the main red is bright and eye catching, which I really dig.  That’s largely molded plastic, of course, though I do have to give them kudos for being able to get the shades to all match up very closely; that’s especially difficult with reds.  The skin tones get a decent amount of accenting, which adds a little bit of shading, and also brings out the sculpt’s smaller details.  He’s also go those very bright yellow eyes, which make for quite an impressive pop of color.  This version of Hellboy is the most stripped down version in terms of extras, but he still gets an extra head, four hands, the Samaritan, and a holster.  The extra head gets an angrier expression, which is very in character.  Interestingly, the horns aren’t part of this sculpt, instead being shared between the two heads.  This was pre-planning for the release that also included his full horns, meaning this guy will still be compatible with those extra pieces, should you get them.  The hands are all lefts, since the right is fully posable; he’s got fist, gripping, relaxed, and open gesture.  The Samaritan is appropriately oversized, and fits well in the gripping hand.  The holster’s a touch tricky to use, but it works well enough and holds the gun securely.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I’ve been hoping to pick this guy up since he was first released back in 2019, but, for a number of reasons, he just kept getting pushed off, until several different releases of him had all sold through, and I assumed I wouldn’t be finding one.  I assumed incorrectly.  I just needed to be patient was all.  This guy got traded in, opened but unused, at All Time, which gave me to perfect opportunity to get myself one for a not terrible deal.  1000toys has not disappointed me in the past, and they’ve still not disappointed me.  This guy’s easily the best Hellboy figure I’ve ever handled, and just a great toy in general.

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.

#3358: Avalanche

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

AVALANCHE

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

“Brotherhood of Mutants veteran Avalanche can generate powerful seismic waves from his hands.”

When the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants was reformed under Mystique’s leadership in the ’80s, they got a roster of characters with well-established traits, personalities, and arcs…and they also got Avalanche.  You know, the guy who was only ever really compelling on X-Men: Evolution, where the approach was essentially rebuilding him entirely from the ground up.  The guy whose backstory before joining the Brotherhood could be best summed up as “wasn’t in the Brotherhood yet.”  Essentially, he’s really just a glorified accessory for Pyro, a Brotherhood member who actually does things of note and whom people actually care about.  Honestly, he largely only gets figures to accent Pyro figures, too.  We got an updated Legends Pyro in 2020, so I guess we might as well get a proper Legends Avalanche.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Avalanche is part of the latest retro-inspired X-Men series of Marvel Legends.  This is his first time getting an official Legends figure, though he was previously offered up in the scale in Toy Biz’s X-Men off-shoot line.  Like most of the assortment, he’s got a vintage 5-inch counterpart, with the caveat that Avalanche was in the X-Force line, not the main X-Men one.  The figure stands just shy of 7 inches tall and he has 32 points of articulation.  Avalanche uses the Reaper base body as a starting point.  It’s alright for the build, since he’s usually a little stockier, but the articulation’s rather stiff compared to more recent figures, and it’s still got the visible pins in the elbows and knees.  But, it’s just Avalanche we’re talking about here, so it’s not like it’s the end of the world.  Avalanche gets a new head, torso, forearms, and boots.  The head sculpt isn’t really doing it for me, honestly.  It’s a more recent take on his helmet design, with visible eyes, rather than the pupil-less look, and I just don’t think it works as well for the character.  Furthermore, the expression seems too neutral for what little characterization Avalanche has, which tends to see him as being rather brutish.  The body sculpt is alright.  I’ve seen complaints about how the shoulder pads stick out, but they don’t bug me.  The color work on the figure is almost entirely molded plastic, which works fine enough.  He gets a little bit of paint on the face, and I’m not crazy about the darker lips, but it’s other wise alright.  Avalanche is packed with two sets of hands, in fists and open gesture.  That seems rather light; it would have been nice to at least get an unmasked head, or possibly an alternate style of helmet.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I can’t say I was incredibly compelled to get Avalanche, but I did already have Pyro, and he could do with a guy to stand behind him and make him look cooler by comparison.  Also, we’re getting close to wrapping up this incarnation of the Brotherhood, so team building and all that.  This figure isn’t bad, but he’s not terribly exciting either.  I’m not big on the choices with the head sculpt, and he feels kind of bland.  But he’s alright, I guess.

