Tag Archives: Avengers

#0530: Captain America

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

CAPTAIN AMERICA

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

CapAoU1

We haven’t yet begun this year’s summer movie season, but it is fast approaching. The movie I’m most anticipating is May’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, which looks set to be a fantastic ride. Hasbro’s been steadily pumping out product in anticipation for the movie. Their 6-inch line started off with an assortment of exclusively comics based figures in Series 1, but Series 2 brings a few of the movie’s main players into the game (though still not freaking ULTRON!!! Sorry, I’m a bit impatient…) in true Legends style. First off, I’ll be taking a look at everyone’s favorite sentinel of liberty, Iron Patriot…no, sorry, Captain America!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

CapAoU2Captain America is part of Series 2 of Hasbro’s Avengers Marvel Legends Infinite Series. He’s one of three movie based figures in this particular series. The figure stands just over 6 inches tall, with 32 points of articulation. The figure is, of course, based upon Cap’s look from Age of Ultron, which appears to be a melding of the two costumes he had in The Winter Soldier. It feels like the closest we’ve gotten to the classic Cap design in the movies, so I’m a fan. If you feel like you’ve seen this figure before, that’s because you pretty much have, at least from a sculptural standpoint. Cap gets a new upper and lower torso, but other than that he’s a pretty straight re-use of the STRIKE Suit figure from the Winter Soldier line. This certainly isn’t a bad thing since a) the costume in the movie looks to use a lot of the same tailoring as the STRIKE suit, and b) the STRIKE suit figure had a pretty tremendous sculpt. All the texturing and fine details are still there and they still look really great. Also, it’s minor, but the belt has been glued in place on this figure, so it doesn’t rattle around like it did on the STRIKE suit Cap. The new torso matches up very well with the other parts, in style, size and texture, and it’s even a touch longer than the previous one, giving Cap some much needed additional height. Unfortunately, the paint is where the figure takes just a bit of a dip. From a general standpoint, it’s certainly passable, and better than that seen on Batroc the Leaper yesterday. However, it’s not quite up to the same level as STRIKE suit Cap, which makes the issues more noticeable. The colors are actually pretty well chosen, and he’s certainly more exciting to look at than CapAoU4the much more drab appearance of the last Cap. The biggest issue at play here is bleed over. Pretty much all of the base color work exhibits some form of it, which is really annoying. Also, the white on his lower torso isn’t consistent, letting the underlying blue plastic show through in a couple of spots. And to top it all off, the right eye on my figure is painted just off center, which makes Cap look just a tiny bit cross-eyed. Cap has pretty much the same accessory load out as the STRIKE figure: unmasked head, saluting hand, pointing hand, shield, and Thanos’ leg (subbing in for the Mandroid’s leg). The head, hands, and shield are all pretty much the same as the previous release. The head seems to have paint that’s just a touch better, and the shield is in the more traditional colors (which makes it look less over-sized, for some reason).

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Cap was purchased, along with the rest of Series 2, from Big Bad Toy Store. For the most part, I got him because I was getting the rest of the series, but I will admit to digging the new costume design. I definitely like the more traditional color scheme. The STRIKE suit Cap was one of Hasbro’s best Cap figures. This figure, making use of a lot of the same pieces, does pretty well. However, it’s really held back by the paint work. The level of detail just isn’t there this time, which is disappointing. Not enough to ruin the figure, but certainly enough to hold it back from being as great as it could have been. This figure should have overtaken the last movie Cap with ease, but instead the choice between the two comes down to personal preference of costume design. And that’s too bad.

