Tag Archives: Marvel

#0656: Ghost Rider

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

GHOST RIDER – HEROES FOR HIRE

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

GRML1It may be surprising, given how many 90s tropes he fulfills, but Ghost Rider is actually one of Marvel’s more prominent 70s characters. The character now seems to be eternally linked to the 90s grunge style, however, he started off as a supernatural take on Evil Kinneval, definite a 70s icon. He was even a member of one the most 70s teams in their roster, The Champions. He’s so 70s, which, if you’ll recall from my Misty Knight review, I quite like. The original version of Ghost Rider isn’t as privy to toys as later versions, but Hasbro did see fit to add him to their most recent round of Marvel Legends

THE FIGURE ITSELF

GRML2Ghost Rider is the sixth figure in the third round of Spider-Man Marvel Legends Infinte Series figures.  Officially, he’s named “Heroes For Hire,” a name he shares with series-mate Misty Knight.  Of course, that’s the only thing they share, as both figures use completely different part sets and Rider’s B-A-F piece is completely different.  It’s a little confusing.  But, as with Misty, I don’t really care what he’s called, as long as he’s a good figure.  Ghost Rider is just over 6 inches tall, with 30 points of articulation (including a moving jaw!)  as noted in the intro, this guy’s based on the classic 70s, Johnny Blaze version of the character.  The figure is built on the body of the AIM Soldier from the Cap Legends, which is a pretty good match for the design (and it’s a reuse Hasbro’s done before with their Marvel Universe line, so there’s precedent.)  In addition, he’s got a new head, neck, collar, belt, and chain piece.  The collar fits in pretty seamlessly, and the head and neck fit in very well and are nicely sculpted to boot.  The chain technically isnt accurate for classic Rider, but it’s easily removable, so that’s hardly an issue.  The paintwork on Ghost Rider is prett decent overall.  I wouldn’t mind him being a little more blue, but this coloring works well enough, and the light blue/grey accents are pretty clean.  The head is cast in clear plastic, with the bone color of the skull being gradually worked in, which makes the flame less obviously fake looking than previous versions.  The work on the eyes is also quite notable, as they appear to glow, even when not lit.  Ghost Rider’s only included extra is a piece of Rhino.  No motorcycle for a guy named Ghost Rider is a little odd, but I guess it’s hard to make these sorts of things cost out.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I’ve never followed any of his series super closely, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Ghost Rider, particularly the classic version.  None of ToyBiz’s versions ever really hit the spot for me, so I was pretty excited to see Hasbro give their own take.  All in all, this is a pretty fantastic version of the character.  I just wish he’d included a motorcycle!

GRML4

#0644: Kraven

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

KRAVEN – SAVAGE FORCE

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

Kraven1

Long-running toy lines have a habit of becoming cyclical with character selection, almost by necessity. With anything you do for a lot of time, there will inevitably be changes stylistically, as processes become more streamlined, good and bad methods are weeded through, and mistakes are (hopefully) learned from. This means that figures at the beginning of a toy line probably won’t fit in so well with those from much further down the line. If you want your most popular characters to still fit in, you have to update them every so often. Take today’s figure Kraven: his last figure in the Marvel Legends (and Spider-Man Classics) line was released ten years ago. That’s a good long while. Seems Hasbro felt that was too long, as he’s part of their latest series of Marvel Legends, just hitting now!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Kraven2Kraven (aka “Savage Force”) was released in the most recent set of Spider-Man Marvel Legends Infinite Series. He shares his name (but not his Build-A-Figure piece) with fellow Spider-Man foe the Chameleon, who is also his half-brother, which I did not know. You learn something new every day. The figure is roughly 6 ¼ inches tall and features 32 points of articulation. Kraven uses Hasbro’s new, slightly larger male body, first introduced with Grim Reaper. Kraven is, of course, the first two-handed character to use the body, so he’s got that going for him. In addition to the base body, the figure has an all-new head, as well as unique pieces for the forearms, hands, shins, and feet and add-on parts for his vest and belt. The pieces do a great job of making Kraven quite different from his body-mate Reaper. The head sculpt is probably the weakest piece of the figure; it’s not terrible, or anything, just a little bit on the bland side. It lacks some of the character of previous Kraven sculpts, and has a bit of the sameness that’s plagued so many of the male Legends sculpts. From the neck down, the detail work is fantastic. The clothes are full of texture and layering that really sell this guy as Kraven THE HUNTER. The lion’s mane and loincloth also have a great flow to them, which gives the figure a nice action styling to him. The paintwork follows the trend set by the sculpt. The head’s paint is just passable; the edges of the hair and mustache are rather sloppy, and he’s got the same eye issue as Misty Knight. The rest of the paint is pretty solid work, and the clothing has some really nice wear and tear to it. Kraven is packed with a spear, which befits a hunter, as well as a piece of Rhino, which also befits a hunter, I guess.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I hadn’t initially planned to pick up Kraven, given that I’m only a moderate fan of the character. But, the more I looked at the figure, the more I liked it. And, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to see another use of the new body sculpt. The fact that I ended up going for the complete set kind of sealed the deal. Slight issues with the head asides, the figure is a great update to the old Kraven figures.

