Last night I remembered that I run a toy review website. Between a business trip to Kansas City and a quick jaunt to Texas for the eclipse (and a bunch of work in-between), IAT’s been light on my updates the last two weeks. Let’s fix that with a Marvel Universe review.
Since I just pointed out that it’d been a few days since my last review, I probably shouldn’t bring up that the Marvel Universe checklist is sorely in need of an update too. But I’ve been reading the comments and getting your e-mails and I know we’re getting pretty far into 2012 without the page getting some much needed love. If you’ve been waiting for an update to the MU Checklist, never fear! I should have it up and ready to go with some new card art, images, and info here soon – surely in time to be completely out-of-date by SDCC. On that same note, I’ve also been getting a few e-mails about an Avengers movie checklist to go with my previous Marvel movie figures checklists – I’m not ruling it out, but it’s not the most likely thing to happen at this point. Sorry!
Okay, so I’m pretty sure I haven’t featured a Marvel Universe review here at IAT this year. That’s partially due to the gap in product that Hasbro recently went through, but the truth is that I haven’t been buying very many either. My MU collecting has basically dwindled to favorite characters (I bought the Wave 16 Absorbing Men & the Scarlet Spider) and areas where Marvel Legends never really quenched my thirst like Jim Lee X-Men (Cyclops, Psylocke) and Marvel’s space characters. I bring up those last two groups specifically because that’s how Hasbro nailed me with these most recent 2pks – Gambit & Sinister? Sold. A new Thanos & Adam Warlock? Well, I wasn’t planning to spend $30 on toys at this Wal-Mart…
Gambit & Sinister will have to wait until next week, because I found myself a lot more excited about the Adam Warlock and Thanos two-pack. The funny thing is that I can’t really tell you why. While I have a special spot in my heart for many corners of the Marvel U, there’s a lot of Marvel that I haven’t explored and the Infinity Saga is one of them. I’ve never read it and while I have this compulsion to own an Adam Warlock figure, I’ve never read much of anything starring him and I can’t really tell you much about him (as I normally would in one of these toy reviews). What I can tell you is that he’s got a great pedigree. He’s a classic Lee & Kirby creation, received a makeover from Roy Thomas & Gil Kane, and another revamp by Jim Starlin. I enjoy these creators so it’s a little weird that I’ve never made the time to read more Warlock stories.
The other weird thing is that I always want an Adam Warlock figure. I wanted the Marvel Legends version, but my Target never gave me a chance at the exclusive Red Hulk wave, so I went without. When I finally found the new MU two-packs hanging out at Wal-Mart early last week, I was surprised to say the least as I thought I’d missed Adam Warlock yet again. I wasn’t sure if I should toss $30 more into MU like that, but the surprise of running across them put me over the top and I picked up this set.
It also helped that both the figures in the pack are very well done.
Warlock is done on the most updated male buck for the MU line which means there’s great articulation, particularly in the legs. The new, swanky ball-jointed ankles, the thigh and boot swivels, the two-part ball-jointed neck, and the waist joint (in addition to the standard articulation) all really open up the figure and make him a blast to play with. I still wish Hasbro would do something more with the swivel wrists (including some new hands), but the upgraded articulation is great. I wish more of my MUs were on this buck. Continue to Page 2…
Noisy, Go read Infinity Gautlet IMMEDIATELY!!! It’s one of the best summer events and the ending is great.
Also great review, The new comic head just screams Infinity Gauntlet Thanos more than the original.
Now Hasbro just needs a Magnus figure (Although Gamorra and Pip would also be welcome).
I second Shadow_Contact’s suggestion. Infinity Gauntlet is an AWESOME story. It made me a Thanos fan for life.
The new head sculpt is much more menacing than the previous one. I love it! I’m hoping that Adam’s 70’s costume (from his classic “death” two-parter) shows up as a repaint down the line since that’s how I first discovered the character. Here’s hoping for more of Starlin’s supporting cast, especially a classic Drax!
I missed these MU reviews. It’s my favorite line right now and the drought we’ve been experiencing has been a major drag. Wave 21 (?) has just shown up on the ‘Bay, so I expect you’ll have new stuff to review before the summer is over.
Sad I don’t have a gauntlet for thanos, were I to get this 2 pack. This thanos looks awesome though. Nice to see the updated articulation from Warlock too.
I never saw the single Thanos, and hope to see this set, as this big Purplepuss looks so much more awesome than his previous release. I can live without that Infinity Gauntlet, at least until Avengers 2, where he’ll likely have it. (esp if that rumor about the blue gem in Loki’s staff is true!)
