Tag Archives: Hasbro

#3645: Ka-Zar & Zabu

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

KA-ZAR & ZABU

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

“In a lost world full of prehistoric dinosaurs, Ka-Zar performs heroics as Lord of the Jungle alongside the sabretooth Zabu”

The Ka-Zar most people think of (or at least the Ka-Zar people who think about Ka-Zar think about, I guess) is actually Marvel’s second character to use the title.  To be fair, the first one predate’s Marvel even being “Marvel” and was such a thinly veiled Tarzan knock-off that even Stan Lee admitted he’d never read any of the Golden Age Ka-Zar’s appearances prior to introducing the second one during the Silver Age.  Introduced by Lee and Kirby in X-Men #10, the Kevin Plunder Ka-Zar also brought with him a rather enduring piece of X-Men lore: the Savage Land!  Because who doesn’t love a good “why are there dinosaurs here?” story?  Ka-Zar the first has had *no* action figures, while Ka-Zar the second has had two of them, and now has a third.  And every time, he brings along his best pal Zabu!

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Ka-Zar is figure 3 in the Zabu Series of Marvel Legends, while Zabu is, unsurprisingly, the Build-A-Figure.  The assortment is a Fan Channel exclusive, which is becoming fairly common with Build-A-Figure sets these days.

When it comes to Ka-Zar designs, there are a few different variations, but generally they all land on the same basic idea: blonde guy in a loincloth.  This one sticks with the oft-seen “and also boots” variation, which is acceptable, and notably different from his two prior figure releases.  The figure stands just shy of 6 1/2 inches tall and he has 34 points of articulation.  His sculpt makes its start as the Vulcan base body, which is an okay start, apart from the slightly odd glove lines at the forearms.  He’s got a new head, upper torso, loincloth, and boots courtesy of sculptor Paul Harding (who, fun fact, also sculpted the prior Legends Ka-Zar).  The new pieces are all pretty solid.  The hair restricts the neck movement at bit, but other than that, I Iike them.  They capture a sort of Frazetta-esque vibe, which feels appropriate for the pulp-y origins of Ka-Zar, even if it’s not the pulp-y origins that belong to *this* Ka-Zar.  Kazar’s color work is pretty simple.  Lot of molded flesh tone, as expected.  There’s a bit more to the clothed parts of him, plus the usual face printing, which always does nice work for the sculpt.  He’s also got a bit of accenting on the hair, which keeps those particular sculpted details from getting lost.  Ka-Zar is packed with three sets of hands (in fists, gripping, and open gesture), a spear, and a knife (which can be stowed in his belt), as well as front right leg to….

Zabu!  Everybody’s gotta have a Zabu.  Well, Ka-Zar’s gotta have a Zabu.  I mean, I guess.  Does he really *have* Zabu, though?  Or are they just buddies?  Is one of them a mentor to the other?  It’s confusing.  You know, technically, Zabu has a near-human intelligence from when he was exposed to radioactive mists, and Ka-Zar, at least in earlier appearances, of a sub-average-human intelligence, so maybe they’re on a closer level than we realize.  Zabu has accompanied Ka-Zar to every figure release, but he tends to be somewhat hampered.  His first figure was really just a glorified, and the second was a re-deco of a Sigma 6 mold.  This one takes advantage of the Build-A-Figure budget to give him an all-new mold. It’s a solid one, which gets his general sizing and his look down. I mean, he’s a sabretooth, so it’s not like it’s an exceedingly unique look, I suppose, but it does it well. There’s some decent texture work for the fur, and they’ve managed to work it the articulation in such a way as to not totally break up the flow of the sculpt. Paint on this guy is minimal, which isn’t really a shock. What’s there certainly works, but I wouldn’t have minded maybe a little bit more accenting on the fur. That said, I know it’s tricky to get such things consistent across multiple BAF pieces, so maybe it’s best this way.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Ka-Zar and Zabu’s original figures are on the list of Toy Biz figures I’ve never owned. My dad has a set, which I suppose was good enough for me. The last Legends set was an SDCC exclusive, so that one was out too. I was…non-plussed about having to buy the whole wave to get Zabu this time, but I also didn’t really want *just* Ka-Zar.  So, I bit the bullet and bought the whole set just to build the Zabu, and then off-loaded the other figures I didn’t want.  It was actually less difficult than I thought it would be.  They’re a fun pair.  Some day I’ll get that Toy Biz set, and that’ll probably be my default set for the characters, but these two are certainly 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.