CapAoU5

#0528: Hawkeye

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

HAWKEYE

MARVEL SELECT

HawkeyeMS1

Man, who’d have guessed that good ol’ “Hawk-guy” here would become a household name. Not me, that’s for sure. I mean, sure, the guy’s the quintessential Avenger, but Hawkeye? All that said, I can’t say I’m all that upset about the character getting some recognition. He’s always been one of my favorite characters. And, as everyone knows, more recognition means more merchandise, which totally includes action figures! So, let’s have a look at this here Hawkeye figure!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

HawkeyeMS2Hawkeye is the latest release in Diamond Select Toys’ Marvel Select line. The figure is currently exclusive to the Disney Store (as well as Marvel’s online shop) but that may or may not stick. Amazingly enough, this is actually Hawkeye’s third figure in this line; so far he’s had one movie figure and one comics figure. The last comic based figure was a more classically inspired take on the character, whereas this figure represents Hawkeye in his current costume. Hawkeye stands a little over 7 inches tall and he has 32 points of articulation. The figure sports a brand-new sculpt. In the past, Select figure sculpts can have a tendency to be …uneven. I’m happy to say that isn’t the case here. From top to bottom, this sculpt is fantastically handled. Hawkeye is clearly based upon the illustrations of David Aja, who was the primary penciller on the last Hawkeye series. Aja has a rather distinctive style. It’s minimal on heavy detail work, but it has a lot of character. This sculpt manages to translate Aja’s work to three dimensions without making Hawkeye look out of place with the rest of the Select figures, which is an incredible balance. The figure features two head sculpts: one with sunglasses and one without. Unlike the recent Marvel Legends Coulson, these are two completely unique sculpts. The sunglass-ed head seems to be the most “default” of the two, though it’s also the weaker piece. The expression is a little on the bland side, and it lacks the Aja-style of the rest of the piece. It’s still a great piece of work from a technical standpoint, though. The second head features a more battered and bruised Clint Barton. Over the course of Fraction and Aja’s run on the series, poor Clint takes quite a beating, and this sculpt represents that really well. It also sports an expression with just the right amount of smarm for the character. As great as the rest of the sculpt is, it’s hard to beat this particular piece. Of course, a good sculpt still needs quality paintwork. Fortunately, this figure mostly delivers on that front. While there are a few spots of misaligned paint (particularly on the sunglass-ed head), but the base work is generally pretty clean. The costume also features some pretty neat weathering to add a little texture, and it looks really great. Hawkeye is accessorized with his signature bow, six arrows of varying styles, an extra right hand, a two piece crossbow, and, best of all, Hawkeye’s pet dog Lucky, aka Pizza Dog. The bow is cool enough, given its rather straight forward nature. The arrows are well sculpted, but since neither of his quivers can hold them, they just sort of get shunted to the side. The crossbow is suitable, but none of his hands really hold it all that well. Pizza Dog is a really cool piece, especially given the importance of the character in Fraction and Aja’s run. He’s pretty well sculpted and painted, with one glaring issue: he’s got two eyes where Pizza Dog only should have one. I guess this is a pre-adoption Pizza Dog.

HawkeyeMS4 HawkeyeMS5

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Hawkeye marks the second of a new method of release for Marvel Select, where the figure just shows up at Disney Stores, with little build up, sort of as a surprise. The first was Thor, who I passed on without much thought. But then came Hawkeye. I love the character, I love the run this figure’s based on. How could I not buy it. So, when it was listed on the Marvel Shop, I caved and bought it. Yay me. This is a pretty big statement, but this figure puts every other Marvel Select figure to shame. The sculpt is there, the paint is there, and the accessories are there. This is a phenomenal figure, through and through.

HawkeyeMS3

#0520: The Beast

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

THE BEAST

AVENGERS INFINITE

GreyBeast1

So, here’s a fact a few people reading probably don’t know: though he debuted and has been a prominent member of the X-Men, the first real bit of notoriety gained by Hank McCoy, aka the Beast, was his admission into the Avengers in Avengers #137. Since then, he’s kind of pin-balled back and forth between the two teams. Due to licensing and such with Fox, he’s generally paired up with the X-Men for merchandising, so most people think of him with them. I myself actually prefer him with the Avengers, but that’s just me. Anyway, Beast just wound up with not one but two new figures in Hasbro’s Avengers Infinite line, and I picked one of them up. Let’s see how he turned out.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

