NEW SPIDERMAN TOYS IN PACKAGE Review
 

IN PACKAGE. Why did I mention that? It's because I have no intention of buying the new Spiderman figures! With that said, I figured it would be good to let everyone know how the figures are like. Or look like. Whatever.

Anyways I saw these things at Walmart. My 1st thought, was that the sculpts are actually decent. VENOM in particular looks excellent. That Mcfarlene-esque head sculpt kicks ass. It's about time the Mcfarlane-esque design got some love. Also saw Green Goblin.

Green Goblin looks WAY better than that new t-crotched(YES T CROTCH! AHHH FOR THE LOSE!) Green Goblin from the 6" line. Ya know, the line with the Spiderman and Black Spiderman repaint that doesn't really sell and lacks articulation? YEAH THOSE GUYS! The paint job on the new 3-3/4" Green Goblin may actually be better than the Marvel Universe version, maybe even the sculpt. The glider wasn't that bad either, more detailed than I thought. No ball ankles though.

The Spiderman figures themselves looked cheap but not Wolverine Origins cheap. Weird mix or lack of articulation on most of them. All of these figures came with accessories, like a missle launcher none of us will care for, and some trading cards or something.

Yes it's been reiterated that these are made for kids, ad naseum. Yet these kids are probably going to want uniformity with the Marvel Universe line, a bigger, 3-3/4" line with characters from the same universe as Spiderman. Yet due to the lack of full articulation on some of the Spiderman figures and Spidey rogues, this isn't really ideal.

IMHO it would have been better if the figures at least had full articulation, at least that way they would share that aspect with Marvel Universe, and also appeal to collectors, which equates to more sales for Hasbro. It's weird seeing a lack of articulation on a SPIDERMAN figure of all figures.

So with that said, not as bad as I was expecting but still disappointing nonetheless. +1 for looking better than Wolverine Origins.

saw these today, not buying the little figs but yeah venom looks really good for one

Picked up the Venom and he's not too bad, miss the articulation in the lower body and the head seems to come off easy if you make him look up{could just be mine though}. Not really interested in any of the others except Rhino who I may pick up. Overall a disappointing line IMO since no articulation and like most solo hero lines each wave seems to be going to figure in "gimmick" versions of the hero and very few villains. I may be an adult/collector but I have a kid and I remember how I was as a kid. Gimmick figures only go so far my daughter will tell you that Spiderman needs his villains and for that matter she's even hip to his allies like Black Cat. Please note Hasbro, she's only eight. I remember too as a kid getting mad at all the gimmick figures in a solo hero line while there were villains and allies that could be made. These are just my opinions and who am I to tell anyone anything.

I got my venom today because I guess I can't pass up this opportunity.....

Anyway, I agree with pretty much everybody's comments. I opened it up and I was like "OH HAY HAPPY MEAL TOY"

Great sculpt....crappy articulation but it will look good on the shelf.

Just gimme Rhino and let this line be done with.

When is SM Wave 2 due?

Any pics, guys?

... I just LITERALLY came back from Wal-Mart an hour and SAW these things. You guys are too generous... PRE-SCULPTED POSES... PACKED WITH UNNECESSARY ACCESORIES... VENOM HAS NO KNEES. I broke my imposed rule and scored MU Spidey and symbiote Spidey... for obvious reasons... and if you have a choice, GET THESE and leave the Spidey Classics ones on the shelf. These make the Marvel Universe figures look like friggin' works of art.

The best part[/sarcasm], they cost me $8 a piece, and yet, I scored an X-Men Origins Deadpool with cannon accessory... FOR $7!!!!

Careful... I brought that exact point up myself, and two particular posters jumped all over me for it. You may be safe, since you're a mod. But NO ONE'S gonna sit there and tell me this line isn't all that bad... because I've seen them UP CLOSE and personal... VENOM WITH NO KNEES!!!! NO KNEES, MAN!!!!

The line looks bad to me. Take for example Superhero Squad. Obviously it's not made with guys like us in mind. Yet you see stuff like Dark Knight 5" figures. Iron Man Armored Adventures. Wolverine & The X-Men. Then Marvel Universe.

Out of those lines, which one is most likely to last? Marvel Universe. Whether it's because more collectors amount to sales than officially acknowledged or due to higher articulation, in any case, Marvel Universe has longer legs.

