[Trivial Psychic]

Managed to find most of the Venom wave at my local Walgreens today, leaving me only needing Mary to finish the BAF. Some hits and some definite misses here...so here's some thoughts.

Carnage: This is essentially a straight re-release of the Ultimate Goblin wave figure, which was already a fairly good figure that still holds up (despite the comically undersized feet, which Hasbro did not take the opportunity to fix.) This figure, like the newer Venom, sports a light gloss that the original didn't have, and some slightly different deco in the black lines and swirls that make up the body, with most of them being thicker. (Note: The new Carnage is on the left. Look for the new hand accessory if you have difficulty telling them apart.)



Truth be told though, the real reason to get this guy is the new add ons, which are some damn cool ones, being the new set of hands, and the new Cletus Kassidy head. The Kassidy head is done really well, giving off that maniacal Joker smile along with a thousand yard stare that could make Rambo jealous. The new hands are really well done, especially the axe hand, which has a roll of the dice motion that allows it to strike some much better poses than it would with your standard swivel.

Mine wasn't perfect though, as the paint on the Carnage eyes had some spots missing, which required me to touch up, so be on the lookout for that when checking out this figure first hand. Some of the Kassidy heads were rather derpy too in the eye department, but that could also work in your favor, as it can actually make him appear a bit crazier. All in all...a good re-release (although I really wish that Hasbro would have upgraded the feet...)

Poison: I know next to nothing about this character(s), but I actually ended up liking the figure a bit more than I thought I would. What we have here is essentially a retooled Iron Man figure, with some newly sculpted parts. The pearlescent white on the figure really pops, and the silver line work on mine was nice and clean. I really like how the spider flows off the body, and is made with a soft enough plastic that it doesn't get in the way of posing the figure. The different Peter Parker heads also work with it without modifications, in case you want a pre-possessed look.



The bad...mine had some really loose joints on the claw hand, and the lack of additional hands really hurts the playability a bit. The shoulders are also a bit tricky to navigate as well due to the sculpt, requiring you to lift them straight up from a neutral position, and then turn, to get the pose you want. Also, I'm really disappointed that Hasbro decided not to finish the line work on the figure on the back end, making it feel incomplete. Still though, it's a design I can appreciate, and it makes good use of another body mold, so why not.

Scream: Easily my most anticipated figure of the wave, which was also my second biggest letdown...Why?

Have I mentioned how much I LOATHE the Moonstone body mold?

First things first, the good. I love the paints on this gal. They are simple, but visually striking. I've always thought Scream was one of the most awesome looking of the Symbiotes, and this one doesn't disappoint, taking me back to the days of the original figure from the old Toybiz "Lethal Protector" line. The eyes and mouth on my figure were clean as a whistle, and while the hair could be painted better, it's really well sculpted, with sharp looking tendrils swirling about in every direction. The clawed hands are a nice touch as well, although I wish the feet would have been done a little differently. I'm not sure how...female monster toes maybe, or something more triangular in shape...but I'm really not feeling these classic female legends shoes on this figure.



Now the elephant in the room...I REALLY...REALLY hate this body mold. Within moments of getting Scream out of the box, the right arm broke off at the upper swivel. This is precisely why I hate it...the Moonstone body has a deep history of being among the most fragile of body molds for Legends, and this figure is no different than previous ones. This is also a reason why I am not an advocate for arm swivels and double joints in my female characters...sure you might get some more poseablity, but your risk for breakage is that much higher due to the thinner, more fragile joints. I crazy glued the arm back onto the bicep, and while I'm actually fine with it being stuck in that position (since most female Legends don't have that joint to begin with...) I'm a little bummed because I know it's there.

One final thought though...and on the plus side...the Phoenix and Mary Jane heads work really well on this body, meaning I can have an unmasked Donna Diego look should I so choose...



Spider-Ham: Does whatever a Spider-Ham does.



Oops...Wrong photo...or is it? Might as well be, because this thing has as much playability as a Happy Meal toy.



It can strike the same pose as Mario there...Yay.

If you like Spider-Ham...I'm happy for you...I guess. This figure sucks though. If it would have had the poseability as the Rocket Raccoon from the Titus wave did, I might be willing to forgive it for being a 20 dollar figure, but it doesn't, so I can't.

Buy or trade for the BAF part on it's own if you can, this thing is not worth the money spent.