GreyBeast2Beast (or “Marvel’s Beast” as he’s listed on the package) was released in the 5th Series of Hasbro’s Avengers Infinite line. The packaging seems to be exclusively referring to this line as “Marvel Infinite” and the character selection is actually pretty sparse on true Avengers figures, but Hasbro seems pretty dead set that the actual name of the line is Avengers Infinite. They know best, so I’m just gonna trust them. The figure is roughly 4 inches tall, with 19 points of articulation. The figure lacks wrist and waist articulation, with is rather annoying, especially for a character like Beast. It seems Hasbro is trying to cut down articulation on the smaller line to save costs. Beast was available in two versions: Blue and Grey. At first it may seem like just a paint swap, but the figures are actually pretty different. If you couldn’t tell from the pictures, the one I’m looking at is the Grey Beast figure, which is the rarer of the two. The look is based upon Beast’s initial furry appearance, during his short solo series. By the time he appeared in Avengers, his fur color had been changed to blue, and he stuck with that. Over the years, Beast has become bulkier and more feral, but this sculpt takes him back to the basics. The sculpt is all-new to this figure (though many of the pieces are shared with his blue counterpart) and it’s quite well done. Beast is bigger than others in the line, but not gargantuan; he has the stocky strongman look that the character sported into the 80s or so. The proportions are all pretty much what they should be, something AI and its predecessor Marvel Universe have been known to struggle with in the past. The figure is coated almost from head to toe in a furry texture that is really well rendered and sells the characters beastly nature quite nicely. All of this is topped off by a head sculpt that is a near perfect translation of the “Classic Beast” style head. For all the expert work that was done on the sculpt, the paint is a bit sparse. The figure mostly relies on the molded grey, with some flat blue for the shorts, and a few black and dark grey details. Most of the paint is on the head; the eyes and mouth are pretty good, and the hair’s not bad. There’s a random spot of black on the chin, which I feel certain isn’t supposed to be there. The only other paint is on the forearms, where his hair is painted black. There isn’t really any transition work, so he just has the big black spots on his arms, with looks weird. Overall, the paint’s not atrocious, but it could definitely be better. Beast includes no accessories.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I picked up Beast from Target. I was actually looking for some of the new Marvel Legends at the time, but I came across this guy and the rest of his series. I’ve been working on a MU Avengers display for a while, and being able to replace the existing Cat Beast with this guy was definitely nice. The figure really has some issues with paint, however the underlying sculpt is strong enough that it ends up saving the figure. And now I’m gonna sit here and wait for Hasbro to release this guy painted blue so that I can have a proper Classic Beast.

#0489: Odin

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

ODIN

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

Yesterday, I looked at Thor, God of Thunder! How about a look at his dad? As luck would have it, Odin happens to be the Build-A-Figure of the very series that Thor was a part of! Isn’t that convenient? Or perhaps just proper planning on Hasbro’s part. I guess it could be that. If you wanna be all practical and stuff. So, let’s have a look at the Allfather, shall we?

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Odin is the Build-A-Figure for the first series of Avengers Marvel Legends Infinite Series figures. Technically, he doubles as both Odin and Future Thor, but the series is dubbed the “Odin” series, so I’m going to refer to him as Odin, and include the Future Thor parts as accessories (for the most part, anyway). Odin is about the same size as Thor (fitting), clocking in at about 7 inches tall, and he has 30 points of articulation. I don’t actually know which particular Odin this is based on, or if it’s a particular Odin at all. I think they’ve actually used the Future Thor design as a starting point and just made it work for Odin, which, when you’re dealing with a character who doesn’t really have a definitive look, like Odin, isn’t a bad move. The look is mostly armored and has an appropriately regal look to it. The sculpt is fairlyt detailed, with a lot of texture work and such. Also, you’ll note that the left arm is armored, while the right is not. This actually isn’t completely accurate for Odin, as the left arm is meant to be Future Thor’s Destroyer arm, which replaced his missing arm. However, the regular Odin arms were packed with Sentry, and I didn’t really want to get him, so I settled for the Thor arms. Plus, the armored arm is a little cooler anyway. As a build-a-figure, the figure works pretty decently. He snaps together pretty easily and, aside from his legs popping off from time to time, he stays together pretty well. Odin’s paintwork is generally pretty clean, and it has some decent weathering to help ring out the sculpt’s details. The blue cape is definitely a cool touch, and it nicely separates him from Thor. It would be a little better if there were a some more gold on the actual body armor. As it stands, it’s entirely confined to his helmet, which looks just a bit jarring. Also, some gold on the body might make the figure a little brighter; it’s just a little on the drab side. Odin includes his trusty spear Gungnir (which never gets the credit it deserves!) as well as a spare head and cape for Future Thor, as well as Future Thor’s axe Jarnbjorn. I think this may be the first Build-A-Figure to actually get an accessory compliment. Let’s hope that idea sticks around!

