Marvel Legends 2017 Guardians of the Galaxy Wave 1: Yondu
Yondu gets his first Marvel Legends figure release in 2017!  Cards on the table, when I heard Yondu was going to be in Guardians of the Galaxy, I had mixed feelings of joy and confusion.  Yondu was never a player in this iteration of the Guardians in the comics.  He also wasn’t a hot headed, wise cracking space pirate in the comics.  So, bitter-sweet seeing one of my favorite blue-skinned heroes on the silver screen in name and near appearance, but totally not the character I grew up with and loved.  Fast forward about 3 years having lived with the character on watch after watch of Guardians, and now, seeing that in Guardians 2, his role will morph a little and he’ll formally be one of the “good guys”, movie Yondu has grown on me.  I was resistant at first, but I enjoy what Michael Rooker has done with the character, and bringing things back full circle, Hasbro’s Marvel Legends Yondu figure, I enjoy what Hasbro has done with Michael Rooker / Yondu!

The Good

  • By this point, we’ve all seen Guardians one and watched the trailer for Guardians 2.  Having watched, it’s easy to see that Hasbro did a fantastic job of capturing Yondu from the screen and shrinking him down to 6 inch plastic.  He looks like Michael Rooker through and through.
  • The cut of Yondu’s coat is clearly intended to show the pull back on his right side uncovering his arrow holster.  It’s a pretty neat way to show action.
  • Yondu includes two heads, one straight faced and retracted mo-hawk, the other “whistle faced” with an extended mo-hawk, both look life-like down to the blue stubble on Yondu’s face!
  • Yondu has a solid range of articulation, though it should be noted, due to the trench coat, articulation becomes limited.  
  • The trench coat is removable, Yondu looks pretty good without it on as his sleeves and shirt are still the same color.

 

The Bad

  • I wish Hasbro would have included a few things here:
    • An arrow accessory without the “whistle” tail.
    • The whistling head, I’d of liked to see a hole between Yondu’s lips so that the whistle tail accessory could be inserted and really be made to appear coming from his mouth.
  • I need a comic version of Yondu to go with my Vance Astro please! …and a Charlie-27, Martinex, Starhawk, Aleta, and the rest of the classics!

 

The rest

Yondu is an excellent first appearance in 6-inch plastic for the character.  He absolutely deserves a purchase and a place in your collection.  Fans of the character shouldn’t hesitate, fans of Michael Rooker will be happy.  I’m sure Michael Rooker himself is pleased as punch with this figure, and he has every reason to be.  It’s him, blue as he can be!

 

Availability

You can get your Yondu pre-order on at Big Bad Toy Store.  The reports and images of this wave of Guardians of the Galaxy landing in stores appear to be true, with photographic evidence at both Targets and Walgreens.  Your mileage may vary, and you may face a street date restriction, but it can’t hurt to try if you are hooked on this feeling…. (see what I did there?)

The Pictures

 
 
 MUReview received these products for free for review purposes.