Would you like to see your site or product advertised
on Fanboy's Closet?

Contact Us!

Are Complex Comic Backstories Damaging Videogames?





 

 

ToyBox Review: Arkham Asylum Joker
Posted on: October 21, 2011 by admin.

With the release of Arkham City this past Tuesday, I thought it well passed time to finish up my DCD Arkham Asylum toy reviews. With that in mind, today we're looking at the Clown Prince of Crime himself - the Joker.


First Impressions

Ever since Arkham Asylum came out two years ago, I'd wanted to play it. The hype about the game play, story, and voice acting was too much to resist, so when the time came and I bought a Play station 3, it was the first game on my list to get. I was not disappointed.

Set over the course of one night, Batman must battle his way through the released inmates and his own Rogue’s Gallery of the Asylum, and bring order back to the small island before anyone can make it to the mainland. The Joker is of course the mastermind behind all the chaos going on at Gotham's local Looney bin, so it's only natural that he would be one of the first four toys in wave 1.

What's Good About Him?

Did you know that the artist responsible for this rendition of the Joker is none other than Jim Lee? Yup, Paul Dini wrote the story, and Lee designed the characters, is it really a wonder that the game was successful as it was?

Like the Scarecrow, I'm a huge fan of this version of the Joker. It's a middle ground between the uber realistic portrayal of Alex Ross the more flamboyant depictions found in the comics. The costume is the same, purple suit that seems to have become synonymous with the character, but it's a lot more gritty here. DC Direct is known for their commitment to details on their toys, and Joker is certainly no exception. While he is wearing his best (only) clothes, if you look close you can see all sorts of patches and general wear and tear on the suit. My favorite piece has to be the dead flower on his lapel, and it's always amazed me what great condition those flowers are usually in, even after squirting acid for the millionth time.

There's also a small, metal chain that is attached to ... something under his vest and jacket. It’s a strange piece to have on the toy, seeing as how it's purely cosmetic, and could have been just as easily sculpted into the plastic. Still, I think it speaks volumes for the commitment that DC Direct puts into their product.

And of course, how could I talk about the beauty of the toy’s likeness WITHOUT going into the head? This has got to be one of the creepiest looking Jokers of all time, and the head is what's mostly responsible for that. The face is a classic, albeit darker version of Joker and features a horrifying, white-toothed smile and possibly the craziest looking (not to mention realistic) eyes I’ve ever seen. There’s also a nicely sculpted receding hairline and some wrinkles around the face – Joker seems to be getting up there in years.

What's Bad About Him?

For a toy to be truly great there must always be a balance between good looks and good articulation. Sadly, movement is where Joker falls short. Initially, I was happy with his posability, which has movement at the legs, feet, arms, and neck. But I soon discovered that he had a small, fatal flaw: unlike Harley Quinn and Scarecrow, Joker lacks a swivel joint on his elbow. It may not sound like much, but without that joint, it's REALLY difficult to pose the character properly. You would think that such a minor omission wouldn’t be a problem, but you'd also be surprised how needed that joint is, and how robotic he can look because of it. It's really disappointing, especially because it is such a small thing with such big consequences.

Accessories

While they don't come with a lot of extras, these toys don't exactly come sparse, either. In Joker’s case, he comes with an in-scale Scarface puppet. Why a Scarface? Because there's a scene in the game where The Ventriloquist dummy is featured. It's an odd choice, and Joker may have been better suited with the toxin gun Harley came with, but it's still a really cool accessory nonetheless. As I said, it's in scale and sculpted incredibly well. It also has 5 points of movement (head, arms, legs), and can be fit snuggly on the Jokers hand.

Final Thoughts


DC Direct is well known for their ability to produce faithful, well-sculpted likenesses of their comic brands;  That’s once again been proven here with the Joker, who looks like he stepped right off the game and into the real world. Even though this toy has some joint issues, it’s still one of my favorites in the line, and looks great on my display shelf with the other toys from the line. Any comic or Batman fans out there would do well to think about picking this one up – he’s a great addition to any collection.

