Thursday, July 19, 2012

Marvel Universe 3.75" Series 4 Hulk! (007)

This is the figure that all Hulk fans have been waiting for!  Or at least the Hulk fans who like figures in the 3.75" scale and don't like the sculpt for the line's releases so far in Classic Hulk, Secret Wars Hulk, Red Hulk (old rating system) and Grey Hulk.  There's also Avengers 3-Pack Hulk, which is a first-ish appearance look on a reliable big buck, but he's almost a different character altogether.

Then there's World War Hulk, who hit the right spot but is far from your classic-looking, Gamma irradiated, cuddly giant with torn stretchy pants.

I didn't like the head sculpt of the classic Green Goliath like most people (ditto with the repainted Grey Hulk variant), but I kinda dug the Secret Wars head sculpt with that body.  The neon-like green they moulded that figure with was an eyesore to some though.  And Red Hulk isn't really our dear, sweet Dr Bruce Banner at all. (He had a great head sculpt though.)

So this figure was an eventual must-produce for Hasbro.  And I'm glad to say they made it a must-have for us fans too despite they long wait.

In fact, I'm sure they were deliberately taking the time in doing this, milking the success of the extremely popular World War Hulk figure and of course, the recent Avengers movie Hulk.  Because of these two things, any 3.75" Marvel Universe fan will probably want this Hulk, and that's on top of those of us who wanted him anyway the first time he was revealed at last year's San Diego Comic Con 2011!

Funny thing about this Hulk is that he's got no name other than "Hulk".  No Gamma Smash or Classic or Avengers or even a colour.  Since it's Hasbro's second go at the classic mainstream character, he's technically Hulk 2.0.  But I think I'll call him..."Worth the Wait" Hulk! (Or WtW Hulk for short.  Hah!)



Like: Sculpt.  Hulk's proportions are great and he's the best Hulk yet along with WW Hulk, which is very similar in sculpt.  What's refreshing is that Hulk isn't top heavy--his chest and arms aren't insanely big compared to the rest of him (or anyone else).  His legs and feet are just as big or in some parts even bigger than his arms--and this works!

Hulk's also got new parts sculpted to match the existing ones they re-used from World War Hulk (torso, neck, right arm).  These include a new head, left arm, lower torso groin area, legs, and feet.  Now that's a lot of new parts!  They may not be noticeable at first glance, but they're there and I'm glad they've made the effort to sculpt them,"ordinary" as they may look. :)

Like: The Articulation with a capital "A".  This is how a large figure should be done.  Bravo!

Like: That Hulk has nice leathery textured skin!  His pants also have cloth-like tooling and even the knee joints haven't been left out!

Like: The way they've handled the tooling of his torn pants, especially around the knee joint.  His knees are left bare with the cloth torn all around.  He's also got pant seams down the sides as well as a seam for his zipper.

As for the wear and especially the tear, he's got two back packets, with the right one half-torn off.

There's also sculpted tear around the hem of the legs as well as around the waist.  There's also a burst button at the top of the zipper, with a slight gap that should be showing green skin underneath.  But this hasn't been picked out in colour--we don't want a R-rated Hulk now, would we?

Well, we don't, right?...

Like: New, deeper leg balls.  These solve the problem of MU legs popping off all the time and eventually becoming a loose fit.  It can still pop off, but you'd have to really twit the joint right to the extreme for that to happen now.

Dislike: The new leg balls restrict the sideways movement of the leg, so much so that the legs can only be raised sideways maybe 30 degrees tops.  Thank goodness for the thigh swivels, so you can rotate the entire upper leg segment inside out on the new leg ball without it popping off, and then swivel the thigh so that you can get the angle on the legs and bend on the knees you want.  I can see how many people might be quite bothered that they have to fiddle with the joint to get maximum movement.  And there's nothing like the Avengers figures' hinge/ball legs joints here--those move freely without the need to finagle.


Like: The head.  It's the same size as WW Hulk's and has the same features.  So yeah, it's basically the same guy. (Really?  Really?  I question myself sometimes.  :P)  The growl/grimace is excellent too, with the teeth and eyes picked out really well.  The green skin also gets a nice dark wash just like the rest of his skin. But the best part?  The head is mounted on a neck hinge with a ball-joint on top and enjoys a full range of motion--his chin can touch his chest, he can look up and also tilt his head--and these are the things lots of figures struggle to do.

Same sculpt? Very close, but not really!
One small thing though--his head is slightly flat from the side.  But this is partially hidden by the thick neck covering up for the areas behind his jaw and under his hair on the back of his head.  Anyhow, I wouldn't sacrifice the fantastic neck articulation for a fuller head.

