Category Archives: Super-Articulate

Super-Articulate: Marvel Legends Retro X-Men

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Greetings and welcome back! Today we’re looking at the Marvel Legends Retro X-Men assortment, which is in-stores now. I’ve also seen this referred to as the Vintage X-Men wave, but HasbroPulse lists the figures as Retro, so we’re going with that. We’d like to thank Hasbro for providing these figures free for the purposes of review. Let’s get started.

Dazzler: When the announcements came down, this was the figure in the group that made me the most excited. You’ve probably seen people refer to this one as “Outback Dazzler.” If you didn’t know, that’s in reference to the ‘80s storyline just after “Fall of the Mutants.” The world believes that the X-Men died fighting the Adversary, but they’re really operating out of the former Reaver base in the Australian Outback. This ran from Uncanny X-Men #229 to, more or less, issue #253 (most of the X-Men finish going through the Siege Perilous in #251, the same issue where Wolverine is crucified by the Reavers; Jubilee rescues him, and we start seeing where the X-Men are popping up around the world in #253. Got that? It’s good stuff, and it also includes costumes for Rogue (black and green) and Psylocke (the armor) that would made cool figures, too). Dazzler also sported this costume in the X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men animated pilot and the awesome stand-up arcade game by Konami.

AND . . . I am NOT disappointed. This is a great figure. It’s one of those cases where it feels like the character was peeled right off the page. Marc Silvestri drew the bulk of that run, and they did him proud here. The only possible improvement, in my opinion, would have been the inclusion of an extra “finger-gun” hand. But man, did they get the little details right. The red band on the leg, the star on the other leg, the separate belt, the jacket, the headband, the fit of the gloves . . . those bits are all outstanding. I’ve also been increasingly happy with the hair work that the ML team is doing; their rendition of Dazzler’s do is no exception. This is superior work, and I can’t believe that we’ve gotten both classic renditions of Dazzler in such a short time.

Storm: Honesty time. I was bummed that this wasn’t First Appearance/Dave Cockrum-costume Storm. The line needs that figure. However, I understand this iteration of Storm was in big demand, and they did a bang-up job on her. The hair and face sculpts are the stand-outs, here. The cape is good; it can be a little difficult to pose the figure with the cape, considering the shoulder pieces, but those pieces are a necessary (and nice-looking) inclusion. The lightning effects are an obvious, but welcome, inclusion. This figure is a fine piece of work, but I was not its target audience.

Wolverine: Marvel Legends: Keeping Wolverine short! Yes! I love the continued emphasis on Wolverine’s diminutive stature. This is also a figure that’s been long-awaited by big portions of the fandom. It reflects that costume that Wolverine wore in his first ongoing solo series, right from the cover of the first issue. The angry/berserker face is inspired by that cover as well. It’s a nice-sculpt and definitely poseable, and it comes with extra non-clawed fists and a samurai sword. It’s also appropriate that we get this version in an assortment with . . .

Silver Samurai: I honestly can’t believe it’s taken this long to get to Silver Samurai in the Legends vertical, but I’ll take it. This guy’s got insanely detailed armor, a perfect in-character expression, and solid work on all the details from the helmet on down. I like that he’s big, but not excessive; he’s not Cull Obsidian-sized, after all. Silver Samurai first appeared in 1974, and for a few years he battled the likes of Spider-Man, Daredevil, Black Widow, and Shang-Chi. He and Viper ran up against the New Mutants in issue #5 and 6 or their original series before heading into the classic battle with Wolverine and Rogue in Uncanny X-Men #172-174. For that reason, I took some extra pics with Viper (Madame Hydra) and the appropriately-costumed Wolverine. This one looks good, kids. He’s a great addition to your gallery of X-villains.

Iceman: I think this Iceman is (don’t say it, don’t say it) pretty cool. I like the crystallization effects in the paint op, and the separation on the belt is nice. The ice-sled stand is a good piece. I’m not sure how much demand there was for Iceman after the recent previous version, but I suspect that there were a fair number of people that missed that one that now get a chance to own this one, and increased availability or repeat offerings are never a bad thing. I’m marking this one for display with my X-Factor subsection, which is also going to include . . .

Cyclops: In the land of awesome head sculpts, the new Cyke is royalty. Let’s roll back to the history a minute: this costume debuted on the cover of the original X-Factor #1, and it was also the costume used for the very first Cyclops figure from the original Toy Biz line of X-Men figures in the ‘90s. There was a previous ML variant of this outfit, but this new figure is The Stuff. Aside from just generally great sculpting and the classic “two-finger trigger gesture” on the left hand, it’s a strong representation. The best part, for me, would have to be the two heads and the optic blast accessory. The first head has a terrific “energy leak” feature, demonstrating the smolder that artists frequently depict as emanating from Cyke’s visor, post-blast. The second head is made to accommodate the insertion of the optic blast accessory into the visor, and it’s just great. Hasbro has really upped the game on power accessories in the past couple of years (Psylocke’s butterfly, the frequent magic/light/energy attachments, the lightning, etc.), but this is a champ. It literally looks like a Walt Simonson-drawn optic blast. As a big fan of Scott Summers, this figure is DEFINITELY made for me, and it is most welcome.

