Packaging - **1/2
It's the same blister card packaging we've all seen a million times. The picture of Spider-Man on the front of the card is a bit different, but it's basically the same bland, if inoffensive, graphics we've grown accustomed to. The card back features the same blurb about how great Spider-Man is, and little black and white drawings show off the figure's features. This wave's ridiculous Spider-Man variants are displayed along the right edge of the card.

Sculpting - ***1/2
Great job here! This figure is loaded with detail, from the varying textures of the different parts of the armor, to the thick padded gloves. The helmet has a clear faceplate, and there is actually a separate head underneath, with it's own face sculpt. It's tough to see unless you use the action feature, which we'll get to in a minute. 

Paint - ***
Mostly a standard job here, although I did bump the score up a bit for some nice detail work in a few areas. For instance, the green centers of the purple knobs on his helmet are pretty much perfect. It's your standard mass-release paint job elsewhere, though. The green areas have a sort of wash over them, which looks great. The purple areas have a light metallic sheen to them. Overall, it's an eye-catching color scheme that is applied competently.

Articulation - ****
I've got no gripes in this category. The articulation is actually better than it is on many Marvel Legends figures, as it has everything you need, without going over the top, as Toy Biz often does. Beetle has ball joints at the shoulders and hips, joints at the elbows, knees, and ankles, cuts at the wrists and waist, hinges at the wrists and ankles, a cut and hinge combo at the head, and individually articulated fingers and toes. Yep, I think that about covers it.

Action Feature - **
The main action feature is a fluttering wings/light-up face. After attaching the wings, flick the switch to "on," wind up the knob on the back, and press the button. The Beetle's wings will buzz back and forth very rapidly, while his face lights up red. The knob on his back doesn't stand out much, since it blends in rather well with the wings. The button sticking out of his left side is a bit of an eyesore, though. Still, it continues to amaze me that Toy Biz can put these kinds of things into a $6 figure. So, why the low score? Because the thing only works like it's supposed to about 50% of the time, and that's if you're lucky. Aside from all that, there is also a spring-loaded missile launcher on each forearm.

Accessories - **
The only things that can be considered accessories are the two missiles that attach to the launchers on the Beetle's arms. The wings are detachable, so I suppose you could count them, too.

Fun Factor - ***
My nephew is the judge here, as usual. He was really impressed with this figure at first, but he eventually lost interest in favor of playing with toys of characters he knows more about. So, it looks like the Beetle is quite successful on the figure's own merits, but the character's obscurity actually works against him a bit. Still, a fun addition to the collection.

Value - ****
That's right, I gave a loser like the Beetle a perfect score here. Even with the action feature working only when it feels like it, this is still a large, rather impressive figure with great articulation and a very nice sculpt, priced in the $6-$9 range. Plus, it's a villain, something that is almost always a bit scarcer in any action figure line, and hence, a bit more desirable. All those qualities make this figure a great value. 

Overall - * **1/2
This is solid evidence that even the dregs of comic book villains can make for great figures, if only they're treated with care. In my book, the Beetle isn't even a has-been, he's a never-was. But I still really like this figure. The great sculpt and sheer massive size of the guy command attention, as does the eye-catching color scheme. The guy actually looks like somebody Spider-Man would have a hard time taking down. I expect the Beetle won't be as sought-after as some of the other villains purely because of his obscurity, but he's a great figure and a terrific bargain. You could do much worse with your $7.

Score Recap:
Packaging - **1/2
Sculpt - ***1/2
Paint - ***
Articulation - ****
Action Feature - **
Accessories - **
Value - ****
Fun Factor - ***
Overall - * **1/2

Where to Buy - 
These are hitting a lot of bricks and mortar retailers right now, including Target, Meijers, Toys R Us and Wal-marts.