Marvel Legends 2016 Wave 1 Review

Marvel Legends 2016 Wave 1

2016, a new frontier in toys. …Well, it’s kind of the same frontier, with different packaging and a different name for the line, still though. In 2016 Marvel Legends (3.75) wave 1, Marvel fans are showered in the glory of some very long awaited characters arriving to the plastic medium. Featuring long held fan favorites that help to start and fill out teams, as well as never before seen outfits for some previously released characters. There is so much to want here! Wave 1 includes Captain Marvel (Danvers), Ulik, Triton, Yondu, Spider-Man Noir and Iron Man Mk I. Completists should also note that the case assortment includes a Black Panther figure clad in solid black (re-issue / re-paint) and a House of M Spider-Man (re-issue, paint looks a little brighter than the original). For financial reasons, I have stopped trying to keep up with re-issued figures, and I do not collect on card, so the packaging doesn’t do much for me beyond getting to open it…but again, if you have to have everything, you have to grab Black Panther and House of M Spider-Man (again). It should be noted for clarity, the price point for Marvel Legends 3.75 is $12.99 per figure, NOT $19.99. There were rumors spinning out of control last week due to a typo on the Hasbro site, and I hope that if it’s not already put to bed, this serves to do so.

A note on packaging

The Marvel Universe 3.75 inch action was re-branded Marvel Infinite in 2014. Now, in 2016, Marvel Infinite becomes Marvel Legends. This aligns the 3.75 inch line with the larger 6 inch line in name, branding and packaging. A first since all this Marvelous plastic has been put together in pretty much any form. With this re-brand, comes new packaging. Some folks weren’t thrilled with the simplicity of the Marvel Infinite packaging. I think the new Legends packaging takes steps to remedy that, presenting front character card art and a dynamically, well shot, action figure photo on the back. A healthy description accompanies each card back, something that, as an avid 80’s GI Joe collector, I greatly appreciate. Overall, I consider the re-branded packaging a definite improvement over the Infinite line.

Ulik

The Good

Ulik’s is captured in excellent fashion. The A-Bomb / Abomination mold used displays his hulking size perfectly with one caveat (see “the bad”).

Obey the beard! It looks great here!

Ulik’s Pounders look fantastic.

Thanks to the recycled mold, fans of articulation will be very pleased, Ulik has joints as far as the eye can see and his pose-ability is limited only by balance.

Ulik’s nifty harness…on this mold…change the feet, shave him and give him a haircut…I smell Charlie-27.

The Bad

The Abomination mold has a neck / shoulder section going up and outward from the body. Ulik is a little hunchy and short necked.

Ulik has been portrayed many different ways in the comics, clearly only one of those many was captured here. Simply preference, but I like the harness he has with the skull on the front.

Captain Marvel

The Good

I’m gonna go with one of the last things I noticed first. The incredible detail on both boots and gloves with the gold colored studs. Something that in this scale, you might not expect to be there, but when it is, it’s mind blowing.

Nice, solid, thick clean paint lines.

Hair texture is comic accurate.

The sash is FAAAABULOUS!

The Bad

One micro meter off on the placement / direction of the eyes can take a slick pretty face and turn it a little sideways. Captain Marvel teeters on that edge, but I’m sure it’s going to be a little different with every figure based on QC.

Long gone are the days of nifty hand energy blasts.

Like many new figures, limited articulation is noted, no chest swivel, no wrist articulation.

Triton

The Good

It’s the little things you miss on the first pass. The detailed forehead, fins and eye brows, very interesting capture of minute detail.

Well captured comic likeness in his facial expression.

Another very clean paint application.



The Bad

I feel like he should be more scaley.

I would have liked to see the purple stripe continue down his leg.

A trident type accessory a’ la Sub-Mariner would have been a nice to have.

Yondu

The Good

Marvel Legends brings you the real and true Yondu! The one from the ORIGINAL Guardians of the Galaxy, complete with star badge! (in fine paint detail!).

The Mohawk. I’ve seen it done in custom form and everyone has come close, but this iteration of Yondu knocks it out of the park. Matches the length of the head, feels right in the hand.

Sharp paint lines detail Yondu’s torso markings.

The bandolier from the quiver accessory marks the line between the sides of Yondu’s torso perfectly.

Bow fits great in the hand, and with some clever positioning you can definitely make it look like Yondu has knocked his arrow.

With Yondu out and Vance Astro coming, I can only hope that Hasbro has the best of intentions towards finishing out the classic Guardians of the Galaxy lineup. Martinex, Starhawk, Aletta, Charlie-27, Firestorm..FIRELORD!!

The Bad

The limited articulation is felt when you try to pose bow with arrow.

Hasbro hasn’t already released all of the other classic Guardians.

Spider-Man Noir

The Good

Folks should be thrilled, this dark and broody looking Spidey is based off of the same mold as WWII Captain America, which means, he’s all kindsa bendy all over the place, he’s got poses for days!

The different textures on the head are very detailed and you can consider me impressed.

The darkness of this character is captured perfectly in plastic form here.

The Bad

This would have been a good opportunity to throw in some accessories, a gun, maybe even a trench coat.

Iron Man MKI

The Good

Iron Man MKI is a repaint of the gold Iron Man released in the Classic Avengers 3-pack so long ago.

The grey paint accentuates the rawness of the armor very well.

Lots of depressions in the sculpt to show dings and dents.

The Bad

Weird issue, never seen it before, and it may just be the one I got, but the left hand hangs very loose in the socket.

I always felt like this particular armor should be a little bulkier.

If you aren’t careful, that antenna is freakin’ gone!

The rest

Marvel Legends (3.75) comes out in 2016 with a bang of great figures that I’m happy to own including characters that I have been salivating over for some time. We already know the lineups of wave 2 , wave 3, and 2 waves of comic packs. Check out this roster!

Wave 2

Gamora

Living Laser

Rage

Armored Spider-Man

Yellow Costume Daredevil

Vision

Wave 3

Hydro Man

Morbius

Rogue (80s)

Quasar

Comic Pack Wave 1

Vance Astro / Sam Wilson Captain America

Young Thor / Jane Foster Thor

Iron Man (Superior) / Machine Man

Comic Pack Wave 2

Scarlet Spider / Spider-Man

Hyperion / Supreme Hyperion

Captain Marvel (Danvers Masked) / Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell Kree Soldier outfit)

Outside of the above, there has been more than a mention of Lock Jaw. It’s 2016 and Hasbro is on fire. If they can get everything above out the door this year, I will be both very happy and very (much) poor(er)! Bravo Hasbro 3.75 team on a great line launch, can’t wait to get my hands on what’s next!

Availability

Big Bad Toy Store has these Marvelous little pieces of plastic up for pre-order!

Family Photos!