There you go, mutant-lovers. How do you feel about this wave? What’s your favorite? Tune in next week when we take a look at the X-Force wave that features the Wendigo Build-A-Figure. Thanks for reading!

Super-Articulate: Marvel Legends 80th Anniversary Captain America and Iron Man

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The History: Alex Ross established himself as one of the great artists in comics long ago. His reputation on that score is pretty unassailable. His first classic, delivered with writer Kurt Busiek, was, of course, Marvels. It’s only fitting that he lends some designs and package art to the Big Three of the Avengers: Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor. Today, we’ll be looking at Cap and Tony. Hasbro provided these figures for free for review.

As you know, Cap is the Living Legend of World War II. Frozen in ice after a climactic confrontation with Baron Zemo (comics, kids; not movies), Cap only emerges years later when he’s found by the Avengers. The hero learns to adjust to modern time while becoming one of the greatest Avengers himself.

Genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist Tony Stark is Iron Man. One of the smartest guys in the room with the smartest mouth, Stark co-founded and bankrolled the Avengers, lending them funds and HQs from the start. Though he’s battled his personal demons as often as villains, not much keeps him down for long. Not even The Crossing.

Both of these Ross-inspired figures are classic interpretations, but it’s easy to see that they fall into the later 1960s-to-1970s era that Ross admires and frequently returns to in his art. Let’s take Cap first.

Captain America: Man, these are good-looking figures. The color on Cap in particular really, really pops. A lot of detail work went into sculpting in terms of the costume presentation; the scales are defined, the boot cuffs are sharp . . . even the belt loop and buckle details are vivid. There’s also a shiny quality to the figure (maybe a glossier or pearlescent paint wash?) that echoes the highlights that Ross incorporates into his paintings of the character. The figure excels as a representation of both Cap and Ross’s art. Poseability, as you might expect, is top-shelf.

We’ve also had the opportunity to see many versions of Cap’s shield in figure form in the past few years, and this is one of the best. It employs the familiar switchable peg-and-clasp for affixing it to either the figure or the throwing effect, but it’s also particularly well-colored. The figure has a peg-hole on its back so you can attach the shield. The other accessories include the throwing effect piece, extra hands (there’s a claspy set and a fist set), and an alternate head (with one expression being more angry or grim than the other).

In terms of design and feel, this figure really says ‘70s to me. It reminds me of when I first started reading The Avengers (the first issue I remember buying from the spinner rack was #187 in 1979). This Cap would fit really well with a display from that era, particularly with the Iron Man that we’re about to discuss. There are a lot of Cap figures, but this is a legitimately great Cap figure.

Captain America

Iron Man: THIS ONE. Okay, look. Everyone has their favorite Iron Man armor or their sentimental favorite. This is what Tony was wearing when I started reading. It’s also similar to the armor of both the ‘70s Mego Iron Man figure and the later Secret Wars Iron Man figure. When I think of classic Iron Man, this is the version of the two-tone that I personally think of. And it’s just about perfect.

Seriously, just look at that. Shiny metallic paint. Attention to detail in the trunk and gauntlets. Power pods! The face slits! Man, it’s just good. It’s good in just so many ways.

The accessories are appropriate; we’ve got an extra helmet head, a Tony head, two sets of hands (one set of fists, the other palms-out for repulsor blasting), and four repuslor effects (two pairs). You can attach the repulsor effects to the palms or boot-bottoms; you can also attach the blast extension inside the flare for a double-effect.

For me, personally, this feels like the version of Iron Man that I’ve always wanted. Yes, they’ve had takes on this look before (going all the way back to the very first assortment with Tony, Cap, Hulk, and Toad), but this is a big winner in my book. Like Cap, it’s perfect for a Classic Avengers display.

Where To Get: Cap is listed as a Wal-Mart exclusive, but I’ve seen him for sale at other fan channels. The SRP is $24.00, which is slight more than the regular ML price. Iron Man is available at HasbroPulse.com, in stores, and a variety of other outlets; it carries the same SRP, as does the Thor figure.

Recommended: You’ll love them 3000.

What’s Next?: I’ll see you soon with the Retro X-Men wave. Outback Dazzler, kids!