Kraven3

#0654: White Tiger

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

MARVEL’S WHITE TIGER

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

WhiteTiger1

What’s this? Two female figures in a row? That’s crazy! Well, okay, not really. But it is somewhat out of the ordinary. I had a bunch to say about Misty Knight, but not so much to say about today’s focus, the White Tiger. I’m marginally familiar with the original, male White Tiger, but only marginally. The more recent bearer of the name? Not so much. I do know that this particular version of the character is the one in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon, so there’s that. Anyway, she has an action figure, and I own it, so here’s the review.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

WhiteTiger2White Tiger (or “Marvel’s White Tiger” as she’s listed on the box) is the fourth figure in the third series of Spider-Man Marvel Legends Infinite Series figures. She gets to have her own name, unlike a lot of Hasbro’s recent female (and even lesser known male) figures, but she doesn’t completely escape having to share stuff, as I’ll get to further down. As noted above, she’s base on the character’s design in Ultimate Spider-Man. The design on the show was different from the comics look of the time, but the comics character has since taken the cartoon look. That works for me, since I think the cartoon design is cooler anyway. The figure is just under 6 inches tall with 27 points of articulation. She’s built on the Spider-Girl body, with an all-new head and the hands from Hellcat. She also has an add-on piece for her totem necklace. The new pieces are nicely done; the head’s definitely the better of the two, with some nice clean work. The necklace is a little on the bulky side, but it’s not terrible for the scale. The base body is still a personal favorite, so I’m happy to see it show up again, and the hands are a pretty smart reuse. One real issue I did notice is that White Tiger seems to be plagued with a lot more flashing/mold lines than other Legends, which is a bit of a bummer. Paint wise, Tiger is pretty simple. She’s mostly just molded in the signature white, with paint for her stripes and eyes. It’s all pretty cleanly handled, so that’s good. The necklace is the best, though; it’s painted a bright green, with yellow accents, which gives a cool, almost glowing effect. White Tiger doesn’t have any character specific pieces, but she does come with the requisite part for Rhino. Remember when I said she still had to share something? This is it. Tiger didn’t get her own B-A-F piece, she just includes the same torso as Misty. Which is a little weird, since she’s not the figure Misty shares a name with. Oh well.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Being upfront: I only have White Tiger because she came in the full set I ordered from Big Bad Toy Store. Given my lack of familiarity with the character and the fact that she has the same piece as Misty, I probably would have skipped her if I’d found these guys in a store. She’s not a bad figure, and I’m sure fans of the character will be pleased, but for me she seems a little bit bland. Perfectly fine figure, just not a whole lot going on. Still, I don’t regret the purchase or anything, so I don’t think she’s a loss.

