Marvel Legends Blade Figure Review & Photos Man-Thing Series

It’s the very last Marvel Legends review of 2017 here on Marvel Toy News! Whether or not I saved “the best” for last I’ll discuss in a bit, but there’s no question today’s figure is the one from the Netflix series we’ve been waiting longest for! Hasbro announced a 6” Blade figure way back in 2012–and 5 years later, he’s finally arrived (with a totally different mold)! Is this Marvel Legends Blade figure worthy of 17 bucks shipped online—not to mention the half a decade wait it took for his release?

Marvel Legends Blade Review

Okay, so this review is gonna require a quick history lesson (believe it or not). While Toybiz released a movie-based Marvel Legends Blade the Vampire Hunter figure way way back in 2003, that was the end of the road 6” toy-wise for Marvel’s most famous Vampire Hunter for nearly a full decade.

Hasbro announced a new 6” Blade figure as part of their (Return of) Marvel Legends Epic Heroes series as a case-swap with Punisher in 2012, but that figure (and poor Dani Moonstar from the same wave) simply never came to be.

Marvel Universe Blade Figure Carded PackagedWe did get a 3.75” Blade Marvel Universe figure in the same basic style in 2008, but we’ve been stuck in a holding pattern waiting for a new Blade 6” figure for over half a decade.

Marvel Legends Blade the Vampire Hunter Variant Running Change Figure PackagedFinally, Hasbro revealed a completely different Blade six inch figure in this fall’s Marvel Knights Legends (Netflix Series) wave—and this time, the action figure actually got released. Was it really worth waiting all these years for…?

Well… maybe.You’ll notice that I haven’t split this review into my usual sections of “Right” and “Wrong”, because I feel like the two are intertwined in most aspects in this instance.

Netflix Marvel Legends Blade Figure PackagedThe main thing I don’t like about this figure is, well… the design. While much of the tooling from the scrapped Blade Legends figure from 2012 is a bit outdated these days, that figure depicted the classic, trench coat-wearing Vampire Hunter. The figure we get in the Netflix Legends wave, well… doesn’t.

Box Back ML Blade Figure 2017 HasbroThis is the more modern version of Blade, as seen in the “Curse of the Mutants” comic book story arc (and as a **** character in Marvel Puzzle Quest). Totally switching up and getting a modern Blade figure after waiting five years for a classic version does feel sort of hollow to me, and I think it’s a bit of a divisive choice.

Marvel Legends Man-Thing Series Blade Figure and AccessoriesWe do get two head sculpts for this Blade—one portrait with a full head of hair and one partly-bald head with stripes of hair. I’m a huge fan of alternate heads, but I’m sort of let down by this pair, as both are basically the same stoic, glasses-wearing, expression-less Blade head… just with varying amounts of hair.

Blade Marvel Legends 6" Figure ReviewIn comparison with the very cool vampire teeth-bared head on the cancelled figure, these two heads are just a bit underwhelming.

Blade Marvel Legends Netflix Series Figure Wielding SwordAside from his interchangeable extra head and Man-Thing Build-A-Figure leg, Blade has one more accessory: a sword. The sword hilt is nicely decorated, but I was really let down that he doesn’t come with any extra weapons.

Hasbro Marvel Legends Blade Man-Thing Series Six Inch FigureThe 2012 Blade that we didn’t get would have come with several guns, and I feel like Hasbro should have at least given us a wooden stake with the figure. With just the sword and the expressionless heads, I feel like there’s a real lack of interesting poses to put this figure into.

Blade Marvel Legends Sword in SheathThe fact that the sword is very loosely-gripped and wobbly unless it’s being held by both hands at once doesn’t help. The sword can be stored in the sheath on Blade’s bandolier add-on piece, however, which I always dig.

Ammo Clip on leg of Hasbro Marvel Legends Blade FigureThe Marvel Legends Blade figure actually has two add-on pieces to the basic figure mold: a strapped ammo clip for his left thigh and the aforementioned bandolier.

Back of Marvel Legends Blade Vampire Hunter Action FigureBoth have solid paint deco on them (and I do love all the non-removable stakes on the bandolier), although they can easily be jostled and fall out of place whenever you move the figure.

2017 Marvel Knights Legends Blade Figure

The textured upper torso “vest” is probably my favorite part of the mold, as the detailed sculpting looks really snazzy. His lower body is a bit generic in comparison, but matches the source material well.

We get the usual super-articulation scheme for ML Blade: ball-hinge neck and shoulders; double-hinge knees and elbows; swivel biceps/thighs/boots/waist; swivel-hinge wrists; ball hips; ab crunch and hinged ankles with rockers. The articulation we expect is all here and works well. Good job as always, Hasbro.

Marvel Legends 2017 Blade 6" Figure ReviewOverall: While I’m glad that we’ve gotten a Hasbro Blade figure at long last, it just isn’t a figure that I’m blown away by. Ignoring the fact that I prefer the trench coat look for Blade, this version comes with just one weapon (and no stake!), two expression-less heads, some floppy overlay pieces, and a sword that he won’t grip tightly.

This is far from being a “bad” figure, but this Marvel Legends Blade is rather basic and is my least favorite figure from a series that’s otherwise outstanding.  Whereas every other figure in the Man-Thing series really impressed me in some manner or other, Blade just feels more limited and “plain” than the other figures in this series.

GRADE: C+

Comments

Marvel Legends Blade Figure Review & Photos Man-Thing Series — 7 Comments

  1. There’s been an issue with Blade and his upper back thighs that makes him bend forward instead of standing straight. Has that been fixed as of this review?

  2. his chest looks odd, hes got big guns and a flat looking chest with scrawny legs.
    too bad theyll never make Wesley Snipes Blade, that guy is the definition of cool

  3. I’ve just never had any interest in the character. I’d get him if it was all I needed to complete the build a figure, but otherwise, not even on my radar. Is this really the last review from 2017? Seems like there are still figures unreviewed. Cyclops and Pheonix two pack exclusive from Toys R Us? Any others?

  4. That “generic” lower body is surprisingly mostly ASM2 Electro. The little nub/port on his thing actually keeps the leg strap thing from fitting tightly.

  5. Definitely felt this figure was missing something, and after seeing the unreleased version I took the trench coat off of a 3-pack Nick Fury and gave it to Blade, he looks pretty kick ass

  6. i agree the sword is garbage, luckily the toybiz movie sword fits his hand perfectly. i am curious how you can consider that cancelled blade figure his “classic” look? his classic attire is 70s tomb of dracula or 90s nightstalkers. he only ever had that head appearance in 4 issues of a modern miniseries. and he never once appeared in a comic wearing a coat with red lining. while he has occassionally appeared wearing a trench coat, thats something that came from the movies. so how is a movie based body with a comic head his “classic attire”.

    ultimate blade wears a trench coat alot as he is basically movie blade. and thats the alternate head sculpt with the hair. and thats what the chest scabbard is for too. as for the weapons from that cancelled figure, blade wouldnt use a shotgun or machine gun so those would be useless, and he only wouldve had them because he was the case swap for punisher. this is essentially 2 figures in one which is great, the only flaw this figure has is that its missing his 2 katanas. but im sure most of us have a lot of extra swords. any deadpool swords fit perfect.