Originally posted
http://www.zedsjoesite.com/review/random/random.htmlSorry I am soooo far behind on reviews but here is yet another, trying to pick up the pace but time isn't my friend.
When X-23 first appeared in comics, I got a strong feeling of “been there, done that.” Ignore the old comic standard of the younger female version of the main superhero as with Batgirl and Supergirl for a moment. I saw X-23 and instantly flashed back to the old Marvel comedy comic What The-!? and the issue featuring Wolverinia, a female version of Wolverine intended to boost sales (NOTE: that was the joke of her appearance). At the same time I also flashed back to the original Guardians of the Galaxy series which featured Rancor, an ancestor of Wolverine in the alternate future who leads a group of mutants that had left Earth centuries before. Rancor was a pretty mean villain for the series but she still had a great deal of similarities to X-23.
Some like X-23 and I can see that, but her character often feels like Wolverine lite, same great taste with half the killing. She isn’t terrible but at the same time there is nothing really unique to her as well. Then again in an age that has half a dozen Avengers and X-Men comics that might be a working formula.
It is a bit of a surprise to note that it has taken nearly three years for X-23 to make an appearance in the Marvel Universe line. Her appearance heralds a new female mold at last. The old female mold was loaded with issues, not the least of which was the fact that the arms were so much less than what they could be. So is this new mold a good rectification of that, in some ways.
The arms are much better with elbow swivel and wrist/forearm articulation at last on a female. It seems odd that it took Hasbro so long to put this very basic articulation on their female figures, but at last here it is. The legs have thigh swivels and calf swivels as well. This is where the figure becomes a bit of a problem though because her hips are very hard to move from side to side. Side kicks are near impossible with the new articulation and putting the leg more than 45 degrees forward is a huge annoyance too. In addition there are tons of paint issues that could have easily have been avoided with a little quality control. But one of the worst parts of my figure is the way she was packed. She was packed incorrectly in the box with her thigh swivel going to wrong way. As such her right leg got very bent and distorted. This is the only time I have seen her at retail so I couldn’t pass her up. At this point I have tried to straighten it with a few techniques, but the hard to move hips have prevented the simpler solutions from working very effectively. She has a belt that is not part of the mold that is pretty cool though.
Her head sculpt is good, but something about her paint on her face is a bit off. I know they are trying to emulate the mask she wears in X-force, but at a distance she looks like a raccoon. Of course her paint job of silver and black doesn’t match up with X-force’s three pack and is closer to the single packed X-Force Wolverine. What this means is that no matter how hard one tries, they will have at least one oddball figure in their X-Force (probably Deadpool). Beyond the mask the outfit chosen works great, I like it overall but can’t help think this figure could be so much more.
She’s a good figure, but not great, and Hasbro’s QC issues make an alright figure less than she can be. Still I can’t say avoid her, but I would not recommend her at the same time. Get her if you are a big X-fan or curious about the new female mold. However, if you are not a huge X-23 fan, let her pass, there are plenty of women with the new mold coming.
One of the founding members of the X-Men, X-Factor, and The Champions as well as a member of the Defenders Iceman sure gets around. He is probably one of the more recognizable characters in Marvel with appearances in X-Men films and the ever popular Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends (Who’s popularity is often ignored for introducing many to the Marvel Universe). Even if people are indifferent to his character, his powers do stick out and make him noticeable. So even though he is just under being a household name, I was kind of surprised to see him getting yet a third figure from Hasbro.
Up front I want to make something perfectly clear, many reviewers have said this is a repaint of the X-Men Origins Wolverine version of the figure, it’s not. It’s actually a repaint of the TRU Exclusive Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends version. The two figures are strikingly different and the only reason I can think someone might make a mistake like that is they just did not get a good look at the XMO version.
I will say I slightly prefer the XMO version and really if you have that one you really aren’t missing much with this latest one. That isn’t to say he is bad, but nothing new. The costume is clearly his X-Factor uniform and that is why I wanted to grab him. X-Factor is one of those books I really enjoyed back in the day and would love to see X-Factor versions of Angel, Cyclops, Jean, and Beast in the near future.
He comes with one of those blasts like Iron Man has had over and over. A huge part of me wants Hasbro to do a new blast because this one was boring when they first started producing it. I suppose it could be worse though.
The silver highlights the figure well without clashing on the translucent parts. It’s a great color choice for that part of the figure to bring out that X-Factor uniform without destroying the look of the figure. There were other ways to have handled it but I think most of them would have not given us the cool effect the silver has. Iceman feels to be frosted over as well, which is fine but unexpected. The feel of the figure is something to get used to and not the smooth feel you would expect.
The verdict, if you don’t have an Iceman in your collection, he is a great one for your X-Men. If you have the X-Men Origins version you really can pass on this one, he is cool but not as cool as that release. However he is slightly better than the TRU pack version which is something to consider if you have that version.