#3642: Wolfsbane

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

WOLFSBANE

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0121: This figure is the first time that Hasbro has released a Wolfsbane figure that actually has her name on the package.

Growing up, my absolute favorite episode of X-Men: The Animated Series was “Cold Comfort.”  It’s got a good script, some of the show’s best animation, and a fun delve into the history of the team.  Largely, it’s X-Factor’s presence at the end of the episode that really sells me on it, though.  Okay, largely it’s Havok’s presence at the end that sells me on it.  But, with Havok, there was a whole team, and I’ve grown somewhat attached to that specific team since.  We’ve been slowly piecing together the whole line-up of that team since 2018, and there’s been just one missing member, who I’m finally getting the chance to look at today.  Let’s take a look at Wolfsbane.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Wolfsbane is figure 2 in the Zabu Series of Marvel Legends, which is a Fan Channel and Amazon exclusive assortment.  It’s a real grab-bag assortment of characters, with Wolfsbane being the only explicitly X-Men-themed character in the set (though Ka-Zar and Zabu are somewhat X-related as well).  The figure stands about 6 1/4 inches tall and she has 29 points of articulation.  Wolfsbane is sporting an all-new sculpt, which I’ll admit is a little surprising.  Only a little, since I certainly expected a lot of new pieces, but the total lack of anything shared certainly caught me off guard.  I’d thought we might at least see some Tigra parts mixed in there.  Whatever the case, it’s a good one.  There’s a lot of really solid texture work, and it contrasts quite nicely with the clean lines of her uniform.  The head resembles the art of Todd Nauck, to my eyes, which is fair, since it’s his work that’s on the box as well.  The color work is cleanly handled, with the best of the paint being on the uniform.  The fur largely relies on molded coloring, which looses a little of the detailing.  They do go for a touch of accenting, but it’s not a *ton* and it winds up sticking out a bit.  Wolfsbane is packed with two sets of hands (fists and clawed), as well as the body to the Zabu Build-A-Figure.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

Honestly, I kept forgetting that we still needed Wolfsbane.  It’s not that I didn’t want her, but, well, I had the four I really wanted, so I sort of checked out a bit.  But, with her announcement, I remembered, and here I am, completing the team.  She’s kind of a quiet send-off to the team.  She’s fairly well put together, and a solid figure start to finish.  I can’t say she thrills me, but I can’t say she’s bad either.

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.

#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.

#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.

#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.

#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.

#3630: ARC Trooper Commander

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

ARC TROOPER COMMADER

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (HASBRO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0109: This is the third time I’ve reviewed a Captain Fordo that doesn’t bear the name “Captain Fordo.”

No, you’re not losing your mind, my review numbers really did jump by 300.  Apparently, I jumped *back* 300 in July of last year.  And none of you even told me.  For shame.  Well, I’m fixing it now.

You know, it’s been almost exactly a year since I’ve talked about the tie-in line for the 3D Clone Wars show.  That feels like a while, especially since it’s one of my top 2 Star Wars lines.  So, I’m taking a look at another one of those.  But, in an amusing turn of events, it’s a character that’s not even from the 3D show.  Weird, right?  Also, the last figure I looked at of this character was live-action styled, so, you know, there’s some fun coverage there, I guess.  So, without further ado, here’s another Captain Fordo!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Captain Fordo, who was dubbed “ARC Trooper Commander” on the box, was released in 2010 as part of the “Arc Troopers” Battle Pack from Hasbro’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars tie-in line.  The figure stands 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 24 points of articulation.  For the most part, Fordo is making use of parts from the line’s first version of Captain Rex.  He’s got a modified kama, which has slightly larger holsters, as well as a new shoulder pauldron with pouches on the front.  He’s also using a solid helmet, rather than the removable one from Rex.  He’s got a rangefinder, which is articulated.  Topping it all off, there’s also a removable wrist piece, which further changes up the look.  The core figure was a solid sculpt to begin with, and the new parts work well in conjunction with it.  The end result is a sensible upgrade of Fordo’s look to the 3D stylings.  Fordo’s paint work is pretty solid.  They’d moved away from doing the dirtied up white sections, which works better for Fordo’s 2D show origins.  They gave the markings on the armor a little bit more wear, however, which aids with his adapting to the new look.  Captain Fordo is packed with two modified blaster pistols, a rifle, and a display stand.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I love Fordo as a character, but getting figures of him can be pretty tricky.  This one in particular is a really rough one, since he’s not officially named, and just sort of thrown in with a random selection of other unnamed figures.  I wasn’t up on the line quite so much at the time, so I didn’t even know about his existence until well after he’d shot up in price on the aftermarket.  However, in the midst of me having a very bad year in 2021, one got traded into All Time, and I decided that was my time to jump on him.  He’s been waiting to be reviewed since then.  He’s not a perfect figure, but he’s another fun version of Fordo, and I’ll never knock 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.

