Tag Archives: Hasbro

#0334: Kashyyyk Trooper

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

KASHYYYK TROOPER

STAR WARS 30th ANNIVERSARY

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The Star Wars prequels are kinda bad. They make me sad, and that’s just not right. Every time I watch them, I like them even less than before. They are the perfect antithesis of the original trilogy in that respect. Still, there were a few interesting ideas, and above all, there were some genuinely good designs. Yesterday, I took a look at Clone Commander Gree, one of my favorite designs from the prequels. Today, I’ll be taking a look at the Kashyyyk Trooper, one of the clones under his command.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

KashyykTrooperWilsonLike Gree, the Kashyyyk Trooper was realesed in the 2008 series of the Star Wars 30th Anniversary Collection. The figure is 3 ¾ inches in height and features 23 points of articulation. The Kashyyyk Trooper is based on one of the handful of trooper designs seen amongst the Kashyyyk forces in Revenge of the Sith. The design takes a lot of its cues from the Scout Trooper design, but the figure actually features a mostly new sculpt. The only re-used piece is the figure’s head, which previously was used on a Scout Trooper, but even that has a new faceplate. The rest of the sculpt is new, and it’s all pretty well done. The proportions are pretty good, though the hands do seem a little oversized. There are minor differences between the Scout Trooper and the Kashyyyk Trooper, and it’s really nice to see Hasbro go the extra mile to include these differences instead of just resorting to a basic repaint. The flip up face plate is pretty cool looking. It flips down easily, and stays in place the right way and it doesn’t look to bulky. The underlying face is fairly generic, but that’s alright for a clone, I suppose. The paint work on the Trooper is pretty good. Not as impressive as Gree’s, but pretty decently detailed. There’s no real issues with slop or bleed over, so that’s good. The figure includes a large blaster rifle and a display stand with the figure’s name and the title of the movie on it.

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THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This is a figure that I didn’t really jump on when it was first released. At the time, I was kind of getting out of Star Wars figures, and I certainly wasn’t going to be getting prequel figures. However, when my local comicbook store, Cosmic Comix, marked all of their Star Wars figures down to $3.99, the price was right. It’s a pretty cool figure, with a pretty cool design. I love the Scout Trooper, so you can’t really go wrong with throwing some green in there.

#0333: Commander Gree

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

COMMANDER GREE

STAR WARS 30th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTIONCommanderGree1

Generally speaking, I don’t like the Star Wars prequels. I remember enjoying them overall when they were released, but as time has gone on, I like them less and less. That being said, there are a few things I did like from those movies. One of the biggest things was the Clone Troopers, who were just all kinds of cool. In Revenge of the Sith, we were introduced to several named clones who served as commanders of certain forces, and featured their own unique looks. My personal favorite was always Commander Gree, the clone in charge of the forces on Kashyyyk.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

CommanderGreeWilsonGree was released in the 2008 series of the Star Wars 30th Anniversary Collection. The figure stands 3 ¾ inches tall and features 26 points of articulation. Gree is based on the character’s appearance in Revenge of the Sith. He makes use of the pieces from several of the previous Clone Troopers, with the addition of a new torso featuring Gree’s “suspenders.” All of the pieces are pretty accurate to the movie, which is pretty cool. The figure features a removable helmet, which is quite nicely scaled. Surprisingly enough, the underlying head isn’t undersized to ensure this, and it even has more than a passing resemblance to actor Temuera Morrison, which is much better than the last two clones I reviewed. The paintwork is the most important part of any Commander Gree figure, and the paint here is spectacularly done. There’s a tone of texture and detail on pretty much every piece of the figure and he features no noticeable slop or bleed over. Gree includes a short blaster rifle, a pair of binoculars, a backpack with an antenna, and a display stand featuring his name and the movie he appeared in.

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THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Gree is a figure I passed on a few times when he was released. I already had the earlier version from the Revenge of the Sith line, and I figured that was probably good enough. Recently, my local comicbook store, Cosmic Comix, had a sale and marked all their Star Wars figures down to $3.99. For that price, I was willing to go for it. I’m glad I did because this version of Gree is a definite step up from the previous one.

