I see a lot of love for the Toy Biz ML line, but as someone who has been collecting the Hasbro figures only for the 18 months or so I really don't understand the appeal?
Looking back at pictures and even video reviews of toy Biz Marvel Legends most of them seem to be badly proportioned, crudely sculpted and quite ugly, aside from the BAFs which are annoyingly incredible. No offense intended to any Toy Biz fans, but what is it about them that you like over the Hasbro offerings?
Different tastes and all that, not trying to demand people justify why they like them, I'm just curious about what it is about them that make them so popular still.

I actually think that the Hasbro legends are all-in-all better than the ToyBiz ones were but then again there is a notable difference in time between the two. I feel like when ToyBiz's legends line came out they were pretty new and different for being articulated and more detailed than the other toys being made for these characters so there was that "first actual collector line" appeal. Plus like every figure had a cool and well done base which was always nice, good accessories, and a reprint of a comic with them in it. ToyBiz also put in a lot of variety with their spectrum of characters, sure Hasbro does some crazy obscure characters but they're usually the obscure characters who can still tie to the Avengers or Spider-Man while some of ToyBiz's were just an out-there character all unto their own. Of course the sculpts don't all hold up so well to today's sculpts but some were also just bad to begin with like any of ToyBiz's female figures (so freaking glad that Hasbro makes female characters that actually look like humans). It definitely had its appeal and now has some nostalgia to boot but I think Hasbro is the improved version of what they started.

I could definitely see them looking crummy in hindsight, but man, were they beautiful at the time. These were hugely articulated figures with detailed sculpts and great paint apps that you could pose in a myriad of ways that weren't "leg up," "arm down."

As Sabah says, they also came with fantastically rich and detailed bases, and a free comic to boot, and they were half the price of Hasbro's! Granted, Magneto looks ridiculous using the Iron Man body, ball joints were visible everywhere and Scarlet Witch looked like a malformed creature, but they got so much right that it was easy to forgive them. Plus, you know, that Sentinel BAF!

For all of the great figures that Hasbro has put out over the past couple of years there are still some characters/costumes that have yet to be remade since the ROML. And the only way to get them is by finding the Toy Biz version. The Doc Ock that every one has been showing off the past few days is a perfect example of this. He may not be great by today's standards but he's the best out there for the moment.

The Fwoosh had a nice article a few months ago about about the Toy Biz Series 1 Hulk. The author was talking about how the figure was his first Marvel Legends figure and keeping it even though he owned better Hulk figures that had come out since then. Sadly, the figure broke while he was photographing it. Most of us probably have a Toy Biz Legends figure that we're keeping no matter what because it was our first or simply our favorite for the longest time. Mine's the Series 1 Captain America.

well I can't help you.


As for Toy Biz vs. Hasbro, I prefer the hasbro sculpts for sure, but Toy Biz had some better quality for sure. That said, I still have Man-Thing, Maskless Daredevil and Julia Carpenter Spider-Woman on display as I love those figures. I'd also say Toy Biz had a more attractive Elektra than the Hasbro offering.

Thanks for the responses, all very illuminating.

@En Sabah Nerd, yeah what I've seen on ToyBiz' female figures were really, really bad.

@VonPooten, the Sentinel BAF is amazing, if I had the money to spare I'd pick one up on eBay.


I just gave in to temptation and ordered the whole Absorbing Man wave.

Better off ordering the wave then hunting them in stores... i have yet to see the new absorbing man wave local to me.

@reptil

Where were you when this thread was hijacked by photos of arker's personal gun and knife collections? I wanted to say something then, but decided I would just let the moment pass. Or the "Slave Leia" thread that was ultimately shut down due to the animus and vitriol openly on display. Take a gander at the recent Mattel Ghostbuster thread for an example of tangential comments that have little place on a forum like this one. This space (Toyark) is used in a lot of ways; some I like, some others, not so much. No bigge. I'm a 'member' not an 'owner' and the space provided to us to post is unlimited (thanks Toyark)...so cut us a little slack to talk about comic art, at least it's somewhat germane to Marvel Legends figs lol
Not trying to pile on...I actually hear where you are coming from, but I also don't want to feel stifled when I participate on topics I find appropriate.

