Showing posts with label 75. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 75. Show all posts
Monday, February 24, 2014
Iron Man 2 Comic Series 3 75 Hulkbuster Armor
This is it! The one armour that lots of you have been waiting for to hit the shelves, the one armour that Tony Stark perhaps uses the least, the one armour that can go toe to toe and maybe (just maybe, for a Hulk fan like myself ;P) take down the mighty Incredible Hulk!
Hulkbuster Iron Man!
I really have to thank The Rangerlord for this find--it seems everything that Ive gotten ahead of most has come from him using his mutant super power of being at the right store at the right time. No matter how remote the store, no matter how obscure the location, The Rangerlord will be there!
So does the Hulkbuster measure up against his super-sized opponenets? Check it out in this review!
(I originally wrote this review for the now defunct Articulated Discussion site. Ive recovered what I could from drafts and reposted it here. Enjoy! ;)
I gotta be honest: the first thing I thought when I had him in hand (in package) was that he was a tad small. I was expecting an Iron Monger-sized figure in height or at the very least a figure comparable in girth to the Marvel Universe Hulk. As it turns out, Hulkbuster Iron Man is neither. But while he wasnt as bulky or as tall as expected, the sculpt certainly doesnt disappoint in terms of detail.
The trademark forearm and shoulder guards are also there, with the shoulder guards cast from separate pieces of hard plastic and are glued into slots in his shoulders. While theyre supposed to be part of his shoulders, the guards are actually fixed to hover over his shoulders and look flimsy from a bottom up angle. I wonder if they wouldve been better to cast them in a softer plastic and let them float lower so the gaps over the shoulder wouldnt be so apparent.
His forearm and shin guards are made of softer rubber, which his shoulders shouldve been. This I think is great-- it wont crack or chip as easily as a hard plastic piece. But while the shin guards are part of the lower leg mould, the forearm guards, like the shoulder guards, are also separate pieces that are glued on. The great thing about the forearm shields are that they are attached to Hulkbuster IMs fist, making them look flexible as well as sturdy no matter which way youve got his hands positioned. Its also worth noting that his triangular chest arc reactor vent is a glued-on piece of plastic, so if youll want to watch out for glue stains around the chest when picking this guy up.
Aside from the hovering shoulder guards, Hulkbuster IM has a fantastic sculpt that ranks up there with one of the best Marvel has produced in this scale.
Most of this figure isnt painted, with everything sculpted in a dark red and only his golden parts painted. As simple as his face is, the gold isnt cleanly applied with both spills over into the seams of the faceplate and sloppy under-painting in the areas which havent been over painted. His eyes and seams at the cheeks are supposed to be white (or silver?) to indicate light but because of the way the face has been mispainted, it simply looks unfinished.
A minor problem that might bother some of you is that since his limbs and head are cast from softer plastic and his torso is made of harder stuff, the colour isnt quite a match--while his chest has a nice muted shiny gloss, his head and limbs have a matte finish. Despite this, the colours are close enough that you wont notice the difference unless you look really closely.
So hes not as large as Iron Monger or the Hulk, but hes still just as bulky as two Iron Man 2 figures put together. Nevermind that he doesnt come with any accessories other than his figure stand and 3 armour cards, hes still worth his weight in sculpting and detail. So he may not have the best paint, but he does have lots of added parts that are not part of the base mold like the shoulder pieces, the forearms guards and the chest arc reactor vent. He also has new “ball” joint pieces which will please those who didnt like the old ones.
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I really have to thank The Rangerlord for this find--it seems everything that Ive gotten ahead of most has come from him using his mutant super power of being at the right store at the right time. No matter how remote the store, no matter how obscure the location, The Rangerlord will be there!So does the Hulkbuster measure up against his super-sized opponenets? Check it out in this review!
Name: Hulkbuster Iron Man
Line: Iron Man 2 (Comic Series)
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Released: April 2010
Price: Online: (USD) $9.99-$12.99 Retail: $7.99-$8.99
Scale: 3.75 in.
Accessories: 3 x Armor Cards, Base (1 peg) with Armor Card stand.