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

So, Odin is the Build-A-Figure that resulted from my getting all of the figures in this series. I actually kind of wanted to finish him. I’m not the world’s biggest Odin fan or anything, but he’s certainly a fixture in the Marvel Universe. He also makes for a pretty neat figure, drab color choices aside. Odin’s one of the few B-A-F’s I’ve finished of late, and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that not only is he a pretty solid figure, but also none of the figures required to build him were the dud’s that we’ve inevitable come to expect from the B-A-F model. I’m glad to see Hasbro applying equal effort to all of the figures in the series!

#0488: Thor

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

THOR

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

When you’re doing a series of figures based on the Avengers, there’s a few characters you are pretty much required to include. Generally, those characters are Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Cap got a few slots in the Winter Soldier themed Infinite Series line-ups last year and Iron Man got a spot in the Guardians of the Galaxy series, so I guess Hasbro thought it was Thor’s turn. So, he’s got the prominent spot in the first series of AoU stuff. Yay Thor.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Thor was released in the first series of Avengers Marvel Legends Infinite Series figures. Unlike Hawkeye and Iron Fist, Thor doesn’t have the “Marvel’s” qualifier on his name, which is actually a little weird, since adding “Marvel’s” to Thor’s name seems like it would be the only way hold the trademark on an otherwise public domain name. Maybe there’s more to it. The figure is gargantuan, at roughly 7 inches tall, and he features 30 points of articulation. He’s based on Thor’s Marvel Now! look, just before the switch to the female Thor. It’s after he got the cape back and lost the chainmail sleeves, resulting in an amalgam of his classic and Copiel looks. It works as a very nice summation of all of the Thor looks over the years and it’s pretty well in line with how he looks in the movies right now, so it’s a good look. The figure is built on the New Thor body that Hasbro sculpted for the first series of re-launched Legends (the one with Terrax as the Build-A-Figure). It’s easily one of the best Thor sculpts put out by any company in the last few years, so it’s a great starting point. They’ve added a new head and arms, which match up very well with the pre-existing pieces. The head exhibits some minor changes, mostly to make the helmet more elaborate, but the face is also a little more intense in expression and it’s a bit more squared off. The helmet is a separate piece, and that works to give the head some really great dimension. The arms have of course been re-sculpted to remove the sleeves. They’re well done, if maybe a little veiny. Overall, the figure’s paint is pretty decently handled, with nice color work and some great texturing on the metallic parts. However, there are a few areas with some issues, most notably the rather obvious slop on the figure’s right wrist. Random flecks of black paint have just gone everywhere. Thor is accessorized with his hammer Mjolnir which is freaking huge and amazingly detailed, as well as a sword which I think is meant to be the Odin Sword (or possibly Gorr’s Sword. I’m not up to date on Thor comics) and the right leg of Odin/Future Thor.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

So, Thor is another figure that I pretty much only got because I was getting the rest of the series. That said, I actually really like this figure. For one reason or another, I only have one of the previous Legends Thors and it’s not even a “default” one, so this figure fills something of a hole in my collection. This a really solidly put together figure and he ties up a really solidly put together series.

