[Boy Blunder]

(Time to turn this thread back to the toys, for the sake of the mods )

Just a few weeks left in the year, and I haven't done my Top Ten of 2017 yet? Terrible! Let's go ahead and fix that. NOTE: Of course, these are all personal opinion, and not to be taken as the gospel truth.

10 - Colossus
Starting our list off, we have the guy that a lot of people were waiting to see updated, and is he ever an update. Colossus premiers a new body mold, clocking in at eight inches of Russian organic steel. His sculpting is great, combining detailed boots and gauntlets with his classic banded arms and an otherwise smooth costumed body. His face sculpt is solid, with his alternate bearded head lending a little more character to the figure. Alas, he's not without some issues - some additional hands (for fisticuffs, or properly tossing Canadian teammates) would have gone a long way, and while I have no issue with the more recent costume choice, the paint work could be a lot sharper. But he towers with power, which is required for any good Colossus figure, giving him his slot on the list.

9 - Singularity
When we first read A-Force, my wife and I fell in love with Singularity. Funny, cute, and endearingly new to the world, she was a breath of fresh air among the jaded heroes in the 'verse. We hoped, one day, that she'd get the plastic treatment... and then the A-Force boxed set did just that, and did it well. Cast in translucent blue glittery plastic, Hasbro's deco team did a great job of throwing a purple-indigo face across her body to cement the cosmic look of this living pocket dimension, with a spot of white paint to define her eyes. However, one of the most notable things about her is also left out of the figure - Singularity is almost always smiling, being a joyous character who loves life and her friends. The figure has a vaguely pleasant neutral expression, and this minor detail goes a long way to keep this figure so low on the list. But even the fact that she got made in the first place is worth celebrating, so here we are - a fantastic figure that's just a bit shy of being incredible.

8 - Lady Loki
Another 'niche' character (and, thus, great for the A-Force boxed set), Lady Loki gets on the list for two reasons - one, because she's a figure that wasn't likely to be made any time soon, and two, her paint work is amazing. The dark metallic green used across her body is sharp, accented with equally-clean applications of a light green scale pattern on her arms, legs, and abdomen, with a nice fade effect between the greens. A more subtle, but just as impressive, example of paint apps would be her face paint - two-toned lipstick, metallic green eyes, and a clean fade application of green eye shadow give her a striking appearance. Topped off with a fur-lined cape, a custom loincloth, and hair outfitted with gold accent pieces and Loki's trademark horn headdress, Lady Loki is much more than one might expect from a lesser-demand character.

7 - Invisible Woman (with HERBIE)
The return of the Fantastic Four to the Marvel Legends line starts with a bang. Sue's got a fantastic (d'oh) paint job, sharp black paired with a medium-dark blue, with a clean '4' chest emblem proudly displayed. While I'd prefer a full alternate invisibility arm, rather than just an alternate hand, the fade on the clear plastic is very well done, showing the barest differentiation between her costume pieces as they fade into nothingness. On top of it all, a very nice face sculpt (with spot-on paint application and a great hair piece) gives her a pleasant look, fitting for the world's most fantastic woman. Plus, a cleanly-sculpted and painted HERBIE is included, and while they could have made him a static piece, he even has a ball-jointed neck, allowing him enough poseability to express some character. And I just love the sculpted outlet in his back.

6 - Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan)
One of Marvel's newer best-selling characters, it was only a matter of time before Kamala joined the ranks of Legends. For being released on a body-type we've seen quite a bit (Teen Girl), she has enough unique parts to bring her above the standard rank-and-file. Of course, there's her head sculpt, which gives her a bit of a smile, but that's not where the big difference lies. It's actually the dress layer over her body (from the ab-swivel down) that sells it, changing her silhouette just enough to catch the eye and reproduce her costume from the comics without any shortcuts. On top of that, she has flared sleeve caps, her trademark scarf, and the heirloom bangle on her left wrist, to make her more unique. Hasbro didn't stop there, though, and included two alternate forearm pieces to replicate her 'embiggening' powers from the comics, and while they could be tweaked a bit better (giving them any kind of wrist articulation, for instance), the fact that they're included, and are very well-sculpted to boot, just make her all that bit more perfect.