#0653: Misty Knight

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

MISTY KNIGHT – HEROES FOR HIRE

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

MistyKnight1

Not everyone will agree, but I think the 70s may be one of the best eras of comics. It’s a decade that gets a lot of crap for being dated, and perhaps rightfully so, but it it’s also the decade that gave us All New All Different X-Men, Denny O’Niel and Neal Adams on Batman, and even some of the hokier series, such as Luke Cage and Iron Fist, Heroes For Hire. The 70s (at Marvel at least) also gave us some tremendous supporting casts, including a few who were passed back and forth between different series. One such character is today’s focus, Misty Knight, who began her comics career as Jean Grey’s roommate, before hooking up with Iron Fist, got a robot arm, and became a spy. She’s also very 70s, but in a cool way.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

MistyKnight2Misty Knight was released as part of the latest series of Spider-Man Marvel Legends Infinite Series. Officially, she’s named Heroes For Hire, a name she shares with Ghost Rider, though the two don’t share anything but the name. Given her association with Iron Fist and Luke Cage, the name fits. The figure is 6 inches tall and has 27 points of articulation. She looks to be based on one of Misty’s more recent designs. I myself am still partial to the black turtleneck look she sported in the 70s, but a) this look is more sensible in a reuse heavy line and b) I’m just thrilled to have gotten a Misty Knight action figure at all. The figure uses the most recent female base (seen on Scarlet Witch, Hellcat, and Wasp) as a starting point. I still don’t like the pelvis piece, but other than that, it’s a good starting point. Misty gets an all-new head, hands, and upper torso, as well as an add-on piece for her belt and holster. All of the new parts a nicely handled. The hair is a tad on the ridiculous side, size wise, but not terribly so. On the plus side, it’s very well textured, which is always nice. The face seems a bit on the gaunt side for Misty, but it’s passable. The new torso gives Misty an unzipped zipper, as well as a shoulder strap with pouches. I can definitely see Hasbro repurposing this for another figure down the road. For her hands, her left has a trigger finger, so she can hold her gun, and the right is robotic, so as to showcase her bionic arm. Both are well sculpted, but the robotic piece definitely steals the show. Paint wise, Misty is, at the very least, vibrant. The reds and golds are nice and bright and give her a nice warm look. The face is definitely the weak point, though; the eyes are just a touch out of sync, so she looks like she has a lazy eye, and the lips seem way too bright a red. Other than that, her paintwork is nice and clean. Misty is packed with a pretty cool golden revolver, as well as the torso of Rhino.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Misty is definitely the figure from this series that excited me the most. I honestly never thought I’d ever see a figure of her, given her relative obscurity and somewhat out of date design. She ended up being one of my main reasons for ordering a set right off the bat, as I was anxious to get her. The figure isn’t perfect. The paint on the face could stand to be better. And, if I’m petty, it’s not my preferred design for the character. That said, she’s still really well put together, and this is likely to be the only time we see her in action figure form. That fact alone warrants the purchase.

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

MistyKnight3

#0651: Superior Venom

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

SUPERIOR VENOM

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

SuperiorVenom1

Have you guys seen the movie Inception? Because of today’s review might be slightly like that. A little. The focus of this review is a villain, inside a hero, inside a villain. That’s right, it’s Superior Venom, who’s Doctor Octopus’s mind in Peter Parker’s body, while bonded with the Venom symbiote. Confused? You won’t be after the next episode–er, review on The Figure in Question.*

THE FIGURE ITSELF

SuperiorVenom2Superior Venom is the second figure in the latest round of Spider-Man Marvel Legends Infinite Series. He’s the requisite symbiote for the series. Just go with it. He’s based on the brief appearance of the Superior Venom from Superior Spider-Man #22-25. It’s short-lived, but it’s a Venom variant, so…yeah. The figure is just over 6 inches tall and sports 32 points of articulation. He’s built on Hasbro’s new Spider-Man base body, which is sensible, given that it’s supposed to be the same guy (more or less). In addition to the body, Venom gets a brand-new head sculpt, as well as the hands of Spider-Man 2099, and what appear to be a resized set of Ultimate Green Goblin feet. The head is a pretty good match to Humberto Ramos’s artwork from the issues where the design appeared; it’s sufficiently monstrous while still maintaining the Spider-Man look. The figure also has a backpack style piece, which has four slots for his leg attachments. Each slot is designed to fit a specific leg, which I guess makes placing them a bit easier, but it also means the legs are totally static. Given the odd posing of said legs, the lack of movement is rather frustrating. Superior Venom’s paintwork is pretty decently handled. It’s mostly just white detailing, which stands out nicely against the figure’s black plastic. The deliberately crooked webbing makes for a much better detailing than Superior Spider-Man, which is a nice change. He also has the red web shooters on his wrists, which were missing from Superior Spider-Man. The figure is packed with the right arm of Rhino, this series’ Build-A-Figure.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Yeah, so here’s another Venom, and it’s not the classic Eddie Brock version that pretty much everyone wanted. But, it’s okay, because Hasbro showed that one at ComiCon. No worries. I’m not gonna lie, I pretty much only got this guy because I was buying a whole set. Superior Venom isn’t a look I really needed. That said, he’s a surprisingly enjoyable figure. Sure, the tendril/legs don’t move, which is a definite bummer, but the figure is actually a lot of fun, and he fixes a few of the issues present with the Superior Spider-Man figure.  Damn you Hasbro, making me like figures I had no interest in! You’re killing me!