Sculpt
I gotta be honest: the first thing I thought when I had him in hand (in package) was that he was a tad small. I was expecting an Iron Monger-sized figure in height or at the very least a figure comparable in girth to the Marvel Universe Hulk. As it turns out, Hulkbuster Iron Man is neither. But while he wasnt as bulky or as tall as expected, the sculpt certainly doesnt disappoint in terms of detail.One of the first things that caught my eye were his feet (and shin guards) and also his fists. The shin guards in particular are pretty unique and are sculpted after the Bowen Designs Hulkbuster armour statue (as far as I can tell). I love that his feet are nice and broad with bands of armour and have a cleft to separate the big toe from the rest of the foot. The open hand and closed fist are also extremely detailed, with each almost as large as his squat round head.
The trademark forearm and shoulder guards are also there, with the shoulder guards cast from separate pieces of hard plastic and are glued into slots in his shoulders. While theyre supposed to be part of his shoulders, the guards are actually fixed to hover over his shoulders and look flimsy from a bottom up angle. I wonder if they wouldve been better to cast them in a softer plastic and let them float lower so the gaps over the shoulder wouldnt be so apparent.His forearm and shin guards are made of softer rubber, which his shoulders shouldve been. This I think is great-- it wont crack or chip as easily as a hard plastic piece. But while the shin guards are part of the lower leg mould, the forearm guards, like the shoulder guards, are also separate pieces that are glued on. The great thing about the forearm shields are that they are attached to Hulkbuster IMs fist, making them look flexible as well as sturdy no matter which way youve got his hands positioned. Its also worth noting that his triangular chest arc reactor vent is a glued-on piece of plastic, so if youll want to watch out for glue stains around the chest when picking this guy up.Other highlights of this sculpt are lots of round vents in his back and sides of his legs, as well as pistons at the back of his calves and elbows.
Hulkbuster Iron Man also has a very interesting material composition: his torso and shoulder guards are cast out of hard plastic, while his head, arms, and legs are made of softer plastic, but not as rubbery as his shin and forearm guards. I really dont know what the reason for this would be, but I guess it would lessen any potential damage should you drop this fig.
Aside from the hovering shoulder guards, Hulkbuster IM has a fantastic sculpt that ranks up there with one of the best Marvel has produced in this scale.9/10
Paint
Most of this figure isnt painted, with everything sculpted in a dark red and only his golden parts painted. As simple as his face is, the gold isnt cleanly applied with both spills over into the seams of the faceplate and sloppy under-painting in the areas which havent been over painted. His eyes and seams at the cheeks are supposed to be white (or silver?) to indicate light but because of the way the face has been mispainted, it simply looks unfinished.The other major problem area was the gold rib area of his armor. It wasnt visible in package, but I was disappointed to find a line of glue slop on his right rib area and a chip on the lowest panel edge (also on the right.) But that isnt all: the upper left rib panel has two big paint chips that are really obvious when you rotate his chest to the left.
A minor problem that might bother some of you is that since his limbs and head are cast from softer plastic and his torso is made of harder stuff, the colour isnt quite a match--while his chest has a nice muted shiny gloss, his head and limbs have a matte finish. Despite this, the colours are close enough that you wont notice the difference unless you look really closely.Other than these issues, I have to say the gold on his shoulders, chest piece, forearms, thighs, and knees are pretty solid with no spills.
7/10
Articulation
While I was initially disappointed that he didnt have hinges on his wrists like Iron Monger, he does have the 22+ points of articulation the figures in this line have. And while his shoulders have full range but are blocked by the shoulder guards, everything else is pretty much unhindered.
This figure does have some new joints though, namely the swivel/hinge shoulder joints and the ball-joints (which some call “Hasbro” joints) in his hips. These are basically the same “ball” joints with smaller hinge tracks. And while I first thought them to be a tad too loose compared to the old joints (after accounting for the natural loosening of joints after play), I was impressed that theyve maintained their level of tightness while being easier to manipulate. So I think those of you who are having problems with tight joints in IM 2 figures wont have to worry when it comes to Hulkbuster IM here—hes a ton more intuitive without being any less stable.
Im normally not impressed with head swivels but this guy has one where I expected no articulation at all. I cant emphasize how much a turning head can add to your poses and I really have to thank Hasbro for going the extra mile here.