#0322: Biker Scout

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

BIKER SCOUT

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES

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To make matters of confusion worse in regards to the two separate scales for Hasbro’s Star Wars: The Black Series, I’ve opted to go through with reviewing the lone figure that I own in both scales. The key difference here is that this time around, it’s an Original Trilogy character. But, wait, wasn’t I sticking to the larger scale for OT characters? Quiet you! Today’s figure is the Star Wars equivalent of George of the Jungle, the Biker Scout. Watch out for that tree!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

BikerScoutSmallWilsonThe Biker Scout was released as figure #07 in the first assortment of the 3 ¾ inch scale Star Wars: The Black Series. Like the Clone Sergeant and the Clone Pilot before him, this isn’t any particular character, but rather one of the basic Scout Troopers, seen in Return of the Jedi. The Biker Scout is roughly 3 ¾ inches tall and has 25 points of articulation. At first glance, I thought this figure might just be a straight rerelease of the Saga Legends version of this design, but it looks like Hasbro’s given this one a pretty thorough re-work. The articulation isn’t quite there just yet, but Hasbro’s definitely making some serious strides. The Biker Scout’s sculpt appears to be all-new [EDIT: A little bit of looking around shows that this figure is the same sculpt as the Biker Scout included with the 2012 Toys R Us exclusive Speeder Bike. Since I don’t have that set, this sculpt is still new to me]. There are quite a few similarities to previous versions, but that’s to be expected. On its own, it’s not a bad sculpt, and does a pretty decent job capturing the various elements of the design. The only real negative of the figure is the helmet. The Goggles seem to be too small in relation to the helmet, and the helmet itself seems too small in relation to the rest of the body, which makes the figure look like a bit of a pin-head. The paint work on the Biker Scout is mostly straight forward, but there are a few issues. There are a few areas with some small scrapes and smudges, as well as a decent bit of bleed over on the elbow and knee pads. Also, the shoulder and ankle joints have been molded in black plastic, which makes them stand out unnecessarily. Had they been molded in white plastic, this could have been avoided. Lastly, the pouches on his mid-section, while cleanly painted, have been painted a solid tan, which seems like just a bit too much of a contrast from the surrounding areas. The Biker Scout is armed with a small blaster pistol.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The Biker Scout was gotten at the same time as the Clone Pilot and the Clone Sergeant. As I mentioned in my review of his larger scaled counterpart, the Biker Scout is my favorite Trooper design from Star Wars. That being said, I think this figure would have been better served had I gotten it before the 6-inch version. It’s not a bad figure on its own, but it pales in comparison to the truly impressive Biker Scout from the larger line. The point is, this is a good figure. It’s probably the best version of the Biker Scout in the 3 ¾ inch scale. If you prefer that scale, than this is the figure for you!

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#0321: Clone Pilot

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

CLONE PILOT

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES

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Sure, having two different scales of Star Wars: The Black Series operating under the same name is a bit confusing, but you have to admit they both have their merits. While I still prefer the larger scale figures for the Original Trilogy characters, I don’t mind picking up the few Prequel figures here and there at the smaller scale, and by extension, the smaller price point. In particular, I’m a decent fan of the Clone Troopers, which has led me to pick up a few of the line’s offerings on that front. Today, I’ll be looking at the Clone Pilot.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

ClonePilotWilsonThe Clone Pilot is figure #08 in the first assortment of 3 ¾ inch-scale Star Wars: The Black Series. The figure is based on the “phase I” version of the pilot, initially seen in Attack of the Clones. The Clone Pilot is 3 ¾ inches in height and features 26 points of articulation. From a sculpt standpoint, the Clone Pilot is the exact same figure as the Clone Sergeant in all areas but the helmet. Aside from the un-helmeted head being a bit on the small side, it’s a really well sculpted figure and it captures the basic clone look quite nicely. Hasbro obviously wants to get their mileage out of this new clone mold and I can’t blame them. The figure’s new helmet is in keeping with the quality of the rest of the figure. It’s got nice, crisp detail lines, and all the proportions and such look right on the mark. The paintwork on the Clone Pilot isn’t quite as nice as that on the Sergeant. For starters, there’s no accent work on the body, which is less interesting. It’s true to the design, but it’s a bit bland. The figure also has some odd red staining on his left shoulder and right knee, which is distracting. The skin tone on the face is also a lot paler and makes him look lifeless. That being said, the rest of the paintwork is nice and clean, and this figure doesn’t have the same eye issues as the Sergeant. The Clone Pilot’s only accessory is a small blaster rifle, which is a bit disappointing after seeing the two rifles with the Sergeant.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I got the Clone Pilot at the same time I purchased the Clone Sergeant. It’s not as good a figure as the Sergeant, but it’s still a pretty great figure in its own right. I’m glad to see Hasbro making strides to improve the smaller scale Star Wars line. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more clones appearing on the new base body as well. All in all, not a bad figure!

