SDCC 2012 Exclusive Marvel Universe S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier with Maria Hill and Captain America

SDCC 2012 Exclusive Marvel Universe S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier with Maria Hill and Captain America

First off, I’d like to apologize, we really were going for 11 days, 11 reviews but HasbroToyShop.com and Fedex had other plans, so I am sorry for the delay.  11 reviews in …12 days still isn’t anything to sneeze at.

And now! The moment I’ve all been waiting for! (Yes, I said that right), the 2012 SDCC Exclusive Marvel Universe S.H.I.E.L.D Super Helicarrier with Maria Hill and Captain America action figures.

I’ll start by saying, I don’t intend to keep this Helicarrier, that is, not for myself.  I’m going to review it, keep Hill, rebox it, and then I’m giving it to my son, who is 2, for Christmas…I may wait till Christmas next year, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to because once he sees it he will…probably crap himself, is my best guess and I can’t wait for that.  Just the kind of dad I am.

The Good:

Helicarrier – 

  • It is MONSTROUS
  • A lot of attention to small details, Stark Industries logos all over it, on one of the front flaps SDCC 2012 shows up.
  • A good chunk of figure pegs.
  • It’s kind of modular, each of the turbines pop off, the front antennae, the mid-ship battery, they all pop off.
  • Spring loaded ‘rockets’ have some reasonable distance to them, and guess what, the launchers all come off too!
  • Great spin on all of the turbines.
  • Lots of flaps and hatches to play with, some of which I don’t fully understand (the hatch at the back with a hinged cover…is kind of like an ash tray).
  • The only nice thing I have to say about the packaging, the Joe Quesada art that we have all seen before, it’s sick and huge! When I finally give this to my son and unbox it for good, I may posterize the back of this box.

Maria Hill – 

  • Brilliant figure, articulation for DAYS!  Ankles, hips, shoulders elbows..but some things are missing.
  • Excellent paint app.
  • Excellent head / face sculpt, she seems like a hybrid between Cobie Smulders Maria Hill and Comic Maria Hill and that certainly isn’t a bad thing.
  • Dual Holster (with a but).
  • It’s Maria Hill!

Captain America –

  • Bright colors.
  • Has a shield…it also says S.H.I.E.L.D. on the box…

The Bad:

Helicarrier – 

  • I’m going to try not to rant here but if I have to cut one more piece of black paper string I’m going to lose my flippin mind.  This thing was so needlessly tied down that it took me over an hour to unbox.  There were things tied to other things that weren’t even parts that could move or fall off, it was inexplicable and obnoxious.  I haven’t bought a vehicle since I was probably 12, and if this is where things went since then there is a good chance it’s going to be another 20 years before I buy another vehicle of any kind in a toy line for the soul reason that packaging is brutally obnoxious.
  • But wait! There was more string!  We are also graced with a mass amount of instances of the clear rubber band ties.  These were needlessly holding the rocket launchers in place.  My garbage pail was half full of rubber bands and black string before the end of the night…and those little black clips.
  • While it’s a modular Helicarrier (as mentioned in the good), it could have been more modular.  This is a monster of a vehicle and there are 3 main connection points that appear to be screwed together.  If clips or clasps were used this could have collapsed really nicely for storage.

Maria Hill – 

  • The only negative I can throw at Maria Hill is that she has no waist or torso articulation.  I don’t care though, awesome figure.
  • Oh wait…she also cost me $129.99 plus shipping.

Captain America –

  • This is not even really a repaint of a Cap from the Cap movie line, it’s just taken off a card and put into this box.
  • Really limited articulation, can’t even lift his legs at the hip.

The Rest:

Taking this thing out of the box was truly one of the worst experiences of my entire life, but it’s an outstanding item, well made, well put together and for the most part really well thought out.  The Maria Hill figure is outstanding and her biggest con is really more than the above, that I couldn’t just buy her on a single card.  Captain America is kind of a throw in and not really something anyone doesn’t have anyway.  I was planning at the start of this to give this to my son for Xmas 2012, but he’s still only 2.  While he loves the Marvel Universe line and always wants to play with a different figure, you’ve got a ton of small parts, a ton of parts that pop off, and darnit if this thing doesn’t look like one mean skateboard to eyes that don’t understand it.  The Maria Hill figure will stay in the main collection, the Cap will go back in the box, the carrier, back in the box, the box, back in the shipping box, and that box is going in the attic till 2013 / 2014.  When the little guy gets hands on though he’s going to love it.  I start my little guy young because I know what he’s capable of, and I monitor him whenever he’s playing with something not necessarily age appropriate, otherwise I don’t think I’d give this to a kid under 6.  The age on the package is probably above that.  Side note – final note – do NOT try to put a 2 month old on the deck of this helicarrier, the strut supports on the bottom will buckle out…:)