Super-Articulate: Marvel Legends 80th Anniversary Wolverine and Hulk

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Greetings, True Believers! Things are really coming up green in Marveland this week. We had the announce a few days ago of the impending Disney+ She-Hulk series. The Immortal Hulk continues to be a Top Ten sales force in comic shops. And we’ve got this excellent new boxed set/two-pack, part of Hasbro’s Marvel Legends program that celebrates the 80th Anniversary of Marvel. Let’s dig in to the Marvel Legends 80th Anniversary Wolverine and Hulk set. But first, thank you to Hasbro for providing us with free samples for the purposes of review! Let’s go.

The History: This set is based on the first three appearances of Wolverine in the pages (well, the final page) of The Incredible Hulk #180 (October 1974 cover date), the subsequent The Incredible Hulk #181 (his first “full” appearance, the cover of which is featured on the back of the box), and #182. Wolverine was created by writer Len Wein (after a name suggestion by Roy Thomas) and artist John Romita Sr. He gets involved in the story when Department H sends him to try to stop a fight between the Hulk and the Wendigo (presently the BAF in the current X-Force assortment) that is tearing up Wolverine’s home and native land, Canada. After the Wendigo is defeated (actually, the curse is transferred to another person in a plot that will pay off in Uncanny X-Men #139 and #140 a few years later), Wolverine doesn’t pop back up again until he joins the X-Men in Giant-Size X-Men #1 the following year, also written by Wein. It’s worth noting that the Hulk is this period is in a savage Hulk phase (hence the shredded shirt on the figure).

Uncanny X-Men #142

Wolverine: I’m starting with Wolverine because he’s on the left and we read left to right in America (and Canada). I have to say that the first thing I love about this figure is the SIZE. He’s SMALL. Wolverine was supposed to be, well, short. The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and other resources list him at 5’3”. Look at this panel from Uncanny X-Men #142, and see him in comparison to Storm. Based on all that, they get the size of the figure just right here. The Hasbro team also really captured that original mask; it’s markedly different that the mask he wears in X-Men and beyond, and they showed that. The ability to move the shoulder pieces independently of the arms to enhance poseability is a surprising, and good, choice. The flairs on the boots like solid as well. The figure also carries a really solid paint job, and that facial expression is on point. Wolverine comes with two sets of hands (claws popped, and claws retracted). They did a really great job on a figure that captures a slice of Marvel history. I’m personally putting him on my “First Appearance” shelf. Well done.

Hulk: Holy God of Gamma Rays. This figure is HUGE. I mean, it’s BIG. It’s Big McLarge Huge. Just, DAMN. I admit to being a little hesitant when this one was announced because I feel pretty good about the Hulks that I have. Then I saw this in person. This is MASSIVE. Hasbro has done a really, really good job in the past few years with BIG figures or figures that cover a big area (for example: Hulkbuster Iron Man, Cull Obsidian, Sauron, etc.), and this is definitely no exception. Look at that picture of the figure holding Wolverine up by the head. THAT is what I would expect the scale of the Hulk to be against someone the size of comic-accurate Wolverine. Add that girth to the fact that it’s still an extremely poseable figure, and you have a big winner. I really like the torn shirt (which is removable, of course, but I dig it) and the face that the tattered pants have texture and separation at the leg. The face is dead-on. Hulk comes with two sets of hands (two open, two fists) for your various display/play/video-making needs. I wouldn’t have thought that simple hugeness would win me over so effectively, but I can’t help but smile at this figure. I almost feel that he was inspired a bit by the 12” Mego Hulk of the late 1970s (which is definitely a positive on my end). This Hulk turned out . . . sigh . . . incredibly.

Where To Get: HasbroPulse.com, Entertainment Earth, GameStop, and other fan channels are taking orders RIGHT NOW.

Recommended: Heck yeah, bub.

What’s Next?: I’ll see you soon with two more 80th Anniversary Marvel Legends: Cap and Iron Man.

Super-Articulate: House of X Ignites X-Wishes

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House of X #1

At this point, it’s fair to say Marvel’s House of X and Powers of X are unqualified hits. The jumpstart to the X-line is doing what it’s supposed to, which is reignite interest and discussion in the X-Men. For our part, that merges two of our most frequent throughlines, which are 1) figure wish lists and 2) finishing teams. There’s been A LOT of progress made on those fronts in recent months, but this is a perfect time to revisit the lists and see what we need (yes, need. NEED.) from Marvel Legends. Call it Must-Have Mutants.

House of X/Powers of X: Does anyone out there think we WON’T get a House of X assortment by next year? This one’s easy, really: start with X (Xavier), Magneto in white, Moira, Rasputin, Cardinal, and Destiny with a Nimrod BAF. Which redesigns, etc. do you like best so far?

Marvel Legends Morph

Classic X-Men: I still contend that we need a classic Mimic and a classic Changeling (separate from the AoA Morph we’re getting). I’d also stump for redone Toad, Mastermind (never been a figure!) and Unus, among others.