Final Score – 4/5

You can buy this DC Direct Joker at Amazon

You can also pick up the Batman Arkham Asylum Game

For more pictures check out the Arkham Asylum Joker Photobucket Page


This article has 0 comments.
Comment now!



Toy Box Review: Hawkgirl/Gentleman Ghost Boxset
Posted on: September 30, 2011 by admin.

Celebrations Galore this week in the Toy box Review, as I take a look at the Mattel Hawkgirl/Gentleman Ghost two-pack released for DC Universe.

First Impressions

Damn...just DAY-YUM! Was this a long time in coming!

As some of you may remember from my Aquaman review, Mattel has an... Inclination to short pack toys in its waves, and waaaay back in the sixth series, none were scarcer than Hawkgirl and Gentleman Ghost. Both were notoriously hard to find, and collectors went wild trying to hunt down carded characters, both for the toys themselves, and also the "accessories" they came with (more on that later). Finally, after years of badgering, Mattel gave in to the fans and released this two-pack to appease them. Was it a success? Partly. Why? Read on to find out!

From the Box

During ancient Egypt's 15th dynasty, Princess Chay-Ara and her beloved Prince Khufu discovered a downed Thanagarian space craft. After their murder the couple's exposure to the ship's anti-gravity Nth metal has destined them to be reincarnated through the ages and fight alongside the Justice Society of America.

After being hanged for his crimes, 19th century highwayman "Gentleman Jim" Craddock's spirit rose again - as the Gentleman Ghost. Returning to his former life of crime. The Gentleman Ghost soon crossed paths with the Justice Society of America. His powers and phantom nature make him nearly impossible to apprehend, but the superheroes of the 21st century always managed to defeat this dapper, spectral villian.

What's Good About Them?

Hawkgirl

A relative second stringer during most of her comic career (it's true, admit it). Hawkgirl became well known to many thanks to the Justice League cartoon, where she replaced her more famous male-counterpart and the team a better balance of equality. The Hawkgirl of JLA fame is based on her silver-age appearance and so too is this sculpt of the toy (Regardless of what the biography says, this is Silver Age Hawkgirl, pure and simple). Let's get down to it!

Just like Hawkman, Hawkgirl is a great representation of the character. The sculpt stays very true to her silver-age days and features the skin tight top and tights (in the ever fashionable green and yellow!), striped, not quite, hooker boots, hawkmask with flashy disco-queen ear-rings, and finally a hawk insignia - which looks much trendier as a belt than Hawkman’s own chest piece (seriously guy, who puts a target on their chest?).

The body itself is mainly reused parts, which have been seen on every female character to date.  It's a bit of a pet peeve for me; I mean, the guys get two molds, why can't the girls? And why must every woman be a DD cup-size? It’s like we’re regressing back to the 90s era of comics!

On her back are the titular hawk wings, which are real in the cartoon, but were a harness for the Nth metal in the comics. They're ripped straight from Hawkman, and are the same in every detail. Mind you, this isn't a bad thing - they look nice up close, and someone went to a lot of trouble individually sculpting all those feathers.

The only original piece to the toy (aside from the belt buckle) is the head, which captures Shera in all her glory. The mask is wonderfully done, and so is the hair cascading from the back of it. Just like the wings, someone went to a lot of trouble to get the details right, and it looks great.

Paint has also been applied well; with the bright costume colors contrasting Hawkgirl's tanned skin. Seriously, the arms have been air brushed with a light brown to give off a sun tan effect - Shera spends a lot of time at the beach, apparently.  The overall paint job is amazing, though on my toy Shera seems to have some gobs on white on her lips which I'm going to pretend is some inter-dimensional alien’s blood, and NOT what everyone is thinking (grow up).


Articulation is pretty neat, too! With over twenty points of movement (including wings), Hawkgirl is a downright pliable little-lady. The thing that surprised me most, and gets a kudos to Mattel, is her ankles and legs are actually strong enough to support those heavy wings of hers in the back. That’s right: she can stand up on her own! Imagine my surprise when I found out you can pose her with wings out- stretched and she WON'T fall over! Excellent there work boys!!