#3629: Power Princess

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

POWER PRINCESS

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0108: For her appearance in the Marvel Super Hero Squad show, Power Princess was voiced by Susan Eisenberg, the voice of Wonder Woman in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.

You know, I didn’t expect to be doing this much talking about the Squadron Supreme here on the site. Their very nature as a spoof of the Justice League makes it seem trickier to merchandise. But, hey, it seems the tide has turned, and now the Not-Superman, Not-Green Lantern, Not-Batman, and Not-Flash are joined by a Not-Wonder Woman. For clarity’s sake, it’s worth noting that Power Princess is a later addition to the team, with only the prior four being present for the first appearances of both the Squadrons Sinister and Supreme. She was added to the Squadron Supreme about a decade after their creation, presumably to, you know, be their Wonder Woman equivalent. And here she is, getting an action figure and everything. Okay, well, she already got a Minimate previously, but now there’s a Marvel Legend!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Power Princess is figure 1 in the Void Series of Marvel Legends. She was actually the first figure shown off, in order to confirm that Hasbro was intending to complete the Squadron line-up they started with the two-packs. The figure stands about 6 1/2 inches tall and she has 29 points of articulation. Power Princess, like the two packs, is in her most recent “Heroes Reborn” get-up. She’s had a lot of different looks over the years, and this one takes in a decidedly very Wonder Woman inspired direction, making her look quite different, and somewhat setting her apart from the others on the team. She gets an all new sculpt, which is honestly a quite impressive one. Again, the assignment seems to have been “make a good Wonder Woman” and then it was dialed back the slightest bit. The proportions are a good match for someone who’s slightly more built, and she’s generally got a nice flow to her. Everything just seems to mesh together so nicely. Her color work is decently handled, if perhaps not the most exciting set-up. Since her comic design is really just Wonder Woman with all her coloring switched to gold and black, and that’s what we get here. Application is clean, and I do like the look of the off-black they used. Power Princess is packed with two sets of hands, a sword, a shield, and the legs of the Void Build-A-Figure.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

As I stated when I reviewed the last Squadron set, I didn’t initially expect to go past the first two-pack, but the prospect of finishing one version of the team was honestly pretty exciting. It helps that this figure looked really good. She’s delivers pretty well in that front, and she’s the best Wonder Woman figure out there, even as a not Wonder Woman.

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.

#3628: Soundwave

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

SOUNDWAVE

TRANSFORMERS PRIME BEAST HUNTERS: CYBERVERSE (HASBRO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0107: There are five Prime Soundwave figures: three by Hasbro and two by Takara.  I own all three of the Hasbro ones.

You know what?  I’m feeling a little Transformers today.  Good thing I have this little Transformer on hand!  ….Get it?  Do you get it?  It’s funny!  Cuz the…okay, I’ll drop it.  I do feel like reviewing a Transformer, though, and when I want to pull and TF review out of the ether, it’s a solid bet it’s gonna be either Ultra Mangnus or Soundwave.  This one’s gonna be the latter, and from Transformers: Prime to boot!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Soundwave is part of the second wave of the third Legion Class Series of the Prime Beast Hunters: Cyberverse line.  Legion Class served as a smaller scale line for Prime, akin to the modern Core Class set-up.  In robot mode, the figure stands about 3 inches tall and he has 12 workable points of articulation.  He’s using his design from the show, which is honestly one of the coolest from the show, and one of Soundwave’s best.  While the translation here isn’t quite as cleanly done as the Deluxe Class version of the character, relying on a more rudimentary version of things, it still works very well, especially for the scale.  He’s got the proper angles and details visible, and even his vehicle mode kibble is pretty well-matched.  For me, the only real downside to the mold is the head being fused to the shoulders, but even that’s minor, given it was typical for the scale at the time.  His color scheme hits a lot of the same marks as his larger counterpart, at least in tone, but some of the exact details are moved around a bit.  Soundwave’s shading on the show is such that both schemes work closely enough to read as accurate.  The main thing missing from this one is the purple highlights.  Soundwave included a “Sonic Saw”, which is a bladed rifle thing which actually saw quite a bit of use in this particular line.  It doesn’t feel super Soundwave-y to me personally.  Like all the Prime Soundwaves, this one’s alt-mode is a spydrone.  It’s a pretty basic transformation, but one that works well, and the end result is a pretty nifty little drone.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

