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!)

The Avengers: Marvel Select Hulk

As I write this review, I'm running around the house screaming like a little kid on Christmas morning who just got exactly what he wanted from Santa.  Except that it's not Christmas but Fathers' day soon.  And I'm not really running around the house, but more like lying around, imagining what it would be like running around.  And there's no Santa this time of year, but an awesome wifey and son--because this is what they surprised me with just a few days ago!

I'd already put down my order with my fave specialty store (Toyrealm at China Square central ;P) but I'd been going on and on about how I'd still snag Hulk if I saw him for sure if I saw him anywhere else, how I regretted not picking it up about 2 weeks back when a guy at the local "flea" market had a couple of the Jolly Green Giants selling at a pretty high price (about 120% of retail), and how this Hulk would make me the coolest father on the planet along with the rest of the people who also had him.

The specialty store's shipment wasn't due in until later this month and I was resigned to not truly being cool for another few weeks.  So imagine my surprise when the wife shows up with a huge bag with not one but two Marvel Select figures in it and hands it to me!  Happy Father's day indeed!

What was the other figure?  Movie Loki, of course  "So that I could re-enact the 'Puny god' scene from The Avengers for a chuckle or six until The Avengers 2 rolls around in 2015."  That's how she explained it.  But I suspect it might have been to shut me up from talking about Marvel Select Hulk every waking minute.  And probably sometimes in my sleep too.  ;P

No guesses how the figure turned out.  But why let me stop you from checking out the review and the awesome photos? ;D

The Avengers: 3.75" Gamma Smash Hulk!

I was really hesitant about getting any of the Avengers movie 3.75" figures.  Almost all of them lacked  articulation, mostly in the wrists and ankles, and Hulk was no different.

The first time I saw him on the pegs, I also felt he looked a little fat and not at all gamma en-muscled.  The price of S$19.90 was also S$3 up from the Iron Man 2 figures and equal to the retail on marvel Universe stuff.  Both of those lines have way superior articulation. So it was an easy pass the first time round.

But then I saw less of him on shelves and I kinda started to dig the green.  I guess gamma radiation can have that sort of effect.  But still, I balked at the price.  All the various department stores that had store-wide 20% discounts kept the Avengers stuff at nett price.  The sly dogs.  Still, I passed.

Then on making a long overdue visit to Toyrealm in China Square Central, I finally relented. There was one more Hulk left on the shelf and I felt that if I we to pay retail for this guy, then I'd want to give my money to the nice guy (Vincent) who owns the speciality store.  And guess what?  He gave me a couple bucks off each of the Jolly Green Giant and the Battle Hammer Thor I also picked up!

Needless to say I was now really up for the new plastic crack and busted them wide open the minute I got home.  And while I didn't expect to be blown away, which I wasn't, I guess I can't say I was totally disappointed.

The Avengers Movie: 3.75" Wave 1 Complete Review!!!

And it begins!

The countdown to the May 1st release date of the Avengers here in Singapore has begun!

Why now, you ask?  It's not because the Rangerlord sounded me out a week ago that the toys were out.  It's not because I walked into Toys R Us five days back and saw the 3.75" figures, the Quinjet, the Deluxe figures, the masks, or Captain America's Frisbee shield.

It's not even because later that same evening, I was picking up my wife at the nearby mall and she texted me "You're gonna wanna check out the department store.  There's lots of Avengers stuff!"

No.  It's because I walked into that very department store and saw these!

Oh, and if you've read this far, Happy April Fools! ;P

Yes, as you can tell, these ain't no action figures, nor are they 3.75" tall.  They're just, well, Mini Muggs!  And this is a review of the complete 1st wave!  (Gotcha!  Maybe.)

There was a set, only one complete set, and I had to snag it.  Sure, some other guys will probably pick up my leavings of a couple of Nick Fury and a Hawkeye or two, but I, I have the complete first wave of The Avengers Mini Muggs!  Mwahahahaha!

And here I review it. :P

Marvel Legends Hulk Series: King Hulk

I got this Hulk after reading and falling in love with the Planet Hulk graphic novel--it's gotta be the most original and off-the-beaten path Hulk story arc ever!

Besides the literally otherworldly story line, the Hulk's look changes distinctly and yet retains the old familiar characteristics of the Big Green Behemoth.

