Tag Archives: Marvel Legends

#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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

#0483: Machine Man

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MACHINE MAN – AVENGING ALLIES

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

Super hero comics are a pretty big, wide ranging medium, so it only follows that they would have an equally wide selection of characters. Characters who can range from really well-known and widely popular to almost unknown. When it comes to action figures, it can be pretty hard to justify releasing a C or D-list character. While a comic can create or feature an obscure character by printing a few lines, a toy has to be sculpted, tooled and packaged, and then they actually have to find not only a customer base for an item, but a retailer interested in carrying it. So, when a character like Machine Man gets a figure, that’s a pretty big deal.

For those of you who don’t know the character, Machine Man, aka X-51, aka Aaron Stack, is a Marvel character from the 70s. He was created within Marvel’s 2001 comics, after which he made his way into the main universe. In a nutshell, he’s a robot who was raised to be as much like a human as possible. He also saw a jump in popularity a few years ago when he served as one of the principle characters in Warren Ellis’s Nextwave: Agents of Hate. So, with that out of the way, let’s move on to the figure!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Machine Man was released as part of the first series of the Avengers Marvel Legends Infinite Series. He’s been released under the name “Avenging Allies,” a name he shares with Sentry. Unlike most prior shared-name figures, Machine Man and Sentry are both in the initial shipments of the series as opposed to one of them being swapped for the other in refresh cases. The figure is about 6 inches tall and he has 32 points of articulation. He’s very definitely based on Machine Man’s original design, which is nice to see, especially in an assortment of otherwise modern figures. The figure is built on the basic male body which originated with Bucky Cap, along with a new head and belt. The Bucky Cap body has been showing up with increasing frequency in Hasbro’s Legends releases, but that’s hardly a bad thing. Aside from the slightly odd veins at the top of the pectorals, it’s a very nicely sculpted body, and it works great for Machine Man. The head sculpt is somewhat simple, but it’s sharply detailed and absolutely perfect for the character. The belt is a good sculpt on its own, however, it’s fit on the figure is a bit iffy. Mine was stuck up a little too high, which caused it to get stuck in the ab joint, leaving the belt rather mangled. It’s not obvious unless viewed directly, but it’s the sort of thing that really shouldn’t happen, especially as prices continue to climb. The figure’s paint is pretty decent. He’s molded in a metallic purple (which is really great) and the silver, flesh tone, and red are all paint. The paint application isn’t bad, but it’s not perfect either. There are one or two spots of bleed over, mostly on the face. That said, it’s a lot cleaner than Hasbro’s recent offerings in the line, which is a good sign. Machine Man includes a set of extended arms with hands attached and a set of arms for the Build A Figure. There are two possible Build-A-Figures this time; one is Odin, and the other is Future Thor. They use the same torso and legs, with different heads and arms included with the “swap” figures. Machine Man includes Thor’s arms.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Machine Man was picked up for me by my Dad, along with the rest of the series. This is the figure I was most eager to get from this series, as I’m a really big Machine Man fan. In fact, back when ToyBiz was still doing Marvel Legends I even made my own custom Machine Man. I’m thrilled beyond belief to have a proper figure in my collection, and I’m happy he turned out as well as he did. Now, is it too much to ask for a Nextwave version?

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

#0414: Ms. Marvel, Captain America, & Radioactive Man

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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!

#0413: Black Cat – Skyline Sirens

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BLACK CAT – SKYLINE SIRENS

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

So, more Marvel Legends. Alright! Hasbro’s been putting a lot of effort into getting the line running successfully again. Over the summer, they did several series of figures that sorta tied in with this year’s Marvel movies. One of those lines was done to cash in on Amazing Spider-Man 2, and I’ll be looking at Black Cat (essentially Spider-Man’s version of Catwoman) from that series. Like Carnage, she was a figure that eluded me for a while, but I was finally able to track one down.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Black Cat is part of the Amazing Spider-Man 2 Marvel Legends Infinite Series, officially released under the name “Skyline Sirens.” She was replaced in later shipments by the other Skyline Sirens figure, Spider-Girl, which led to some scarcity for a while. Fortunately, it seems Hasbro has started shipping out Black Cat again. Black Cat is a little over 6 inches tall and she sports 29 points of articulation. I’m not incredibly well versed in the looks of Black Cat over the years, but this figure seems to be based on the “classic” design of the character. It’s a look not seen on her previous figures, but it’s what I think of when I think of the character. Anyway, the figure makes use of Hasbro’s new larger female base body, originally used on Moonstone in the Thunderbolts boxed set. It’s not a bad body, though it’s not quite as well-proportioned as the slightly more modest body used for Spider-Girl. The biggest issue is that the lower torso, which looks fine from the front, but is oddly flat from the side. They’ve also elected to give her high-heeled shoes, which are annoying, especially when trying to get her to stand. You really have to question the practicality of a cat burglar wearing high heels. The Cat has a unique head, upper torso, lower arms, hands, and lower legs. They’re all pretty solid sculpts, especially the head. Hasbro’s recent trend of female figures that actually have attractive head sculpts is a very refreshing change for Marvel Legends. Like so many other Hasbro figures, the paint is where things get iffy. However, to their credit, this figure’s problems aren’t with sloppy lines or bleed over. Everything is actually pretty clean. The real issue is the blue was that’s been done on the white areas. It’s just too heavy, especially on her hair, which ends up looking like some wacky dye job. Black Cat includes a whip (which is honestly more Catwoman’s speed, but whatever) as well as the requisite Ultimate Green Goblin piece (the torso, if anyone’s curious).