*that’s right, I made a Soap reference. Everyone knows that action figures and Soap go together like…two things that go together.

SuperiorVenom3

#0650: Scarlet Spider

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

MARVEL’S SCARLET SPIDER

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

ScarletSpiderML1

It’s a mark of a truly popular character when they get a clone (or are revealed to be a clone, in the case of one Boba Fett). Okay, maybe not. I actually just made that up. Off the top of my head. Sorry if you feel lied to, but I needed an intro for Scarlet Spider, the (first) clone of Spider-Man. So, there you have it. So, yeah, I’m reviewing a figure of Ben Reily, aka the Scarlet Spider. 90s nostalgia activated!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

ScarletSpiderML2Scarlet Spider is the first figure in the third series of Spider-Man Marvel Legends Infinite Series. He’s filling the slot of the requisite Spidey variant for this series, so good for him. He’s presented here in his main Scarlet Spider costume, which, in story, was pieced together from some novelty store items in order to fight Venom. The figure is just over 6 inches tall and features 30 points of articulation. Structurally, he’s built on Hasbro’s new Spider-Man body, which is a pretty good start. He has a new head and torso, as well as add-one for his web shooters, belt, and the pouches on his ankles. The head isn’t wildly different from the one we saw on Pizza Spidey, but the outlines on the eyes are slightly more angular and much larger, which is true to the character design. The torso has been re-sculpted to replicate Scarlet Spider’s sleeveless hoodie. It removes some of the shoulder articulation, but it works aesthetically, and the sculpt is appropriately layered. The bottom has even been sculpted to fit around the contours of the belt, which is a ScarletSpiderML3nice touch. The web shooters don’t feature any real sculpted detail; the lines are painted. This is a little disappointing, though I assume it’s to maximize reuse potential. Scarlet Spider actually doesn’t have much paintwork. What’s there is decent enough; there’s a bit of bleed over, but nothing terrible. The logos on the sweatshirt are nice and sharp, which is really cool.  The figure is packed with three sets of hands in web shooting, fist, and open palm poses. They’re the same as the ones packed with Pizza Spidey, but no less cool because of it. He also includes not one but two heads for the series Build-A-Figure Rhino, which I’ll touch on in Rhino’s review.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

He’s a little confusing, and part of one of the more controversial Spider-Man stories, but I kinda love Scarlet Spider. So, I was super excited when Hasbro showed him at this year’s Toy Fair. I’ve been patiently waiting since then, and I ordered him (along with the rest of the series) from Big Bad Toy Store as soon as he was in stock. This figure turned out really well, and he’s a great counterpart to last series’ Pizza Spidey, as well as a tremendous improvement on the old Spider-Man Classics version of the character.

ScarletSpiderML4

#0648: Strike Force Storm & Avalanche

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

STORM – STRIKE FORCE & AVALANCHE

MARVEL MINIMATES

Storm&Avalanche1

Man, I’ve sure gotten a lot of new stuff lately. So much that certain things have gotten pushed to the side, sometimes for a lot longer than I intended. Case in point, Marvel Minimates Series 60. I’ve had them for two whole months, and I’ve still only reviewed half of the series. Sorry everybody! In an effort to fix that, I’ll be taking a look at Storm and Avalanche today.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

These two were released as part of Series 60 of Marvel Minimates, which was designed as an X-Men vs the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants set-up. As an added bonus, three of the four X-Men included an extra head to let them double as a second character.