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.

#3357: The Demon – Demon Knights

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

THE DEMON — DEMON KNIGHTS

DC MULTIVERSE (MCFARLANE TOYS)

“Jason Blood, once a mortal man who lived centuries ago, was bound to Etrigan after the Demon was summoned by none other than the wizard Merlin. Jason was rendered immortal and granted the ability to swap places with his demonic counterpart upon saying the magic words. Though Jason has tried many times to exert his will over Etrigan while he is transformed, the Demon is too powerful to be completely contained. Still, more often than not, Etrigan, despite his nature, is interested in the greater good—even if his motives and methods remain suspect.”

It seems quite a mistake at this time to craft a bio that features no rhyme.  Could it really be that hard, I ask of you, to describe the character in a way that rings true?  I suppose I’ll have to try my own hand, and see just how the words may land.  Behold the figure in front of you, which I must now rightly review.  It is a creation of McFarlane Toys, and they frequently avert my joys.  The DC line is often off the mark, due to its focus on the Knight who’s Dark.  This Man of Bats often leads the sales, but it’s not only his stories from whence each toy hails.  In this toy’s case, he’s more obscure, but a fan favorite you can be sure.  He’s brought forth with the proper chime of the summoning words that are a rhyme.  Gone, gone, the form of man, rise the demon, Etrigan!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Demon who’s of Demon Knights inflection is from McFarlane’s DC Multiverse collection.  The time in which this figure was done was the early part of 2021.  Demon Knights of the New 52 was the version that they chose to do.  It seems to me to be quite odd to not launch the character with a more classic nod.  But although it may be on the verge of odd, it could also just be Todd being Todd.  Although the design might not quite ring true, at the very least, he’s something new.  The figure stands just over 7 inches tall and his articulation is 35 points counted in all.  To the line’s other figures his movement matches, although it’s not without its own little scratches.  The ankles could be more secure, to keep him from falling to the floor.  The figure’s sculpt is one that’s completely new, and is really one that gives what’s due.  The character’s look is well reflected, and texturing is well perfected.  The figure’s head is my favorite piece, and really catches the character for this release.  The figure’s paint is well applied, and certainly feels as though they tried.  The color scheme is different there, then what he’s usually known to wear.  It’s very definitely a lot of silver and grey, which not the most eye catching, I have to say.  Still, it’s true to the source, so it’s only fair to let it run its course.  The Demon has amongst his cares a stand and sword, which are his wares.  His sword is hard for him to hold, and takes tricky wedging into his hand’s mold.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The Demon’s a character I greatly enjoy, and so I’d like to have him as a toy.  His costume choice is not my preferred, but still my interest was not deterred.  Getting the figure was no real chore, I just waited for his arrival at the store.  In the end, the figure’s fine, which seems the curse of this whole line.  Even when it’s at its best, it struggles rising above the rest.  The Demon’s cool, that much is true, but as always, odd choices still come shining through.

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.

#3354: Nightwing

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

NIGHTWING

DC LEGION OF COLLECTORS (FUNKO)