The Pictures:



SDCC 2012 Exclusive Masters Of Evil Marvel Universe Team Pack

San Diego Comic-Con 2012 has come and gone.  It left in it’s wake some outstanding collectibles and exclusives and MUReview.net is lucky enough to have gotten it’s grubby little mitts on one of our most anticipated exclusives, the Marvel Universe Masters of Evil 3-Pack from Hasbro.  The pack features classic Marvel villains Baron Zemo, Radioactive Man and Tiger Shark.  Being a very big Captain America fan, I couldn’t be more thrilled to finally get my hands on Baron Zemo and for the most part the figure doesn’t disappoint.  Tiger Shark is outstanding and Radioactive man is no joke either!

The Good:

Baron Zemo –

  • One of the most important things for me in a figure is that the figure accurately represents their name sake. Baron Zemo wins big here.  We don’t need another one, Hasbro nailed him here.
  • Zemo is based off of the ultra articulated recent Marvel Universe bucks so pose-ability is endless.
  • The trimmings on this figure are incredibly well implemented, the fur on the boots, the belt, the head band, the mantle piece, all great!

Radioactive Man –

  • Sturdy figure and highly pose-able.
  • The color and transparency really works here.

Tiger Shark –

  • I may be wild guessing here but I think Tiger Shark is made from the same base as Cable and Cable was awesome and incredibly pose-able, that carries through here.
  • We have another character that really in dramatic fashion captures what’s printed on the comic-page, well done Hasbro.
  • The shark fin is exceptionally well molded.

The Bad:

Baron Zemo –

  • Baron Zemo comes with a sword and gun and two hands that have no hope of gripping either appropriately.    This is really a little off putting because Zemo’s sword at least is one of the more iconic weapons of the Marvel Universe.
  • That’s pretty much it, I tried bending the hands into a closed fist as much as possible but the starting point is too wide and the weapon handles are just too thin.

Radioactive Man –

  • Radio Active Man’s tunic could have been cut a little better at the bottom..maybe if it was a little bit longer it wouldn’t make me feel uncomfortable when I look at it.

Tiger Shark –

  • No complaints here, I really like this figure. Not a huge Tiger Shark fan and he certainly wasn’t a character that I was thinking was a 3.75″ must have, but I’m glad I have him now.

The Rest:

If it is within your means by hook, crook or eBay, try to grab this set.  It’s great to be able to expand on the MU line villain count and your collection by three figures in one shot and all three figures are really well done.

The Pictures:





 

 
 MUReview received this product for free for review purposes.
SDCC 2012 Exclusive X-Factor Marvel Universe Team Pack

SDCC 2012 Exclusive X-Factor Marvel Universe Team Pack

The X-Factor Marvel Universe is something a lot of people have been excited about since it’s announcement.  With this set we get a really solid brand new character (Angel), and a few repaints, some in excellent costumes that we all remember and love.  This set is a Toys R Us Exclusive and was made available at the San Diego Comic-Con 2012 in the Hasbro and Toys R Us booths (I think Hasbro had it too…).  In any case, for a limited time this was up on Toysrus.com for order which is how I snagged one.  The official release was not / is not to be until 8/1 so keep your eyes peeled it’s a nice little set.  Read on!

The Good:
Cyclops –

  • Cyclops in one of his more iconic uniforms.
  • Nice even paint, clean lines.

Marvel Girl –

  • Marvel Girl in the green and gold.
  • My mom said that if you don’t have anything nice to say…say it in the bad section.

Angel –

  • The wings! Epic! The wings have more points of articulation than Marvel Girl!  The mold and coloring is outstanding.
  • While Angel doesn’t feature the full range of articulation found in the most modern figures, the addition of swivel thighs is great and allows for a lot more pose-ability.
  • The head sculpt here is just excellent with expressive and life-like features.