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#0320: Clone Sergeant

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

CLONE SERGEANT

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES

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So, remember how Star Wars: The Black Series was supposed to be a deluxe 6-inch line of figures, sort of as Hasbro’s big move to please the fans? Yeah, well apparently, that was just a little too un-Hasbro of them. It was a move that wasn’t confusing at all, and that didn’t work. So, to make up for this, they decided to simultaneously release a 3 ¾ inch line under the exact same name, to the detriment of fans and ill-informed retail workers everywhere. On the plus side, the line does promise a more diverse line-up than the larger scale figures, as well as some improvements over the previous 3 ¾ inch figures. Today, I’ll be taking a look at the line’s version of the Clone Sergeant, who interestingly enough was just announced for the 6-inch line as well. Prepare for the confusion everybody!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

CloneSergeantWilsonThe Clone Sergeant is part of the first assortment of the 3 ¾ inch scale Star Wars: The Black Series. The figure is just a basic Clone Sergeant, not any character in particular, and the figure is in the clone’s original “Phase I” armor. If I recall correctly, the Sergeant rank is not seen in Attack of Clones, so this is officially a Clone wars figure. The Sergeant is about 3 ¾ inches in height and features 26 points of articulation. While the articulation is still a little bit stilted in a few areas, the level present in these new figures is incredibly impressive. Hasbro’s done quite a few Clone Troopers over the years, with lots of shared parts between them, but I think that the newly engineered articulation means this figure sports an all-new sculpt. The details of the sculpt are nice and sharp, and the figure’s proportions look pretty good. The helmet is removable. The helmet is properly scaled, but in order to make it fit properly, the head had to be a tad under-scaled. The underlying head also bears little resemblance to actor Temuera Morrison, which is too bad. However, I can’t see many people leaving the helmet off, so it’s not much of a loss. The paint work is basic, but also key in differentiating the Sergeant from the other Clones. The Sergeant has an olive green accent on his armor, which looks really great, and definitely makes the figure stand out. The paintwork is all nice and cleanly applied. The unmasked head has some slightly odd eyes, but they aren’t horrible for the scale. The Sergeant includes both long and short blaster rifles, which allows you to add just a touch of customization.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The Clone Sergeant was purchased at a Walmart, nearby my girlfriend’s college campus. I don’t usually shop at Walmart, but she needed to get a few things and I went with her. Me being me, I took a look in the action figure aisle, where I found this guy and a few other SW:TBS figures. I hadn’t initially planned on getting any of them, but Super Awesome Girlfriend is a terrible influence on me (okay, not really. She’s just incredibly supportive!) So, I ended up getting a few figures from the line. I really like the Sergeant, mostly due to the green accents, which are just really cool!

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#0311: Marvel’s Cyclops

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

MARVEL’S CYCLOPS

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

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Ever since I first got into the marvelous mutants of the X-Men, I’ve been a pretty big fan of Cyclops. Well, the idea of Cyclops, I suppose. His powers are cool, and he’s been graced with some of the cooler costume designs in comics. In the 90s, every X-Man got a figure, and Cyclops even got several. They were of varying quality, but I had just about all of them, and I loved them all. When Marvel figures moved to the 6-inch scale with Marvel Legends, I patiently awaited that awesome figure that would live up to my expectations of good ol’ one-eye. Sadly, while Toybiz did eventually produce a Cyclops, it was far from what I’d hoped. Cyclops made a few more appearances in the Marvel Legends style, but none of them did much for me. I recently picked up my first Cyclops figure in what feels like forever, courtesy of Hasbro’s Marvel Legends Infinite Series.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

