Sunday, April 6, 2014

Post #9 - Captain America Marvel Legends Marvel Now! by Hasbro Toys

With the new release of Captain America's second movie titled, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," that could only mean one thing - a new toy line to go along with it.  Cap' isn't alone in this treatment either, as the Amazing Spider-Man has developed a new Marvel Legends line of its own.  The second Spidey movie is due for release in May so it's no curious case.  But we're not here to talk about good ol' web-head, so lets go ahead jump right on into Cap's review.

Packaging - As I previously mentioned, Cap and Spidey's toy lines are both structured around the Marvel Legends Infinite series.
 Much like Hasbro's collector friendly Star Wars Black Series line, the packaging consists of a box rather than blister card.   It comes with a window that fully displays the figure as well as it's accessories and collect & connect piece.  The packaging design looks terrific.  It's effective but not too overly ornate.  The packaging can be opened from one side and resealed again at a later time by re-inserting the cardboard flaps.  This gives collectors the option to display the figure for a time, and return it to the packaging for storage.  However, this benefit does have the potential to be hazardous, as there has been a great deal of swapping/resealing going on.  It's easy to do, and even easier to return to a store.  Most customer service employees aren't educated about toys enough to notice these iniquitous acts, but how hard could it be to police this sort of stuff?  An image of a figure is on the back!

Packaging Score - 3 out of 5



Sculpting - Cap comes outfitted in his latest duds from the NOW! comics.  The sculpt is a completely brand new mold.  The suit is well detailed, capturing some of Cap's most classically depicted design elements such as the hexagon-like texture used in the chest and shoulder armor.  The suggestive material differences seen between the straps, torso, belt, gauntlets, gloves, boots and helmet are even more evident through sculpted ruffles and texture.
 The level of detail is astounding and serves as a representation of the ever-evolving production between Hasbro's previous Captain America figures and this one.  It's a clear sign of continued progression.

Sculpting Score - 3.5 out 5


Paint - Seeing this figure for the first time at retail, I was greatly disappointed when I noticed that the paint applications were often misaligned or spotty.  I tended to find the helmet missing parts of blue near the cheeks, crossed or sloppy eyes, and blurring between the whites and reds along the torso.  I had to pass on this figure 6 or so different times before I found one that appeared decent, and even then it still has a few marks and blemishes.  My advice to you - be very selective.
 The paint job is vibrantly colored but flat.  It lacks the sort of outstanding detail that I feel would complimentary to the sculpt.  A color wash or shading might have been helpful.  Hasbro continues to make huge strides in terms of sculpting, but they need to step back and reassess the quality of their paint.

Paint Score - 2.5 out of 5


Accessories - Cap comes with two accessories.  The first being his Vibranium shield.  It's a re-use of a previous mold with an adapted paint job.  The shield can be clipped on to caps forearm.  It can tend to a little odd when posing the figure with it at times.  I would have preferred to see the shield instead come with straps.  Much the same way the Cap figure from the first movie's line did.  When the shield is not in use, it can be plugged directly into Cap's back.  It sits out a tad bit too far, and again only looks organic when looking at it from the right angle.

The second accessory included is the head piece for the Build-a-Figure Mandroid.  This head piece can be used in conjunction with the other collectible pieces that you will receive with each additional figure.  Until then, set it aside but do not lose it!
Accessories Score - 2.5 out of 5


Articulation - On par with other "Infinite Series" offerings, Cap comes with a full range of articulation that includes a ball jointed/hinged head, ball jointed/hinged shoulders, a bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, ball jointed/hinged wrists, an ab-crunch, swivel waist, ball jointed hips, swivel thigh cuts, swivel calves, double jointed knees, and an ankle pivot.  My biggest qualm was with the ab-crunch.  It delivers a wide range of motion but after fully articulating it only a handful of times it began to feel lose.  I'm not sure if this defect is unique to only my figure, but it's something to account for.  Caps bulky biceps end up posing somewhat of a hindrance to the doubled jointed elbows.  While this figure may come with a wide range of articulation, the sculpt prevents you from fully utilizing it.
 Articulation Score - 3 out of 5


Conclusion - I really like the overall look of this figure, but there is still room for improvement in a few different areas.  Comparatively, the sculpting seems to be this figure's strongest area.  As with the paint application, you should thoroughly examine the figure before purchasing.  The articulation is fair but nothing fancy.  This figure does a terrific job at finding a balance between the classic and modern look of Cap.  Looking retrospectively at the Captain America figures of the past, this figure ranks pretty high.  While it may be lacking in some areas.  It is still one of the all around better Caps out there.  These are pretty common in stores right now, so if you find one that looks to be a suitable choice, don't hesitate to add it to your collection.
 Overall Score - 2.9 out of 5

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