STORM – STRIKE FORCE (PLUS PSYLOCKE)

Storm&Avalanche2Storm’s definitely one of the better known X-Men, so it’s no surprise to see her show up for another turn in the Minimate form. Like the rest of the X-Men in this particular series, Storm is presented here in her Strike Force uniform from the 90s. Like Wolverine before her, she didn’t wear it for very long, but she did wear it long enough to make it a valid variant. The figure is roughly 2 ½ inches tall and has 14 points of articulation. Storm has sculpted parts for her hair, gloves, and the two sets of straps on her legs. Everything is re-use, but this is an example of just how well it can work. The uniform pieces are the same as the rest of this series’ X-Men, and the hair is a traditionally male hairpiece, first used in the Platoon boxed set for Pvt Gator Lerner. Storm’s paintwork is decent, if not without issue. Storm&Avalanche3The colors are nice and bold and the detail lines are nice and sharp, so that’s good. She also has my personal favorite Storm face we’ve seen so far. That said, she still shares the same thin yellow paint on the shoulders and missing bit of red on the belt buckle with the rest of this set’s X-Men. It’s not really surprising, but it is a little annoying. Storm gets two distinctive sets of accessories: those for Storm and those for the alt character Psylocke. Storm includes a pair of electricity attachments and a flight stand, allowing for a nice representation of her abilities. Psylocke gets her extra head, which features a hairpiece first seen on the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 line’s Jill Valentine, as well as a Psi-Knife attachment and a basic clear display stand.

AVALANCHE

Storm&Avalanche4Avalanche is a longstanding member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but he always seems to get overlooked. He’s gotten a few toys before (but no Minimates), but he always seems to fade into the background. My only real exposure to the guy was on X-Men: Evolution, where he was merged with Rictor and played as something of an anti-villain, who was conflicted about being a bad guy. That was a cool take on the character, but the comics have always just played him as a rather generic thug. But, he’s important to the team, so here he is. The figure has 7 sculpted parts, for his helmet, chest piece, gloves, belt, and boots. All of these are parts we’ve seen before, but they’re all pretty good matches for the character’s design from the comics. The torso is just a basic powerhouse piece painted to match his armor, which is a little bit Storm&Avalanche5jarring next to the more highly sculpted parts elsewhere, but it looks okay in person. Avalanche’s paintwork is pretty decently handled. The colors are nice and bold, and the detail lines are pretty sharp. His face is a more extreme expression than a lot of others, which is nice to see for a change. Under his chest armor, there’s a fully detailed torso, with a big ol A on his chest, which makes for a neat alt look. For Accessories, Avalanche includes two chunks of road, which are a lot of fun, as well as a set of shoulder pads, should you want to display the giant A look, and a clear display stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This set was part of the full series 60 set I got via Big Bad Toy Store. Storm/Psylocke doesn’t really represent a standard look for either character, but it’s a well-made figure, and it offers those who missed out on the first Jim Lee Psylocke another chance at the character. Avalanche is an important, if somewhat overlooked and underdeveloped part of the Brotherhood. He’s necessary to round out the team, and he’s a pretty well made figure to boot. This set is probably my least favorite of the four sets available, but it’s not a bad set by any means.