Ice-Man –

  • Well this is interesting…I truly appreciate the efforts to make a cloudy / clear Ice Man.
  • For the most part the figure looks great…and icey.
  • The smooth feel of the figure also lends itself well to “ice”.

Apocalypse –

  • The bright colors make the features of this figure really stand out.
  • You can see the ‘A’ on the belt!

Mr. Sinister –

  • The contrast of colors is different, interesting.

The Bad:
Cyclops –

  • I don’t know how just my complaints are here, but away they go.  The color of this Cyclops is just a hair off of the color blue of the Jim Lee Cyclops and I don’t care if it’s right or not because…
  • I wanted to do a head swap and here is why.  All the X-Factor I’ve read with blue and yellow Cyke has him without a cowl.  He wore white and blue with the cowl, yellow and blue without.  Outside of the colors though, I found the head to be molded for the newer, smaller hinged neck joint vs. the standard solid ball, couldn’t get the head on and if I did it wouldn’t have mattered because the blue is off.

Marvel Girl –

  • Phoenix, First Class…just not great Jean Grey representation. the face mold just looks wacky and that carries through here, even with the mask.
  • This is based off of one of the very early, if not the first female Marvel Universe molds and it shows.

Angel –

  • This is really an awesome figure but I do have one complaint.  Getting the wings into Angel’s back ‘to stay’ was a giant pain almost literally.

Ice-Man –

  • The clouded ice effect is actually really cool.  It would have been awesome if it was throughout the figure….there is a fully unpainted stripe across the top of his head!!
  • The belt looks …I was going to say just short of ridiculous, but just plain old ridiculous works fine.

Apocalypse –

  • The colors are closer to the classic, but this still isn’t the classic Apocalypse.

Mr. Sinister –

  • There are two Mr. Sinister outfits that I can think of and remember.  One of them is the current suit and the other one isn’t this color combination.

The Rest:

The X-Factor set is a mixed bag.  Angel is an awesome figure but he will be out on a single card this year (probably).  Cyclops is in an excellent outfit but doesn’t feel right because he is wearing the cowl.  Ice Man has his quirks but I feel like he’s an upgrade over what we have already.  Marvel Girl….I wanted more, better, and I didn’t get it.  Apocalypse in this paint is definitely worth owning and Sinister is worth owning if you didn’t find him already.

 

SDCC 2012: Hasbro Marvel Panel Updated with additional Q and A and images (a little later)

Thanks for joining us folks.  Look out below for all of the details from the 2012 San Diego Comic Con Hasbro Marvel Panel.  Images will be updated here as we receive them:

Get ready everyone we are live blogging along with Hasbro, the Panel is about to start, please excuse all typographical errors, or don’t.

1. As of now it appears that there is a photo montage of existing figures going on.

2. Word that the X-Force Marvel Legends exclusive is sold out.

3. There is now a look at Ultimate Spider-Man toys for 2013.  This is animated series related.  All focus next year will be on the animated product line.

4. Now getting a look at Ultimate Spider-Man 6 inch figs.  All new tooling.

5. Bonkazonks…new characters.

6. Spider-Man and Iron Man collectors cases for Bonkazonks.

7. 102 Bonkazonk characters to collect this year.  Jackal, Whirlwind, Grim Reaper, Dormammu.  So far old news from Toy Fair, but you can get codes to ulock free games at Bonkazonks.com

8. To clarify, the 3.75 / 6 inch animated line figures for next year are confirmed for Ultimate Spider-Man only.

9. MARVEL UNIVERSE

10.  So far this week we’ve gotten a look at unexpected 2 packs, FF Doom and Spiderman, the She-Hulk 2-pack, and then some looks at Mysterio and Elektra, but everything else we kinda knew what was coming.

11. The 2012 Digital Comic Exclusive – OLD MAN LOGAN! (with bonus Hulking).

12.  Old Man Logan will premiere at NYCC 2012 (MUReview will be there!)

13. Uncanny X-Men team pack!  Colossus, Juggernaut and EMMA FROST!  Cyclops is the last member in the team pack but he’s not ready to be shown – this is a 013  sneak peak.

14. Now a look at Angel…Puck…and SNOWBIRD!

15…wow that was it? Now on to Legends already?

