Review of Squirrel Girl
Marvel Legends Action Figure

Introduction

Hasbro has been doing a terrific job with their Marvel Legends series, and the 'ultimate' sets, usually with a character and a vehicle (like the recent Cosmic Orb Ghost Rider) have been icing on the action figure cake.

One of the most recent is Squirrel Girl with her nifty scooter.  Don't know who Squirrel Girl is? She's not a new character, having debuted almost 30 years ago. She's been a member of the Avengers, and her ability to communicate with squirrels is a surprisingly effective superpower. She is quite the bad ass, but her comic is also much more lighthearted and fun than many of the other modern titles.

This set is available widely, and I found her at Target for around $40.

Packaging - ***1/2
The basic packaging works well, with some great graphics. It's also collector friendly, and you can remove the figure and accessories without any damage.  The large window shows off the figure and scooter quite well.

Sculpting - ***1/2
What you're getting here is her more modern look, from her series "The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl". The overall costume is pretty accurate, and the large tail is very prominent.

She stands just under 6" tall, making her fit in nicely with the rest of the Marvel Legends. The face sculpt is quite beautiful, although she does seem slightly sad to me, or sort of wistful perhaps.  The detail work on her hair is great, as is the various fur edges.  Her tail is less detailed however, with less stranding and softer curls.

The scooter looks terrific, and is in scale with the figure and others in the line. The contours and lines look great, and the kick stand keeps it upright while she's riding.

My biggest complaint with the sculpt is actually the elbows.  I think they go with these rotating hinge style because they think they look better than a double pin, but they don't. The elbow looks odd and bulky in most poses, and I'm not a fan.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is quite clean, particularly on the face, where the eyes, lips, and teeth look great. Again, the paint work adds to her wistful expression, but I'm not counting that against them.

The work on the costume is good as well, although there is the occasional dirt chunk in the paint. My biggest issue is the dark brown hair, which just seems wrong to my eye. It's as dark as her tail, something I've never seen in any of the comic art.

Articulation - ***
The neck has the usual ball/hinge, with plenty of lean and tilt. You can use it to add a lot of personality to any pose, particularly those on the bike.

The tail doesn't turn, or at least mine doesn't. I don't want to force it, because I'm afraid of tearing it. The plastic seems a little softer this time around, particularly in the elbow and knee joints, and tearing a pin is possible.

The shoulders, hips, knees, elbows, chest crunch, thighs, and wrists all work pretty much as you'd expect. There's no waist joint, and the chest crunch doesn't have a ton of mobility, making it tough to get a great pose riding the scooter. You have to move her all the way forward on the seat to reach the handlebars, since she can't bend far enough at the waist.

The ankles work great, with good rocker and forward/backward movement. However, even with all this articulation, it's tough to get her to stand on her own. The tail is really heavy, and you need some sort of support to have her remain upright. She's definitely a figure that needs the scooter, and even then, you'll be limited as to how she rides it.

Accessories - ****
Her number one accessory is the scooter. It looks great, is large enough to work with a variety of Marvel Legends figures, and is well made.

She also has three squirrels. One is sitting, eating a nut, one is on all fours, ready for battle, and the third is also sitting, but wearing a pink ribbon. That would be Tippy Toe, if you're wondering. The sculpts and paint work are good, and they can easily sit in the large wicker basket on the front of the scooter.

There's also a horn for the scooter that you can attach or leave off, your choice.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
While the figure has some limitations due to the articulation and tail, you can still have some fun setting her up on the scooter in various ways. You can also swap in the scooter with other characters from the extensive line of Marvel Legends, and they'll all look great.

Value - **1/2
At $40, you're getting a figure and a vehicle, not a bad deal. It's pretty much in line with the current market, and you won't feel as though you were overcharged.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. It is a bit tricky popping in the side mirrors, but when you get them lined up just right, they easily snap right in.

Overall - ***1/2
Another terrific release in their 'ultimate' series!  I wish the articulation allowed for the figure to sit a bit better on the bike...or stand easily on her own...but the sculpting, paint, and accessories are excellent. And I'm going to find plenty of goofy uses for this scooter!

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ****
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
This set is popping up at Target, where you'll pay around $40. Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has her for $40.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other recent Marvel Legends include Red Hulk, Cosmic Ghost Rider, and the Fantastic Four wave with Human Torch, The Thing, Super Skrull, Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, She-Hulk and Doctor Doom.

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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