The same goes for this 6 inch scale figure--one look and you'll know it's the Hulk and yet you'll also realize that his attire can only mean he's been through some unique situations that have forced him to adjust and adapt.  Even if you haven't read Planet Hulk, you'd notice that he's not like other un-accessorized Hulks--this bad boy comes with a broad short sword and battle axe.  More juicy details later! ;)

I bought this guy about a year-and-a-half ago and only recently opened him.

Why?  Because I had the sudden urge to build the wave's Build-A-Figure: Fin Fang Foom.  What with all the Iron Man buzz about a month or so back, and me making a nice sum off some exclusive toys I didn't really wanna keep, I decided to go for the rest of the Target Exclusive Hulk Series.

I only had this Hulk and the Grey Hulk then, and the Absorbing Man and Doc Samson were rather cheapish, so I went for it.  Savage She-Hulk and End Hulk were tougher to find and expensive, but I figured that since I'd always wanted Hulks of all shapes and sizes, some supporting cast wouldn't hurt.  Oh and I'd have a giant ass dragon as well. ;)

And so I present to you the King of Sakaar himself, the one they call Green Scar, the one who's the World Breaker!

Starting Right From the Top!

How else better than to kick off the toy reviews of 2010 here on Chese Variant other than with the first letter of the alphabet?  That right, "A" is for ...

Abomination! (Raarrrrggghhhh!)

This 2008 movie line version of Hulk's nemesis is a beauty to say the least.  What a toy and what a steal at only S$5 (about US$3.60)! I only picked him up on Pre-Christmas clearance because I'd heard (or seen somewhere online) that he was sought after.  The amount of plastic used for this guy...let's just say this fella was heavier than expected in packaging, much heavier.

It's funny how they've treated this (I assume) dead Hulk toy line--we get 4 or 5 different Hulks (Mega Kick Hulk, Power Punch Hulk, Transformation Hulk, Mega Clap Hulk...I think those are the names. Or close to 'em....) But we get only one Abomination!  And he isn't even in scale with the Hulk!  The others clearly are meant to go with 3.75" figures, as evidenced from the Hulkbuster that comes with Mega-Kick Hulkand the Hulkbuster Hummers, which is right at home with GI Joes in it. Abomination is definitely in the 6" scale.

It also boggles the mind that A-Bomb here has 28 points of friggin' articulation, while the Hulks I mentioned above are lucky to even have half of what this guy has.  The only movie Hulk figure that matches up in terms of articulation is the Target Exclusive 2008 Movie Line Hulk (I think he's a 40th anniversary special edition too?). But as far as looks go (yes, I'm comparing the looks of the Hulk and the Abomination. Go figure.) A-Bomb here turns out to be the more movie accurate and proportionate.  Unfortunately, that Hulk has really long arms!





So click on the link to check out more pics as we talk Hu....er...Abomination!

Christmas Colours!

Otherwise better known to us True Believers as Marvel Universe 3.75" Hulk Red and Green!

But we've already seen how awesome the Secret Wars Green Hulk is, as well as his older counterpart in the original green Hulk.  Both have the same great molds, with different heads and paint.

So in view of the nearing Yuletide season, I've decided to add some red to the green for some true festive spirit!

Marvel Secret Wars Hulk and Cyclops!

More specifically, Comic Pack #4, which is the 1st of three two-packs in the 2nd wave.

Now, I know lots of Marvel Universe fans have been waiting for these packs to hit shelves, especially this one with Hulk in it because he has a more "regular" Hulk head sculpt compared to the individually packed Green and Grey Hulks.

But everything else is the same: same body, same arms, legs, fists, feet. So is this Secret Wars Hulk truly better than its predecessors?  Hit the link to find out!!!

Oh, wait. I almost forgot about Cyclops, everyone's favourite one-eyed super hero. He's got one power, and one power only.  Firing a powerful laser blast from his eyes. And he can't even control it.

Ok, you can hit the link now.

Green Movie Blues

I love last year's Incredible Hulk movie. I love the actors, I love the CGI, I love that it had more action than Ang Lee's version.


But I didn't at all like the toys.

Just off the shelves, they had ok looking sculpts, ok to sub-par paint, ok looking articulation. And they weren't all that cheap right after all the hype of the summer blockbuster.