Prime Soundwaves are honestly the perfect spies, because they just keep sneaking up on me.  The Beast Hunters one was notably my first modern TF purchase, in a time when I wasn’t into them in the slightest, and the standard version was a surprise gift from Max a few years back.  This one?  Well, Max and I were busy figuring out which one of us was getting a different figure from a collection that came into All Time, and this one was just there and I was like, wait, that’s a Soundwave I don’t have.  And then I had him.  Cool, right?

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.

#3627: Vision

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

VISION

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0106: Before creating the synthezoid version of The Vision with John Buscema, Roy Thomas originally intended to bring back the Golden Age Vision, Aarkus, to join the Avengers.

Back during the site’s first month, I reviewed the original Toy Biz Marvel Legends Vision (well, both of them, actually, since I also had the variant).  I actually realize I talked very little about how I acquired the figures.  ToyBiz Legends were very hard to find, and Series 7 and its one-per-cased Vision and Hawkeye figures were some of the worst at the time.  I never saw them at retail, and it was only a few years later, with the help of the then relatively new local toy store All Time Toys, that I was able to get them.  Unfortunately, Vision got left in a motel room shortly after I got him, so my dad got me the phasing variant as a replacement, and then I later got a proper replacement for the original, once again from All Time Toys.  Through all of the updates, the original Vision has been my favorite, but I’ve been looking for a good, solid replacement.  The first Retro carded one was decent, but not quite on mark.  How about another go?

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Vision is Figure 4 in the Void Series of Marvel Legends.  He’s a proper classic Vision, which makes fourth appearance in Legends here, and its third under Hasbro.  The figure stands 6 1/2 inches tall and he has 34 points of articulation.  Vision is built on the Vulcan body.  The Vulcan is serving as the replacement for the Bucky Cap, and all but one of the “modern” comic Visions was on the Bucky Cap, so the move makes a degree of sense.  Vulcan’s a little bigger than the Bucky Cap, which, for me, actually makes it work a bit better for Vision than the Bucky Cap did, and certainly better than the 2099 did for the first Retro card version.  The last couple of Visions have all used the same head sculpt as the Hulkbuster Series Vision.  That was passable, but not the strongest, and I felt it never lived up to the strengths of the Toy Biz version.  This release gets a new head sculpt, courtesy of Paul Harding, which is based on Harding’s “Marvel in the 70s” series of sculptures.  It’s a very strong one, and I feel a worthy successor to the Toy Biz sculpt.  It’s certainly my favorite of the Hasbro Legends Vision sculpts.  He also gets a new cape piece.  This one, I’m not sure I like as much as the Retro card version, but it’s not bad.  I think it’s just the upward flow at the ends of the shoulders that’s bugging me; it makes it seem like the cape is meant for a bigger figure, and just stuck on this one.  The Retro Vision’s color scheme went metallic, at least for the green.  This figure takes him back to all flat colors, and I think it works.  It’s quite striking.  The base application is generally clean; the boot and glove tops are a little odd, but not awful.  I particularly like the darker accenting on the face, which really brings out the details in the face sculpt.  Vision is packed with two sets of hands: fists and open gesture.  After too many Visions stuck with only fists, I’m glad he’s got the option in place.  He’s also got the head to the Void Build-A-Figure.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I was content with the Retro Vision when he was first released, but there were definitely some flaws that, over time, overtook the things that worked about the figure in my mind.  So, I’ve been hoping we might see a revisit for a little bit.  I was definitely happy to see this one shown off, and very glad to finally get him in hand.  I feel like I finally have a successor to the Toy Biz figure, and that’s a mighty fine thing.

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.