8/10
Fun
The name says it all! Hulk. Buster. Iron. Man. He was born to go toe to toe with the Big Green Goliath, so naturally thats who hes best posed with.
Also, two large figures with excellent balance make for super fun posing. There are already two characters in the Marvel Universe line who are plus size (namely Hulk—Green, Secret Wars, and Grey—and the Red Hulk) and now there are another two in the Iron Man 2 line—Iron Monger and Hulkbuster IM. With Juggernaut to come, putting all of them together in a knockdown, drag out, super-sized street battle is something thats on my to-do list. And as you can see, large figures like Hulkbuster IM, Hulk, and Iron Monger can literally grapple with each other in poses otherwise unachievable with smaller figs. They can also lift each other and still maintain their balance!
9/10
Value
So hes not as large as Iron Monger or the Hulk, but hes still just as bulky as two Iron Man 2 figures put together. Nevermind that he doesnt come with any accessories other than his figure stand and 3 armour cards, hes still worth his weight in sculpting and detail. So he may not have the best paint, but he does have lots of added parts that are not part of the base mold like the shoulder pieces, the forearms guards and the chest arc reactor vent. He also has new “ball” joint pieces which will please those who didnt like the old ones.Worth it? Yes. Hard to find? Definitely—I havent seen one on the pegs yet but I got this one because my toy hunting wingman, The Rangerlord, spotted these at the airport. Yes, the Singapore airport, before it was seen anywhere else! And Rangerlord was on his way out of the country too, so I had to wait for him to return, while he opened his and had a ball of a time re-enacting Hulkbuster IM vs Titanium Man fights. (No prizes for guessing what one of the upcoming IM2 reviews is!)
8/10
Summary
Sculpt: 9/10 – Great sculpt. Near perfect. His shoulder plates can look weird.
Paint: 7/10 – Suffers from the inconsistent paint inherent in this line. Could be much better, but still not too bad.
Articulation: 8/10 – Largely unhindered for a plus-size figure. Shoulder guards restrict full shoulder movement.
Fun: 9/10 – The best figures are ones like these which push the envelope on a great idea. Hwo wouldnt something as cool looking as a suit design to bust the Hulks behind?
Value: 8/10 – May not be as large as some figures, but bulky enough to be more than worth it.
Overall: 87/100 – This is a great toy. He falls just short of wonderful because of a couple of paint issues and perhaps a major sculpting one (shoulders--which may not be a problem to some!). What this means is that if youve got some talent or experience in fixing up your toys in the paint department, youve got yourself a wonderful toy!
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Star Wars 3 75 Legacy Collection Obi Wan Kenobi Ep IV
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
Ok, so maybe not that long ago, and not very far away at all, I was young, and I liked Luke Skywalker. Who didnt? After all, he was the sagas protagonist and the "boy done good," who comes into his own, confronts his fears, and in the process saves his father and the known galaxy.
But then came the Prequel Trilogy, which was to shed some light on the past and in particular, one young Obi-Wan Kenobi as he came into his own. We all cheered when he cut down Darth Maul but by the time the second movie was done, the only thing I could think of was why the hell would any Jedi think wearing a mullet and a trimmed beard would look cool? It didnt help that young Anakin was annoying and Obi-Wan couldnt stop sounding like he was annoyed with him. And how the heck was he defeated by an old human Sith Lord when hed previously sliced up perhaps the fiercest villain in the Prequels (Maul)?
Ok I admit, I had a soft spot for him going into the movies because Obi-Wan was played by a dude named Ewan McGregor. And by having the same name, I felt compelled, probably by the Force, to like him as a character. I sure didnt. I liked none of them because they were all one (or less) dimensional. But I did like the Original Trilogy Obi-Wan. He was everything the old and supposedly wise Jedi in the prequels werent. Patient, using his power only when absolutely necessary, accepting of his fate and of course, heroic. Everything a favorite character should be. :)
Thus, Ive had this figure in packaging since I got him when he was first released and the Rangelord, who is my advisor in all things from the galaxy far, far away, said that this was the ultimate Obi-Wan. Those word were never spoken more true. So click on for the details!
