The Avengers 3.75" Hawkeye

Ya know, what is it with guys with a bow?  It's like they hit a target and everyone thinks they're cool.  Seriously, they're not!

Just look at those guys in that whatchamacallit Games going on right now in London...That's right, the Olympics!  Ya don't see taught, tight, muscular bods, cool shades, pointy ears, or designer haircuts.  You see (some) overweight, bespectacled, ordinary-looking dudes shooting at stationary targets.  Stationary targets, fer cryin' out loud!  This guy is even legally blind in one eye.  And he won a gold medal by beating his own world record!

Really, he's legally blind!

But in all honesty, those guys (and gals) are marksmen through and through.

And I'm delighted to say ol' Clinty Barton here is from the same stock as a former Olympian himself!  (Or at least at the Olympian level.)  Sure, those guys at the London Games aren't gonna be shooting into the wind at Chitauri from the edge of a building, but what they do is about just as hard, I reckon.  And I even bet if you asked them to try a no look shot they could hit the target too!

Avengers Movie Hawkeye, though, is on another level.  He's gotta be--dashing, cool as a cucumber, nicely muscled, has all that super spy training, a cool superhero name, and can shoot and hit gods, even if it was just Loki.  And yeah, he's also got a hot superhero wife in Mockingbird.  What's not to like?

So I expected his action figure to be disappointing, especially since this movie line lacks a lot of articulation.  But I was so happy to find him that I had to grab it, since I have a thing for 3.75" actor-likenesses.  And I think I can safely say I was somewhat surprised.  Somewhat.

What's in the Wes Box?: The Avengers 6" Captain America! (Walmart Exclusive)

Walmart Exclusive 6"

The 3.75" Retail Version

"What's in the where???..." you ask?

Well, some weeks back, my ol' buddy-in-arms from the Articulated Discussion days Wes Dennis scored me some Walmart Exclusives--and the box arrived this week, much to my delight! (Big shout out and thanks to Wes of Scary Crayon!)

The Avengers movie 6" Captain America was the first figure I pulled outta Wes' Wonder Box of Plastic Goodness, and with 3.75" avengers Shield Launcher Captain America the only figure in that line in that scale I have on the review burner, I've decided to make this a double-header!

Ok, ok, so I haven't gotten around to Avengers 3.75" Hawkeye yet though I got him some time back now.  But I certainly couldn't help not reviewing my first 6" Avengers figure right here, what with it being a Walmart Exclusive and all.  And since I'd taken individual pictures of the 3.75" Cap, I thought a comparison review would be a great idea.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy a double dose of movie Captain America goodness! ;)

From here on out, it's gonna be a game of "Spot the Difference."  Are you ready?  Here's a clue: ears. ;P

Chase Sighting: New Stuff hits the Shelves!

I was in the local Toys R Us near my office today looking for Transformer generations Wheelie before having to put in a shift for Olympics news coverage.  I promised 3B of 3B's Toy Hive that I'd snag one for him since I'd seen Wheelie there a few days before.

But this was all that greeted me:

Generations Springer, Cliffjumper, and Swerve.

Where was wheelie?!?

There were a good three or four of him the last time I was there.  From what I'd seen, he looked like a re-coloured Jazz with a new Wheelie head.  He was way too big for my own taste, so I passed.

But this time, he was missing!  Obviously people like him much better than I do.  So sorry, 3B!  I'll continue to hunt one down for ya!

The Avengers 3.75" Grapple Firing Black Widow

The story of how I managed to find this extremely rare figure some 2 weeks back can be read here.


Amazingly, I've been accused of being a scalper for finding and buying a couple of this figure (one for the Rangerlord) and the others I picked up that day.  Well guess what?  I've opened and reviewed the figure like I do for all my stuff, so there!

I do have to concede I was very lucky to find Black Widow.  And I hope all of you hoping to find one manage to hunt one down at retail.  On to the review! ;)

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: Stark Tech Assault Armour Captain America

This review should be named "Captain America and His Toys Part II"!  Why?

Simply because the good captain is learning that having less super strength and less speed is just not good enough!  Gone are the good ol' days where he was the strongest, the fastest and the most famous (and only) super hero.  Sure, he's still a master of battlefield tactics and the bestest (eva!) leader there can be, but who can see that sorta thing?  Being reanimated in this day and age where the most flashy (Iron Man), the most misunderstood (Hulk), and the most buff-n-blond (Thor) get all the attention hasn't been great for Cap.  So what to do?  Take a leaf from Tony Stark's book and get some toys of his own!