Dislike: That Hulk comes without any accessories.  That "collector's mini card"?  That's just a neat bit of cardboard packaging.  Sure, we can do without Fury Files.  We can do without armour cards.  (Not that Hulk would have any, but just sayin'...) We can even do without figure stands.  So perhaps some cloth goods?  Nah, Hulk not need any clothes.  How about an interchangeable head?  Hmm...Cool but Hulk like handsome face.  Interchangeable hands?  Now that hulk like.  Then Hulk can smash, Hulk can grab, Hulk can smash then grab then smash then grab then pick some flowers.  Ahh...

RATINGS

L to R: Series 1 Hulk, Series 4 Hulk, Avengers Movie Hulk
Aesthetics: 9.5/10 - This Hulk is going to be hard to beat for a long, long time.  From his great sculpt and the highly detailed texture on every inch of his body, to the sharp paint for his face and the dark wash on his skin and pants, this Hulk is one of the best-looking ever in all scales.  Heck, even his toes and toenails are individually sculpted and the soles of his feet have texture!

Though this Hulk is definitely way less chunky than the original buck they used for the Series 1 release, he stands just as tall.  But where the original had the weirdest proportions, this Hulk is a model for not just proportion, but the right amount of muscle and the correct level of intensity of his face.

If only Hasbro had put this much effort into the sculpt of the Avengers' Gamma Smash Hulk!


Poseability: 9/10 - This is one of the best things about Hulk right next to his awesome sculpt.  He's go the improved leg ball joints mentioned above to go with recent additions to the MU large figure PoA arsenal--thigh cuts, double hinge knees, and the ball-hinge head.  But there are a couple of drawbacks, though.

Firstly, he can't close his arms in front of his chest too much because his massively ripped chest gets in the way of his shoulders.   Secondly, he's got no gripping hands, which on a basic "smash" level, Hulk doesn't need, really.  But compared to World War Hulk, I realized that gripping hands means holding things means access to more poses--holding (of course), lifting, grappling.  But you know what?  Giving this classic Hulk a gripping hand is just a heat and pop away, since the WW Hulk right hand is otherwise a plain ol' green gripping fist!

Fun: 9.5/10 - A good-looking Hulk that can pose?  Sign me up!  Oh yeah, I already bought the guy!  Well then, sign me up for another!  ;P

Large figures that have excellent articulation are never dull, but my repeating that line for every large figure I review surely is! ;P  The upside though--I get to pit large figure vs large figure for many a photo.

Value: 8/10 - No stand, no Fury Files, no accessories.  But still, Hulk's large figure and has the best PoAs the line has to offer.  They've also been improved upon, with corrections to the leg ball joints, with new parts in addition to great tooling--that's an "A"for effort for sure.

Still, I'd like to see Marvel Universe give us some interchangeable body parts.  In Hulk's case, some grappling hands would be cool, while a pair of thunderclap hands would be the dream.

Overall: 9.25/10 - I'd Take and Arm and a Leg (non-plastic) For This Figure! - Hulk looks great, plays great and is one of the iconic characters of the Marvel Universe.  This means he's a must-have!  But fret not if you haven't seen this guy in your area--he's due for a repack in one of this year's cases after his initial release.  He's also available in Hulk vs Wolverine Comic 2-pack or as the Red Hulk in the Heroic Age Team Pack.


Hulk vs Classic Hulk: The Secret To Getting Ripped

41 comments:

  1. Nice looking Hulk figure and the best one from MU line i have seen so far and you have a Blasstar figure too! I didn't know they made one of him.

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    1. Yes they did! They have a blast hands variant (in the pic) and a regular-painted on! :)

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    2. I like the Blast Hands one myself.

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    3. Me too, for sure! ;) I'll have the review coming up!

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  2. Would probably get this! Was really excited for the new red hulk but was utterly disappointed with the reuse headsculpt! Hopefully there would be a running change with the hair style at least! Can't wait for the scheduled thunderstrike figure would look awesome with thor and beta ray bill !

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    1. Agreed about the Red Hulk--he needs his own head sculpt.

      And really, there's a scheduled Thunderstrike figure? Wow! Yes, it would look great next to Thor and Beta Ray bill.

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    2. Its actually a Thunderstrike as Thor figure but... i guess there should be a running change ;)

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    3. Oh wow that's cool! Thanks for the update. :)

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  3. This figure is FANTASTIC!!! I was able to get him in the Avengers 4-pack and he is my go-to comic AND movie Hulk.

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    1. Haha, yes, we need a new Hulk to replace that sad movie one--and this one does the job just fine.

      And glad you managed to find the Avengers 4-pack--I want that Loki! Any noticeable differences from your figure to this one?

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    2. As far as I can tell they're identical.

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    3. Ok apparently the 4-pack one has a little less dark wash on the skin and has...painted eyebrows! Lol

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  4. I so want this figure! Hmm, Blastaar or Hulk?

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    1. I say Blastaar first because Hulk will be available in a 2-pk, 4-pack and also single-packed but Blastaar is only single-packed so far! Unless you like Hulk, then yeah, Hulk! ;)

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  5. The wait is over and it's worth the wait.