CyclopsNowWilsonThis version of Cyclops was released in the recent X-Men themed series of Marvel Legends Infinite Series. The series is done to loosely tie-in with Days of Future Past, and it is exclusive to Toys R Us. Cyclops stands a little over 6 inches tall and features 32 points of articulation. He’s based on the character’s “Marvel Now!” look. Well, one of them anyway. There are currently two versions of Scott Summers running around the Marvel universe. This one’s the older one. He’s all surly. According to the back of the box, Scott has lost control of his powers. Well, more so than before, I guess. What that means design-wise is that instead of the traditional visor we’ve all grown accustomed to, Scott now has a big red “X” on his face. Yay comics! Cyclops is built on Hasbro’s new standard male buck, used on figures such as Boomerang and Zemo. It’s a pretty decent, medium-build type body that works for a lot of characters, so that’s cool. Scott also has a pair of fists stolen from the recent Nova figure, as well as an all-new head sculpt and belt add-on. The head is actually a very nice sculpt. The X-visor has been etched in place, and Scott’s been given a facial expression that befits his older, surlier self. The belt is a basic belt with pouches, but it’s well sculpted, so that’s cool. It’s generic enough that I could see Hasbro putting it to use elsewhere. The rest of Scott’s details are handled via paint. The figure is CyclopsNow2molded in black, with red, orange, and flesh-tone paint providing the various details. The paint is fairly cleanly applied, but it’s not perfect. The red lines on his costume are pretty good, but his visor’s a bit of a mess. It seems like the paint didn’t want to stay in the lines. In addition, the “x” on Scott’s belt is off center, once again failing to follow the sculpted line work. Still, this isn’t as bad as some Hasbro efforts, and the figure does end up looking better as a whole. Cyclops’s only accessory is the arm to this Series’ Build-A-Figure, Jubilee. I don’t know why, but for some reason this BaF figure piece seems more morbid tan previous ones.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

In all honesty, I was not a fan of this Cyclops design when it was first revealed. But, as other artists (read: NOT Joe Quesada) started to draw it, I actually kind of warmed up to it a bit. It’s one of those rare modern costumes that doesn’t suffer from being too over-designed. So, when this series of Marvel Legends was announced, I was a little bit interested in the figure, but I wasn’t 100% sold.

The other day, I had a rough day at work, and decided to stop by my local TRU, just to see what they had. I found the remnants of a case of this series. All that was left were two Wolverines and this guy. In person, I was even more impressed with the costume’s design, and so I decided, what the heck, I’ll go for it. To be honest, he’s probably the best Marvel Legends version of Scott produced. Also, now I kinda want to finish Jubilee, but that means I’ll have to buy a Stryfe figure. I’m not sure I’m ready for that…

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#0308: Star-Lord & Ronan

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

STAR-LORD & RONAN

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

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Okay, just one more Guardians of the Galaxy review you guys. Well, until the Minimates are released. And there’s rumors of a second series of the two lines Hasbro’s got. Okay, so one more for the time being. Anyway, the 2 ½ inch line from Hasbro has been an unexpected treat, I must say. I didn’t have super high expectations, but I was drawn in by the broader character selection. While the main Guardians may not be the most exciting figures, the line is really investing in those side characters! Today, I’ll be looking at Star-Lord and Ronan, the movie’s main hero and main antagonist, respectively.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

This duo was part of the first, and currently the only, series of the 2 ½ inch Guardians of the Galaxy line. It’s currently the only way to get Ronan in non-Minimate form.