An underarticulated Spiderman line is extremely disappointing. SPIDERMAN of all people? Yes again, maybe these toys aren't made for us but obviously they are made for an older audience than Superhero Squad, and Hasbro even said at UK Toy Fair that the reason the Iron Man 2 toys are in 3-3/4" are because kids like doing crossovers with that scale.

That's all well and good until you think "well hey, that must mean the Spiderman line can complement the larger Marvel Universe line, I mean they ALL are Marvel right?". Right except articulation is inconsistent with the new Spiderman line.

I think we can all agree that the new Venoms look BADASS but the articulation? NO KNEES? In a Spiderman line? Hell I would have BOUGHT most of the Armored Adventures figures had they been fully articulated. I see them shelfwarm. I see Superhero Squad sell more. I see Marvel Universe sell more. I even see DCIH and XMO Wolverine sell more.

Full articulation in the new Spiderman line lends itself better to cross-pollinating with the Marvel Universe line and that is a win/win situation for both kids and collectors alike which also results in more sales for Hasbro. Collectors want more rogues and Spidey allies without taking up valuable slots in the Marvel Universe line. Hopefully this will happen in the future.

If your Spider-Man figure can't do a pose close to this...

http://www.coronacomingattractions.c...ped_crouch.jpg

You may want to try again...

I agree that this line is pretty bad. But for anyone that is interested, there is a Venom variant with his tongue hanging out. Not sure if this has already been mentioned. My wife's brother-in-law picked one up last week. I only have cell phone pics otherwise I'd put them up.

Seen pics at HISS Tank, awesome sculpt but no knees=no buy for me.

AGREED! Hell I've got to admit, even MU Hulk's lack of functional hip articulation is disappointing for me too. I think I'm going to use the movie Hulk figures instead, they are far bigger, in scale with 3-3/4" figures, and way more articulated.

I love the McFarlane sculpt, but I definitely won't get Venom if he can't bend his knees. I've thought about buying it and trying some kind of mod or head swap, but I'm sure it would involve repainting the figure and I don't have the space for stuff like that right now.

As for the kiddie nature of the line, it is true that these are meant for younger kids. And I have said before that is the reason why they are designed this way, but I never said that it was right. The main (sometimes, only) gimmick for a Spider-Man line should be articuation. Sure I can see additional suits and add-ons for various "special missions", since Peter's done that in the comics to an extent. But at the very least, the base toy should have the same agility as the character.

For now, I'm just waiting for Brock to be released in Marvel Universe someday (hopefully with the McFarlane sculpt and not the "alien/licker" version).

I wish the kids would buy their own damn toys... and that they'd start back with a line for us collectors... the ones that go through the trouble of finding out about these figures in the first place.

As far as articulation as the main gimmick... agreed... but only for figures known for it... like Spidey. It makes sense for bigger guys not to have so much articulation, but hell, what's wrong with basic articulation?

And I'm sure they've done MORE special suits than he's ever used in the books, so it STILL doesn't make sense.

More fun facts... today, I weakened again, and got an X Men Legends: brown and tan Wolverine... for $8... my brother got a 6 inch Marvel Legends variant Punisher(jungle camo)... for $5.

BTW, that's it... that's ALL I'm buying of the Universe line... I STILL think they're not worth it.

Did anybody see the super poseable spidey?

I haven't picked him up yet, because only one store in my area stocks these figures and they didn't have a solid version of the super poseable Spidey, but wouldn't he have the articulation you folks so desperately desire?

Personally, I'm a fan of the accessories and the colors of the new Spider-man figures. The Spideys are more vibrant, and their colors beat any of the MU produced Spideys. I picked up a green goblin from ebay, and he beats out the MU figure due to his colors and more classic sculpt.

I know this is the internet and all, but it's ok to see positives from this line :)

Lacks double jointed knees and has the bare minimum of paint apps.

You mean THIS one?

That's not super poseable.. that's a super JOKE! I'm telling you to get the Marvel universe one, and remember, I'm not even a fan of the line!!!

I'm sure most kids wish they could do that too ;)

Whether you like it or not (and I already know you don't), Marvel Universe IS that line right now. Well, at least as far as Marvel characters are concerned.

This is basically what I meant by saying Spidey's main gimmick should be articulation. He is known for extreme agility and dynamic poses, so his toys should reflect this (unless hampered by a different suit or mutation).

And I agree that same reasoning should apply to all other characters as well. Characters like Rhino and Sandman don't need tons of articulation. Venom, on the other hand, should have just as much as Spidey himself.