“New” X-Men: I’ve gone on the record many times that the era just isn’t complete without Thunderbird or Storm in her Cockrum costume. Krakoa should get the BAF treatment at some point, too. I’d also like to see ML dive into the Hellfire Club.

X-Villains: See Hellfire Club. Also, more Reavers! Belasco! How about a S’ym BAF? Let’s go crazy, people?

Dani Moonstar

New Mutants: New Mutants have made a lot of progress in a short time. The forthcoming Walgreens Dani Moonstar/Wolfsbane/Karma is a real swing for the fences. Warlock wasn’t that long ago. Classic Cannonball, Sunspot, Cypher, Magma, and Magick need to happen, people! This would be a good spot for Legion, too.

X-Force: Similarly, a lot of progress here, too. Musts would have to be a classic Warpath, Feral, Rictor, and Siryn. What about Copycat? Some MLF members?

X-Factor: ‘90s X-Factor is having a big year with Madrox, the Havok/Polaris two-pack, and the Strong Guy BAF. We definitely need an X-Factor Wolfsbane to wrap that group. As far as other iterations, since we’ve got that ’85 Cyclops, what about the rest of the group in those outfits? Rusty and Skids? Or an Artie and Leech two-pack?

Havok/Polaris two-pack

Generation X: Marvel Legends hasn’t plumbed this area AT ALL. With Chamber and Mondo coming back to the books, maybe there’s an opening?

Excalibur: We’ve had a lot of ninja Psylocke/Kwannon. What about Outback Betsy? Or the Silvestri armor? Of the new Captain Britain look? Plus, Phoenix II, Meggan, Pete Wisdom, and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SHADOWCAT.

The Marauders: This is the name of the new nautically-themed X-book, but it also harkens back to Mr. Sinister’s crew. Apart from Sabretooth, not ONE has been a Legend. Scalphunter, Riptide, Arclight, Harpoon, Vertigo, and more are ripe for attention.

Other X: At the risk of getting laundry-listy . . . Sage, Thunderbird (Neal Shaara), Lifeguard, Kid Omega, Dr. Nemesis, the Young X-Men . . . yeesh. I started with team finishes, and now I keep thinking of other teams and line-ups that they need to START.

How about you, mutants? What are you looking for?

Super-Articulate: What Does Phase 4 Mean for Marvel Legends?

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Hey, kids. The dust settled on San Diego Comic-Con a couple of weeks back, and we had quite the earthquake of Marvel Studios news. I’m going to take a bit of a look at what we know about Phase 4 and just prognosticate on what we might get.

Generally, since 2014, every time there’s a film, we get at least one assortment associated with it. Typically, we’ve been getting something on the order of one Spidey assortment per year, one Avenger assortment (more or less), and others influenced by what’s on-screen. Examples include the Cap-centric Mandroid group of 2014, GOTG waves in 2014 and 2017, Doctor Strange in 2016, and so on. With that set-up place, let’s look at what’s coming, beginning in 2020.

Phase 4 was introduced with the idea that it will include both the films AND the Disney+ series. Films slated are Black Widow, The Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Thor: Love and Thunder, while the Disney+ series are The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, What If? (animated), Loki, and Hawkeye. I’m also going to note that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. wraps up next year, too, while Cloak and Dagger continues on FreeForm and Ghost Rider and Helstrom join Runaways on Hulu (though it’s questionable at this point if ANY of those canonically belong to the MCU. That’s a debate for another time).

It’s interesting to note that a lot of potential figures for items above have been covered in recent years or will be soon. There’s a classic comic-style Shang-Chi coming in a Spidey wave. Cloak and Dagger hit in a Spidey wave last year. The Mighty Thor (Jane), Loki, and Valkyrie were covered in the sole Ragnarok wave, with Loki and Valkyrie getting other versions in recent Avengers product (a Wal-Mart exclusive two-pack in Loki’s case). David Harbour is playing Red Guardian in Black Widow, and the comic version of RG appeared in the 2016 Cap wave. MCU Scarlet Witch and Vision were in a TRU exclusive two-pack more than a year ago, and other versions of both have found their way into other waves. Both MCU Falcon and Winter Soldier were in a Target exclusive two-pack last year, and Hawkeye’s Ronin persona was in this year’s second Endgame assortment. That’s a lot, right?

Marvel Studios Black Widow

Again, purely speculating, it seems likely that Black Widow will bring us a couple of Natashas (yeah, we’ve had some recently, too, but she’s the lead), Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Rachel Weisz’s Iron Maiden, and some form of Taskmaster (yeah, there have been 2 others in the last 3 years, but still). I’m going to publicly hope right now that, movie appearance or not, the BAF is Ursa Major. That would be very appropriate and very awesome.