Remember when those weird subscription boxes were literally everywhere, shipping out, intermittently, a box of actual garbage or a thing that everyone wanted that shouldn’t be locked behind a random subscription box?  Pepperidge Farm remembers.  Yes, it was a simpler time, before people realized that, instead of paying up front for a box that might contain something they actually wanted or might contain actual garbage, they could just, you know, pay for the the things they wanted.  And also that the boxes were perhaps a wee bit scammy.  Whatever the case, everyone and their mother was getting in on the trend, and there’s no trend in the world that Funko isn’t gonna at least try to sink in their own special way, so you bet they were in on this one.  They had a bunch of them, in fact, based on just some of the cacophony of licenses they hold firmly within their grasp, which included DC, which got a service called “Legion of Collectors.”  It was largely a delivery service for more Pops, but they mixed in a few other things, including a totally exclusive line of actual 3 3/4 inch figures.  That’s crazy.  And now I’m gonna look at the Nightwing.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Nightwing was one of the four retro style figures available in the January 2018 box for the DC Legion of Collectors subscription.  The whole box was Teen Titans-themed, and there were four figures in total (Nightwing, Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg), as well as a Nightwing Pop!, a T-shirt, and a comic.  Wooo.  Apparently no one liked the figures, so they’re not, like, super expensive, but also Funko collectors have a stupid sense of value, so they’re, like, still reluctant to let them go for cheap, because there’s a sticker that says “exclusive.”  I like them, so, umm, here I am.  The figure stands just shy of 3 3/4 inches tall and has 11 points of articulation.  Nightwing makes use of the post-ReAction 3 3/4 inch articulation set-up, like we saw with the short-lived Batman ’66 and Game of Thrones lines.  It’s basic, but honestly works pretty nicely; it’s a shame Funko didn’t do more with the style.  The figure gets a unique sculpt, based on the late George Perez’s first Nightwing design.  Like the other figures in this style, it’s got a bit of a retro vibe to it, though not quite so much as the ReAction figures.  Given the use of his original costume, this Nightwing fits well with the established style.  The costume details all translate well, and the head has a respectable likeness of Perez’s look for Dick Grayson.  Nightwing’s paint work is, like the rest of the figure, basic; there’s a little bit of fuzz and slop on some of the edges, and the skin tone is a little pale, but it’s generally a decent set-up.  Nightwing is packed with no accessories, though I’m not entirely sure what you would give him anyway.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I didn’t pay much attention to the Legion of Collectors stuff when it launched or while it was running, so I didn’t actually know of these figures’ existence until a good while after they were shipped out.  The figure that actually hinted to me that they existed was actually the First Appearance Superman from a different box.  I didn’t know of the Teen Titans figures until this one was traded into All Time, loose, about a year ago.  He’s kinda goofy, but I dig him.  I dig him a lot.  It’s a shame they didn’t do the whole team line-up in this style, but Nightwing’s cool.

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.

#3353: Multiple Man

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

MULTIPLE MAN

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

“Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man, possesses the unique ability to duplicate himself at will.”

My first Multiple Man review, back in 2018, started off with a James Franco joke.  Boy, has *that* not aged well.  That’s what I get for trying to be topical.  Nowadays, I just stick to more timeless and tried things.  How about this up and comer, Madrox the Multiple Man?  His appearance in Fantastic Four sure shows a lot of promise, doesn’t it?  It sure would be cool if he bounced around as a minor supporting player in the X-Books for a decade, and then got promoted to one of the actual teams.  And also if he got five action figures.  You know what?  Let’s actually make that six.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Multiple Man is the third figure from the latest retro-inspired X-Men assortment of Marvel Legends.  Multiple Man is unique in this assortment, as he’s the only figure whose design has no direct equivalent in the Toy Biz run, since his only 5-inch figure (which was a ToyFare exclusive) was in a variation of his X-Factor costume.  This one is based on Jaime’s original suit, which has, up until now, been without toy coverage.  The figure stands 6 1/4 inches tall and he has 34 points of articulation.  Multiple Man is built on the ANAD 2099 body, which is a slight change-up from his last figure, who was based on the Bucky Cap body. Interestingly, Havok did the same jump on his most recent figure.  This body is more posable and honestly a slightly better match in build, especially for a younger Jaime.  The figure gets two new head sculpts.  One has a more neutral expression, while the other is angry and teeth gritty.  They’re both internally consistent, and also consistent with the three heads included with the last figure, so they all look convincingly like the same guy.  Curiously, while the last figure used separate pieces for the cowl and faces, these ones are both solid construction.  It doesn’t really change up the look, but it’s different.  Jaime’s paint work is actually quite intricate, with all of the gold lines and circles.  They wrap all the way around the body, with nothing being cut for costs like on the last one, and the coverage is actually pretty consistent (always tricky with gold pain, especially when it’s going over a darker base color).  The work is also quite sharp, again improving on the fuzzy edges seen on the last figure.  Multiple Man does alright on the extras, with the previously mentioned second head, as well as two sets of hands in fists and relaxed posing.  It’s not anything fancy, but it allows for some mixing it up for the purposes of army building.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I quite like Multiple Man, so I’m always happy to get more figures.  I liked the X-Factor version that we got in 2018 a fair bit, but I’ve honestly been hoping to see the green costume in some form for a good long while.  This figure is simple, but very effective.  I never got to actually army build the last one, but I can see that being more likely this time around.