Don't get me wrong - every Spidey line goes overboard with the Special Mission suits. But some of them actually do have a precident in the comics, and I feel those are justified.

You will be broken. We all float down here, Billy. ;)

Personally, I'd say that one has the bare minimum articulation for a Spider-Man figure. Definitely not super-posable when compared to the MU version. Of course, if you compare it to other figures within the same line, then the call-out would be appropriate.

Rhino ought to have knees though. The sculpt is SUPERB, same with Venom. The lack of articulation is highly disappointing though.

Very true. He just doesn't need as much as Spidey or Venom since he doesn't do much in the way of movement besides charging forward.

For basic articulation, I think every figure should have joints in the neck, shoulders, elbows, waist, knees and ankles. That's the bare miminum for me.

I know... sad, ain't it?

You understand PERFECTLY.



I had a 12 inch armored Spidey once... but he actually wore that suit... a lot of that s*** they just made up.



You keep thinking that, Jimmy. Apparently someone doesn't understand my love of the brown and tan Wolverine suit.

Well when you put it that way, then I see your point, but it still smells like an insult calling that thing super-poseable...

First, I was never a fan of the toy biz figures with so much articulation that they couldn't stand. It ruined the sculpts, too. You can't convince me that the chunky MU version looks better, no matter what the articulation differences.

Second, I don't think the knees are a big deal. The rest of the articulation is hard to see from the picture, so I'll have to reserve my opinions for now. I just know he's billed as super poseable.

Third, I'm all for a minimum standard for points of articulation. Knees and elbows are a big deal for me. I generally avoid figures without articulation in those spots. I will be picking up Venom, though, because he looks awesome!

Finally, not every figure has to be made for grown up collectors. It's ok that some toys are made for kids. Maybe those figures will be the gateway drug that will have today's kids moaning on the interwebs about lacking articulation 25 years from now. Be happy when you do get a figure that is more collector oriented, and make the best of it.

I got this one...

Buying them loose will do that. next time go for mint on card. I actually never had that problem with my Legends figures... yes, even with the articulated toes. You're reaching...

Well, if he ain't super poseable, all I'm saying is... DON'T call him super poseable.

Can't fault the man on this logic. You buy what you like.

Well, it would be nice if we grownup collectors could get SOMETHING every once in a while... but, you missed the point. Which was actually that that very statement would be used as the basic excuse to explain the lackluster line. If it gets any worse than this, I weep for those kids 25 years from now. As for the last part... well.. we HAD it, and boy was I happy... but it went away... right about the time Hasbro took over, I think...

Also, you're forgetting about Hydroman, Shocker, and the single carded Elecktro from toybiz that all sacrificed necessary articulation back in your glory days before Hasbro took over. The almighty Toy Biz sacrificed articulation for....gasp...kids?!!? Say it ain't so!!!!

As far as the new line goes, Rhino isn't aimed at collectors? The new Green Goblin is superior to previously released versions, and the Venom seems to be a favorite, in spite of the knee issue. The super-poseable and black spideys both look decent, too. My point is, it's very much so possible for collectors and kids to coexist, if you're willing to look at things objectively.



P.S. don't take this personally, I am just tired of all the "Woe-is-me-action-figures-are-smaller-now" foks. These are toys. They are more expensive now. Most things are more expensive now. Toys are aimed at kids. If you look through those, you can find some pretty awesome things that work for kids and collectors alike. You just need to remove your heads from that dark, smelly, hole they're in right now to see it. :).

I'm talking Marvel LEGENDS... not the crap that came before... get it right.

Just because YOU'RE a collector that accepts them doesn't mean you speak for the masses... I know one collector that disagrees with you... in fact, I know him very well. And the only way that will happen is if kids develop better taste in toys... cause I'm always seeing really "bad" toys aimed at kids, not collectors... why, I believe you've even said so yourself.



See, you did it again! You know what, I wouldn't have took it personally, until I read that last part. And the smiley doesn't change the fact that despite making some decent counter-arguments, you couldn't resist being an a**.

you do know that Toy Biz made Marvel Legends before hasbro, right? Of course, I was referring to figures from the corresponding spider-man line, which most collectors didn't mind cherrypicking decent figures from.

As for the collectors that disagree with me-especially that one in particular--why are you here? I'm trying to defend a toyline that can produce awesome toys for kids and collectors alike. There is a way for both functions to coexist. You just seem to be here to spout negativity about a line you obviously don't care about. Why not go find better ways to spend your time?