Like: That he looks a spitting image of the late Sir Alec Guinness. How cool is that? A Jedi Knight/Master played by a real life knight. I think the expression on his face captures the feeling of calm and yet inevitability that Obi-Wan exudes in A New Hope. The sad eyes, the slight frown, and the hair. Yup, they even got the hair down perfectly.Like: The voluminous cloth Jedi cloak. Its a brilliantly rich brown and has got body when worn. And it matches the cloth of the inner robes perfectly to give ol Ben a very real-life feel. The cloaks even got a hood you can pull over his head. Having him that way reminds me of his first appearance when he saves Luke from the Sand People. We hear the strange cry of the krayt dragon and then a mysterious figure in a robe appears over the crest of the rise...
Dislike: That he can only hold stuff in his left hand. A minor issue, but interchangeable hands wouldve been awesome though probably not need. At least Obi-Wan here can claim he was "using his left hand" while fighting Vader, thats why the Sith Lord won. Yeah right, old geezer! :P
Like: His articulation. Its pretty standard Star Wars, but Im beginning to appreciate this lines great swivel hinge knees and hinged hips. These never really became loose (especially the knees) and keep the figure stable when put in poses.
I also like how this figure is so well articulated that it seemingly has better moves than the on-screen Obi-Wan.Dislike: That his grip on the saber is a little loose. I think this is down to the little rubber bands they use to tie the weapon to his hand in the package. Somehow the band can be so tight as to warp the shape of the hand. Its not even a major warp, but a slight one is all thats needed to wreck a tight grip.
Like: The attention to detail to the inner robe sleeves and the pants beneath his robes. The sleeves are nice and wide with folds and wrinkles just like in the movies. His pants are cast brown, which is a nice touch considering they never show his pant in the movie (I dont think), but youve gotta appreciate the effort in making it a different color from the off white torso.RATINGS
Its the little things that make him so fun to pose, like the pointed hand, the kickass robes both sculpted (like his sleeves) and cloth (robe skirts and cloak). And despite looking old and feeble and swaddled in cloth, none of his joints are obstructed by sculpt problems.
Fun: 10/10 - Its hard to put Old Ben down once youve got him in your hands. Whether its a scene from within his hermit hut, a meditative pose, or an action stance, Obi-Wan can do it all. The figures I have the most fun with are the ones that I can finish shooting and still want to play around with. Theyre the ones I like to put on display, so that when I see them again after coming home from work, Ill have easy access to em! ;)
Value: 9/10 - Obi-Wan comes with his lightsaber, his robes, a table (complete with glued-on tea set), and a mini Princess Leia hologram. He also comes with the orange left leg of R2-L3, which I didnt photo but Ill review in a special way soon, hopefully. Though i cant remember what I paid for him, I did remember getting him at retail. So going by todays retail prices here in Singapore, hed be the equivalent of US$10. Thats quite a steal considering all the stuff he comes with and also the quality of the figure itself.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Unstoppable! Marvel Universe HAMMER Files 3 75 Juggernaut
I have a soft spot for oversized figures. And I dont mean 12 or 15 inchers but rather figures that belong to a certain scale but are oversized due to their physical nature. So far in the Marvel Universe line, for bulk, theres been: Hulk (Green, Grey, Secret Wars), Red Hulk, Thing, Thor (Modern), Colossus (from the same wave as Juggie), and Juggernaut himself.In the Iron Man 2, 3.75" line (which I find quite compatible with MU) theres Iron Monger and Hulkbuster Iron Man.
Juggernaut is the same--hes so rare that if you see him and are on the fence about getting him, dont hesitate! Then come read my review to see if hes worth crackin open the plastic for. If you think hes not, you could just offload him to someone else. (Me! Lol.) You could even make a quick buck in the process.
Still sitting on that fence on whether to snag Juggernaut? Why, jump off and be swayed (either way) by the review over at Articulated Discussion!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Thor The Mighty Avenger 3 75 Secret Strike Loki
What can I say? Its been 9 days since I first caught the movie, and 5 days since I saw it a second time and Im still buzzing. And as I write this, Im plotting a 3rd and possibly a 4th viewing. (One of these schemes involves sneaking in on free tickets to What to expect When You Are Expecting and then peeling away to catch The Avengers. Heheh.) |
| Hes no coward all right-he called the Hulk a "Dull Creature." |
Hes made me wanna go back and review every single Marvel Universe, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America and and Marvel action figure I havent put in front of the camera and blabbered about. And I just might. So who better to start with than with Loki, the ultimate deceiver, played by a man who just steals the scene when hes in it?