The one annoyance I had when it came to posing her, was the head. Remember how impressed I said I was by the head-sculpt? Well the hair is made from a hard plastic that limits how much you can turn it. Also, it isn't a ball joint so you always get the impression that she's looking at the ground as opposed to anything else. I understand that adding a ball joint to the head costs more money, but aren't there some characters, namely ones that fly, where this is warranted? C’mon guys, if Batman can look up, why can't Hawkgirl?


Lack of neck movement aside, I'm very happy with this toy!

Next up, you thought Hawkgirl was obscure? Wait till you get a gander at....

Gentleman Ghost

Until the Brave and the Bold Cartoon, I doubt anyone outside of an avid comic reader would know who the alter-ego of "Gentleman" Jim Craddock was. Even so, Jim definitely lived up to his name when he was released in wave six: finding a real ghost probably would have easier! Even now, with the release of this two-pack, original GGs can fetch upwards of $200 on the secondary market. Most of this is due to what was included along with Jim, but we'll get to that later... For now let's take a look at the toy.

Like Hawkgirl, GG is another example of Mattel at their peak! Jim's "costume" is that of an 18th century Victorian Gentleman’s clothes - the crowning pieces being his long cloak, top hat, and monocle. Of course the first thing anyone notices when they see GG is his lack of a face, something which could really hinder bringing him into the three dimensional world. Thankfully, instead of opting to go for a clear piece of plastic in its place, the sculptors did something ingenious and molded the top hat and monocle onto the high collar of his cloak. It works well, and makes the toy look fantastic.

As for the paint? Being that GG is a white ghost there's very little to say... Or so you’d think! See, aside from the stoke of genius with the faceless face, the rubber of the toy was molded from solid white and clear plastic, to give nice contrast of real vs. ethereal. He actually looks like he’s phasing “between worlds”, and in some light looks partially invisible!

Articulation on GG is the standard Mattel that we've all become used to, though my toy had extremely stiff joints - to the point where it felt like they were going to snap at times when I tried to bend the arms. While we're on the topic of joints, what’s up with the ankles on this guy? I just said how great the clear plastic made the toy look, so why did they have to ruin that by putting solid white pegs into the ankles? It really stands out on the feet and looks very oft-putting.  Hopefully someday this gets corrected with clear pegs instead.

Accessories


A lot of DC characters these days come with minimal, or no accessories at all. Fortunately, the Hawks have proven the exception. In the comics both Hawkgirl and Hawkman are museum curators, and in true disregard for their occupations, use the weapons stored there to fight the bad guys.

Hawkman came with a great assortment of 3 weapons(a shield, sword, and mace), and Hawkgirl doesn't disappoint either! She comes with a Mace, spear, and dagger - all nicely designed and painted. While the mace has been fun to play with, and is the iconic hawk-weapon, I have to admit that's it been the spear that's been the most fun for me so far. There’s just something about poking people that I can’t resist!

Gentleman Ghost also comes with his own assortment of accessories. Namely, a weirdly symmetrical "ghost" cane and a flint lock pistol. The cane is nice, if not average, and there's not much to say about it; I’ll pose him with it. The flintlock is by far the superior of the two items, and has some great detailing to make it look period-authentic, and not the gener-o gun that we're used to seeing. Sadly, GGs hands are too wide for the gun, so it's almost impossible to keep it in there. I finally broke down and put some sticking putty in there to keep it in place, and to be fair, he DOES look better with the gun in hand.

Sadly, the two accessories fans were hoping for from this set were not included.

In the original releases, both toys came with pieces of Giganta; that waves build-a-figure. One of the main reasons fans had been clamoring for so long to get these toys re-released was to get those pieces and finish their CnCs. Also, along with those pieces, the Gentleman Ghost toy included a mini-Atom figure. Why this was released in the sixth wave with a character that has no relation to the Atom at all, and not, say, with his own toy in wave 5, is beyond me. Whatever the reasons, including neither of these pieces was a slight dick move on Mattel’s part, and hopefully one that they’ll rectify someday.