Eternals

The Eternals, to me, is wide open. I figure we’ll get a nice round-up of the mains, like Ikarus, Thena, Ajak, Gilgamesh, and the rest. Similarly, Shang-Chi will obviously get us an MCU version of the lead and the first “real” Mandarin. It would be cool to see a classic comic Mandarin, too. Lots of room to move there.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

For Doctor Strange, well, it’s a bit harder. We have recent Wandas and Doctor Voodoo (who is rumored to appear). However, if they do introduced the rumored Clea and Nightmare, they could do them, the Doc, Wong (still not a Legend!), maybe a Damian Hellstrom (nod to the series) and get a cool assortment with an appropriate supernatural BAF. I actually think Thor: Love & Thunder has it the hardest, as ALL of the announced leads have had multiple figures in the past couple of years. That’s to say that they might not lean in hard; hell, they never did the Warriors Three, and I want a comic-style Volstagg BAF.

Agents of SHIELD

I would like to see TV’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. get some love before they go. Seven seasons, and no Quake? Or Agent May? Even if this turns into an exclusive boxed set repurposing Coulson and using Everett Ross parts for Fitz, etc, it would be great to see before they retire.

All right, kids, that’s just some initial speculation. What do you hope to see happen out of these various projects? Peggy as Cap? A new Kate Bishop? A new US Agent? Talk to us.

Super-Articulate: Catching Up on DC Multiverse

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As seen at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Mattel still has a few fine DC Multiverse figures to get out before they surrender the license to McFarlane. Among the figures are a terrific-looking Killer Croc Connect & Collect figure, Red Robin, Katana, Alfred (with three extra heads!) and Red Hood (Jason Todd). Currently shipping is the Titans-heavy Batman Ninja assortment featuring Nightwing, Starfire, Rebirth Wally West, Beast Boy, John Stewart, and TV Black Lightning; still in some stores and heavily moving on eBay is the Lobo assortment, featuring Kid Flash, Batman Beyond, Kingdom Come Superman, and Green Lantern Kyle Rayner. Rayner gets our look today.

“DC Rebirth” Kyle Rayner: It’s labelled as DC Rebirth, but this is really Classic Kyle Rayner. Hal’s Emerald Twilight replacement, the GL of Grant Morrison’s JLA, and the subject of many fine stories by Ron Marz and others, Kyle Rayner was the definitive GL of the late ‘90s and early 2000s. He’s been recostumed, renamed (Ion), rebranded, pushed aside, sent into deep space, given various love interests, lost love interests, and struggled to find his place on both a characterization level on a level of being part of a company that isn’t sure what to do with their “middle children.” (Seriously, what the hell happened to Connor Hawke?)

On the figure front, however, this is a GREAT job. The power effect is definitely appropriate to the Banks/Porter art of Green Lantern and JLA from the day. The battery looks good, and the figure itself is terrific. Imminently poseable with a great expression, this is a rock-solid Kyle Rayner.

DC Multiverse Store Report: At present, I have seen absolutely zero of the Batman Ninja wave in the Midwest. Shazam and Sivana continue to haunt stores, and Lobo wave figures still turn up. I only expect this to get worse, especially with THREE waves to get out before the end of the year (Killer Croc, Retro, Mammoth).

Flashback: Doctor Psycho: Doctor Psycho was part of a two-figure Collect & Connect wave that included Wonder Girl and Wonder Woman (DKIII version) in 2017. The torso and arms came with Wonder Woman, and the head and lower body came with Wonder Girl. I had absolutely no interest in the DKIII Wonder Woman, so I bided my time waiting to get the various pieces on eBay. I finally did. How do they look?

Doctor Psycho: Hey, not bad! This isn’t a great figure in terms of poseability, but he looks accurate as hell, particularly with the one slightly exaggerated eye. The appearance is influenced by the Villains United-era of the character. It’s not super-exciting, but I’m glad that it exists. I put him on the shelf next to DC Universe Classics Deathstroke and other villains.

While the Mattel era is almost over, they’ve given us A LOT of good stuff over the years. I’m going to keep up for now, and I’ll be interested to see what comes our way in the future. Thoughts, readers?

Super-Articulate: Marvel Legends Avengers Endgame Assortment 2

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We’ve been in the Endgame now since late April, and Marvel Legends is keeping us there with a pretty dynamic new assortment. Hasbro provided us this assortment free and for the purposes of our review, so we’d like to thank them. It’s a good group, kids. Let’s get into it.

This assortment is divided between some film-specific versions of characters and characters/versions drawn from the comics. It’s a good balance and the overall assortment is of very high quality. We’ll go comics first, and we’ve got to start with one of the most obscure figures ever produced for the line.