#0487: Iron Fist

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

IRON FIST

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

The latest series of Marvel Legends from Hasbro is definitely based on the Avengers, and all of the figure’s I’ve looked at so far have attested to that. Today’s figure, Iron Fist is probably the one most removed from the team. Admittedly, Iron Fist has been a member of the team in the past, but he’s never really been a member of note, and even when he was on the team it was more due to his connection to Luke Cage. But, Iron Fist’s prototype was sitting there unreleased and that’s something that Hasbro doesn’t like very much! So, here he is!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Iron Fist is a part of the first series of the Avengers Marvel Legends Infinite Series. Like the Hawkeye figure, he’s a figure that got displaced from one of the last regular Marvel Legends series. Iron Fist was originally intended as a swap figure for the Protector figure from the Hit Monkey series. The figure is about 6 inches tall, with 34 points of articulation. The figure is based on Iron Fist’s most recent comic, which is a variation on the costume he’s had for a few years now, just with white in place of the green. It’s the costume the character’s had for a little while, so it’s a reasonable choice for a figure. The figure is built on the body that started its life as Bullseye back in the ToyBiz days. Over the years, it’s gotten a new set of shins, feet, and forearms, but it’s the same basic body. It was one of my favorites from the ToyBiz years, and it’s a decently proportioned and articulated body, but it’s a little clunky and outdated compared to the newer base bodies like Bucky Cap. Iron Fist also features an all-new head sculpt and an add-on sash piece. Both are well sculpted and look good on the base body, though the sash does sit weird in some poses. The figure’s paint is pretty good. The gold is a nice shade, and most of the line work is clean. There is a fairly noticeable bit of bleed over at the edge of the mask, but other than that things are pretty well done. Iron Fist is one of the best accessorized figures in the series, with an pair of fists, knife hands, grabbing gesture hands, and two-figure gesture hands, as well as the leg of Odin/Future Thor.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Iron Fist is really one of those figures I got because I was getting the rest of the series. I wanted that leg for my Odin. I have to say, he’s not the most fantastic figure in the series (in fact he may actually be the weakest), but he’s not a bad figure, and he’s certainly an improvement over the original ToyBiz figure. Plus, it’s really great to see a figure with a large selection of hands. That’s a rarity in domestic release figures. Let’s hope Hasbro does more of that in the future!

#0486: Hawkeye

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

HAWKEYE

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

When you talk about the Avengers, there’s one quintessential Avenger who often gets overlooked. Someone who’s been with the team almost since the beginning and has stuck with the team for most of its career. I speak, of course, of Hawkeye. Hawkeye is easily one of the most popular Avengers (Outside of the big three and Hulk, who’s only actually had a short career with the team), and he’s even more popular following his introduction into the movies. And yet he still gets the short end of the stick on action figures. It seems that Hasbro is finally wising up, though, and they’ve chosen him as one of the anchors of their latest Marvel Legends line-up.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Hawkeye was released as part of Series 1 of the Avengers Marvel Legends Infinite Series. He’s the first figure I’ve reviewed from this series that actually has his own name on the box (okay, technically he’s “Marvel’s Hawkeye” but that’s splitting hairs!) This Hawkeye figure was originally meant to be a variant version of the Modern Hawkeye figure that made it into one of the last pre-Infinite Series line-ups, but the refresher cases he was meant to be a part of never happened, leaving him unreleased. Hasbro seems to be dead-set against letting any of their prototypes go to waste, so here he is now. The figure is a little over 6 inches tall and features 32 points of articulation. He’s based on the look that Hawkeye was sporting during the “Heroic Age,” right after Clint returned to the Hawkeye mantle. It’s a good look because, while it’s technically a modern look, it’s got all the trappings of a classic Hawkeye. And that’s a good thing, because the last classic Hawkeye in this scale was way back in Series 7 of ToyBiz’s Marvel Legends line (and that one still goes for quite a pretty penny!) The figure is built on the ever-popular Bucky Cap body, with the cuffed boots like we saw on Zemo and Boomerang. The left arm has been replaced with that of the Cap Marvel Legends Infinite Series Winter Soldier, to give it more of an armored look, and that’s a change from the initial prototype. Aside from the slightly small wrist size, it’s a good change, and it does add some diversity to the figure’s sculpt. In addition to the re-used pieces, Hawkeye has an all-new head and a rubber overlay for his upper torso, straps, and loincloth. The head certainly shows some more character than the last classic Hawkeye did, but it seems a bit too… square? I don’t know. It just feels a slight bit off. It’s not terrible, though. The overlay is a pretty good piece, with some very nice sculpting. It would be nice if it were a little thinner, and the snap on the side where it connects is rather obvious, but it’s a good piece. There’s also a quiver piece that plugs into his back to complete his look. It appears to be the same piece from the modern Hawkeye this was meant to be a swap of, which means it’s technically not accurate to the costume, but that’s a minor nit. The biggest issue with it is that it just doesn’t want to stay on his back. It just keeps popping off! The paint on the figure is generally rather straightforward. I might have liked for the purpled to be a little brighter, but he looks pretty good. Everything is applied pretty cleanly, and there’s no real slop or bleed over. I also dig the metallic purple for the arm. It’s a nice touch. Hawkeye includes a bow (molded in purple) and the torso of Odin/Future Thor. The lack of any arrows to hold is criminal, especially since the Toybiz Hawkeye had a metric ton of them!

