Product: Marvel Legends 2-Pack - Valkyrie and Hulk
Manufacturer: Hasbro Price Paid: CAD$17.47
Marvel Legends are hard to find in Canada. The only places that carry them are select comic book stores, specialty toy stores, and Toys R Us. Moreover, not all the releases are available in Canada, as Hasbro selectively chooses which waves to bring north of the border. Lastly, if your lucky to find them, they tend to be expensive.
Well, Hasbro and Toys R Us had a nice surprise for Canadians during October 29 - November 4. They released three new Marvel Legends 2-Packs (Valkyrie/Hulk, Deadpool/Warpath, Black Widow/Winter Soldier) at 30% off. That's right! I was in Toys R Us and there they sat on the shelf for CAD$17.47 a pack. Of course all three 2-Packs were purchased ;).
These are the first Marvel Legends' action figures I've bought. So let's proceed onto the review of the Marvel Legends 2-Pack - Valkyrie and Hulk.
Review: Hulk
Sculpt: 5/5
The sculpt is fantastic due to the details and design. Small things like his pants, veins, toenails, and teeth are all sculpted. No shortcuts by simply painting them in. The larger details are also great. The expression on his face perfectly captures his rage, while his arms support two huge fist! The Hulk likes to smash things and I expect him to have fist to do just that; as opposed to open palms to be slapping people around. Lastly the muscles and proportions are huge like the muscled giant he's supposed to be.
Paint: 5/5
They did a great job of painting the hulk. The colors are pleasing and look accurate. Shading, also, helps add to the realism. Smaller details like his toenails are painted a different color. Lastly, in areas like his torn pants, teeth, and hair, the paint stays within its lines and doesn't bleed over. The only minor problem, is the shading is applied a little to liberally but it doesn't hurt the appearance.
Articulation: 4/5
The joints were good and immediately useable, as no unnecessary force was required to move them. In addition, the joints blend nicely with the sculpt and paint. Overall articulation was good as a variety of poses is possible. However, a few places could use a greater range of motion. The head is ball jointed, but I felt more tilt would of been nice. Hulks arms and shoulders are also good, though a swivel/hinge elbow would of been nicer. The waist is good with the hinge and the swivel. Unfortunately, the legs felt the most limiting as the large muscles hinder the range of motion of the hinge/swivel. Cut thighs, double knees, swivel/hinge knees, or hinged toes, would help with the more dynamic poses.
This is probably one of the more articulated Hulk figures available, and it does have a good range of motion for Hulk smashing. However, a little more articulation in the legs would help with Hulks more gentle moments, or for using actual technique when fighting.
Durability: 4/5
The figure is quite durable and can take a beating from a child. Just don't throw it against the wall. Hulk is composed of a solid plastic that won't break easily, and the joints are also solidly constructed.
Value: 5/5
Hulk is a large figure by Marvel Legends standards. Lots of plastic was used in making him and that makes him worth more than other Marvel Legends figures. However, he does not come with any accessories. A fair value for 6" figures is CAD$10, and at that price Hulk is easily worth it.
Overall: 23/25
This figure has very few negatives. The only significant one being a slight lack of motion in the legs. However many poses can still be achieved. On the other hand, the sculpt (especially the two closed fist), paint job, and value are excellent. The positives easily outweigh the negatives, hence I award this Hulk figure a great score!
Review: Valkyrie
Sculpt: 4/5
Again another fantastic sculpt in this Marvel Legends 2-Pack. Details like the shoes, string, belt, chest plates, armbands, are all sculpted. The hair has nice detail and sculpted texture. The face is also very feminine looking as is the body. Muscles are subtly sculpted on both the legs and arms.
Valkyrie is clearly better than previous Marvel Legends female characters made by both Toybiz and Hasbro. She looks feminine without the butchered look. The only negative about the sculpt is that the figure is sort of small and anorexic looking. Admittedly I'm not familiar with Marvel's Valkyrie, but after googling her it appears she is on the slender side. Just not this small and skinny. Overall it's a good new female sculpt from Hasbro which they'll probably use for future releases.
Paint: 4/5
Another nice job of painting in this Marvel Legends 2-Pack. First, colors are pleasing and accurate looking. Even the hair features different shades of color. Second, areas such as the shoe, string, armbands, and hairbands, feature paint that stays relatively within its lines. Relative being the eye and not magnified, like in the close-up photos.
Articulation: 4/5
Most of the joints were good, though the feet required a bit of loosening. The head has 360 degrees of motion, as the hair is made from a flexible material that moves out of the way. The torso, arms, and head, had a great range of motion. They were better than the Hulks. The legs also featured a decent amount of articulation. It was almost better then the Hulks due to the joint types, accept the pelvis mold restricts the full range of motion of the legs. In many ways, additional joints would definitely help the legs. A thigh cut, or double hinge knees could greatly increase the range of motion.
This current articulation, with restricted leg movement, should score a 3 out of 5. But in this case, less articulation adds to the score, as it maintains the smooth feminine appearance of Valkyrie. There's enough articulation to provide decent poses without ruining the look. While more articulation would risk butchering Valkyrie. Thus it's a good compromise between articulation and aesthetics.
Durability: 4/5
Like the Hulk, this action figure is also quite durable and can take a beating from a child. The plastic is solid and the joints seem relatively strong. The joints though, are notably smaller and weaker than the Hulks. They will probably not break, but make sure to loosen them out of the package before giving it to child.
Value: 3/5
Valkyrie is a small figure even by Marvel Legends standards. However, she comes with four accessories. A cape, a solid sheath (sword cannot go in), a sword, and a giant spear. A fair price for a 6" figure is CAD$10, and Valkyrie isn't worth it. She seems more like a CAD$8.50 action figure. By all means it's a nice action figure, but she seems too small and out of scale with other Marvel Legends figures.
Overall: 19/25
The primary negative for this figure is size and restricted movement. The sculpt, though nice, seems a bit thin and small. Which, in turn, also impacts the value of this figure. There are some good joint types but they have restricted movement. More articulation would be nice.
In the end, the action figure is very smooth and nice looking with a pleasing paint job, and decent range of motion. Good looking action figures of female heroes are hard to find, yet Hasbro has nailed the look for Valkyrie. Amongst the male action figures, Valkyrie would not score as well, but as a female action figure she's awarded a good score.
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