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I found Black Cat at the same K-Mart where I picked up Carnage and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates. Ha ha! I successfully vanquished my arch-nemesis The Scalper! Take that vile villain! …*ahem* Anyway, I’m glad to finally have the figure. While she doesn’t wow me quite as much as Spider-Girl did, but she’s still a really strong figure. Let’s hope Hasbro can continue with their upward trend.

#0412: Carnage – Spawn of Symbiotes

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CARNAGE – SPAWN OF SYMBIOTES

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

There have been quite a few Minimates reviews as of late on this site, as well as a surprising number of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reviews. So, now for something slightly different. The next couple of days are going to be Marvel Legends related. Fun fun fun.

Today, I’ll be looking at Carnage, a figure that eluded me for a while and led me to go off on one of my angry rants. Fortunately, today’s review is rather free from ranting. ….Yay!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Carnage was released as part of the Amazing Spider-Man 2 Marvel Legends Infinite Series. His official name within the context of the series is “Spawn of Symbiotes,” a name he shared with Toxin, who replaced Carnage in later shipments of the series. It seems Hasbro has flipped back again, resulting in a plentiful supply of Carnage once more. Carnage is about 6 ¼ inches tall and he features 32 points of articulation. This figure depicts Carnage as he’s best known: bright red and covered in tendrils. The figure makes use of the current standard mid-sized body Hasbro’s been using, which first cropped up on their Bucky Cap figure from a few years ago. There are a few minor issues with it (I’m still a bit weirded out by the veins right at the start of the shoulders), but overall it’s a pretty great base body, and it’s a definite improvement on the ones we’ve seen in years past. The figure’s lower arms and legs have been tweaked to allow for the attachment of Carnage’s trademark tendrils. The transition from limb to tendril could be a bit smoother, but it’s not so jarring as to ruin the figure. As far as new pieces, Carnage gets an all new head and hands, as well as another tendril attachment which plugs into his back. The head is a fantastic piece, and it really captures Carnage well. The hands are just basic spikey, clawed hands, but they do that well. The tendril piece is alright, but it seems to have been slightly malformed by the package, so it’s always hanging in his face. Carnage’s paint is a lot cleaner than a lot of recent Hasbro figures, but I feel it’s also not quite as interesting. It’s not bad, but it seems just a touch too simple. Previous Carnage figures benefited from the symbiote’s texture being sculpted, which is less of an option in this day and age. Still, the black details could be a little more interesting. Carnage, or rather, Spawn of Symbiote is packed with the head and, uh… back flames (?) of the series Build-A-Figure Ultimate Green Goblin.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

After much searching and a run in with my sworn nemesis, The Scalper!, I finally was able to track down Carnage at a K-Mart in a town I was visiting while my mom and brother were doing a run (Incidentally, it’s the same K-Mart where I got my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Minimates). I’ve only ever been a moderate fan of Carnage, but for whatever reason, this figure just really appeals to me. He’s a solid design, and a pretty solid execution. I just wish he’d been a little easier to find.

#0376: Superior Spider-Man

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

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINTE SERIES

Alright, well it looks like the horror stuff is taking a break for a little while. So, why not return to what I know best: Super Heroes! And if we’re going with Super Heroes, why not go with Marvel, cuz they’re kind of on top right now! And if you’re going with Marvel, why not one of their top characters of all-time, Spider-Man!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Superior Spider-Man was released as part of the Amazing Spider-Man 2 Marvel Legends Infinite Series. For next year, Hasbro should really look into shortening the ML names a bit. They’re a bit long-winded. Anyway, Superior Spider-Man is one of the mainstay figures from this series, which means that unlike the previously reviewed Spider-Girl and Boomerang, he’s not a replacement, nor was he replaced by another figure. The figure is about 6 inches tall and he sports 32 points of articulation. As the name denotes, he’s based on the “Superior” version of Spider-Man, which was he looked like when Dr. Octopus took over his mind. Specifically, he’s based on the second Superior costume, which itself was based on Alex Ross’s proposed design for the first Spider-Man movie. As far as I can tell, Spidey’s a new sculpt. I feel like I’ve seen the body before, but I can’t quite place it. At the very least, the head and hands are new. The body sculpt is pretty good. It’s nicely proportioned and well-articulated, which is always a good combination. The head and hands are obviously a bit more character-specific, and they are both handled very nicely. The head is simple, but right on the mark, which can be tricky with some Spider-Man figures. The basic hands are just in a loose gripping pose, which isn’t too bad, I suppose. The figure’s paint isn’t really up to the sculpt. It’s not a huge surprise on a Hasbro offering, but it’s still a shame. The figure has a fair bit of slop and fuzzy lines, and even a few spots of uneven paint. The worst of it is his web pattern, which is not as straight as it should be. Still, viewed as a whole, the paint doesn’t look terrible, so it could be worse. Spidey included a spare set of hands in the trademark Spidey pose, as well as the right leg of Ultimate Green Goblin, the Build-A-Figure for this series. I don’t really want this particular BAF, but somehow I keep ending up with pieces of him…

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This particular Spider-Man was a gift from my Super Awesome Girlfriend, who just keeps up living to the name. While visiting her for the weekend, I had seen the figure and decided not to get it due to not having the money. She came up to visit me three weeks later with this figure in tow. She’s really too supportive of my insane hobby! The figure isn’t without issues, but it’s really a fun figure, and it’s one of the better Spider-Men to see release in recent years!