When Secret Strike Loki was originally released a year back, there were already pictures of a King Loki to come, so I held back, thinking that Id be able to easily pick this figure up on clearance. And its turned out to be true! I got Loki here for S$10!--only for the price to be slashed to almost half that a week later. -__-But heres no regrets, because after all the lack of PoAs from the Avengers line, this Thor movie figure has turned out to be quite a gem!
Like: That this is Loki before he fashioned himself king of Asgard. Reminds me very much of the rogue in a Dungeons & Dragons party, which Im sure was a idea for Loki in the beginning.Like: That though the likeness of Tom Hiddlestone isnt spot on, it does capture the spirit of him. Slicked back hair, deviously sharp and thin eyebrows, pointed chin, and sneaky eyes, sharp nose, and just a hint of a smirk in his mouth.
Dislike: That the neck hinge is left an unpainted dark green. It makes him look like he has a soul patch from certain angles. Ive seen other Hasbro 3.75" figures use beige hinges, so they dont get away with this at all. :(
Like: The articulation. Hindsight is always 20/20 and at this point where it looks that Avengers toy line wont be as spry as most Hasbro 3.75" brands, I fully appreciate the PoAs this guy has.The head especially deserves special mention for its ball-hinge assembly and flexibility.
Like: The throwing daggers. hes got of them and they fit nice and tight in both of his gripping hands.
 |
| Each is a different design! |
Like: The paint on his face. The eyes are soooo deviously scheming! As mentioned above, the eyebrows are very well done, neat and sharp. But heres the clincher for me--the painted mouth! Its just a hint of beige on the lower lip. Its a little detail but one that just grabs you, just like Hiddlestones on screen wide-eyed intense look to eerie laugh. Gosh, it just send shivers down my spine!
Like: The detail on his clothes theyve picked out in paint. Theres the gold on his belt and coat buckle just above it, the buckles on the back, the shoulder and waist trimmings, and a lighter gold under his collar.
Theres a lighter green theyve used for his sleeves, collar and parts of the upper torso, and theres the lighter brown of his shin guards. Im glad they made the effort to paint these parts. It shows what a little paint can do to bring out the best in a sculpt!RATINGS
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| Told you he was a great actor! |
Poseability: 8.5/10 - Hes got everything you need in a 3.75" figure minus the frills, like rocker ankles, an extra waist swivel, and additional wrist hinges. But yes, those are bonus PoAs and hence more on the "wants list" rather than the "needs."
Also, the coat tail piece on my Loki isnt glued on or has come loose. The downside is that Ive got to reposition it every time I pose him. The upside? He doesnt get in the way of me posing him first, then repositioning it to fit the pose. ;) |
| Night at the opera, anyone? |
Fun: 9/10 - You could pop the head off this guy and put him on a body with a suit, creating Loki in "disguise" or King Loki without helmet or even Loki as any other hero in the Marvel Universe!All this even before you actually get down to playing/posing him. Being highly articulated, Loki can handle the "scheming" posing easily. But if youre looking for a scrap, be it in an ill-advised foray into Jotunheim or a toe-to-toe with his half/adopted brother, Loki can handle it. Well, at least until he runs out of trickery and ends up getting pounded like a pancake.
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| Loki magics himself to look like Thor. Really. |
Great tooling, great articulation, very few unpainted/bare parts, and the right amount of the right accessories (daggers) means great value. He even comes with a dud "triple bladed" sword with a split-blade gimmick.
Theres very few figures in the Thor movie line that arent great value, big friggin weapons or no. Its a pity they stopped at three waves. :(
Overall: 8.4/10 - |
| With Ultimate Thors "spear" and Heimdalls Sword |
But even if my wish doesnt come true, at least theres this guy on clearance--and hell be useful in multiples because thats Loki 101: mirror images FTW! (At least initially till he gets roasted by Thor or blasted by Iron Man.)Suddenly I have an itch to go clear out those last few Lokis I saw on clearance...
Oh and guys, go watch The Avengers if you havent! You have? Then watch it again!!! :)
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| Like I said, watch The Avengers already! ;) |
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