But why "Part II" you ask?  Because this should've been part I.  And the pics in this review will also give you a glimpse or two of Part III. ;)

To get back on topic, the Stark Tech Assault Armor Captain America has been on my radar ever since I saw it on the shelves in stores.  But the retail price of S$49.90 (US$39) is a huge put-off.  So I was willing to wait till clearance.

As luck would have it, the eagle-eyed Rangerlord, whose skill with a bow can only be outmatched by Hawkeye himself (or so he says), spotted this sweet, sweet piece of action in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for 60% of the price!  Needless to say, it was a score for sure!  So was he worth it?  Let's see!

Thor The Mighty Avenger 3.75" Secret Strike Loki

I'd like to begin with a standing ovation, a standing ovation and three cheers for fella who plays Loki in Thor and of course, The Avengers.  That's right, Tom Hiddlestone.  There was only one of you and yet you more than held your own against the Mighty Avengers ensemble.  Aw heck, in fact Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansen, Sam L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner--all of you deserve a long, long round of applause.

What can I say? It's been 9 days since I first caught the movie, and 5 days since I saw it a second time and I'm still buzzing.  And as I write this, I'm plotting a 3rd and possibly a 4th viewing. (One of these schemes involves sneaking in on free tickets to What to expect When You Are Expecting and then peeling away to catch The Avengers.  Heheh.)

He's no coward all right-he called the Hulk a "Dull Creature."

So why review this older Thor figure when there are other, newer figures from the Avengers line?  Well, because most of the 3.75 range is under articulated (See Ultimate Thor, Gamma Punch Hulk) and because Joss Whedon is a god in the movie heaven that is Hollywood.

He's made me wanna go back and review every single Marvel Universe, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America and and Marvel action figure I haven't put in front of the camera and blabbered about.  And I just might.  So who better to start with than with Loki, the ultimate deceiver, played by a man who just steals the scene when he's in it?

When Secret Strike Loki was originally released a year back, there were already pictures of a King Loki to come, so I held back, thinking that I'd be able to easily pick this figure up on clearance.  And it's turned out to be true!  I got Loki here for S$10!--only for the price to be slashed to almost half that a week later. -__-

But here's no regrets, because after all the lack of PoAs from the Avengers line, this Thor movie figure has turned out to be quite a gem!

The Avengers 3.75" Battle Hammer Thor

I just realized that I really am liking the Thor.  Really.  Just now.  I mean, I never really was a fan of any of the Avengers, save the Hulk, but he was an Avenger for such a short period and for most of it, a pawn for Loki to boot.

Iron Man?  Nah.  He needed to plug himself in a little too much for my liking in the 80s and 90s.  Giant Man and Wasp?  Sheah, right.

But Thor?  He was sorta cool but in those days when I was a kid he was too He-Man-like.  And anyone who looked a smidgen like my hero Adam of Eternia was obviously a fake/imposter/not the original.  I also had issues with the bare sides in his costume top.  (Is he wearing a shirt or is that some sort of double-sided apron?)

Fast forward a good 30 years later and these guys are all mainstream--Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor all have their own movies and are coming together in The Avengers opening hereabouts in a couple of days.  I find myself now liking them, even Hawkeye and Black Widow (sorry Giant Man and Wasp!  Maybe in Avengers 2?)

And I suppose it's the way that Marvel have marketed their B-Listers and made them A-Listers.  10 years ago, the average person on the street wouldn't know who Iron Man or Thor was.  Now everyone knows and those of us who knew already find ourselves liking them.

For me, it all began with this little story called the Ultimates.  All the characters were too interesting to ignore.  It wasn't because they were all saints or completely badass.  It was but because I could relate to them and their struggles with ordinary things like morals and dealing with relationships and even having super powers.

Ultimate Thor, for example, was the "Is he for real" hippie who no one believed was a Norse God except for himself.  Yet sometimes he would know things or perform extraordinary feats that would throw you off just when you think you have him pegged for a fake.  Or a god.  And then there was his hammer, half axe and half hammer head.  Even the circles on his suit started to make sense.  I was sucked right in.

So here we are, just days before The Avengers is about to hit screens.  So I guess it's fitting tribute that they've included Ultimates Thor among the first couple of waves of movie figures.  Named "Battle Hammer Thor", let's see how he turned out.

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.