Review of Stan Lee - Avengers Marvel Legends
Action Figure

Introduction

Hasbro has been celebrating the 80th anniversary of Marvel with a series of Marvel Legends over the last couple years labeled as such.  The latest is their Stan Lee, based on his look in the Avengers, where he had a cameo as a chess player.

This guy is just starting to show up - most online retailers will still be in pre-order mode. He should run you around $25, an increase over the regular Marvel Legend price. I picked up mine at Meijer, where they had quite a few.

Packaging - ***1/2
The box package is attractive, and it's definitely collector friendly. You can also see the figure and accessories quite clearly, allowing you to pick out the best paint operations on the peg.  But the back is pretty short on text, and considering the subject matter, I would have expected a bit more.

Sculpting - ***1/2
Remember, this is a 1/12 figure, making the work on tiny details like the mustache, glasses, and teeth all the more impressive.

It's clearly Stan, although the chin and jawline are a little chunky. The gold frame glasses are close to scale, and the detailed stranding in the hair looks good. They picked the usual happy Stan expression, and it works well for this particular release.

He's wearing his windbreaker, shirt, pants, and shoes. The textures look good, and the smaller details of the clothing, like buttons and zippers, are realistic and well defined.

He stands about 6 1/4 inches tall, fitting in pretty well with the rest of the series.

Paint - ***1/2
Again, at this scale and at this price point, the work is well above average.

My favorite aspect is the hair and mustache, where they captured a graying appearance. It's hard to do, even at larger scales, so I'm doubly impressed with it here.

The painted frames are a little thick though, with some slop on the lens. The tiny teeth stand out nicely, and the skin tone is realistic.  The clothing doesn't have a ton of paint detail work - belt buckle, buttons - but what's here is fairly clean.

I will say that I thought he was wearing white sneakers in this scene, but I haven't watched it in quite some time, so I may be wrong.

Articulation - ***1/2
All the usual ML articulation is here, and there's little to hold it back from working well.

The ball jointed neck has plenty of tilt and lean, and the rotating hinge shoulders, cut biceps, double pin elbows, and rotating hinge wrists work great. He also has a rocker chest and cut waist, although the jacket does inhibit some side to side lean.

The rotating hinge hips, cut thighs, double pin knees, and rotating/rocker ankles allow for shallow to deep stances. I did have a little trouble with the ankles - the pants sculpt can get in the way a bit, and the rocker didn't always work quite the way I wanted - but overall I had no issues getting natural stances.

Accessories - **1/2
He's pretty light when it comes to extras. He has the folded up chess board set, and a Captain America shield with his signature emblazoned across the front. When he holds it with the two straps on the inside, it doesn't make the signature straight, but it's close.

Fun Factor - ***
He's got the articulation to be a fun figure, but I'm betting you pick a pose for him, maybe with one of your ML Spider-Man figures, and he stays that way for a long time.

Value - **
While the 80th Anniversary line has pushed higher prices, I'm not sure I'm seeing where the extra $5 - $7 is at. This guy is pretty much like every other Marvel Legend figure, and I'm thinking $20 was the right price point.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***1/2
Stan is an icon in the comic industry unlike anyone else. It's terrific to see figures being produced of him with care and attention to detail, just like he deserves. For the Marvel Legends fan, him in this outfit is likely a must have, and while the price point is a bit much for what you're getting, I have to say I'm glad we have the opportunity to add him to the shelf.

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

Where to Buy 
I picked this guy up at Meijer, where he was $25. Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has him for $25.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
If you're looking for something a bit bigger and much more expensive, check out the Hot Toys version of Stan Lee.

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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