16. Deadpool and X-Force Deadpool.

17. US Agent, Neo Classic Iron Man, Iron Man has Moon Style Boots.

18. Punisher and Classic Blade (we knew about these guys).

19. Mystique and Moonstar, shown with extra weapons.

20. Hasbro stating – they read the boards, they know we want lots of guns.

21. Doctor Doom with and without mask!

22. 2013 will be the year of the mini BAFS Wave 1 – Hit Monkey (we saw that in show pictures)

23. Savage She-Hulk and Red She-Hulk.

24. Ultimates Captain America, X-Force Wolverine, Lyra.

25. Sentry and Hyperion (both shown on SDCC show floor).

26. Archangel – also shown on the show floor. But with a second look I hadn’t seen – blue steel and off blacks.

27. Jean Grey (shown on the show floor).

28. A Long over due character…WRECKER

29. Sure is a lotta Legends news…not feeling the MU love.

30. An all new team..the THUNDERBOLTS.

31.Now I’m just getting mad, ML is getting Moonstone.

32. Moonstone has the potential to be used as many other characters (Ms. Marvel) and should be the ML female buck go forward.

33. Now onto Iron Man 3 2013 sneak peek, includes Micro Muggs.

34. Smal scale Mighty Muggs in a bunch of different Iron Man armors sold in blind bags, 2 inches tall permanently attached to bases.

35. Legends come to Iron Man – IRON MAN BAF – they won’t show the whole figure.

36. Now Q and A.

37. How is the decision made about who goes into the revision cases?

38. That BAF could be Iron Monger (from Iron Man Line).

37- A – We look at past sales what did well, what went out in minimum quantitys, and make the decision from there. No rhyme or reason to it. Just trying to keep the freshness of the line going.

39 -Are you going to finish Alpha Flight?

A – AF has different incarnations of team members but they have their list.

40. A kid asking about the Iron Man BAF – they aren’t telling.

41. Why are Bonkazonks so small (same kid)

A. So you can stuff a bunch in your pocket.

42. Someone tossed their Hellicarrier in the lake – it floats.

43. Wow fans, this is riveting stuff…can’t we hear some q’s from our man there Jason?

44. That’s all we’ve got for now but check back later for our man Jason’s pictures from the panel! CAN’t WAIT!

Additional Q and A questions captured by Action Figure Insider:

Any Plans for a diorama like the Avenges Mansion?   Not In Legends Scale… Haven’t looked at it for Marvel Universe.  Jesse Falson suggests looking on line and learning to make it yourself.  His favorite things to do as a kid was make his own toys.

Will you bring back any old Toy Biz Characters or an updated version?  They look at that all the time.

Will we see more of the Toy Biz type articulation like fingers and toes? It’s a ballance. You have a set budget and have to make choices. To look at it again would have to be something limited and not a new standard.

With the new Micro build a figure will we see Rocket Raccoon with Guardians of the Galaxy? That’s a save bet.

What happened to the Fing Fang Foom figure teased last year? On hold till they find a slot for him? He was almost the exclusive at SDCC this year, but they were still working on their Avengers plan. Didn’t think they could sell both large items this year.

MU Mysterio – is there a head sculpt under the helmet? You have to wait till you get the figure.

Will you revisit some of the first waves of MU with the new bodies/tooling available now? Yeas. That is possible.

Build-A-Figure – what happened to the Stryfe BAF shown last year? Stryfe was never a BAF. Waiting for him to be on a new, better, bigger body like the new Sentry body.

What’s the chance of seeing ab-crunch back on females? Not in the plan right now, Still looking at the new Moonstone body.

SDCC 2012: Exclusive Marvel Legends and Universe info

Exclusive information from our man on the ground Jason at SDCC 2012.  Jason got a chance to speak with one of the designers from Hasbro’s Marvel Legends and Marvel Universe Toy Lines.  You can check Jason out over at https://www.facebook.com/groups/Makemine/.

 

Here is what Jason found out.

We are going to have Marvel Universe past 2014 (at least).

We can look to see some possible Marvel Legends Wrecking Crew news released today at the 4PM PST panel.

The White Anti-Venom will be released as part of a later Spider-Man line.

Hasbro is looking to tweak scale on a lot of Marvel Legends characters like Iron Man.

Jason went on to tell Hasbro that the collective wants BAFs not figure stands with their Legends figures!  He was told a note would be made of that.

There was also discussion about Stryfe…he was scrapped because they wanted to re-do the design.

More news is planned for the 4PM PST panel, stay tuned!