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  6. That Hulk totally rocks! I still haven't opened my 1st MU Hulk :D

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    1. Lol, if you get this guy, you might not have to!;)

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  7. Great blog Ewan!Although this is IMO the best looking MU Hulk figure,I'm still not 100% pleased with the face and overall head sculpt.He still is the best 3 3/4 Hulk out there right now :)

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    1. Thanks! Love yours too. I've followed on email! ;)

      Yes, the face could be better but I do think the expression is correct. Perhaps on day we'll get one with the perfect head and the right expression as well!;)

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  8. Nice!I hadn't realized how much coolness you have going on here!Looks like I'll have to add you to my blogroll ;)

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  9. WtW HULK indeed. I hate to see these cool pictures knowing that those figures will NEVER make it to my island. Great poses,excellent pictures!!

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    1. Thanks, Liko! Do you have to specially order Marvel Universe figures if you want them in the Dominican Republic?

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  10. It's nice. Worth getting if I didn't had two 3.75" Hulk's already.

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    1. Are they two of these Hulks? The old ones really don't compare, unless it's World War Hulk. ;)

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  11. Fantastic sculpt to be sure, but he just doesnt have the height I'm looking for in a Hulk. The 08 movie scale fits me just fine

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    1. Yes, that's a good size to be sure. It's a pity that they can;t make MU Hulk in that size--lots of people prefer that scale for Hulk too!

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  12. are these out in stores an if they are what states im in illinois and have been lookin with no luck

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    1. Hi Angelita, these are out here in Singapore but from what I'm seeing from other sites, I don't think they've been released Stateside yet. I believe you guys might be getting other waves first, though so look out for those. Hulk here might be due only there in 2-3 wave's time. :/

      The other alternative is to order online from a Asian-based store. I know Big Bad Toy Store (not in Asia but the US) has some of these for pre-order. I hope that helps :)

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  13. This figure is amazing but its funny how in New york when they finally got this wave the Hulks that my toys r us got was from the first wave along with the beast and Beta ray bill and kraven - Then I checked other stores and they even told me they got the first wave hulk and not this one. Idk why but as I said on BRB review NY gets no love lol

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    1. Oh yes, the 1st wave Hulk makes a reappearance as filler in some of the new cases, even in the ones with this Hulk, if I recall correctly. It could be the case in point (pun intended :P) never had this Hulk to being with, or it did and got snapped up really quickly. And NY not getting any love? You guys have the Yankees! ;)

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  14. Whoot whoot! I finally found this guy today at Target. They also had Beast, who was incredibly tempting, but I just didn't feel like spending $20 on figures today.
    I really wish MU figures would adopt the same hips that the Captain America movie figures have, but this is still an awesome figure. I have never been a huge fan of Hulk, but he sure does make a great action figure. I just can't decide if I like this one, or the world war hulk better.

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    1. Woohoo! Awesome find, dude.

      Yeah, I know what you mean about ya can't really decide which is better. They both share the same base for a body so have great articulation. But I'll say this for WWH--he's got a ton of accessories and the gripping hand to hold 'em in. I really enjoyed posing WWH more because there was more I could do with him, ya know? Lift a truck, swing a sword, etc. This Hulk has the benefit of deeper set leg joints so they don;t fall off as easily, but he be only doing one thing, and that's a poundin'!;)

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    2. I'm going to have to lean toward WWH, too. I've never read the story, but he is just such a cool looking figure, and with the help of those little clear rubber bands he can hold his weapons without a problem.
      Also, I did end up going back and getting Beast afterall. He too is a really cool figure, despite mine having a factory error preventing his left hand's articulation from working properly. I also really like his costume. I no longer keep up with comics, so I don't know how long he's had this particular look, but it is much better than the weird topless leotard thing he originally wore in Astonishing X-men.

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    3. Right on. It's a good story--Planet Hulk, that is. World war Hulk is not bad but could've been awesome, if they'd taken more time, I think.

      Yeah, I kinda dig the tooling on Beast despite this not being my fave costume/look of his. I'm a 90s Beast-o-phile, of course, so cartoon costume for me. Yeah, topless leotard is so 70s Playboy. :P

      Pity about the hand. Is is stuck? Some freezer treatment, perhaps?

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    4. Absolutely, 90's Beast is the best. I have never been a fan of the cat face. Beast has swivel hinge wrists, that allow his handed to rock forward and backwards. I guess there is a machine that cuts the plastic so they can insert hinge joints, and on my beast the hand was not oriented properly, because the hinge disc is about 45 degrees off.
      This is the best picture I could get to show what happened. So the hand can't really tilt because the plastic of the palm does not allow it to. Ultimately it's limited to a swivel, but really it doesn't bother me that much.

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    5. Ugh. That's a complete mess they made at the factory! It does look like it may be able to hinge at the 45 deg angle though. But you say the plastic of the palm is blocking it? Horrible. Luckily, you don't mind. ;)

      Yeah, down with the cat face! (?) Lol

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