Final Thoughts

A lot of talk from toy collectors these days with regards to Mattel is about value for money, and are we being over charged for inferior products? The lack of some crucial accessories aside, I'm pleased to say the answer is no in regards to this Hawkgirl/Gentleman Ghost box set.

With highly detailed (if recycled) sculpting, painting, and a bevy of other accessories, this one was a no brainer. Even with a steep price tag of $40+, I can still recommend it as a good value, even moreso with the sub figures coming out next year at $20+. A lot of fans may have missed out the first time on these toys so believe me when I say that even without with the CnC pieces, you won’t be disappointed buying this set!


Final Impression: 4.5/5

Interested in Learning More About These Two?


Fly on over to Hawkgirl's biography page and find out just how complicated love can be.

Being a Ghost isn't all fun and games, just look at Gentleman's Ghost history to see.

See the full photo album of these toys on their Photobucket Page!

Like the set? Buy it on Amazon today!




This article has 1 comments.
Comment now!



Battle of the Thors!
Posted on: September 16, 2011 by admin.

Hail and well met! Today in Toy Box Reviews it's all about the "Thor of Two Worlds!", as we take a look at both the Marvel Universe Modern Thor and the Secret Wars Thor from the Thor- Enchantress two-pack. Which toy is worthy of being the one, true Odinson? Read on to find out!


First Impressions

Secret Wars Thor

Secret Wars was a 12 issue miniseries released in the 1980s that was arguably the first, major company-wide crossover in the history of comics. The story, written by a young Jim Shooter, involved popular Marvel heroes and villains of the time, as they were teleported to another world by a mysterious entity called the  Beyonder. He commands them to fight to the last man, and that whoever wins the battle-royale will "get their hearts desire." Hilarity ensued.

Thor was dragged into the fight thanks to the Avengers, one of the teams taken by the Beyonder to Battleworld. You'd think having an immortal, Norse, Thunder God on your team would cinch it, but Thor spent most of his time with the Enchantress, away from the fight, bitching about how this was totally below them.

Modern Thor


On the flip side, there's modern Thor- a sterner, more kickass version who told Rangnorak to fuck off, and then moved his kingdom over Oklahoma. Why? Presumably just to fuck with us. This Thor was the sorta-kinda reincarnated version of the previous one, who sacrificed himself and the rest of the Gods during Rangnorak in an attempt to end the constant Living-Dying cycle they were caught in. Thor did die, but he got better and came back as the ruler of Asgard and sporting new duds! Groovy!

Winner of the Better Backstory? MODERN THOR! Why, because you don’t piss of someone who has complete control of the Odin-Force!

The Toys

Maybe I'm used to Mattel's Gener-o Sculpt now, but you'd think that having both characters done by the same company would lend itself to a cookie cutter design, with a few paint mods thrown in to justify paying for the same figure twice. Think again.

SW Thor ( to my knowledge) was the first toy Hasbro made of the character in the 3'75" scale back in 2010, so of course there's going to be some trial and error to him. Not unexpectedly, this Thor  isn't impressive to look at all. I've bought a few of these Secret War sets now, and there's something about them that has a very dollar store feel- hard to believe considering the $16.99 price tag they sport!

I will this toy some credit, though: He’s the best of the worst, and trust me, there are A LOT worst in this line! Most of my negativity comes from the poor paint jobs each toy has. From a distance they all look fine, but once you get them out of the package, you'll start noticing the  poor paint apps all around the bodies and legs. Thor’s legs, in particular, look like someone went over them with a sharpie, and his helmet looks like something I painted when I was five. The result is underwhelming to say the least.

As for the face, it's not too bad, and is a fairly accurate representation of what Thor looked like back in the 80s. Really, what can you say about a guy that has giant, metal wings covering his ears that won’t sound ridiculous? My one nitpick would be the molded hair which really restricts the movement of his head, to the point where you’re lucky if you can force it more than 5 degrees in either direction.

