[Shin Densetsu]

WTF

Okay so I was messing with my Marvel Universe and some Marvel movie figures by Hasbro recently, and I figured out why I like Marvel Universe moar most of the time. The plastic is harder, paint apps tend to be better and this combination lends itself to not looking cheap...which unfortunately, is how some of the Marvel movie stuff by Hasbro looks. Now the comic packs, some of the early ones were bland, looked just as cheap, yet had the harder plastic.

I'm thinking alright, maybe the movie stuff, since kids will notice it more, is made to be more sturdy to withstand their abuse? For example, I can probably throw a movie Thor figure AGAINST A BRICK WALL AND 34567890 MPH and while Thor will be all messed up, the figure will most likely not break.

Now do the same with a Marvel Universe figure...and..yea..broke like no joke.

Now Marvel Universe figures aren't fragile. I have a bunch, I can count with my fingers the number of stuck joints. They just feel less malleable than the Marvel movie toys.

Like maybe movie Thor can survive being smashed by Mjolnor meanwhile that AWESOME MARVEL UNIVERSE ULTIMATE FREAKING MODERNIZED WAVE 7 THOR could shatter.

Thoughts? MAYBE, MAYBE the paint reacts differently, hence the different looks on the figures. Movie stuff looks cheaper, Marvel Universe looks more refined(well in general...regular Havok looks cheap, same with that 1 dude who came with Hawkeye).

[DogFashionDisco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shin Densetsu

WTF

Okay so I was messing with my Marvel Universe and some Marvel movie figures by Hasbro recently, and I figured out why I like Marvel Universe moar most of the time. The plastic is harder, paint apps tend to be better and this combination lends itself to not looking cheap...which unfortunately, is how some of the Marvel movie stuff by Hasbro looks. Now the comic packs, some of the early ones were bland, looked just as cheap, yet had the harder plastic.

I'm thinking alright, maybe the movie stuff, since kids will notice it more, is made to be more sturdy to withstand their abuse? For example, I can probably throw a movie Thor figure AGAINST A BRICK WALL AND 34567890 MPH and while Thor will be all messed up, the figure will most likely not break.

Now do the same with a Marvel Universe figure...and..yea..broke like no joke.

Now Marvel Universe figures aren't fragile. I have a bunch, I can count with my fingers the number of stuck joints. They just feel less malleable than the Marvel movie toys.

Like maybe movie Thor can survive being smashed by Mjolnor meanwhile that AWESOME MARVEL UNIVERSE ULTIMATE FREAKING MODERNIZED WAVE 7 THOR could shatter.

Thoughts? MAYBE, MAYBE the paint reacts differently, hence the different looks on the figures. Movie stuff looks cheaper, Marvel Universe looks more refined(well in general...regular Havok looks cheap, same with that 1 dude who came with Hawkeye).

The baddy with Hawkeye is Piledriver. Anyway, I definitely think the paint schemes play into the quality, but as we've seen with the difference between the GI Joe and Marvel lines, the guys designing them are different and produce drastically different figures as far as the quality is concerned. I agree with other members on this forum (in previous discussions) that the GI Joe team needs to take a shot at making Marvel characters. We could use some quality control, so get your shit together Hasbro.

[behindthemask]

I believe the movie toys look cheap/ are inferior to MU because they're targeted more so at kids rather then collectors, they're meant to be played with more so then posed, and the paint apps are bland/ok at best. The IM2 figures look good because sculpt is everything with Ironman, not so much paint, whenever they make a decent enough mold they can repaint it any color under the rainbow and we'll buy it. Frankly the spiderman series and Movie themed toys for the most are made with more abusable plastic to withstand abuse from play, MU is more accurate in paint, more fades,washes, blends. MU could be better though.

[Jason Abbadon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by behindthemask

I believe the movie toys look cheap/ are inferior to MU because they're targeted more so at kids rather then collectors, .

Totally agree- the Thor line is nicely sculpted and still very unimpressive- they just sorta stand there- posability is crap on the Loki (the only one I wanted) despite looking dead on from the stills I've seen.


As to the GI Joe to MU difference, give it time- every MU wave is twice as good as the last- and they kick ass now.
If you wnat to make your HYDRA and SHIELD soldiers impossibly cool, just put GI JOe heads on the SHIELD agents and buy a couple of Firefly and Beachhead figures- they have amazing weapons to replace the stock M-16 the MU figs come with and there are knives in sheaths, binoculars, clips and grenades on those GI JOe figs that easily pop off and can be glued onto the MU uniforms!

Really makes each soldier unique!

[Runamuck]

Really? I've always felt the MU figures felt and looked cheap. The plastic looks cheap and dull. And the paint jobs are always messy looking and cheap as well. You can't buy most of the female characters for this alone(at least for me). And while the male figures look better most of the time, they certainly are not devoid of these problems.

That is what has kept me from really collecting this line. I have a handful of these figures. And while I do want Apoc, Thanos, Cable and a few others, the way the finished product looks will ultimately sway me. I was excited by a lot of figures, then see the finished figure and it just killed all that excitement. So I know better. GI Joe is definitely superior product in every way.