STAR-LORD

StarLord&RonanWilson1Wait a second, didn’t I just review this guy yesterday? Oh, a different version, you say? Yep, this is the long coated version of Star-Lord, which is the version that’s been seeing all the marketing. Surprisingly, it’s only in the first few minutes of the movie, which means it doesn’t actually fit with the rest of the characters (except for Korath). Still, it’s the look everyone’s associating with the character. The figure stands right at 2 ½ inches tall and features 5 points of articulation. The figure shares his arms and legs with the previous version of Star-Lord, which isn’t really that surprising. He gets a new torso, with his backpack sculpted on, plus a helmeted head, and an add-on piece to represent the bottom of his coat. These pieces all look pretty great, and seem accurate to the movie design. The helmeted head is definitely a step up from the unmasked one of the previous Star-Lord. Fortunately, the figures pop apart at each joint, so swapping the heads is no issue, should you so desire. The paint work on Star-Lord is a real improvement too. He’s got a fair number of details, and I’d say the paint on this mask is cleaner than the 6-inch version.

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RONAN

StarLord&RonanWilson2Ronan seemed like a pretty big omission from the 6-inch line, but he did find his way into this line. He’s right at the 2 ½ inch mark and he has, wait for it, 5 points of articulation. How about that? Ronan only had the one look (other than at the beginning when he was naked, but I don’t see that going onto a Target shelf…), so that’s the look they went with. He’s got an all new sculpt, and it’s a pretty good one. He has some nice heft to him, which fits the character, and his armor is all nice and detailed. The head is pretty good. It doesn’t scream Lee Pace, but it’s not bad given the scale. He’s got a few add-on pieces for his skirt-piece and his “cape”, both of which do their job nicely. The paint work on Ronan is actually quite detailed and it’s mostly free of any instance of bleed over or slop. He’s even got the properly painted hands that Gamora was so sadly lacking!

Like every other set in the line, this set comes packed with an accessory tree, and a missile launcher. The launcher is shaped like the big gun used by Star-Lord and Drax, so that’s cool. On the tree, is a hammer for Ronan, and some sort of blade for Star-Lord, as well as a missile, and something I can’t quite identify.

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THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This was the third of the three sets of Guardians figures that were bought for me by Super Awesome Girlfriend. This is definitely the best of the three sets, though I don’t know if it quite tops Groot, Rocket & the Nova guy as my favorite set. This is definitely one of the most essential sets in the line, so I wouldn’t recommend passing it up. All in all, this line is pretty darn great. I don’t have all the figures yet (still need that Sakaar Trooper) but I love the set I have. I really hope Hasbro makes a few more of these, as I’d love to get Yondu, Nebula, and the Collector to round them out!

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#0307: Star-Lord & Gamora

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

STAR-LORD & GAMORA

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

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You know what was awesome? Guardians of the Galaxy. You know what’s even better? There are tons of toys based on the movie. I am in toy bliss, I kid you not. I was a pretty big fan of the 6-inch figures and I’m liking what I’ve seen so far of the Minimates. What caught me off guard was how much I’m enjoying Hasbro’s 2 ½ inch line. I’ll be looking at another of those sets today, with Star-Lord and Gamora. This set is the first set not to offer someone unavailable in the 6-inch line, although this is the only way to get this particular version of Star-Lord.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Star-Lord and Gamora are part of the first, and so far only, series of 2 ½ inch Guardians of the Galaxy figures from Hasbro. As the two most prominent characters in the movie, they share a fair bit of screen time, so I suppose this makes sense. Still, I feel like it might have been better served to spilt the two to allow for less popular characters to be paired with them, but what do I know?

STAR-LORD

Gamora&StarLordWilson2Star-Lord clocks in right at 2 ½ inches tall and features 5 points of articulation. The figure is based on Quill’s look from the majority of the film: short coat and no mask. He features a mostly unique sculpt. A few pieces are shared between this figure and the other version of the character in the line, but I’m looking at this one first, so he gets the credit of using them first! The sculpt is pretty decent. Not quite as detailed as some of the sculpts we’ve seen in the line, but I’d say it’s better than Drax. The resemblance to Chris Pratt is passing at best, but it’s no worse than the 6-inch version.  The body is better than the head. It’s got a nice assortment of details, and everything looks pretty spot on to his movie appearance. Star-Lord is molded in three separate colors: dark gray for his lower half, a maroon for his upper half, and flesh-tone for his head and neck. He’s got paint for his hands, shirt, and the details on his head. It’s okay, though not spectacular. The paint for his hair doesn’t quite cover all of the sculpted hair, so he’s got a bit of a receding hairline going on. Everything else is pretty straight forward.

