Punisher (Marvel Legends)

Marvel Legends Punisher

There is just one guy I am most excited about Marvel Legends Wave 3, and that's the Punisher, and this is the first Punisher I have in my collection. I know there are some collectors that were more excited about the X-Force Deadpool; he's also cool but Punisher for me looks way cooler because of the sculpt and nice detail, which makes him more appealing for display than Deadpool!



















To make up for the missing BAF piece in this series, Marvel Legends gave Punisher four different types of guns and an additional handgun kept inside his holster. He comes with a submachine gun, an assault rifle, a sniper rifle and a shotgun. And like Doctor Doom and Mystique, he comes with this action figure base, which I really care less.

If you're very particular about the articulation and how poseable an action figure should be, then this Punisher will probably get into your nerve. No ankle rockers and no swivel around his calves. He got this diaphragm swivel that's hard to move and twist; being impeded by his stiff trench coat. It's hard to make some dynamic pose on this Punisher. Despite having double-jointed knees and elbows, if an action figure got poor or no articulation to its torso, then it is as good as a statue!

Removing the trench coat might get some air for articulation but it's completely snugged too tight around his shoulders, and even if you're able to, it might look odd when you have the sleeves left molded around his arms.

Another problem I have with action figure is that it doesn't stand independently with his own two feet. Notice I have to use a clear stand just to help this guy from being brought down by heavy trench coat. But the head sculpt is amazing and this is probably the best head sculpt I've seen on a Punisher. The arms and the legs well balanced and proportionate. The creases around his costume is very well sculpted and detailed.

Now here is a size comparison of my Wave 3 Trio!

So Marvel Legends Punisher, just look out for him in stores everywhere. You gotta have him in your collection.

Doctor Doom (Marvel Legends)

Marvel Legends Dr. Doom

I call this the "High-Definition Dr. Doom," or... "HD Doom" whatever. Marvel Legends Dr. Doom Wave 3 is simply a remake of the Marvel Legends Dr. Doom- Ronan BAF Series, which are both by Hasbro. There are no major differences between the two Dooms; the sculpt and articulation are almost the same except that the paint job on the Wave 3 Dr. Doom is highly detailed and more realistic. Wave 3 Dr. Doom, or HD Doom rather is like a Blu-Ray version of a DVD.


















If you have the Ronan Series version, I wouldn't advice you to pick the new one. I think the previous Dr. Doom looks good but this one looks alot better.

What's unique about the HD Doom is that... he comes with an action figure base! (BIG DEAL). And if you've seen some photos of some of my Wave 3 action figures at my other blog, you'll see that they each come with these nonsensical bases. He got that fastening holster on the side where you can keep his pistol.

Like the Ronan Series Doom, He still got the removal mask and cowl. His head can turn in all four directions but serves useless since you gotta have him wear the cowl that restricts the head movement,... but this is Doom anyway! He is the bossman, who sits on his throne and calls the shots,... and got a battalion of Doombots under his command.


















One thing I don't like particularly with this action figure are those shoes. I'm not a fan of those medieval pointy shoes he's wearing. I've seen other versions in the comics and some video games where he just wear plain and simple metallic shoes. This one just looks goofy.

Overall, this HD Doom looked actually very nice and neat, and being one of the iconic figures of Marvel, this guy is a must have.

Mystique (Marvel Legends)

Marvel Legends Mystique

Truly, Mystique is a master of disguise and deception. You probably didn't realize it but she was around since Wave 2 in the form of Madame Hydra. All this time, she's been listening to people complaining about how the Return of Marvel Legends (by Hasbro) action figures are not as impressive as the Toy Biz ones. Now she had enough, and now she is unveiling her true identity together with everything she got... guns!



















But all joking aside, if you ever had the Marvel Legends Madame Hydra or Madame Mask from Wave 2 (which I didn't bother getting) then you can actually compare them and see that both Mystique and Madame use the same body mold. Apparently, it's part of the business where toymakers use previous body molds to save money.