[Jason Abbadon]

I dont think so- not since the last two waves of MU- Bleeding Edge Iron Man, Apocalypse and Silver Samuari are all equal or superior to the Joe line.
All hae amazing paint apps and great sculpts.
The Joe line has it all over Marvel in one area though- accesories!

Damn- the new Joes have SO. MUCH. STUFF. For the same pricepoint at MU!

If the MU line did that, we'd have an extra unmasked head for all the characters, extra weapons, etc.

On the other hand, the MU line has these massive figures like Thanos, Apocalypse or Iron Monger for the same price as a Joe fig. We're talking like twice the plastic of a single figure.

I think both lines can learn a thing or three from the other....thankfully they're both the same scale and there's a ton of crossover for customizing!

[Colder Soldier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Runamuck

Really? I've always felt the MU figures felt and looked cheap. The plastic looks cheap and dull. And the paint jobs are always messy looking and cheap as well. You can't buy most of the female characters for this alone(at least for me). And while the male figures look better most of the time, they certainly are not devoid of these problems.

That is what has kept me from really collecting this line. I have a handful of these figures. And while I do want Apoc, Thanos, Cable and a few others, the way the finished product looks will ultimately sway me. I was excited by a lot of figures, then see the finished figure and it just killed all that excitement. GI Joe is definitely superior product in every way.

I have to agree with you on most you stated. Except the females of the line are usually superior to the males (due to their awesome female buck). They may look fragile, but looks can be decieving. Just like real women.

There aren't many, but some of the MU are as damn close to perfect as a 3 3/4" superhero is gonna get (Thanos, Juggernaut, Hawkeye, Jessica Drew, Black Widow, etc). You gotta pick and choose, but in doing that we all know what that leads to- Gotta get them all. Lol.

And finally, the day has come when modern GIJoe is superior to something. And Joe is getting a lot better in the coming months!

[Ash from Carolina]

I think the movie toys have that cheap feel because they are pretty much rushed out after the costume designs for the films are finished. Throw in the fact that it's usually the movie selling the figure instead of the figure having to sell itself and I can see why Hasbro might take lots of cheap short cuts. Why put too much into something people are going to buy or not buy just on the name?

Honestly my expectations for any movie related toys is just really really low because it's never a companies best work.

Marvel Universe, I have to agree they have really been making some nice improvements over those rough early days. Perhaps Hasbro didn't figure that 4" super heroes would sell so they went cheap in case the whole thing failed. The newer stuff is looking far more impressive. Still not Hasbro's best work but the improvements are welcome steps in the right direction.

Now if Hasbro could just figure out how to sell the retailers on Marvel Universe a bit better instead of over stocking on the movie related toys.

[AndyCR75]

Now if Hasbro could just figure out how to sell the retailers on Marvel Universe a bit better instead of over stocking on the movie related toys.


Amen.

[fa11enwing]

If the Joe designer team is to replace the current MU team, i think they'll be limited to use the existing bucks instead of sculpting detailed molds for specific characters that have low chance of retooling. Hasbro wont be making that much profit. We already have new improved bucks to work around (cyclops, cable, and x-23 female buck). I would like more accessories though!

I'm just content with how hasbro manage things now, not perfect though but atleast they're improving.

[Shin Densetsu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fa11enwing

If the Joe designer team is to replace the current MU team, i think they'll be limited to use the existing bucks instead of sculpting detailed molds for specific characters that have low chance of retooling. Hasbro wont be making that much profit. We already have new improved bucks to work around (cyclops, cable, and x-23 female buck). I would like more accessories though!

I'm just content with how hasbro manage things now, not perfect though but atleast they're improving.

I want to see an all new Marvel Universe buck for Wolverine in lieu of retooling the XMO figures. If Wolverine is going to spam the Marvel Universe toyline just as he has in the Marvel Universe, at least let it be something new and worthy of excitement.

[Runamuck]

Ok, this is the first time I've seen the term "buck". And it's been used twice now in back to back posts. Is it another word for mold?

[Shin Densetsu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Runamuck

Ok, this is the first time I've seen the term "buck". And it's been used twice now in back to back posts. Is it another word for mold?

More like standardized type of mold. For example, DCUC shares a lot of common bucks, same size, style of articulation, et al.

[Jason Abbadon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyCR75

Now if Hasbro could just figure out how to sell the retailers on Marvel Universe a bit better instead of over stocking on the movie related toys.


Amen.

Well...I think a lot of that is perception- big retaliors allocate a given amount of asile space to movie toys- whatever kind of movie toys.
Lately, we've been lucky that the toys in question have been 3.75" comic figures that compliment the MU line and we'll see more for some time thanks to the Thor, Cap and Avengers movies.

But bix box stores like Target and Wally gamble on a movie's success far in advance- and occasionally get burned like with the Tron stuff- it's high pricepoint killed that line (and the movie did not do that well).

As long as the Marvel movies continue to do well in the box office, I think we'll see lots of goodies to go with MU...
And I want a SHIELD Flyng Car....possibly to go wityh the (announced!) SHIELD movie spinoff!
Yes.