GAMORA

Gamora&StarLordWilsonGamora is a little on the smaller side, coming in a little under 2 ½ inches. She features the standard 5 points of articulation for the line. The figure takes it’s look from Gamora’s design from the first half or so of the movie. It’s the design that all of the merchandise has, so it’s not a surprise to see it here. She gets an all new sculpt. It’s pretty good. I’d say she has one of the better likenesses in the line. The proportions aren’t too bad, aside from those giant man-hands, which is pretty decent at this scale. Unfortunately, the figure is virtually impossible to stand. This is the second figure of this character which features this as a defining trait. Is Hasbro trying to send us a message about Gamora? The paint on Gamora is okay, but nothing outstanding. She’s mostly molded in a dark blue plastic. They’ve applied paint for her skin, hair and boots. The skin is a bit thick and gloppy, and has a few areas of bleed over. Also, they’ve missed painting her fingers, which leaves her hands fully gloved. Also, most of her uniform has been left the blue color of the plastic. Not only is this wrong for the design, it’s also rather boring. On the plus side, they’ve actually done a pretty great job translating her multicolored hair, so it’s not all bad.

Just like the last two sets from this line, these two are packed with a selection of accessories on a “tree.” They’re a bit more descript this time, at least. Star-Lord gets one of his Element Blasters and Gamora gets her sword. In addition there’s a larger gun, a jet-pack looking thing, and a spring-loaded missile launcher for the two to share.

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THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This set was another set purchased for me by Super Awesome Girlfriend. I think I like this set more in theory than in actuality. I’m glad to have Gamora, as she’s an essential part of the team, and it’s cool that somebody gave us Quill in the shorter coat that he spends the majority of the movie wearing. That being said, this two pack is probably the weakest set in the first series line-up. Still, it’s a pretty essential set, and the figures aren’t bad. If you want the rest of the figures, there’s no reason to skip this one.

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#0306: Drax & Korath

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

DRAX & KORATH

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

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I sure hope you guys liked Guardians of the Galaxy, because the GOTG reviews are just beginning! The cool thing about the merchandise for the movie is that there’s several different options scale and style-wise. Hasbro has two main scales: 6 inch and 2 ½ inch. I’ve already taken a look at all the figures in the 6 inch line, so I’ve moved on to the 2 ½ inch. I already looked at Groot, Rocket, and a Nova Corps Officer, all of which I quite enjoyed. Now I’ll be looking at Drax and Korath. Let’s see if they live up to the first set.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES
These two were part of the first, and right now only, series of Hasbro’s 2 ½ inch Guardians of the Galaxy line. The two don’t have a whole lot of interaction in the movie, but they had that one fight scene, so it’s not a bad pairing.

DRAX

Drax&KorathWilson1This marks the fourth time I’ve reviewed a Drax figure on this site. I don’t think I saw that coming. Drax clocks in at just over 2 ½ inches in height and features 5 points of articulation. Drax’s sculpt isn’t bad, though it’s not quite as good as Groot or the Nova Officer. The details are a lot simpler. For instance, the tattoos are completely painted on this figure. It’s understandable at this scale, but it does make him a bit more generic looking. The legs provide a bit more detailing, which is nice. Curiously, he has a knife sheath on his right leg, but not his left. He has a sheath on both legs in the movie, so it’s odd to see only one present. Drax’s top half is molded in a pale green, and his bottom half is molded in a maroon, with a few paint apps to fill in the missing colors. There seems to be an inconsistency with the shade of Drax’s skin. On the Minimate it seemed to dark, and here it seems too gray. The painted details all seem pretty good. The tattoos are nice and clean, and there doesn’t seem to be any slop or bleed over.

KORATH

Drax&KorathWilson2Poor Korath. He’s a fairly important character, and this is his only action figure throughout all of the Guardians lines. I suppose that’s bound to happen with a cast as large as GOTG’s. He made out better than the Collector or any of the named Nova’s, so he’s got that going for him. Korath is almost 2 ½ inches exact in height, and he features the standard 5 points of articulation. Where Drax has a simple sculpt, Korath’s is a great deal more detailed. All of his armor is properly decorated, and the rest of his uniform has some pretty great texturing too. Korath is molded in three differently colored plastics: flesh tone for his head, silver for the torso and arms, and a dark gray for the legs. The rest of the coloring is painted, and the paint apps seem to be pretty decent. He’s got no real slop or bleed over, nor obviously missing details like the Nova Corps Officer.

