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Hulk Classics
Mecha Hulk

Tonight we have a new guest reviewer, Danny Mills, with a great review of a Hulk figure you might not have seen yet - Mecha Hulk, from the Hulk Classics line!  Danny is from the U.K., so maybe he's getting to see these a little sooner than the U.S. side of the pond...

If you'd like to do a guest review, just let me know.  And now it's time for Danny to take it away!

 






Packaging - **1/2
The green card is nice and colourful but the main thing that draws you to this figure on the pegs is the bubble - it's huge, similar in size to the big Marvel Legends clamshells, but unlike the Marvel Legends figures, this bubble only contains the figure itself and not a base. The one drawback with the size and weight - it's a heavy toy - means that sometimes the bubble feels like it's going to lift off the card itself.

Sculpting - ***1/2
This bad boy is a cross between the Hulk and a Terminator endoskeleton, with masses of robotic wiring and tubing. The figure is enormous; over 7" tall even in his slightly squatting normal pose, and almost the same size in width due to his a huge back and shoulders which really emphasize the power inherent in the Mecha-Hulk. The sculpt is absolutely top notch, and has so much detailing it's almost overwhelming. Even the opening chest, which is an excuse for adding an action feature, is well done, with plates and rivets aplenty.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint is incredibly effective here. The primary colours are green (obviously) and gray, but rather than make the Mecha-Hulk pristine and shiny, scuffs, scrapes and dirty marks have been added to make it look as though this robot has seen a lot of use. Among the most distinctive paint apps are the feet, which are dirty brown, and the chest plates, which are scratched enough to almost resemble fur patterns. The only downside to the paint apps is the bizarre choice of bright yellow on the shoulders, which doesn't gel with the other colours at all.

Articulation - ****
The card says 46 points of articulation, and that's so many I'm not going to check them all, suffice to say that the articulation is definitely of Marvel Legends quantity and quality. Of particular note are the jointed fingers and thumbs which have had the joints added really well without breaking up the sculpt. The jet nozzles on the back of his knees actually move too, which is a simple yet effective addition.

Accessories - **1/2
3 accessories come with this figure. 2 missiles, which are the same spring-loaded collapsible ones as used in the "Shape-Shifters" line, and a Gremlin figure. It's called Gremlin on the package, but is a dead ringer for the Gargoyle. He is just over an inch high but has arm, leg and neck articulation, which is quite impressive. Detailing and paint apps on the Gremlin are of high quality. He can be stored in a compartment in the Mecha-Hulk's back.

As with most of Toybiz's 6" toylines, this figure has an action feature. The 2 missiles are loaded into the chest area of the Mecha-Hulk and then a button on the back of the figure can be pressed and the missiles fly out with surprising force and speed. The problem with the action feature is that it's easy to shoot yourself in the face when loading the missiles in - don't ask how I know this :)

Durability/Quality - **
The main problem with this figure is he's very top heavy, and although the ball-jointed legs give good freedom of movement, they are not tight enough to keep the figure standing and sometimes you have to wrestle the figure into a good position. Otherwise, the quality seems fine.

Value - ***
£7.99 for a figure of this size, detail and complexity compares very favourably to prices of other toy lines in the UK.

Overall - ***1/2
With a killer sculpt, fantastic detailing and sheer size compared to similar 6" toys, I haven't been as impressed with a figure in ages. Even with the stability issues (which are more a result of Toybiz adding in too much rather than being sloppy) the Mecha-Hulk is highly recommended.

Where to Buy:
In the States, your best bet is Target, Wal-mart or Toys R Us.

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Figures from the collection of Danny Mills.

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