Rock Python: I can’t even begin to describe how delighted I am that this guy even exists. If you didn’t know, Rock Python is a villain, a member of the Serpent Society. The Society has been a running undercurrent in assortments for a few years now; in addition to the hard-to-find Viper/Madame Hydra from the 2012 Arnim Zola wave, we’ve had Constrictor (Terrax, 2012), Cottonmouth (Red Onslaught, 2016), Eel (Abomination, 2016), and King Kobra (Thanos, 2018). That’s a pretty good stealth build-up of a team that’s had a long history and a large roster. Rock Python is just a great addition because he’s got colors that you don’t necessarily see in a lot of costumes and that funky head. The sculpting is solid, especially on that unique head. I’ve always loved seeing lower-level villains, and I’m partially just in love with this one because it’s a crazy selection. It gives me hope that we’ll see more Society members like Sidewinder or Anaconda, because I love the low-key commitment to this team. Great choice.

Union Jack: While the last Union Jack was a decent figure, it was made as part of the hard-to-find Target Exclusive Red Hulk wave of 2008; I’d venture to say that a lot of people missed it (by the way, Hasbro, can we get a new Spiral next? Thanks). THIS Union Jack is very well-done. The body type is good, and the accessories are on-model for the character (Revolver? Check. Knife? Check.) The belt holds the accessories, and the paint job is great. I’m choosing to display the original with my “Invaders” group, while I’m putting this one with his fellow Knight of Pendragon, Captain Britain, and the other members to date (modern Blade, Black Knight) of MI:13.

Loki: This is the Loki that I’ve wanted for years. A comic-accurate first appearance-ish Loki. THIS is how I first encountered the character in comics and in animation. And they NAILED IT. I love this figure. The face, the attitude, the horns, the hair. This is exactly that Loki. Great sword, too. I also like that the collar is an independent piece; the scale-paint is well-handled as well. For longtime fans, this is a must-get. He’s got a home on my shelf with the “first appearance” Avengers. It’s so good, gang.

Beta Ray Bill: Beta Ray Bill has been rendered in a couple of worthy versions before. The Toy Biz figure from way back was really good for the time. The Simonson-esque take from the MODOK BAF wave from 2006 (also Toy Biz) is pretty good, too. The new figure is a modern take along the lines of the character’s representation from Annihilators, and it’s damn good. Let’s start with Stormbreaker; it’s a pretty perfect take on the comic version. For BRB himself, he’s appropriately tall and powerful-looking. The face sculpt, which is crucial for a character like this, is dead-on. The cape and shoulder elements are strong, which also serve as a reminder of Hasbro is doing consistently, and that’s paying attention to the details. They could have painted on Loki’s collar or ignored the straps on Bill that you only see at the torso joint on closer examination. But they didn’t; Hasbro is doing as much as they can in each figure, and it shows. It’s good work from top to bottom. For those that slavishly follow my shelf placement, this one replaces the old one with the Annihilators, while that one moves to the shelf with my Asgardians (Odin, Lady Sif, etc.).

The remaining four figures have their looks drawn either more or directly from Endgame.

War Machine: Guys. GUYS. When this was announced, I thought, “I don’t think I need another War Machine.” So, um, wrong. This is excellent. First off, it’s big. Secondly, the accessories are nicely sculpted and just look cool. The figure body itself boasts some intricate design work, and yes, it’s different than other recent armored bodies. I have not yet tried to hang a Rocket Raccoon figure on the right arm, but that day is coming. Other bits of note: the insignia on the left arm (nice work), the red in the shoulder cannon, the distinctive lines in the faceplate, and the eye details. Beyond my expectations.

Rescue: I’ll start with my one gripe. This should have had an extra head with the flipped-up faceplate like they did for the Iron Man and War Machine Age of Ultron figures. That seemed like a must, given the hero shot we get of Pepper’s landing and faceplate-raise in the final battle in Endgame. Alas, it is not here; I hope it shows up with a future figure. Other than that, I like it. Great color, for one thing. The swappable backpack unit (one closed, one open for blasting) makes great sense as an accessory. The figure manages to be thinner than Tony or Rhodey figures without being slight. Nice details abound, particularly on the head. The figure is also a smart choice, given the action of the film. Hasbro really went out of the way to get as many characters and looks as possible from Infinity War and Endgame represented, include clever measures (like the Target quantum suit two-pack with extra heads), BAFs, and the simple inclusion of figures like this. Nice.

Shuri: Can we just say perfect and move on? This is great. Incredible detail with the face-paint and the Panther gauntlets. Love the skirt and the fact someone sculpted fringe/stitching; that’s crazy. This is quite obviously a figure that was made with some love behind it. It’s great that Shuri has been a breakout character, and I’m happy that Hasbro made the effort to represent her in both comic form (in that two-pack with Klaw) and this film look. If you loved Black Panther, the last two Avengers films, or Shuri in general, this is a must-get for you.