5 - Ares
The original BAF Ares was before my time as a collector, and long before I had any interest in Ares as a character. Between then and the Ragnarok wave, Ares hit my radar hard. So when I first saw the figure in person, I knew I had to get him. And I don't regret it. Despite being only slightly altered from his original 2008 release, the alterations are nothing but good for this nine-year-old (!) mold. Ares is a massive chunk of plastic, with no small amount of sculpted detail or paint apps. His metal boots and leather wraps are given a darker wash, and his altered face-up gives him a more ethereal, godly look that the original release lacks. The use of gold plastic over paint in his helm is a good choice, as the original looks a bit more slopped on, while here the black paint is nice and clean. And I'm a sucker for figures that come with big weapons, of which Ares comes with three - his original long and short swords, as well as the axe meant for him, but usually included with Thor figures instead. Given that the original Ares goes for a high price on the aftermarket, this figure does a good job of filling the god of war-shaped hole.

4 - Moon Knight
I know a lot of people don't like the costume used for this iteration of Moon Knight, but it's hard to argue with the simple elegance of a high-contrast scheme, especially when so many of the pieces are molded in their color, rather than painted. The result is a nearly universally clean deco, with paint apps being limited to the hands, feet, chest emblem, and face. the individual armor pieces help break up his shape more, making him stand out from the crowd of 'heroic male build' figures just a bit, as does his iconic cape and hood. The eyes have a thin rimming of blue, helping them 'pop' a bit more from the rest of the deco. His cape stays loose due to having a short peg, but it's not as big of an issue as one might think. Marc's accessories are a mixed bag - the billy clubs should have been a proper staff, but alternate hands and multiple throwing crescents help ease that, even if some of them are small and easy to lose. However, the figure boasts one other advantage over his fellows - instead of the ubiquitous mid-calf swivel, he features a new ankle joint, allowing for an increased range of motion. Hopefully we'll see more of this type of joint going forward, because Moon Knight makes great use of it.

3 - Elsa Bloodstone
Another slam-dunk character from the A-Force boxed set, Elsa makes good use of recycled parts. Aside from her head (brand new sculpt with an incredibly striking face and amazing hair) and knee pieces, Elsa is a successful combination of Misty Knight and MCU Scarlet Witch, blending pieces from both into a trenchcoated, knee-high-booted monster-hunting badass. Clean paint apps across the board (including her Bloodstone Gem choker) help polish off the look, as do her accessories - a revolver (conveniently tucked into her hip holster) and twin shotguns, the weapons of choice for Miss Bloodstone. A little bit of altered articulation would put her on another level entirely, but it's hard to argue with just how **** amazing the end result already is.

2 - The Beetle (Abner Jenkins)
Sometimes, it's the little things that make a figure great. They don't necessarily need to be an all-new sculpt, or have twenty-million paint apps, or come with an arsenal of accessories. Sometimes, it's just a smart combination of details that do the job. Ol' Abner has that combination. The right number of new pieces (head which captures the classic Beetle mask, new torso and shoulders, and a new belt), accessories (reused wings from Wasp and Louise Lincoln Beetle, along with new wing-cover pieces above those), and paint choices (metallic violet and dark green, natch) come together to create an iconic villain from Marvel history in a hard-to-beat figure. Just like Eel from last year, sometimes it doesn't take a whole lot to rank high on the list.

1 - Angela
On the other hand, Angela is almost the opposite. From head to toe, she features an all-new sculpt that gives her the impressive build of an Asgardian warrior (topping off at seven inches), with additional armor pieces across her body, few of which impede her articulation (which includes a fencing joint worthy of the swordswoman). Numerous paint apps cover the figure, including fine detailing on her gauntlets, shoulderpad, and face (which is crisp as hell). And, of course, she's outfitted with unique accessory pieces, including a sword, twin axe weapons, a belt (with sheath for the sword), and her iconic ribbons - all featuring detailed sculpting and/or unique paint work. All of this comes together to be the best figure for 2017, no contest whatsoever.