The 1990’s were an odd and fun time in comics, there were tons of reboots and new characters popping up out of nowhere and many of them were pretty original and different from the established norm. One of my absolute favorite characters from Marvel in that era is Darkhawk. The first 20 or so issues of his series are probably some of my all time favorite superhero comics. I admit the series lost its luster after that point, but the comics were so well done the memories of them stick with me to this day and are some of the few comics from that era I insist on keeping. Darkhawk didn’t suffer the problems of special covers until around issue 25 (With a foil cover) which made him stand out as well. In a time where gimmicks ruled Darkhawk had a classic feel to him. In many ways his series reminded me of Spider-Man’s old series, a teenager with great powers trying to figure out exactly what he can do and what his limitations are.
Darkhawk is one of the last characters I ever expected to see in the Marvel Universe line. I love him but at the same time I can understand that not everyone feels the way I do. Yet in my searches for Marvel Universe figures, he has been one that is very hard to find (along with X-23) which gives me a bit of pride because it appears Darkhawk might be getting the love I think he deserves.
The figure is pretty standard fair as he uses that same lanky body that has been used for characters like Loki and Iceman. This works for Darkhawk has he was often portrayed as thin and quick. His wings are another great feature that snaps on. They work one hundred times better than the webs on Spider-Woman and part of me wishes she had a similar set up. The wings click into Darkhawk’s gauntlets perfectly and do not fall out easily. This allows for some interesting action poses with him. He also has a claw in his right hand. As far as I can tell this is not removable (I have tried, believe me). It appears as if something could go into the left gauntlet in the same place. I’m not sure if this is intentional (Implying the claw is supposed to come out) or if it is simply reusing the gauntlet to keep the tooling costs down.
The amulet and shoulder pads are attached tightly. They appear to be separate pieces but are glued down tight and are not going anywhere. The head sculpt is dead on and looks great. The head is easily identifiable and recognizable.
Darkhawk is one of those characters that has bounced around the Marvel Universe. I can understand him not being high on anyone’s want list. Still he is a great supporting character for the Avengers, Fantastic Four and almost any Marvel team. I have to give this figure a very high recommendation.
To me, Dr. Strange is quite possibly one of the BEST supporting characters in the Marvel Universe. I say supporting because (as much as I hate to admit it) I just don’t feel he can support a full series on his own. Strange is cool, one of the coolest but each time someone tries their hand at a monthly Dr. Strange comic it falls very short of the mark. I don’t think anyone has gotten Strange right as a character since his initial run. Still he is that guy everyone turns to when hell LITERALLY breaks loose.
I often think that fans and writers downplay (or flat don’t understand) Strange’s power levels. The man fights demons all the time. Demons that could wipe out most of the heroes in the Marvel Universe, that alone shows just how powerful his magic is. I think part of the problem is that Strange suffers from the stereotype of a weak spell caster. Long time fans know he is anything but weak but to the uninitiated this might be an unfamiliar and thus they tend to think of Strange as having great powers but only if he has time to speak first. Underestimating someone of Strange’s power level is exactly what causes villains like Mephesto and Dormammu to lose against him, and that is how we prefer it too.
Strange has been hard to find, he is a popular character and he completes a very important team (The Defenders, one of my favorites). Although truth be told I think we need that last (New) Hulk (With some great articulation) to truly complete the Defenders, I am happy tossing World War Hulk in there for now.
As can be seen in the pictures, Strange does suffer some paint issues (Primarily in the eye and cape toward the bottom) but I will let it slide now since this figure is so very cool. The first thing I did was get him out and see if he could do the levitation stance like the Marvel Legends figure. Well kind of, as long as you got something holding his cape up (as you can see I had to use the battle stand to keep him up). His mold looks mostly new, although it appears the legs might be from the most recent Cyclops figure. They look too thin at first but they do match up when compared.
Strange looks great, just like his comic appearance he is colorful but not to the degree he seems unrealistic. Strange is one of the few superheroes that can pull this off as well (Although attempts to bring him to live action haven’t translated well, but there are other reasons for that).
Dr. Strange also should be noted for having wrist articulation. This is very notable as Marvel Universe figures are not known for this and is something that fits Dr. Strange perfectly. He also has the look up head, but due to the cape he can’t look up as much as I would like. Still it’s cool that he has it. The cap is pure perfection and a dead match for his comic appearance. The added details of the skirt, poofy sleeves, and sash on the waist are all icing on the cake here.
The verdict, my highest possible recommendation, Dr. Strange is an integral character being a founder of the Defenders, a member of the Illuminati, and now having been an Avenger. Added to that he is a pretty darn great figure overall. He has an astral variant as well, but that version has eluded me at the moment. Still he is one of the best figures Marvel Universe had done to date and deserves a spot in almost any collection.
So there you go, keep on the look out here and Marvelous News for more reviews-when I get the chance that is. Until next time-FOUR MINUTES FOR A COFFEE!