Fun with Backgounds!

It's lucky I didn't realize how amazing a good background from the Marvel Universe Back Road Brawl 2 pack can be. Because if I did, I would have bought this Toys 'R' Us exclusive set at it's retail price of S$39.90. I then wouldn't have snagged it at the low, low price I did of S$12. And if you're a Marvel Universe fan, what in the world would stop you from getting this 2-pack that also comes with a nifty X-cycle (that all your MU 3.75" guys of all shapes and sizes can ride :P) at that price?

Well, I was going to review the exclusive comic book costume Sabertooth and Cowboy hat Wolverine from this set, but I guess I got distracted by the wonderful Back Road Background. The forest background insert was one thing, but the plastic packaging mold that holds these guys up in the box was quite another.

You see, they weren't glued to the background but rather tabbed into slots, making them removeable without damaging the beautful scenery. And you could re-insert them anytime. What's the big deal about plastic packaging, you say? Well, the molds fit pretty much any two 3.75" guys and the bike if you so choose.














Here's a taste. ;)

Wolvie with no Back Road X-Bike!














Wolvie catching Sabertooth's scent in the wind and tossing the bike in anticipation of the fight!













Wolvie jumps Cap on bike! Why? Cos Cap must've stole it from Xavier's Mansion! (Why else? :P)













Or maybe Wolvie jumps Cap, who stashed the bike earlier and doesn't have it on him (or under him. ;])













Or Cap jumps Wolvie for even thinking that ol' Stevie boy would even consider stealing!













Or Wolvie, after changing into different duds and a hat, jumps Hulk by mistake thinking that Hulk is Cap who pinched the X-Bike?












Or maybe Hulk stole X-Bike.














And Hulk mad bike don't start!

So Hulk toss Bike...RAARGH!!!! Bike only for sissies and Cyclopses anyway!!

Look Who's Joined in the Fight!

It's ol' Stars 'n' Stripes himself!

Look at him distract our favourite Big Green Monster as Wolvie attempts some facial reconstruction surgery.

Tsk, tsk. Hulk will simply smash puny men in tights. They should know better. Especially our favourite Super Soldier.

Or should he? I mean, he's got all sorts of fancy articulation in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, chest, legs, knees, just below the knees (360 degrees there too BTW), ankles, and head!!! By the time he's done with Hulkiepoo, our Green Goliath will be twisted like a veggie pretzel.

And let's not forget that fancy-schmancy accessory of a shield. As you can see from the pic, the paint apps on it are simply briliant. The inside of the shield has a plastic clip on a hinge which fits nicely on the good Captain's wrist. But that's not all--the shield also has two elastic bands that allow you to let Cap hold his shield firmer. You'll just have to twist it around his forearm and hand a couple times. The bands also allow him to hold the shield in his left hand--even with an open palm! He can then hold a gun or a rifle in his right and go ahead and let Hulk make his day. ;)

The best part about the elastic--he can wear the shield on his back for those situations where he needs to execute some high-risk acrobatics! Yay Cap!

The detailing on the figure is also awesome, and like the rest of the series, the eyes have been painted on accurately. Now this is Ultimate Cap, so he's got the awesome belt on him, as well as some nicely painted scales on his upper body. The star on his chest has been molded onto the fig and then painted. Looks really great too. The only problem is that of those figures I've seen, the area of his cowl under his eyes have not been painted well and need touching up. Oh well, better under than overpainted.

Oh and I got this guy from one of the stores at CSC for a mere $15 bucks. Oh yeah!!

He flies off the shelves fast, so if you can get him for under $20, it'd be a good deal. I recently saw a couple at Novena Toys 'R' Us and picked one up for my cousin at $18--So hurry down to get 'em from there cos they've just restocked a small amount.