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I never got really, super excited by this Hawkeye figure. I mean, I fully intended to get it when it was originally announced, and I was a little bummed when Hasbro said it wasn’t coming out, but I was pretty content with the ToyBiz figure. In hand, I do really like this figure, and I think it may have a slight edge on the previous one (mostly due to the superior base body), but it doesn’t blow it out of the water in the way that, say, Scarlet Witch does to her original figure. This figure still has a few minor issues that hold it back from perfection. That said, it’s the best Hawkeye in this scale, so that’s certainly a plus.

*Want a Hawkeye figure of your own?  He’s currently in-stock with our sponsors over at All Time Toys!  Click here to check him out!

#0485: Scarlet Witch

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

SCARLET WITCH – MAIDENS OF MIGHT

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

What’s that? Two female action figure reviews in a row? And they’re from the same line? The same series even? Man, the odds certainly weren’t pointing towards that!

So, yeah, the latest series of Marvel Legends from Hasbro has two female figures, shipping at the same time. It makes sense, seeing as it’s an Avengers-themed series, and the Avengers have historically had some pretty strong female characters on the team. It also helps that one of the two figures, the one reviewed today, is Scarlet Witch, who’s not only one of the longest running members of the team, but also set to have a pretty important role in this summer’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. So, let’s see how she turned out!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Scarlet Witch is in Series 1 of the Avengers Marvel Legends Infinite Series. She share’s the name “Maidens of Might” with Captain Marvel. Like I said in my Captain Marvel review, I’m not a big fan of that name. It seems just a little below her, especially since Machine Man and Sentry got the less pandering “Avenging Allies” name. Also, Scarlet Witch was married to the Vision for quite a while, so maiden isn’t even an accurate term. Scarlet Witch is a little over 6 inches tall and has 27 points of articulation. This is her second Legends figure. The first was released way back in the 11th series of ToyBiz’s run on the line, and it was notoriously bad even then! An update was long overdue, especially on such an important character. I can’t quite put my figure on exactly which of Wanda’s looks she’s based on here, but it’s definitely one of her more “classic” ones, and it sums up the character pretty well. The figure uses the Moonstone body as a starting point, with some pieces from the most recent version of Emma Frost. She features the high-heeled feet, as opposed to the flat-heeled feet seen on Captain Marvel. They’re well sculpted, but a super pain to get her to stand on with any stability. The figure’s new pieces are her head and cape. The head, while not perfect, is pretty darn good. It’s actually attractive, which is an improvement on the last Legends figure. The hair has some nice flow, and the head piece doesn’t look silly, which is always a triumph. The cape is well sculpted, but it’s too long to let her stand up properly and too short for her to use it for support. If you can get it just right, she can actually stand, but it’s tough. The paint work is overall pretty clean. They’ve chosen a red and pink which don’t clash, which is good. The face is cleaner than Captain Marvel, with no slop or bleed over, and the cape has a fairly nice wash to accent the folds and such. Scarlet Witch includes two translucent pink spell casting pieces, which are a little difficult to get on, but look pretty nice, as well as the head, cape, and staff of Odin, (one of) the series’ Build-A-Figure.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Scarlet Witch was part of the full set of this series that my Dad got for me. Machine Man may have been the figure I was most excited for, but Wanda wasn’t far behind. She’s one of my favorite Avengers, and the last figure was just the worst. Seriously, if you look up the worst in the dictionary, you’ll see a picture of that figure. Clearing the bar set by that figure wasn’t hard, but Hasbro went above and beyond with this figure and finally gave Scarlet Witch the figure she deserves!

