Ongoing Marvel Universe Quality Problems?
 

I'm betting someone else has noted this but it is really starting to bug me so I wanted to get it out there. It seems to me that the most recent waves of MU figures that are coming out are progressively dropping in quality. Whenever I find a new figure on the shelves I always look over all of them to pick out the best paint job, but lately it harder and harder to find a decent one. I know they aren't getting picked over before I can get to them so I have to assume that the details are just getting sloppier? The other problem is that 3 of my last 5 MU figures have had incredibly loose leg joints, to the point where they will simply fall off. I know I can just use nail polish to tighten them up, but should I have to? The worst experience so far has been Spider-Man 2099 last Christmas. I tried to rotate his arm and it snapped off. Hasbro was cool about it and replaced him, but it took about a month and half to get them to do so. Has anyone brought this up in the Marvel Q&As?

Have you ever spoken to a wall before? It's pointless. Here's what their response would be..

"We're always hard at work to ensure the highest level of quality for our customers."

i felt this was a problem throughout the line when it came to paint slop around mask edges or wonky eyes and sometimes messed up emblems. i'd say for the most part, the newer figures have increased in overall quality but not alot. both cables i got were immaculate, 3 out of 4 cyclops' have had fantastic paint aps, both stranges were also pretty good. and not that i was able to check on the pegs since i'd gotten em all through HTS, ebay and board members.

Not at all. Do you have the latest waves? If anything the quality has improved a lot especially in the paint app area where the earlier waves had a disproportionate amount of figures with paint issues.

The three packs and comic packs have not improved though. I will not order them online. I have yet to see any in person but all I hear about is slopy paint. The single figs have been good since the SM 2099/IM 2099 wave. We will see when I actually find an X-23 how good the paint apps are.

Out of every few 3-Packs I've seen in person, only one usually even looks worth owning. Now I can't find them at all, so maybe people are getting desperate and just accepting Hasbro's lack of quality control.

Nah, imo Hasbro is the same old, same old. Shoddy paint app quality is totally evident in ALL of their products. Has always been. This is why I rarely buy online. I have to see it before I buy.

i can ignore the paint app problems, but finding them in the first place is more of an issue. oh and remember, were technically critiquing a chinese sweatshop workers paintjob work. you try painting the same figure for 12 hours a day.

I bought a set of MU on eBay a while back, only to find out that the true gem among the bunch (MOC Norman Osborne Iron Patriot) had the paint missing from his nose. I still have it, but that figure is a grim reminder that I won't always end up with something worth the cost.

Too true, I just hope most of those guys can still smuggle out some rare shit so we can feed them, while they feed our plastic crack habits.

I would think that machines would be painting up all the figures.

I usually try to go through the figures to find the ones with the best paint apps. Usually, it's not too bad a difference. But sometimes...oh boy

Really? For some reason I don't see that happening. I guess it could.... maybe that should be the next question someone asks Hasbro. haha

I just found the DP/Taskmaster pack and it has been my most dissappointing MU purchase yet. Taskmaster is pure crap. The horrible headsculpt atop his ridiculous giraffe neck, the heavy-ass cape that's to big for his loose legs to support, the teeny sword that's handle is to thin for either of his hands to grasp, and the shield handle on mine was glued into the down position!

Deadpool would've been cool, except for his belt was put on upside down. Easy enough fix I thought; just heat him up a lil, pop off one leg, slip belt off and back on again. I thought it went off without a hitch until I looked on his back and saw I had somehow completely melted one of his sword loops. How the...FAWWK!!!

I should've just got the 30th VAMP 2.

That is a pretty harsh assessment. I've had this set out of package and they looked pretty cool. I would agree though that Taskie's neck is ridiculous, but I still like the figure. The character is just too awesome. Worst case scenario, someone on here will probably trade you for him.

Just unpackaged my Scarlet Spider...pulled the him out of his plastic form...body came out, legs stayed in...now the left leg won't stay on worth spit...*sigh*

Yup, I've recently become fed up with the QC problems. I had a great run of luck when I first started collecting MU. Only problem I had was that one of Black Spider-Man's legs kept popping out.

But Cable's left arm is extremely loose and feels like it'll snap off. ALL of Apocalypse's joins are very loose, to the point where he barely stands. The paint on my 'Pool/Task comic pack was terrible. And, just like Black Spidey, Scarlet Spider's leg will pop off if you look at it wrong. Not to mention my Scorpion has legs so warped, I have to have him hanging by his tail just to get any kind of decent pose for him.

With prices rising around here for these figures, I can't justify buying so many if they still aren't even worth their original $7.50 price tag.

hmmm try warming up some water in a cup, not boiling, just warm water from the microwave and dunk the thigh in for a little bit then let it cool off and pop it back on the peg. might work, might not, but basically putting the socket into "factory settings" since the packaging tends to put alot of pressure on the joints and loosens em up.

I have to agree with this. The paint on the MU stuff I've gotten recently has been much better than any of the Hasbro Marvel stuff I got last year. Compared to the Iron Men with their faces painted on crooked I bought last year this time, we're leaps and bounds ahead.

You say you've had the set out of package. What happened to it? Had to get rid of it because it was lacking, eh? :)

But really, Taskmaster is an awesome character. When awesome characters get crappy toys, the toy seems that much crappier because it's not living up to who it's supposed to represent. If a man can't stand (loose legs/heavy cape) he can't fight.

My set was especially crappy with the added shield and belt mistake, though.

Lmao, same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. Sigh.

I do hate the tiny sword and awkward cape on Taskmaster. I would have preferred a more comic-accurate sword, and drop the bow/quiver. You can't even see the quiver. Paint apps on my set were top notch, though, no complaints. I've seen the set again on two occasions and the paint has been decent, nothing atrocious.

i realized i put captain britain in the parts bin so that means his sword is up for grabs! my taskmaster suffers from loose ankles and combined with the cape a stand is completely useless. best to just have him rest on the cape since it'll support him. also gave him the pistol from the doom 2 pack since it fits in his holster better.

also, didn't really care about tasky till i read that "Taskmaster: Unthinkable" trade. so good.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/IMG_6168.jpg

Its all machines now, we hope.

they're not getting better. the x-23 i got i had to choose between paint slops on the chest part of the costume, or the thigh and face. silverish streaks of paint slaps. steve rogers too. one with bad face paint, or one with bad face paint AND a retarded eye.

since we on the quailty problems, my cyclops, scarlett spider, sentry and punisher have all had the right leg pop off out of package. x-force deadpool's leg is so loose it feels like its going to fall off any min, and taskmaster's foot is almost off the peg.

There are some exceptions to my comments like the Bleeding Edge Armor Iron Man, but I just picked up the Jim Lee Cyclops and I couldn't find one that didn't have blue paint slops all over his face. I picked up a classic costume Ms. Marvel the same day and she is perfect and seems pretty consistent with the earlier line. There are some figures that I was really excited about like The Falcon that I will just not be buying unless I can find one with WAY better quality than what seems to be out there now.