Thankfully the rest of the toys movement is up to snuff, even if we encounter the same stiff movement problems in the body due to his cape (which is admittedly nice, and one of my favorite parts to the toy). Overall, classic Thor is a good, not great toy to have.

Fortunately, after the SW fiasco, we have Modern Thor to pick up any slack the other might have. In the true spirit of good toy-bad toy that seems to haunt me with this line, M.Thor is a surprisingly well-done figure!

Where SW Thor was thinner and shorter, Modern Thor is built exactly the way you'd expect a Norse God to be: like a freaking' bull! To say that the body and face are muscular is an understatement- this guy is ripped, and the scowl smeared on his face only intensifies the feeling that this is someone you don't want to mess with (the Odin-Force is like steroids, apparently).

And let's talk about that armor! I've always loved Thor's costume, but when J. Michael Straczynski unveiled the new look in Thor #1 (September, 2007) I  was blown away. While the Silver age costume was extremely well-done and appropriate to the time it debuted ( a tribute to Jack Kirby’s visual flair), The modern costume dispenses with the Operatic-theme and goes into the warrior- god roots that Thor is supposed to have come from. The detailing is extremely well done, and between the scales on the armor, the folds in the cloth, and the leather straps criss-crossing his body…well, this toy looks like it stepped off the pages of the comic!

The Fashion-Guru Award Goes to…Modern Thor!


Hammer Time!

Moljnir was originally built by Dwarven smiths and given to Odin as a gift. It was passed down to Thor  when he went on a quest to prove himself worthy of holding it. The hammer is the source of many of Thor's powers including his ability to control weather, flight, and open doorways to other dimensions (he doesn't do that so much anymore).

Both toys come with their own version, and no discussion of the character would be complete without talking about them.

Classic Thor, being the smaller in scale, has a smaller hammer as well. The paint job is alright, but the grey comes off cheap-looking, making me doubt this thing is eons old. The best part of the hammer has to be sculpting; if you look closely on one side, you can see the geas placed on it by Odin. Very cool!

Modern Thor, by contrast, has a very larger hammer befitting his size, which is painted and sculpted much better. This is something I could believe has been cut from stone, and with all the dents and chips in it, you really get the impression that it’s seen it’s fair share of battle. You could even say it’s….weathered? Of the two, Modern Thor’s hammer is by far the superior.

Who’s Worthy? Modern Thor For the Sweep!


Final Thoughts

The Secret Wars 2-packs were the reason why I'd started collecting Marvel Universe in the first place. Ironically, in most cases I've been disappointed, and it's the regular MUs that have kept me buying the line. Is it really surprising, then, that in this battle of the Gods, Modern Thor has come out to be best of the best? With his superior sculpt, amazing paint and articulation he really is the King of Asgard. If you’re looking for a new Thor toy to decorate your collection, then do yourself a favor and pick one of these up now!


The True Son of Odin? Modern Thor

Do You Like Thor? Check Out These Links!

The History of Thor (Wikipedia, Marvel Comics Database)

Buy Your Own Marvel Universe Thor (Big Bad Toy Store)

Buy The Secrect Wars Thor-Enchantress 2-Pack (Mike's Comics'NStuff)

Buy the Comics with Essential Thor (Amazon)

Take a Look at the Unabridge Photos (Photobucket)


This article has 2 comments.
Comment now!



Marvel Universe Green Goblin
Posted on: September 2, 2011 by admin.

Well folks, I've still got a few toys in the closet so it looks like it's time for another Toy Box Review. This week I'll be taking a look at The Green Goblin, one of my last unopened toys from Hasbro's Marvel Universe line.

First Impressions

The Goblin is one Spiderman's oldest and probably deadliest foes. First appearing way back in The Amazing Spiderman #14, he was a typical villain of the week; teaming with the Enforcers to try and take Peter down. Fortunately, due to a positive reader response, Marvel decided to bring the character back, and start giving him the rich back-story that makes him the fan favorite villain that he is today.
From the Packaging

There was a time when Norman Osborn was just a man, though he always had a surplus of ambition. Even then, however, there was a monster lurking deep within. The Goblin Serum brought that monster roaring to the surface, and caused his ambition to rage unchecked. He became obsessed, first with the acquisition of power, then with the destruction of Spider-Man. Every action he has taken since, every evil act he has committed has been with those two goals in mind.

