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Introduction
Sure as the sun is going to rise tomorrow, there's going to be a new wave of Marvel Legends at your local store. Or at least it seems that way, and in the last year the number of waves has certainly increased. The latest series to hit the pegs around me is the Fantastic Four wave, also known as the Super Skrull wave, since he's the BAF.
There are six figures in the line, and you need them all to build the Super Skrull. There's Dr. Doom and She-Hulk (reviewed tonight), as well as Mr. Fantastic, the Human Torch, the Invisible Woman, and the Thing. I think you see why it's the Fantastic Four wave...
These are currently shipping and will run you around $20 at most brick and mortar retailers.
Packaging - ***1/2
The usual stuff, but for a mass market product, it's surprisingly collector friendly. You can remove the figure and accessories without destroying
the pack, and use it for shipping or storage later. The packages are personalized for each character, and there's a nice key on the back that shows
which figure has which BAF piece.
Sculpting - ***1/2
Both Doom and She-Hulk look terrific, and both are an impressive size. Dr. Doom is large by ML standards, coming in at 6 3/4", but She-Hulk dwarfs
him at 7 1/4".
The sculpting on both is great, although less detailed than some releases. She-Hulk has dynamically posed hair, sweeping back over one shoulder. A loose strand hanging down in front of the angry face completes the look. The torn shirt and jeans are well done, and there's a texture to the pants to differentiate them from the skin of the legs.
Doom also has a very nice texture on his costume bits, and the detail work on the belt, buckle, and cape chain look great. The armored limbs resemble metal nicely, and the cape adds a flair of majesty.
Doom actually has two portraits, capturing his look from a couple different eras. i like the riveted secondary head sculpt a bit better, but your mileage may vary. They both are hooded, and swap easily.
Paint - ***
While the paint work is fairly clean, it's not eye popping or unique.
Most of the pieces are molded in color, and the broad swathes of green or grey are consistent. There's a few details, like the buckle on Doom's belt, or the eyes, lips, and teeth of She-Hulk, but the number is fairly limited.
There is a bit of slop on the face paint for She-Hulk, and a bit of a wash on Doom's costume could add some pop. But overall, it's reasonable work.
Articulation - ***1/2
These are Marvel Legends figures, so articulation goes without saying. However, there's a few restrictions with both.
As you'd expect, both necks are encumbered a bit. For Doom it's the hood, while the long hair has some effect on She-Hulk.
The rotating hinge shoulders, cut biceps, double pin elbows, and rotating hinge wrists work well, and allow for some decent arm poses. The discs in She-Hulk's elbows can look a little wonky in certain poses, but it's not a major nit for me.
She has an excellent torso joint that turns, leans and tilts, but Doom is pretty static through his chest and torso. Both have ball hips, and because of the sculpted butts (particularly with She-Hulk), there's more forward and side to side movement than backward. The have cut thighs, double pin knees, and rotating hinge ankles with some reasonable rocker movement.
Accessories - She-Hulk ***; Doom ****
When I review a figure with a BAF piece, I always start at **1/2 stars in this category. That's an average value, and getting the BAF accessory gets
you to that level.
She-Hulk does slightly better, since she also gets a second set of grasping hands. They swap easily with the fists she comes wearing.
Doom also has a second set of hands - fists in his case - to go with his grasping left and gun grip right. Have no fear, that right hand can be put to use with the pistol that comes already inside the holster on his belt.
He also has that second portrait I mentioned earlier, boosting him quite a bit over the average ML, and the cape is removable, which could allow you to count it in this category as well.
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Marvel Legends might be popular with collectors, but they are also great toys. With sturdy joints and well designed articulation, you can get plenty
of interesting poses, and the accessories are generally useful.
Value - **1/2
At $20, you're getting an average value. You could argue it's slightly better with Doom, thanks to the extra head, but I'm sticking with an average
score (that will have no effect up or down on my Overall) for this category.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing! Everything is sturdy and well made, and collectors and kids alike will enjoy them.
Overall - ***1/2
The Fantastic Four rarely get the love they deserve, even in action figure form, but this overall wave is terrific. Okay, so for most fans She-Hulk
is a stretch, but Doom is the man, and he'll make an excellent opponent for the other four figures in the wave.
She-Hulk was a member of the Fantastic Four for awhile, so her inclusion does make sense. Add in the fact that she has a new show coming on Disney+, and you have a character that kids will soon be clamoring for. Not as soon as I'd like, but soon.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - She-Hulk ***; Doom ****
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy
These are popping up at Target and Meijer stores right now. Online options include these site sponsors:
- Entertainment Earth has the set for $166 with free shipping.
- or you can search ebay for a deal.
Related Links -
Other recent Marvel Legends reviews include the Molten Man wave - Molten Man, Scorpion, Stealth Suit
Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Hydroman, Doppelganger
Spider-Man, and Mysterio.
You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.
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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.