BAF: Warlock
Once again, the X-Men wave delivers with the BAF, because Warlock is fan-friggin-tastic! He's a looming giant, standing at ten inches tall, and his lanky frame makes him as striking as any bulky goliath (looking at you, Juggernaut). He's got as wide a range of articulation as he could get, even if there's a few pieces hindered by sculpted details. And that's one of the best parts - the sculpting. This sculpt is 100% Warlock - it will take a lot of retooling, new pieces, and paint to make this into anyone other than the techno-organic New Mutant. Every inch of him is covered in metalwork and circuitry detailing, given life through a fantastic gold paint wash over black plastic. His face, a less stylized interpretation of Bill Sienkiewicz' art of the character, is nonetheless spot-on and even gives the illusion of different expressions based on the angle at which it's viewed. Hell, he even comes with an alternate buzz-saw hand, a rare accessory for BAFs. He might not be perfect (the hoses can't stay connected without hampering articulation, and the joints like to be a bit loose), but he's such a standout that it really doesn't hold him back from the top slot.



Honorable Mentions:
Human Torch - While not much of a standout sculpt-wise, the use of translucent plastic is excellent. And while some people balk at the 'mismatched' colors across his body, I dig that they outline the details of his costume when not 'enflamed,' a trait shared by fellow FF figure Invisible Woman's translucent arm.
Thor (Jane Foster) - Long awaited, Jane hits all the right notes for her debut figure, and really has no drawbacks - the paint work, sculpting, and accessories are all great. She just doesn't have the right amount of oomph to make it into the top ten. (NOTE: Only speaking of the mainline release - never got the SDCC version)
Monica Rambeau - Another solid figure and a long-awaited addition, Monica has a fantastic head sculpt and a great deco, and is only hampered by minor engineering issues (she uses the arms and coat of MCU Scarlet Witch again), and the lack of any 'energy burst' accessory, which really would've gone a long way with her.
Dazzler - Like Jane, she doesn't have enough to edge into the top ten, but Alison is no slouch as a figure. The pearlescent white used for her disco-era costume, the sharp apps for her stage makeup, the Farrah Fawcett hair, and the accessories (rainbow energy burst, microphone, disco ball necklace) are all tip-top. And the roller skates! Even if posing her with them can be a pain.
Mary Jane Watson - We haven't picked up MJ yet, but she's getting a mention due to the sheer fact that she was made. The Legends line isn't known for getting civilians, so to see one of the most prominent ones get the plastic treatment is just an event worth celebrating.
Vulture w/ Wing Pack (MCU) - While not the BAF buffet that Warlock is, Vulture is still a worthwhile figure, featuring an incredibly detailed sculpt and clean paint apps across the board, as well as being an interesting take on the BAF formula - he's an enjoyable, if basic, figure on his own, but the moment you get all the pieces for his wings, he makes a menacing display piece. I'm not looking for Hasbro to do more Build-a-Vehicle figures in the future, but as the primary villain of Homecoming, I'm glad they didn't shortchange his figure release.

Disappointments:
She-Hulk - We've gone for years without an update to our favorite green lady, and when we finally get one... she left a lot to be desired. I have no personal problem with the body itself, but something about this figure highlights the flaws - limbs, torso, and head are all ill-proportioned to one another. If the arms had been lengthened and the head enlarged just a tiny bit, it would have made a world of difference. Also, I'm just not a big fan of 'stoic' Jen - she's generally a lighter character, and needs a face that shows it. Until then, my Blob-wave Shulkie will continue to be the go-to.
X-Men Wave - An interesting case, because while the wave has a bunch of updates or first-time Legends, so many of them have something that holds them back from greatness. Last year's wave was a strong return of the X-Men, and this year... gives us what we needed, and what we wanted, but not quite what we could've gotten. Cyclops reusing the Bucky Cap body and being covered with ill-fitting straps (would sharing Sunfire's body have been better, I wonder?). Polaris looked fantastic, but dull at the same time. Shatterstar is a great sculpt, but there's a lot of QC problems with his paint and joints, and really, no fencing joint in the wrist for the career swordsman? Sunfire is great, but he's also just kinda... there. Old Man Logan... feels tacked on, like they needed a Wolverine in the wave but didn't want to immediately turn around and release the Tiger Stripe right after the 80s costume. And honestly, none of these figures are bad, they just didn't quite live up to the expectations.

Overall, this year has been an odd one for me, since while there's been a lot of good figures released, there haven't been a ton of outstanding ones. Almost all have been servicable figures, to be sure, and there's a lot of welcome faces among them, both remakes and first-time Legends. But there's not as many this year (compared to last year) that just slap you upside the head with their very existence. All that said, however, this has been a solid year, with few actual missteps, in my opinion.