Before I even got my set of Spider-Man Marvel Legends Infinite Series figures in the mail, I already had preconceived notions of which were going to be the figures I adored and which would be the ones that I liked… less. The 2014 Marvel Legends Ultimate Beetle figure fit into the latter category. To my surprise, though, I was so impressed with the Ultimate Beetle figure, I decided to lead off my Marvel Legends 2014 Spider-Man reviews with him…
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I started off my Captain America Marvel Legends 2014 reviews last week with Baron Zemo, Captain America’s greatest enemy (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). But Zemo isn’t the only major Captain America villain in this assortment–Cap’s other greatest enemy also got a brand-new Marvel Legends figure to kick off the new year. But while Red Skull is about as popular and recognizable as Captain America villains come, the Captain America Marvel Legends Red Skull figure definitely has its share of shortcomings…
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As I’ve said a couple times before, I’m a total Baron Zemo fanboy. So when I came face-to-face with a fresh case of Captain America Marvel Legends 2014 figures at my local Toys R Us, it wasn’t the Marvel Legends AIM Trooper or Hydra Soldier I reached for first–it was Zemo. (I reached out and grabbed the army-builders a half-second later.) And now that it’s come time to start reviewing the 2014 Marvel Legends figures, I’ll begin with Baron Zemo once again…
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I’ve talked a great deal about Marvel Hot Toys figures since I started this blog (especially about the Hot Toys Avengers figures), but I haven’t put forward an official Avengers Hot Toys figure review–until now.
Last week I received the biggest Marvel Hot Toys figure ever released, and though he’s the most atypical figure in the line so far, I figured I’d begin my reviews with him. It’s the absolutely massive beast that is MMS 186: the Avengers Hot Toys Hulk sixth scale figure!
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Over the course of the last month, I’ve talked about the highs of Marvel Legends Wave 6 (Black Panther and The Wrecker) and the lows of the set (like Jim Lee Jean Grey) in my series of Marvel Legends 2013 figure reviews. So it seems pretty fitting that I end the series of reviews with the figure from the set that’s the most in the middle of the road as neither especially good nor particularly bad. Though he’s not the version most collectors wanted to see first, it’s the Marvel NOW! Marvel Legends Hawkeye figure!
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When Hasbro announced the return of Marvel Legends figures, there was perhaps no character I heard more requests (and begging) for than a 90’s style Jim Lee Jean Grey figure.
Well, it’s taken until Wave 5, but the Marvel Legends Jean Grey Jim Lee variant has arrived! Unfortunately, even if expectations hadn’t been so sky-high for this figure, I still think that poor Jean would be considered a disappointment…
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After a brief recession to enjoy this bounty of new Marvel Legends 2013 figures that Hasbro has bequeathed upon us, I’m fully recharged and ready to review the second half of Marvel Legends Wave 5! This time, it’s the penultimate member of the Wrecking Crew–its leader and most famous member–Marvel Legends The Wrecker!
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If you’ve looked at the header for Marvel Toy News (or the Facebook cover, or the Twitter icon or the Facebook avatar), then you might have some suspicions that I have a ‘thing’ for the Scarlet Spider. And you would be absolutely right. I am a huge fan of the current Marvel Comics ongoing “Scarlet Spider” book by Christoper Yost, and as such this was my most-anticipated Marvel Legends figure of 2013 (after the raccoon). Though this Marvel Legends Scarlet Spider figure ends up feeling like a rehash (because it is), I like it all the same anyway….
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I would love to start off this review recounting my decades of love for the Marvel comic books featuring the Black Panther, but, well… I’ve always been pretty ambivalent toward T’Challa. I’ve read all of his first appearances in the classic stories, but he’s just never struck a chord with me. That said, for the second time he’s been released in a series of Marvel Legends figures with a Build-A-Figure that I want, which means I just purchased my second Marvel Legends Black Panther figure–from the 2013 Marvel Legends Wave 5 Rocket Raccoon Series…
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To my deep appreciation, Hasbro has released the summer 2013 Marvel Legends Wave 5 set on time, and now the reviews can begin. Ordinarily I’d start with the individuals and work my way up to the Build-A-Figure, but lets skip to the chase this time and talk about what I really care about in this set: the anthropomorphic raccoon! It’s the Marvel Legends Rocket Raccoon Build-A-Figure–and it… is… awesome!
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When Marvel relaunched the cosmic side of their universe with “Annihilation”, the only book that could be considered a hit was “Nova”. And when I say “Nova” was a “hit”, I mean it took three years for it to be cancelled–these days that’s practically an eternity for a secondary character like Nova to have a solo series! So Richard Rider Nova was killed off. But with the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie coming next year, Hasbro is excited about Marvel cosmic once again. Thus the icon of that wing of Marvel has arrived in figure form: it’s the Wave 21 Marvel Universe Nova action figure!
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Nightcrawler has a special place in my heart, as the Toybiz X-Men Nightcrawler Series 1 figure was the first X-Men action figure I ever bought (of hundreds). These days, Nightcrawler doesn’t get too much love from toy companies (what with being dead and all). I recently gave up my unwarranted avoidance of Marvel Select figures, so when the Marvel Select Nightcrawler figure released this week, he was a must-buy for me. And while Nightcrawler turns out to be my least-favorite Diamond Select Toys Marvel Select figure I’ve bought so far, I still think he’s worth picking up…
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I spent my entire life hating Venom, right up until I realized I actually love Venom. See, the monstrous, slobbering tongue, anti-hero Venom from the 1990’s just didn’t do it for me (sorry). But when I read Rick Remender’s “Venom” comic book series, the character of Venom really resonated with me for the first time ever. And for some inexplicable reason, my fandom of the modern Flash Thompson Venom has colored my feelings for the Eddie Brock “classic” Venom as well. So, although I’d gone my whole life without owning a Venom toy, I couldn’t resist purchasing the Diamond Select Toys Marvel Select Venom figure…
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