#0647: Marvel’s Klaw

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

MARVEL’s KLAW

RETURN OF MARVEL LEGENDS

Klaw1

Hasbro’s really been making some great strides with Marvel Legends lately. When they took over the license several years back, they certainly had a rough time managing the line, leading to the whole scale being scrapped for a little while. Then they came back and they came back strong. Now, I’ll admit, I was a hard sell on Marvel Legends after the hiatus. I was happy with my Marvel Universe figures, and Hasbro’s early Return offerings still had some issues to work out. But, they gradually got better, almost sneakily so, and now that they’ve moved onto the Infinite Series, I’ve become thoroughly hooked. So, now I’m playing the catch-up game with some of those Return figures, such as today’s figure of Klaw, major foe of the Black Panther, and a supporting player in this summer’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Klaw2Klaw was released as part of the Terrax Series of the Return of Marvel Legends, which was the first series of Marvel Legends following the hiatus. The figure is just over 6 inches tall and sports 30 points of articulation. This figure represents Klaw post soundwave-based transformation. Not really much of a shock there, since a pre-transformation Klaw wouldn’t exactly be the most exciting thing, and he’s spent 99.9% of his career as a red sound guy. Klaw is built on the body first used for Hasbro’s take on Silver Surfer. It was one of Hasbro’s earliest attempts at a base body, and it’s definitely before they had quite gotten the hang of designing these things. It’s not terrible, and certainly not as bad as some of ToyBiz’s worst sculpts, but it’s definitely got some issues. For one thing, it’s really scrawny. Klaw’s not the hugest guy ever, but he’s usually shown with a fair bit of heft to him. Also, the muscles are really, really defined, as if he’s flexing really hard, which looks rather uncomfortable. Throw in articulation that can best be described as clunky and obtrusive, and you’ve got a body that holds poor Klaw back. To Hasbro’s credit, the new pieces (the head and his sound converter) are both very well handled. The head does a great job of capturing Klaw’s very Kirby-styled head and is appropriately menacing, and the “claw” is full of fun little details (though it’s been warped a bit by the packaging, which is annoying). The paintwork on Klaw is pretty decent. It’s rather straightforward, but that works well for a character like Klaw. There’s a little bleed over here and there, but it’s all relatively minor. The biggest issue for me is that the reds of the arms and legs don’t match with the torso. It’s really noticeable on such a simple figure. Klaw’s only accessory was the left leg of the series’ B-A-F Terrax. I don’t have any of the other figures from this series and I doubt I’ll be getting them anytime soon, so all I’ve got’s a leg. Huzzah.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I didn’t purchase Klaw when he was new. Nor did I buy him any of the many times I saw him on clearance at Target. I really can’t say why. I like Klaw, I really do. I guess I was just cold on Legends as a whole. Anyway, I ended up finding this guy at Yesterday’s Fun while on vacation this year. He was less than I would have paid at retail, so I really can’t complain. Ultimately, the figure’s fatal flaw is the unfortunate choice of body. I’d be curious to see how the head and claw might look on the Bucky Cap or Grim Reaper body, as it might make for a nice improvement. As is, he’s passable, which isn’t the worst thing.

Klaw3

#0642: Beetle -Deadliest Foes

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

BEETLE – DEADLIEST FOES

MARVEL LEGENDS INFINITE SERIES

Beetle1

There are very few lines of which I would consider myself a “completist.” Off the top of my head, I believe the only two I’ve really stuck with are NECA’s Aliens and SMC’s Weaponeers of Monkaa. There was a time, back during ToyBiz’s run on Marvel Legends that I gave owning every figure in the line some thought, but I ultimately decided against it, due mostly to the unevenness of figure quality. When Hasbro took over, I backed down even more, and almost quit the line entirely. When they re-launched under the Infinite Series handle, I went back to cherry-picking, but the quality of the figures has been rapidly increasing, leading to me getting figures I normally wouldn’t. Take, for instance, Beetle, the subject of today’s review. Now, I generally like Beetle as a character, so it’s odd for me to say that he wasn’t a figure I’d normally buy. I’ll get to the why of that in a bit.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Beetle2Beetle was part of the first series of Amazing Spider-Man 2 Marvel Legends Infinite Series. Officially, he’s not actually called Beetle, he’s called Deadliest Foes, a name he shares with Boomerang, who was his swap figure in this line. While they are swap figures, they don’t actually share anything but the Build-A-Figure piece. Beetle is roughly 6 ½ inches tall and has 30 points of articulation. Beetle’s had a few looks over the years, of varying styles. This figure is based on his Ultimate universe design, which is my least favorite of all the Beetle designs. It’s the one used in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon show, so I guess it makes a little sense, but it definitely turned me off the figure. Beetle features a sculpt that is unique to him (though a fair bit of it will be re-used for a comic-style Ultron later this year). It’s a well detailed sculpt, and it does a nice job of replicating Mark Bagley’s design of the character from the comic. While there are lots of details and bits, the sculpt still maintains certain sleekness, which is definitely cool. The wings and backpack are a separate piece, which clips into place and stays there nicely. The paintwork on the figure is okay, but, for me, it’s flawed from the start. See, the Ultimate Beetle is silver and red, in contrast to the green and purple scheme of EVERY OTHER BEETLE DESIGN EVER. So, yeah, I don’t really care for the color scheme. Aside from that, the paint is decent enough. There’s a bit of slop here and there, but it’s generally pretty clean. Beetle’s only accessory is the leg to the series Build-A-Figure Ultimate Green Goblin. So, now I’ve got two of those. Cool?

