[Alyosha]

That's right. I own what could possibly be the coolest action figure in the universe right now. Even if you hate Marvel, you will be overcome with a gushing wave of Marvel-Zombiedom that will take over your life, and put a headlock on your wallet.

Like I was saying, thanks to a benevolent benefactor, I finally got my eager mitts on the Wolverine figure from wave 1.5 of the upcoming Fury File line. All I'm saying is AWESOME!

The figure stands around the same size (an average) as the current Hasbro Joe offerings. He is articulated in a very similar manner with some slight exceptions that allow for a more superheroic physique. The upper arms are a ball joint like his larger ML brethren, and the elbows feature the plastic pins like the older modern Joes instead of the injection molded joints of the Joe line. The thighs are jointed with a plastic t-bar and work as well as any of the new Joes, although they are not the traditional clamshell with a screw holding them together. Knees are double joints, with a ball pin at the ankles and a cut-joint at the wrist. The torso moves forward and back easily, and side to side as well despite the pumped pecs.

The headsculpt could easily be called definitive. The neck is sculpted at a slightly forward angle for crouched and feral poses, that does detract slightly from static poses, but hey...it's Wolverine, and he don't do static poses. The claws are well done, without being oversized (as they usually are since they have to house in the forearm between wristbones and elbow fold) and are seperate. They will need to be heated in water and straightened, but it's a small sacrifice to have seperate claws, and honestly not an issue.

The paint quality is very nice, with a light wash on the fleshtone to give some depth. The black on the suit has a touch of brown mixed in, so it's not so flat and shadows nicely, and the silver is muted and frankly perfectly done. The overall paint apps seem to be crisp, and again on a par with current Joes.

The accs are a nice bonus, though not at all necessary. Wolvie comes with a brand new sculpt of the Muramasa blade which he used to behead Sabretooth and is supposedly one of the few weapons capable of dispatching Wolvie on a permanent dirt-nap basis. The M-16/M203 combo is also intersting, but will be relegated to the "to be used later" pile.

The one nit I have to pick about this sculpt is that this is obviously going to be used for the yellow and brown Wolverine's (provided this line get's them), and because of that there are a couple of little things on the suit. Briefs over the lower torso and detailed stripes sculpted into the feet. Minor niggles on an otherwise perfect figure.

The figure comes with a file card which showcases the new artwork created for the card back, and a note from SHIELD concerning the character. The card backs are also small than usual being more in the current SW or Indy size, and definately the same as Indy far as the way the bubble is attatched. The cardart nicely features the character, and a numbered side panel will make for quick and easy browsing at the store.

Overall, I am so pleased with this figure, and have high hopes for the line overall. Personally I've been waiting for a Joe scale Joe styled Wolverine since 1982, and barring the almost greatness of Superhero Showdown, it's the end of a long (interminable) wait and I couldn't be happier.

3 3/4 FTW!!! Now enjoy the pics!

Wolverine: X-Force