Although, I kind of wished Hasbro could have released a different Marvel character instead of this Mystique for Wave 3, and maybe put her in Wave 4 or 5 next year, and although I like Mystique better on this body mold but people are just tired looking at this mold especially when it's repeatedly being used over and over.

"Sniper Pose"

And not only that, Mystique's articulation is very much the same as Madame. No added joints or whatsoever. The only differences is... well obviously, the paint apps. Mystique got some pretty good articulation but I wouldn't say it's impressive. She got this long hair that's hindering her head movement, but it's completely pliable and you can still have her turn side to side by just moving it out of the way. She doesn't have waist swivel, no ankle rockers and no ab crunch. She can hold this big gun pretty good... and I like it! But with limited poseability, she is not really that exciting.

Mystique comes with 4 different type of beautifully crafted guns, one of them is an assault rifle and a submachine gun. Having all these guns, she probably don't need her mutant powers and her style of deception! In the comics, I know Mystique is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and firearms but I don't remember her being a soldier-type character. She is more like a spy for Magneto and his Brotherhood, and I think she carries lighter weapons (something like handguns) more likely than something used for an all out war and destruction.















But I'm glad the makers have given us an abundance of weapons we can use maybe for other Marvel Legends or Select action figures that lack the arsenals and the accessories, and/or the ones that don't even have. This is a lovely action figure. If you have the Madame Hydra, you might have to throw her away because Mystique takes this one.

Ultron (Marvel Select)



Marvel Select Ultron

I just wish all Marvel Select action figures (I mean all of them) have the same articulation as the Marvel Select Ultron. Almost any kind of pose I could imagine, I can make with this guy! I believe this is the only Marvel Select figure that can compete with any Marvel Legends figures in a "Strike-a-Pose Contest." Furthermore, like the ML Sentinel, this is one of those action figures that collectors may build an army. So we're hoping Diamond Select will mass-produce alot of these Ultrons cause everyone I knew are planning to assemble one!

I may have to call this the "Ultra-poseable Ultron!" What's amazing is that this Marvel Select got those ankle rockers, not usually seen in some of the MS action figures, that serve useful when I try to make him do some dynamic pose. Other articulations that contribute to this ultra-poseability includes; a diaphragm swivel, a waist swivel, ball-jointed hips, double-jointed knees, ankle swivels, single-jointed elbows, wrist and shoulder swivels, and ball-jointed neck.

You can flex him, twist him, bend him side to side. Or break him if you like to do some kind of an aftermath scenery. Just kidding- he is $28 when I bought him but who knows; as soon as I assemble my army, I might customize or break some of them.

I wish he had interchangeable hands that I can switch. Maybe have both hands on closed fists and have him beat up probably some Avengers, but it's not a big thingy! Poseability is highly important for an action figure while playability and detail comes next.

Ultron vs. Hawkeye (height)

There is just one little issue with Ultron and that's his height. Not pretty sure but I think he is much much taller than Hawkeye or Cap. I wish he is slightly taller,... like tall as Thor maybe. It would have made him look more intimidating along with this silver android body he has. But other than that, there are no major issues.

This action figure got me thinking to write a blog, something like an "The Ultron Make-over" to all Marvel Select action figures. I don't know, but maybe this is an improvement showed by Diamond Select Toys and we hope they keep up the good work.

Captain America: The First Avenger (Marvel Select)

Marvel Select Captain America: The First Avenger

I am actually surprised by the things I can do (poseability wise) with this Marvel Select Captain America: The First Avenger Movie. The fact that Marvel Select action figures aren't really notable for their amount of articulation and poseability (the ability to pose), the MS Captain America stood above our expectation.