Adam looks ok, but he’s had enough costume variations over the years, that any variation would be nice. I got the ML Rulk wave version, but it just wasn’t “Adam” to me. I set aside a Mar-Vell of all bases, to custom my own, but never got around to finishing him. :/
If we do get the 70s look Clutch wants in the future, it’s an easy paint deco and head away from Magus!
Another awesome review! I really dig the darker tones on Thanos, but his golden crotch piece looks odd compared to the single version with solid blue pants. Here’s hoping for a Marvel Legends BAF Thanos.
why not buying the Diamond Select one?
Whoa, before you jump into Infinity Gauntlet, start with the old Starlin Warlock stories. I re-read those this week, and they’re great!
The Diamond Select one is cool, but I’d like more articulation, and the colors are too vibrant for my taste. Plus, I like to avoid crossing the two lines because of the different sculpting styles. But that’s just me, and if I had one it would be in my ML display. (Heck, I already switched out the BAF Galactus for the MU one, and I never looked back.)
That last picture put a much-needed smile on my face this morning. Thank you, Noisy!
I know “Infinity Gauntlet” has already been mentioned, but if you want to read something great, go spend a few bucks at your local comic shop and grab Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2. Awesome stuff starring Thanos with a short (yet crucial) appearance by Adam Warlock. Your comic book collection is incomplete without this two-parter!
Great overview, it might have convinced me to snag this set.
If I see it, it’s probably coming home.
Ok I have a few things to say here
#1…that last pic is really really really great!!
#2 I agree fully that this pack should have had a Thanos size gauntlet
#3 Infinity guantlet is one of the best Marvel books of all time…yes even better than secret wars…although seeing Spidey (in SW) pushing Prof X down is one of the highlights of comics history if you ask me
#4 Great job!
I won’t like: I’m always a sucker for your Marvel Universe reviews. As usual the photography and writing is top-notch. I’m currently looking for this set for an affordable price as well (although I was already “sold” before reading the review!).
I do wish Thanos had been a little brighter in his palette. I have seen this figure referred to as “modern” Thanos, but truth to be told his headsculpt looks more like Jim Starlin’s characteristic sneering Thanos than any of the modern portrayals of him. And even in modern comics, his colors are usually not -this- muted. I think I’ve seen the comic where he had this color scheme, but can’t remember exactly where it was. The downside to the color choice is that the single-packed Thanos’ interchangable gauntlet does not fit on this guy well without repainting. A shame!
As for Warlock, he is my preferred version of the character (with the Starlin bronze age costume second and his Guardians of the Galaxy duds third). Love that he got his trademark staff, a rarity in 2-packs.
Overall the latest few 2-pack releases for MU have been spectacular. I hope the unending glut of Cyclops/Dark Phoenix, Wolverine/Sabretooth, Power Man/Iron Fist and Cyclops/Marvel Girl packs that have been clogging the pegs since last year is finally lifting over in the states.
Again, great review.
Great review and funny captions as usual. I do disagree that this Thanos is less accurate than the single-carded version. This version’s colour scheme is definitely more accurate to the comics if you’re looking at the character’s appearance in the covers to the Infinity Gauntlet books, whereas the single-carded Thanos’ colours look more like they were inspired by his appearance in the Marvel vs. CAPCOM video games (although to be fair, I guess most younger fans are more familiar with the video games than with Infinity Gauntlet at this point).
Thanos Quest (the lead up to Infinity Gauntlet) was also good reading. I loved how he tricked the Elders of the Universe out of their Infinity Gems.
Loved Warlock, and that surprized me, I always kind of felt he was a bit of jerk to many of his companions and thus never liked the character much, he was cool in Guantlet and the SS series which lead into gauntlet but I never felt much towards him beyond that.
Still the figure rocks hard.
Thanos, I am in the same boat, love the guy and wanted this fig as soon as I saw it at SDCC. Great one overall imo.
I agree that those old Starlin Warlock stories were cool and Infinity Gauntlet was great, but I must echo Megagearmax’s comment that the real awesome story is Thanos Quest. It’s how he got the Infinity Gauntlet and made me a Thanos fan for life.
So it’s sad that there are now 2 versions of a really great Thanos for MU and Marvel Legends never got one. Never, and I’ve been clamoring for one since 2001. And to answer the question “Why not buy the Marvel Select one?” – because it’s Marvel Select, specifically designed to NOT be in scale with Marvel Legends. It’s in MS scale, which means it’s too big for ML.