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.

#3348: Spiral

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

SPIRAL

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

“Spiral, Mojo’s deadly enforcer, possesses additional cybernetic limbs, powerful mystic abilities, and a deep enmity for her former flame, Longshot.”

The residents of Mojo World have an interesting relationship with time travel, especially when it comes to recursiveness and stable time loops.  Obviously, the tip of that particular iceberg is certainly the Longshot/Shatterstar “I’m my own Grandpa” loop, but Spiral’s got her own crazy loop of events too, and one that’s especially intricate and involved for a character that’s as minor in the grand scheme of things as Spiral.  She sure looks cool, though.  Makes for a good toy as well.  Those are important factors around these parts.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Spiral is another figure in the latest series of retro-inspired X-Men Marvel Legends.  Technically, while Spiral was included in the vintage ToyBiz line which the packaging is homaging, she was after the switch-over to the generic Wolverine header style card, so there’s not a direct equivalent in this set-up.  This is Spiral’s second time as a Legend, following up on the one from early in Hasbro’s run.  It’s been a good 15 years since that one, though, and that’s a lot of time for some progress.  The figure stands 6 1/4 inches tall and has a quite astounding 56 points of articulation.  Previous figures with additional arms, going as recent as the Six-Armed Spidey mold, have had some sort of trade-off on the movement to offset the extra appendages, but Spiral bucks that trend by getting all of the articulation that would be top of the line for a standard figure, and then getting four fully articulated arms on top of that.  And it’s all in a standard retail package.  So, clearly to offset all of this articulation, she’s got a lot of parts re-use, right?  In fact, she doesn’t appear to have any re-used parts at all.  And, she’s sporting a pretty darn good sculpt at that.  The last Legends Spiral struggled a bit with how to work in the two extra arms on each side, resulting in a rather notable hunch to her back.  This one still has the tiniest bit of that, but it’s far less pronounced, and the arms just fit much closer together.  The new head sculpt foregoes the last one’s removable helmet feature, which is honestly just a better choice.  She’s rarely seen helmetless in the comics, and this allows the helmet to be better scaled to the head, and it also prevents it from falling off all of the time, which was a common issue with the last one.  Spiral’s outfit is a pretty simple one in a broader sense, made more interesting here thanks to the smaller details; the seams running down the sides of the legs in particular stand out as a detail that helps to add a grounding feel to a design that’s otherwise a rather absurd concept.  A lot of Spiral’s color work relies on molded plastic, presumably to help offset the costs just a touch.  She does get a little bit of paint work, and apart from some slightly inconsistent coverage on her belt buckle, it’s all pretty cleanly handled.  Spiral makes out pretty well on the accessories front, which is another pleasant surprise.  She gets four of the Deadpool-style long katanas, plus Angela’s broadsword and axe-thingy.  She also gets two extra hands…which feels a bit silly, if I’m honest.  Like, I’m not knocking getting spares, since all six arms just get gripping hands.  That said, one is for her metal arm, which is on the left, and the other is a non-metal one…which is also a left.  I feel that at least doing one right and one left would be more sensible, or, quite frankly, leaving out the extra hands all together, since it’s hardly like she’s hurting for accessories or perceived value without them.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I’ve always liked Spiral as a concept, but her figures have never really done anything to wow me.  This one was a different case from the start.  She just looked really cool, and was definitely high on my want list for this round.  Wow, is this an impressive figure.  Hasbro really pulled out all the stops, making unquestionably the definitive Spiral, as well as one of their best Legends in general.

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.