MS Captain America got the articulation you need for you to come up with some stunningly dynamic poses. Here is a list of his articulation:

• Ball-hinged neck
• Diaphragm swivel
• Ball-hinged shoulders
• Single-jointed elbows
• Wrist rotations
• Ball-hinged hips
• Upper thigh swivel
• Double-jointed knees
• Ankle swivel (moves up and down)

 Although he is missing ankle rockers and waist swivel, I think he had enough hinges and joints for me to get Cap pose like what he does in the comic books.

I like how I can have him do his epic moves like the "shield bash," the "shield throw," and the "get-behind-the-shield" while shooting and charging. Cap got this holster for his gun just molded over his right leg. His main weapon, the shield, is made of a softer plastic material so it looked a little bendy on mine.

The sculpt and paint detail is what seperates Marvel Select from other brands. We can see some shading going on over Cap's red, white and blue uniform, and his belt, straps, gloves and boots got some really fine detail on it; making it more real-looking.

Moreover, he stands somewhere around 6.75 inches. He is much bigger and heavier than some of the Marvel Legends action figures. With this size, you can actually appreciate the detail on Cap's paint and sculpt more than smaller figures once you put them on the shelf.

MS Captain America, ML Steve Rogers & ML Bucky Cap

With some decent articulation along with this statue-like appearance, I say you gotta have the Marvel Select Captain America: The First Avenger in your collection.

Deadpool (Marvel Select)

Marvel Select Deadpool

Marvel Select Deadpool (by Diamond Select Toys) is simply a work of art to anyone who is particular with sculpt and paint details. Every single surfaces and corners of this action figure is beautifully crafted that it is almost comparable to a statue. Although today I already find this action figure annoying (and I will give you those reasons later) but I must admit that my attention got very much drawn to it when I first saw it at my local comic bookstore. This Deadpool just outshined the rest of the action figures on that shelf, and I even choose this guy over the Marvel Select Hulk, which was also a really good piece of creation. I just foresaw how this Deadpool would look good in my room and I was psyched about it, and at that time when I was still a "noob" in collecting toys and collectibles, I had little knowledge about Diamond Select or Mattel Toys and other companies that make adult collector toys. I just take whatever cool stuff that was around there without thinking too much. I think most beginners though (as I was once) are in that stage were they just dive in into the world of action figure, toys and statue collection.







And speaking of beginners, this Marvel Select Deadpool in my opinion might be the best first step in bringing someone into the hobby. Why? It's because the MS Deadpool treads the line between being an absolute kick-ass and being just a lame action figure. In that way, the collector would learn what good is... and what bad or lame is.

When I took this action figure out from its package, I got blown away by the number of weapons he's got:

2 Handguns

2 Katanas

2 Sais

1 Assault Rifle

...and I can actually place all those weapons together around Deadpool or make him wield some of it. In addition, he got those throwing knives, straps and utility belts molded around his body making him look even more SICK!

This ninja-like feature and this sort of "the ultimate killing-machine" persona of this action figure has also got some ultimate killing stupidity! ...and now I'm gonna tell you why I got annoyed of this action figure. Well actually... just a little annoyed.

Those double-jointed knees are terribly useless when you have the rest of the body lacking in articulation and almost immovable. The best thing you can do with those double-jointed knees is to put splints around those and forget that it got double-jointed knees, because the only way you can pose this guy is to let him just stand upright, and make him wield a couple of handguns to make him look like he's practice shooting. It just bugs me and make me ask why create such action figures and strip away its "soul". I mean, I would probably understand if this is the Punisher or RoboCop or characters with absolutely zero acrobatic and ninja-like tendencies, but this is frickin Deadpool! Would have been nice if it had a little articulation to the torso, ankles and neck.


Now here's a size comparison:

It is kinda odd that he is taller and bigger than the Marvel Select Iron Man. This would likely look weird if I have them stand side by side on my displays, and obviously he can't blend in with Marvel Legends action figure line (just look at him standing next to ML Cyclops), but overall Marvel Select Deadpool is a pretty decent figure. I can't say that it is a "must-have" action figure but if you're a collector then I think you should get him.