I realized I didn't give ratings for the toys I've previewed before my last post, so I'll give Cap's here, as well as Hulk's and Wolvie's:

Marvel Universe 3 3/4" action figures

Captain America

Comicbook Accuaracy: 9/10 - You can tell right away from the belt and lack of wings on his cowl that's he's Ultimate Cap. Looks perfectly like the character from the Ultimates 2. And the shield? Perfect size for him. :)

Poseability: 10/10 - Is there nothing he can't do? This line of 3 3/4 figs from Marvel are a dream to play with. I just love the flexibility of his torso at the hips and the chest. Makes posing him to throw the shield look too cool! ;)

Aesthetic: 9/10 - Looks great on his own, looks great fighting the Hulk, will look excellent leading a squad of G.I. Joes! (I can't the the idea out of my head now, Bro! ;P)

Overall: 9.33/10


Wolverine

Comicbook Accuaracy: 9/10 - There's just been so much of him in so many costumes/get ups. I mean there's even a naked figure of him in the movie 3 3/4" line! (Ok so he has metal wires and equipment covering "strategic parts." But he's STILL butt naked! :P) They could put him in a white singlet and jeans and people will still buy him. Oh wait. They've done that.

Poseability: 9/10 - Like I mentioned with Cap, this line of 3 3/4 figs from Marvel is a winner. But I do have to say there's a small difference in articualtion--Cap has 360 degree rotation just below the knee. This Wolverine doesn't.

Aesthetic: 8/10 - I have to say--Wolverine with his mask on just looks silly. But this brown and yellow is my favourite silly costume of his! And it definitely looks better than the butt naked version :P (Oh and he comes with a red samurai sword. What's up with that? Ha.)

Overall: 8.66/10


Hulk

Comicbook Accuaracy: 9/10 - Green? Check. Purple Pants? Check. Muscle-bound? Check. Angry face? Check.

Poseability: 9/10 - I have to say, this is probably the most poseable Hulk I've ever seen or played with. He doesn't have 360 degree rotation of the lower leg, and his thighs suffer from being too chunky as do most hulks, but the upper body can rotate at the chest and waist like the 2 guys he's fighting. Plus, his arms can do pretty much anything you'd want a hulk to do, including hold another (smaller) 3 3/4" figure in its palm to smash. :)

Aesthetic: 10/10 - Just look at those gren eyes! Looks angry on his own, looks angry smashing, will look angry smashing a squad of G.I. Joes led by Captain America. What can I say? I'm a Hulkmani...er...Hulk fan! ;)

Overall: 9.33/10

Big, Green, 3 3/4" Action!

For my first post ever, I present to you...The one and only Marvel Universe Incredible Hulk! (In 3 3/4" size.)

I got him off a local seller who brought a bunch of these Marvel Universe green and grey Hulk figures in, which is a good thing 'cuz they're rather hard to find here in Singapore.

The fan favourites of this line were snapped up fast from local Toy R Us's--Spidey, Captain America, and of course Iron Man.

But I never saw the Hulk on local shelves. So I got this baby (and the grey variant) from Singtoys off ebay.sg. Props to you, man, for being a nice guy and giving me a great deal.

Funny thing is, the grey hulk is a variant, but I've seen more of him here than the green version. And Hulks cost more than the usual 3 3/4" dudes cuz of his weight, making his shipping higher than your Iron Man, Human Torch or Punisher.

I'd actually thought that he'd be a lot less flexible than he is, being Hulk and all with all those huge (plastic) muscles in the way. But I was pleasantly surprised at not only his flexibility but also his poseability. His hands both rotate 360 degrees, as does his head and torso (which also bends forward and back) as you can see from the first pic. His thighs rotate at the hip as well. He's got good knee-bend for a Hulk figure, and his ankles can make him pivot or point his feet. And he balances well too.

But what takes the cake is his paint apps. Boy, just look at those eyes: black pupils with green irises!!! Check out the detailing on his back in this pic:

Yup, and that's right. He poses real well with the X-Men Wolverine Origins brown and yellow variant figure!

I found Wolvie and his buddies at Robinsons for $15 and change. So if you're looking for Gambit, Sabertooth, and all the other versions of Wolverine, you know where to find 'em. :) I picked myself up a comic version Deadpool as well. But he'll feature in another entry with some other friends. ;)

But for now, I'm having fun re-enacting the 1st Hulk vs Wolverine meeting in the comics. So ok, Hulk was grey when the two first went toe to toe, but green somehow works better with the yellow on Wolvie. And who doesn't just love the Big Green Goliath? Just gotta love it when the Savage Hulk sics it on his fellow super heroes!

Hulk Smash!!!