*Want a Scarlet Witch figure of your own?  She’s currently in-stock with our sponsors over at All Time Toys!  Click here to check her out!

#0484: Captain Marvel

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

CAPTAIN MARVEL – MAIDENS OF MIGHT

MARVEL LEGENDS

So, Hasbro’s finally gotten around to releasing some of their merchandise for the upcoming summer-blockbuster Avengers: Age of Ultron, and it’s… not quite what I expected. So far, there are four possible scales to collect: 2 ½-inch, 3 ¾-inch, 6-inch, and 10-inch. Curiously absent from every line-up is the titular antagonist, Ultron, which is a bit of a bummer. The 6-inch line actually isn’t getting any proper movie figures until Series 2, meaning the first series is made up of comic-based figures who tie-in at least a little with the movie (although some ties are looser than others…), which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Still no Ultron, though…. Anyway, I’ll be taking a look at the line’s take on the current Captain Marvel. She’s not in the movie, but she’s been a recurring member of the Avengers since the 70s, so she’s run into Ultron once or twice.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Captain Marvel is part of the first series of the Avengers Marvel Legends Infinite Series. She’s listed under the name “Maidens of Might,” a title she shares with Scarlet Witch. I can’t say it’s the best name; in fact it kinda feels like it’s down playing both characters. Carol’s a colonel in the air force for God’s sake! “Maiden” seems just a tad below her, especially when the character only recently got away from being saddled with Ms. Marvel. Ultimately, it’s a minor issue, but still. The figure is about 6 inches tall and she features 27 points of articulation. This is Carol’s second Marvel Legends Infinite Series figure, and her third ML figure overall. However, it’s the first figure to depict Carol as Captain Marvel, the title she inherited a few years ago. From the neck down, Captain Marvel’s sculpt is a re-use of the Moonstone body. It’s one Hasbro’s best base body’s and it’s very nicely sculpted and pretty well proportioned (odd abdominal cut aside). It’s also the same body used for the three-pack Ms. Marvel, so it’s good for consistency’s sake. The figure features a new head and an add-on for her sash, which is different from the one on Ms. Marvel. The default head depicts Captain Marvel sans helmet with windswept hair. Windswept hair doesn’t always work, but with the shorter hair it actually looks okay. The paint on Captain Marvel is decent, if maybe not perfect. The biggest issue is the face. My figure has a chunk of her left eyebrow missing, and her eyes are a little wonky. Other than that, the line work is nice and clean, and the colors are pretty great matches for those in the comics. Captain Marvel includes an extra helmeted head, an energy blast attachment, and the head, cape, and axe of Future Thor.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Like Machine Man, Captain Marvel was purchased for me by my Dad, from Walmart of all places. I think Captain Marvel’s probably the figure I overlooked the most, and that’s too bad, because she’s a really good figure. The new costume is pretty great, and it’s awesome to see it get a figure.

#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!