Like the previous set, these two included a selection of random accessories. There looks to be a blade, an axe, and the obligatory missile launcher. I think the blade goes with Drax, but other than that I don’t have a clue. At least I could make out what most of them were this time!

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THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

After getting Groot, Rocket & the Nova guy, I was definitely interested in getting more of this line. While walking through Target with Super Awesome Girlfriend, I came across most of the remaining sets from the line. However, we walked down the next aisle, and I discovered the Star Wars: The Black Series Speeder Bike (Check out the review here). I only had money for one or the other, so I went to put the Guardians figures back. Living up to her name, yet again, Super Awesome Girlfriend informed me that I wouldn’t be putting them back, because she would buy them for me. Yay!

Drax is kinda meh, but I actually really like how Korath turned out. Like the Nova Corps Officer, he’s surprisingly detailed, and makes up for the lack of the character in the 6-inch line. Hasbro really pulled in their A-game on the secondary characters, and it’s what makes this smaller line really work!

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#0302: Ant-Man

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

ANT-MAN

AVENGERS INFINITE

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Avengers Infinite, which serves as Hasbro’s replacement for Marvel Universe, certainly has an interesting character selection. When it was first announced by Hasbro that MU was going to be rebranded with the Avengers name to make it more marketable, a lot of fans were worried that this would mean other areas of the Marvel universe would be left out. Given that, of the figures I’ve reviewed recently, there’s been one actual Avengers member (and a more recent one at that) and two characters not really related to the Avengers at all (not to mention the assortment also including Cyclops, who at this point is like the only X-Man NOT to be a member of the Avengers), I think it’s safe to say the “Avengers” section of the title is mostly a formality. Still, Hasbro is doing their best to keep the Avengers mainstays coming, as evidenced by today’s figure of founding Avenger Ant-Man.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

AntManWilsonAnt-Man is part of the third series of Avengers Infinite, which is just now starting to hit stores. Ant-Man was long rumored to be part of a two-pack in Marvel Universe before the line’s cancellation, but he never saw release. You guys sensing a common theme with this series of AI, because I sure am. According to the back of the box, he’s the Hank Pym version of the character, but it could just as easily be Scott Lang if you so desire. It’s mostly based on the character’s original design, although the helmet seems to be a bit more Ultimates inspired. The figure stands about 4 inches tall and sports 24 points of articulation. He’s built on the Black Spider-Man body, specifically the incarnation of it from the end of the MU line when they added the thigh cuts. The body is one of the older bodies from the MU line, and while it doesn’t such, it’s not the greatest. In a perfect world, Hasbro would come up with another “skinny” buck, but this one works okay in a pinch. Ant-Man’s only new piece is his head. I’m not a fan of The Ultimates, so I’d prefer a more classically inspired helmet, but this one’s not terrible. It’s well sculpted, and there are a lot of nice details, so that’s cool. There are holes where it looks like they meant to place antennae, but there’s nothing there. I guess they couldn’t get them to work feasibly. For the most part, Ant-Man is molded in red plastic, except for his head, which is skin tone. Everything else is handled via paint. The paint aps are overall pretty clean, though the red to blue transitions are a bit rough. They’ve chosen to give his straight gloves and boots instead of his usual jagged ones. It’s unfortunate, as it robs the figure of a unique design element. Ant-Man includes one accessory: a mini Ant-Man, similar to the mini Wasp included with her figure.

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THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Ant-Man is the fourth, and final, of the Avengers Infinite figures I picked up from my local comicbook store, Cosmic Comix. I’ve always been a pretty big Ant-Man fan, so I’ve been waiting for this figure since he was supposed to be in a two-pack way back in the MU line. I’m glad to finally have the figure, but he’s at best middle of the road. I’m more of a Scott Lang Ant-Man fan, and while this one works perfectly fine as Scott, I would mind seeing him get a figure based on either of his more recent designs.

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