What's Good About Him?

Face Sculpt:  When you call yourself the Green Goblin, you definitely need to have some balls to look any self-respecting hero in the eye. Going alliterative with the name? Even more so.  Thankfully the goblin doesn't come off as a laughing stock here due in large part to his horrifying kisser. There's a real malevolence in the character and the sculptors captured it perfectly in the face. This isn't some villain of the week with a goofy gimmick!

Articulation: one of the shinning lights in this line is the movement available on the males (if you have boobs your out of luck), and Gobby doesn't disappoint either. With over 20 points of articulation you’re guaranteed to have some fun posing this one!

What's bad about him?

Everything else. I really must have jinxed myself a few weeks ago, because this toy was a serious disappointment from Hasbro.

Why? You might ask. Well, let's start with the paint. Yes, from a distance GG looks true to his Halloween themed colors. On closer inspection of mine, though (namely when I got him home and took him out of the packaging), he had light purple smearing all over his body. So much that it looked like he'd literally been beaten black and blue by Spiderman! It was such a disappointment, especially given how good he looked from a distance.

My second major qualm with the toy was the glider. He doesn't look right on it and it's impossible for him to stay atop it.

It seems like every kid-friendly toy these days has holes in the heels of their feet - presumably to help hold the toy in place on play sets and vehicles. Why then, do NO toys EVER use this feature? The goblin is a prime example. Instead of pegs to hold his feet on the glider, we're given plastic stirrups instead. The problem with them is their position on the wings and the size of the "loops" the feet go into. They're too big to hold his feet properly and too close together for any kind of grip. The only way to get him to stay on the glider is to bend his feet about 60 degrees (thank god for foot articulation) and force them in that way. It looks strange up close, even more so because he has to stand rather than crouch on the glider.

Which brings me to another point: why is he standing on the damn thing? The glider is meant to be crouched on, not ridden like some ridiculous snowboard. It would have been so much better if Hasbro had angled the wings instead if making them flat. As it is, now I'm afraid Spiderman isn't his biggest fear: it low laying branches.

Accessories

Goblin comes with the above mentioned glider, and a small pumpkin bomb that fits in his hand. There's not too much to say about the bomb: it's small, orange, with a peg on the top and bottom which can be inserted into his hand. Yes, hand pegs can be used, but god forbid those ones in the feet serve a purpose! The bomb is moderately well painted to resemble a pumpkin, and with the peg on either end, the one sticking out resembles a stem so kudos there- it works!

One more semi-accessory is GG purse...uh pouch for holding all his bombs. Another piece of solid plastic with a strap that is long enough to go around his neck and fit on either side, depending on your preference. Not a lot to say about it except I'm glad they went this way and didn't sculpt it into the body like so many versions before him.

Final Thoughts



When I saw him, the Green Goblin was definitely an impulse buy, due mainly to how striking he looked in the package. Unfortunately, like a pumpkin bomb that exploded too early, everything after opening him was a disappointment. There are too many quality control and design flaws to ignore. Maybe you'll have more luck than I did if you find one, but for anyone else who wants one, I'd say pass- this toy is going back into the toy box.

Final Score: 2/5

If you'd like to see the unabridged photos, then check out The Green Goblin Photo Bucket Page.

Wikipedia is a great source for more information on all things Goblin.

You can buy your own Goblin here.


This article has 3 comments.
Comment now!



Captain America and Bucky Reviews (Marvel Universe)
Posted on: July 27, 2011 by admin.

Stand tall, Avenger! Today we’re taking a trip back to a simpler time known as The Golden Age, and doing a double review on Hasbro’s Original Captain America and Bucky toys from their Marvel Universe line.