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/...psuyfnj2dv.jpg

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/...psaivrntbk.jpg

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/...pshccls5tp.jpg

I want a Joystick fig now after playing around with Speed Demon...

@lordbest

First off, Steven is the best! Great show for young children and their adult parents. A remarkable 'toon, rife with many contemporary and parabolic overtones. About proportion problems and Toy Biz, I view it as a trade off for sculpted detail. Sure, Hasbro figures may have a greater aesthetic appeal for today's collectors, but I still find Toy Biz figs to be far more unique looking. Another small point I would add is that many (if not most) humans are not proportional. We'd all be models if there were larger numbers of us graced with perfectly sized limbs/trunks/heads. I actually think Hasbro is getting a little too reliant on buck re-use, and a proportional 'ugly duckling' (Ghost - recently used for Jack O'Lantern) should be thrown in the mix occasionally...just to provide some variety.

Ahh, you're still mad about that? That was so last year...oh well, to each it's own.

Still mad? I don't recall saying anything about it until just now and that was as an illustration of the fact that none of us make the rules here. All this was laid out pretty succinctly in what I wrote...and I kept it short for the reading averse...;)

I thought so, because I was going to say...I'm not sure how to respond to your comment other than to say that it's a good thing that I don't worry much about who likes me and who doesn't. I guess you could block me?

Now I'm going to sound dimmer than an out-of-use bulb, but I hadn't even considered using multiple figures to simulate super speed, and you've utilised it in a very effective manner! I might need to get me a few Speed Demons, swap out a couple of his hands for fists, and you've got yourself a nice beat-down sequence!

Now, if only they'd release an updated Quicksilver... but by golly, not that atrocious All-New look. Ghastly thing! On the other hand, I would warmly welcome Daniel Acuna's design for him in Uncanny Avengers. I would post a picture of it, but I don't want to be flamed for going "off topic"..

lol School-yard stuff, man. Just let it be...

Alright...let it be then, Lol

@Von

I did something similar a while back with Spidey:

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/...pswg24kipb.jpg

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/...psqk5uvhh3.jpg

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/...psemda9mej.jpg

It works with varying degrees of success, but it's a familiar method to what is often used in books. Albeit, comics have the advantage of using faded doppelgangers. The illustrated effect creates more of a sense of which image is meant to be 'real' versus which image is intended to be an 'echo.'

Love the pics TBM. You can really make some interesting effects with multiple figures or multiple sizes of figures. The Ant/Giant Man growth sequences are always fun to check out as well.

@TMB, Yes I have seen the motion illusion using multiple Spider-Man figures before! It looks great, although the perfectionist in me would repaint the "echoes" a lighter shade to demonstrate that fact. Whereas with speedsters, I guess there's more logic behind the snapshots? Whatever makes me sleep at night, haha.

Okaaaaay. Time to lighten the mood here... I'm purposefully making plenty of room on the modern X-Men shelf in sheer anticipation of Toy Fair's announcements. I haven't been this excited about a wave since Jubilee!

http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/...psumt6odhl.png

I'm also curious as to who we're going to get in this X-men wave, the civil war wave, and im very curious when this new Hulk wave will release and who'll be in it.

Is Hasbro actually attending NYC Toy fair o.O didn't see anything on the floor plan of where companies are i saw mattel , lego systems etc but not hasbro :[ unless i missed something

@kirathis

Thanks, man. Funny you should mention it, but I did a Giant Man set up with the Marvel Now GM and the GM from that SDCC 3 pack. I didn't care for the results, so I left the pics on my camera figuring I would redo the concept at a later date.

@von

Great pic, Von! I'm so glad you decided to resize your photo. I've always dug your poses and this shot does not disappoint. Jubilee and Psylocke (weird how the fig is looking a little like Olivia Mun to me now - definitely not a bad thing - I've been a fan of her's since her "Attack of the Show" days), especially so...Nice "bamf" effect on that custom Nightcrawler. Did you make it?

Que the beetles song.... :)

I guess...that's what he posted, I just go with the flow, lol.

Some have reported that Amazon is now selling the Captain America wave, but I can not find them for ****.

The Red Onslaught wave? It's there if you search marvel legends then sort by newest arrivals. No Sharon Carter though.