A few years and quite a few Hulks later, I pull out this guy and realize that he's a pretty damn good Hulk. In fact, he's probably the best damn Hulk out there sculpt-wise, articulation-wise, and maybe even paint-wise.
So put aside your Marvel Universe Hulks, your other Marvel Legends Hulks, and of course your Megos Hulk, kick back and take a gander at this review!
Like: His proportions. His arms are just long enough, his hands are just the right size, his legs aren't overly bent nor does he have too wide a stance. His torso and chest are not to large, too small or too restrictive to his articulation, and his head is also the right size and width.
These may feel like they are givens if you like a particular figure but on a Hulk he's vital. There are too many of them out there that have great torsos but poor heads (MU 1st release Hulk/Grey Hulk), great arms that end up to long (Target Movie Exclusive 6" Hulk), and great size and scale to other figs but weird faces or chests that are too big (movie 3.75" Hulks). So this guy is the best out there in terms of a proportionally pleasing Hulk.
Like: His head and face. It's just wide enough, with a flat enough nose and eyes that are just perfect: not too wide, and not too small or large. The wide cheekbones stand out nicely without making him look like a baboon.
Hulk's scowl is also angry enough but not so crazy it throws off the eyebrows, which are excellently painted.
What I like best though, is the upper lip to nose distance. It's larger than a normal person as it should be, but not so large that he starts looking like a chimpanzee. See these things are important because HULK WANT LOOK HANDSOME AND NOT LIKE APE.
Like: The snarl. It's just right in terms of how it fits the proportions of his face. The teeth are painted white but given a dirty brown wash. It's so dirty it looks great. :)
There's a 'roar' variant to this figure, and I'd pick it up if I saw it for cheap, but I think the snarl fits the figure better because it goes better with more of the poses that this Hulk can pull off.
The other points I love are in his feet. Each foot has a point/pivot ankle hinge, a rocker hinge, and hinged toes! It's awesome how he has these and still can maintain his balance without the joints moving under his weight.
Dislike: No Ab Crunch. But this is minor because his hips work well enough to compensate for this. Also an ab crunch would probably break the torso sculpt enough to make a great looking Hulk body look like crap.
Like: The detail and tooling of the sculpt. Pants has texture. Skin is leathery and wrinkly where it needs to be and his veins are not overly done. They are still there, but it adds to the powerful body sculpt instead of drawing attention away from it.
Like: His hair, which is just long enough and unkempt enough to frame his face without taking attention away from it. It's also painted black and given just the right amount of green highlights to look believable or real.
RATINGS
Poseability: 9/10 - 27 PoAs, 27 reasons why this Hulk not only looks good but plays well too. An angry but not overly done face also keeps him looking good with every pose he pulls off.
Special mention also goes to his hips on top of those I mentioned above. He's got the Hasbro swivel/hinge "ball joints" there which move freely and yet are not loose. Forward, back wards, side to side, you don't need to wrestle the hips joints into position. Also, the ball-joints have been given the same texture as his paints, which is rare for a Legends figure, even a new one from one of the current waves. Most, if not all of those have smooth balls without texture.
Fun: 10/10 - He's the perfect size for all your other Legends figures and can hold onto/grip/grapple other figures readily. The excellent hand articulation also lets him hold a myriad of accessories, from pipes to steel girders. Lifting other figures over his head and balancing is
Value: 9/10 - Hulk comes with the Leader, a double diorama base, two figure arm stands (that can plug into the figures' backs for additional support), and a cardboard diorama background depicting robots firing lasers and such. It's an all inclusive playset and I think I only paid S$30-S$40 for it way back when I got it. Even all those years back (2006) it's a steal. Now that's value for ya! :)
If you have the chance to own him for a reasonable price, don't hesitate! You definitely won't regret it. :)
I LOVE this Hulk figure! It really is the perfect version of the green goliath!
ReplyDelete@hobotastictoys - Fer shizzle! ;P
ReplyDeleteThis dude gets my vote for best Hulk, too. The series I Hulk was flawed. The arm on mine broke out of the package.
ReplyDelete@3B - Oh wow, seriously? Yeah I have that one too, I didn't like the look of his head but it was a gift and thus very much cherished. He's still in package but one day...I'll get to him...
ReplyDeleteGah! Now I have to have this!!!
ReplyDeleteHaha, yes you do!!! ;P
ReplyDelete@Dragon yeah, I think I was posing him and the arm came loose. When I looked inside I could tell it was plastic around the metal piece that broke.
ReplyDeleteHey, Wes GRogan is here, too! Man, it's seems like the action figure blogging community is tightly knit.
I love your blog Ewan. I'm starting to visit more often.
@3B - Thanks, dude! I appreciate your reading and commenting. Congrats on your site and the name change too. Will be over visiting often. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy dream !
ReplyDeleteA good one to have, no? ;) You might still be able to find him online on Ebay I think. ;)
Deletewhat size is it?
ReplyDeleteThis is in 6" Marvel Legends scale. :)
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