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Introduction
Last week I checked out two of the new Fantastic Four wave of Marvel Legends - Doctor Doom and She-Hulk. This week, let's get busy with two more of the named quartet, Mr. Fantastic and his accomplished wife, the invisible Woman. Also known as Reed and Sue, the pair make the perfect couple.
The wave also includes The Thing and the Human Torch, with a BAF of a Super Skrull. These retail for around $18 - $20 each, depending on the
retailer, and have just started shipping.
Packaging - ***1/2
The usual. It's collector friendly - you can pull out the figure and accessories without damaging the package - and it has some nice character
specific graphics and text. There's also a useful BAF key on the back, showing which part comes with which figure.
Sculpting - ***
Both portraits are nice, if a bit generic. Sue has large lips and eyes, with a wide face and long blonde hair. There's a reasonable amount of detail
in the locks, but there's not much surface texture or detail in the standard suit.
The same is true for Reed. He's got a nice, middle age scientist dude with a beard face, but the suit is quite plain, pretty much a standard ML body. Again, the stranding in his hair and beard is good, and I like the overall look, but they will be a bit plain next to characters like Doom.
Sue and Reed are about 6 1/4" tall.
Paint - ***1/2
Both figures sport a very nice, if simple, paint job, particularly for Marvel Legends. They've improved the quality of the paint work over the last
couple years, and it shows with consistency becoming more of the standard.
The majority of the paint detail is on the faces, with clean eyes, eyebrows, and lips. The skin tone is good, and the graying hair effect on Reed is well done considering the scale.
The blue edges on the larger costume details are reasonable, if a little wobbly here and there. Both emblems look good, and while there's not a ton of detail on the outfit, what's here is in line with the price point.
However, it is quite possible that this suit design is not your personal favorite. God knows, it's not the classic silver age look. But we've gotten that in the past, why not a more modern take?
Articulation - ****
These are Marvel Legends and you know that means they are articulated. I had no issues with any of the joints, and the mobility was great.
Of course, that's because of the simple costumes which do little to impede the basic body. The hinge/ball necks work well, particularly on Mr. Fantastic. The hair on Sue does get in the way a bit, but much less than I expected.
The rotating hinge shoulders, elbows, and wrists on Sue (Reed swaps in double pin elbows with a cut bicep to get the same effect) allow for decent, natural arm poses. Her elbows can't quite get the same kind of bend as her husband's, but the mobility is reasonable.
The Invisible Woman has a rolling torso joint that turns and tilts. Mr. Fantastic has the usual cut waist and hinge torso. This is two different ways to skin the same cat, and you can break up the straight torso lines with either one.
Both have ball hips, cut thighs, double pin knees, and rotating hinge/rocker ankles that have a ton of movement. They can take shallow to deep stances and maintain them without much trouble.
Accessories - ***
If a figure is part of a BAF wave and has a BAF part, they always get a **1/2 to start in this category from me.
Both of these characters have the BAF piece. In fact, there are only six figures in this particular wave, and you need all six to complete the Super Skrull.
The Invisible Woman adds in a swirling shield-like 'effect' that fits over her left hand. Mr. Fantastic adds in a second set of hands with fingers stretched out in a way that screams 'trip to HR'.
Fun Factor - ***1/2
These figures are a ton of fun, even if they currently aren't characters most kids will recognize. Add in the other figures from the wave, and you
have a great team/villain set up.
Value - **1/2
At $20 each, these are an average value on the market right now. When oil prices dropped back down a few years ago, Hasbro upped the quality of the
figures rather than drop the prices. I'm good with that, considering how nice these newer Marvel Legends are.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Everything was well made and sturdy, and should hold up fine to normal handling and play, even with a rambunctious 8 year old.
Overall - ***1/2
While these two aren't as eye catching as She-Hulk and the excellent Doom, they are critical members of the team. Both are executed cleanly, and the
modern suits make for a different look on the shelf.
I'll be finishing up this wave with a look at the Thing and the Human Torch, along with the BAF of Super Skrull, very soon!
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ****
Accessories - ***
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 first part of this wave - She-Hulk
and Doctor Doom - and 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.