Professor Hulk BAF: This is a perfectly fine Hulk figure with a pair of good head likenesses of Mark Ruffalo-as-The-Hulk. For me, though, it’s not an exciting Hulk. In part, that’s because we’re abundantly blessed with Hulkiness this year. From the Retro SDCC exclusive to the Hulk in the Wolverine two-pack, we’re getting a lot of distinct Hulks. This one, however well-made, doesn’t quite get over the top. If it had glasses and a labcoat or a quantum suit or a swappable “post-snap” mangled arm or an Iron Man Infinity Gauntlet hand, then yeah . . . I’d be more enthusiastic. As it is, it’s a fine figure but suffers a bit in comparison to the abundance of gamma-ray-riches we get this year. Nice heads, though.

There we go, readers! What are your thoughts? Do you have a favorite? And what are you looking forward to at SDCC?

Super-Articulate: Marvel Legends Spider-Man: Far From Home/Molten Man assortment

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Greetings, kids, and happy Marvel Movie Day! Yes, we’re moving the column up a couple of days this week because of a) Fourth of July, and b) it’s extremely appropriate to run this on the day that Spider-Man: Far From Home opens wide. Once again, we thank the fine people at Hasbro for providing this set of figures free to us for the purposes of review. Let’s dig in; I think you’re going to like it.

Assortment Overview: Upon the initial reveals, the figure that I was most excited for was the Doppelganger. I’d been waiting for this one for quite some time, as I’ve always liked the look of the character and thought it would be another fine addition to the line. Seeing this line in person, though . . . wow. They nailed this. On with it.

Spider-Man: The basic Far From Home Spidey in the red and black suit is simply another stellar entry in Hasbro’s long history of crushing it with Spidey. I love the fact that the company created the distinct teen bucks several years ago, and they continue to deploy them in excellent fashion. As the line goes on, things like scale get more important, not less, and the smaller teen body for the movie Spider-Man just makes perfect sense. It’s got a great paint job overall, and it’s imminently poseable (it makes for an excellent Spidey crouch). This figure comes with an extra set of hands (one set of fists, one set of Thwips). This is also the one in the assortment that DOES NOT include a BAF figure, so it’s a great stand-alone buy for casual fans or young fans just getting into Legends. It would be a great desk-shelf-rider at work, too. Very nice.

Spider-Man (black/stealth suit): Possibly the least essential entry in the assortment, but it still looks great. The best part for me is the extra head with the flipped-up goggles. Again, the body type is a crucial element in what makes it good. There’s also really nice texturing and detail on the figure. Like the regular Spidey, it also comes with two sets one hands (fists and Thwips).

Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter): Julia first appeared in the original Secret Wars comic from 1984. She later became a member of the West Coast Avengers, Force Works, and Omega Flight. These days, she’s the new Madame Web. There’s been one prior ML Carpenter in her classic look (a variant in the 2006 Toy Biz MODOK wave), and it was decent. This one, however, is a huge leap forward. The hair alone is tremendous; I included a close-up shot that puts a fine point on how good Hasbro has gotten with the hair on the female figures in the past couple of years. This is a strong figure. It also comes with a “psychic web” accessory that’s attached to a swappable right hand; it looks pretty good. This is a well-done figure and a good inclusion for people that didn’t get the other one from (wow) 13 years ago.

Doppelganger Spider-Man: We knew when we saw the Six-Armed Spidey from the Kingpin assortment that this one would be on the way. That torso type obviously paved the road for it. Doppelganger is much better than that (nevertheless enjoyable) figure, as it adds a level of articulation to the extra arms that pairs well with the other details, like a solid head sculpt, and comic-accurate monstrous feet. As I said, this is the first one that I was here for in this wave, and it doesn’t disappoint me. I also like that the packaging mentions the infusion of demon-power from the Demogoblin; frankly, I think it would be cool to see a couple of other (comics) Infinity War Doppelgangers, but I know that the Spider-version is the one that’s actually hung around in continuity. I would ALSO like to see this new body type applied for an Outrider, which I think would be a great army-builder figure.

Scorpion: Holy crap, kids. This is a GREAT figure out of the package. The tail is ENORMOUS. I love that this is also a classic look that reminds me of when I first encountered the character as a kid. The articulation on the figure and the bendable nature of the tail combine to make this a figure with a lot of posing options. Great, solid color overall, and the defined lines created the ribbed look of the costume are great. This is one of my favorites in the group, which I didn’t expect at all. The second I had it out of the box, it won me over. If you don’t have a prior version of Mac Gargan, you’re doing to want this; if you DO have a prior version, you probably want this.