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Beetle was yet another contribution to my collection courtesy of my Super Awesome Girlfriend. Apparently, she was walking through Walgreens and saw this guy and thought I’d like him. Amazingly enough, I hadn’t actually broken down and gotten him yet! While I’m not the biggest fan of the design he’s based on, the figure is actually a lot of fun. I’m really glad I got him!

Beetle3

#0641: Vision (w/ Sub-Ultron 011)

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

VISION (W/ SUB-ULTRON 011)

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

VisionAoU1

With the last few Marvel movie tie-in toy lines, Hasbro’s been trying out a variety of different scales and styles, just to see what sticks, I guess. Guardians of the Galaxy skipped the company’s signature 3 ¾ inch scale in favor of the slightly smaller 2 ½ inch scale. Age of Ultron has delivered the best of both worlds (sort of) by giving us both scales. I’ve looked at a few of the 3 ¾ inch figures with…mixed results. Yesterday’s Scarlet Witch review was my first look at the smaller line, and, aside from the weird Sub-Ultron pack-in, I quite liked her. Now, Scarlet witch was one of my favorite additions to the team in Age of Ultron, but, for me, the absolute top was today’s focus, The Vision. That dude rocked super hard. Currently, his only movie-based figure (not counting the Pop! bobble-head) is in the 2 ½ inch line.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

VisionAoU2Vision (and his pack-mate Sub-Ultron 011) was released in the second assortment of 2 ½ inch Avengers: Age of Ultron figures. Given the scale, it’s no surprise that the figure stands 2 ½ inches tall. This is a slight point of annoyance for me because he’s just a smidge shorter than the Scarlet Witch figure, which isn’t accurate. Vision is played by the 6’3” Paul Bettany, while Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Scarlet Witch, is only 5’6”. Scale’s a bit harder when they’re this small, so it’s sort of forgivable, but still annoying. But what about the figure outside of comparative heights? Well, obviously, he’s based on Vision as portrayed by Bettany in the movie. That being said, he appears to have been based on an earlier design for Vision. He’s not incredibly different, but the headpiece is a little bulkier and more rounded that it was in the final film. Aside from that, he’s got a pretty decent sculpt. The proportions are all nicely balanced, and his “uniform” VisionAoU3has the appropriate texturing. The cape is a little bulky at the top, but not horribly so, and it does a very nice job of capturing the intricate design from the movie. The paintwork is another area where the people at Hasbro were clearly working from a less than finalized design. In general, his palate is far more washed out than it was on screen; the greens are grey and the reds are more of a magenta. The yellow’s about the same, but the cape is missing all of the accent work of the one seen in the film, which puts the very nice sculpt somewhat to waste. Also, his headgear is just straight silver instead of green, and he’s lacking pupils. If Wanda can get pupils, so can he! Vision has no accessories of his own, but he does get packed with yet another Sub-Ultron. This one continues the wheeled theme, though we get a set of treads this time around. I think this particular Sub-Ultron is new to this pack, though the upper torso(s) did show up on a few other Sub-Ultrons in the first assortment. I like 011 more than 008, but the dual upper torso thing does confuse me a bit. Which one of them drives?

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

My parents went to Hawaii and all I got was this Vision action figure. Okay, not really. I mean, yes, my parents buy him for me while they were in Hawaii, but it’s not like it’s all I got. Plus, it’s the Vision. As I stated above, he rocks super hard. I think he’s on par with Hawaii. I will admit, Vision’s not quite as good as the Scarlet Witch in this scale, but he’s pretty decent, overall. Add in the fact that I like this Sub-Ultron more than the last, and you’ve got a pretty winning set. I do hope Hasbro does Vision in one of the larger scales, though. He’s too cool to be contained in a 2 ½ inch figure.