First Impressions



The Golden Age was the start of comics, beginning way back in the 1930s, when the superhero genre was first created. Everyone knows at least one hero from that time; Superman, Batman, Flash, all the DC mainstays made their first appearances here, but what most people don’t know is that a lot of Marvel characters can also trace their roots back to this era as well. Probably the most famous of all heroes in the Marvel Universe to first appear here was  Steve Rogers – a young man who was too sickly to be drafted into the army, he agreed to undergo secret government testing and dousing in ‘vita-rays’ to become America’s first super solider, Captain America. Nazi-butt kicking ensued.  Later, he was joined by Bucky, his former photographer turned plucky side-kick. Together even more Nazi butt-kicking ensued.

What’s Good About Them?



Sculpt: I feel like I’m on a home run again with these MUs. Maybe, dare I say it, I’ve bought the bad ones already? Whatever the reason both toys are sculpted well, and while Cap uses the same design as his Secret Wars counterpart, here he’s been scaled down and bulked up a bit more to give a better feeling of being in the ‘top physical condition’ that he’s supposed to be.  I also like the skull-cap that he wears. When he first appeared, rather than a cowl this was the look he sported and seeing it here is pure gold-age fanboy bliss! This guy is heads and shoulders better over his other MU brothers.

Alternatively, Bucky stands a little shorter, and his build is lither, which fits in well with the child side –kick schtick: they always seem to be bouncing off something. Bucky’s costume is pure 30’s pulp, with the aviator-esque tunic and swashbuckling boots. He really looks like a character out of time here.

Articulation: The full range that all other MUs have. Cap and Bucky both have enough flexibility that they’re capable of being put into a variety of poses together (take that however you want). The one drawback to this is that by putting so many joints in the legs and feet, it makes them weaker;  especially in Cap’s case with his heavier torso, it can be difficult to stand them properly.

What’s Bad About Them?

Paint: While I approve of Cap’s paint job, and especially those muted  blues and reds which really harkens back to the page coloring of the 30s and 40s, I wasn’t as impressed with Bucky. Overall, he’s not too bad (why didn’t they do the muted colors with him as well?), but one thing that I’m getting really tired of with these Hasbro toys is the face paints. I understand that the faces are tiny, and it can be difficult to apply color properly, but on a number of my toys there’s a large blot of paint somewhere on the face. With the female characters, its usually the lipstick, and here with Bucky it’s his mask: the paint has run down onto his cheek making it look like he just came out of the wrong end of a bar fight. Thankfully , it’s not noticeable from a distance, but I am getting tired of paying prime dollar for factory errors like this.

Accessories

Aside from the stands and top-secret folders, which I’ve talked about to death, Captain America comes with his original shield that actually looks like, you know, a shield, and Bucky comes with two Tommy Guns. Cap’s shield is the biggest selling point of this toy for me, it’s the original Kirby design, in scale, and looks fantastic. The best part? There are straps on the back that allow you to fasten it to Cap’s back just like in the comics! All we need now is his motorcycle!

Bucky comes with Tommy Guns, which…I’m a little confused about. I’ll admit that I don’t know a lot about Bucky, but did he ever use these in the comics? And why two? It’s badass, I’ll give it that, but seems a bit excessive. Regardless, they’re sculpted well, with some detail cut into the black plastic. Unfortunately, they’re made of soft plastic so be careful taking them out of the package as you’ll find they bend very easily. And to be fair, he DOES look good holding ONE gun.

Final Thoughts



With the Captain America movie opening this week, I’m sure toy fans everywhere are clamoring for the movie line toys. As for me? I’ll offer these as an alternative:  Cap and Bucky are both good representations of their comic counter-parts, and because they’ve been out for a while, you can find them at cheaper prices in most places. For any Cap fans out there, I’ll recommend these. Take a chance and pick them up if you can, at discount prices how can you go wrong?

FINAL SCORE:    Captain America A-                         Bucky – B+

For the complete Captain America and Bucky picture set, check out their Photobucket Page.

For a very well priced Captain America try Mike's Comics'n'Stuff

 


This article has 0 comments.
Comment now!





< VIEW OLDER ENTRIES!