Hydro-Man: Now this . . . THIS is Hydro-Man. There was a Hydro-Man in the 17th wave of the Legends-adjacent Spider-Man Classics in 2006, but he’s got absolutely nothing on this. This is a classic, comic-accurate, HUGE Hydro-Man with a pair of absolutely amazing “water arms”. The size and weight of the arms make it a little more difficult to stand on its own; HOWEVER, the clever addition of the watery foot covers provides a sturdier base. You can actually see the problem-solving that went into the question of how to provide a figure that is both dynamic and impressive while being engineered to, you know, stand up. Kudos to Hasbro for demonstrating the time and care to address that while simultaneously making a great-looking figure. Also, that face! What a great, smarmy villain expression. Hydro-Man is a big win.

Movie Mysterio: I’ll register one small complaint: it would have been nice to have a Gyllenhead. Regardless, this is a terrific interpretation of both the movie version and one of the greatest crazy-looking characters in comics. The fishbowl head is just right, and the costume detail is positively ornate. It’s a really beautiful sculpt. I expect this to be a very popular figure in its own right. Solid, solid work.

Molten Man BAF: My 14 and 12-year-old sons get to weigh in for a moment. They LOVE this Build-A-Figure. Based on the movie form rather than the frequently shiny-gold, frequently burning Mark Raxton of the comics, this melted monstrosity is one of the reasons that we have the BAF format in the first place. This figure feels like the sculpting team just went crazy, and that’s a good thing. There are literally girders sticking out of it. And it’s HUGE. I’ve always embraced the BAF concept, but I really like when it’s used to give us unusual or oversized figures; this checks both boxes and does it well. Sure, I’d like to see classic Raxton at some point, but this thing is great. I’m happy that it exists, and I know a lot of people will dig it.

There you go. Thanks again to Hasbro for another win; next time, we’ll be looking at the next Marvel Legends Avengers: Endgame assortment. Tell us your thoughts, campers.

Super-Articulate: Making the Majestrix (and Infamous Iron Man!)

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A while back, I wrote about the Walgreens Exclusive Mystique. If you recall, that figure came with a couple of alternate heads, including one of Empress Lilandra Neramani, Majestrix of the Sh’iar Empire. This was part of the recent Hasbro/Marvel Legends trend to include accessories that enables the assemblage of new characters that aren’t otherwise available. Another example is the extra Reaver head included with Skullbuster, or the Shadow King head packed with Professor X that fits the Kingpin BAF. It was pointed out pretty quickly, both by observant writers and Hasbro staff, that the Silver Sable figure from the Kingpin wave would make a great body for a custom Lilandra (particularly given the resemblance to her costume and looks we’ve seen for Lilandra, such as the cover to New X-Men #122. I decided to take a crack at that myself.

I picked up an extra Silver Sable on eBay. My first step was remove the head (it just pulls off, of course) and the various holsters, straps, and belts. The thigh holsters and harness are easily removed; I decide to clip the belt because I had another use for the parts later, but you can remove it by other means. With the basic headless figure in place, I added the Lilandra head. I decided to keep the small blaster, but I filled the “new” figure’s other hand with a trident that came with the Namor from the ML Ronan wave from 2007. I felt like that trident was appropriate as it has a decorative look that I would associate with other staffs that Lilandra’s held in the comics. Also, I have that Namor with my Invaders team display, and he never really used the trident in those comics from my youth. For the cape, I took a remnant from some craft fabric that my wife had; it’s got bit of a shiny, satiny look and feel, so it was that sort of sci-fi weight to it. I eyeballed the cut-size based on the Black Knight cape, and then I wrapped the top a bit before clipping it in the back. And THAT became my Lilandra figure. As Bob Ross says, you can do yours any way you want it, but I was pretty happy with how mine turned out. Good on Hasbro for coming up with clever ways to expand the universe of characters.

Speaking of expanding the universe, I finally got ahold of the Walgreens Exclusive Infamous Iron Man. Infamous Iron Man was a 12-issue series that ran in the wake of Civil War II from the team of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. In the book, Doom takes over for then-dead-A.I.-Tony Stark to try to help the world. As such, Doom combines his traditional look with one of the modern Iron Man looks. The result is a pretty cool figure. The extra head is Vic’s unscarred face (a result of Secret Wars, etc.); the figure also comes with extra hands and four power effects. This is definitely a figure that’s cooler in person. I like the cape sculpting, and the standard head is great. You can vary the power effects with the multiple attachments (as you can see in the photo of one “smoldering” hand and one “shooting” hand). It’s typically solid Marvel Legends work, and I dig it. If you haven’t found one yet, keep an eye out; incidentally, I’m hearing that the Walgreens Exclusive Emma Frost (in black, new sculpt) hits soon, so be prepared.

SDCC is right around the corner. What do you hope to see?

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