Iron Man movie figures hit the streets!

The wait for the movie is almost over, but the street date for the toys is finally here! There's been much speculation about these figures, and they're going to please a lot of die hard Marvel collectors. These 6" scale figures (the first 7 of 16 total) feature metallic paint, traditional Toy Biz-style articulation, and very few action features. You might say they are almost exactly like their former Toy Biz counterparts, and it makes one wonder if the rumored addition of Jesse Falcon to the Hasbro design team has made a sudden impact. Be warned, though. Pick through your toys carefully! I get the sense that these may have been a bit rushed to hit the street date, and there is some evidence of paint slop and loose joints here & there. Actually, come to think of it, they're EXACTLY like Toy Biz figures then! Overall, these represent Hasbro's best efforts to date, although not perfect, they are a quantum leap forward. If the movie is as good as the trailers look, it won't matter if they're good toys or not, the kids will snap them up. Note: Lighting effects are added, well, because they look cool. Sadly, none of the current 6" figures have light up action, which would have put these through the roof for me.

Mark 01

My favorite of the bunch. Very detailed and fun toy, the flame launcher feature does not get in the way at all. There is a great rusty looking paint wash that this sculpt demanded. Currently packed at one per case.
The good: Great paint wash, detailing, accuracy.
The bad: Sculpt limits some articulation and movement. Head could've used ball & socket articulation.
The ugly: None, he's the best of series one.
Articulation:
head, ball & socket shoulders, ball & socket elbows, waist, ball & socket hips, ball & socket knees, limited ball & socket ankles.
Score: 8 out of 10

Mark 02

I was excited for this figure, but I must admit he's a bit of a let down. Not because it's a bad toy (it's a straight repaint of the Mark 03), but because the trailer shows him to be high polished metal, almost chrome. Although the figure itself looks good, Hasbro took lots of liberties (as far as I can tell) making sections of him dark grey. It comes across as a very different costume than what is seen. It would be cool to get one all chromed, but highly articulated figures can't really be chromed. One thing to mention that all figures that share this sculpt feature: The shoulder pads are held on by tiny nubs which rest in indentations on the shoulder ball & socket. These can be popped off VERY easily, and I expect many kids will lose theirs inside of a day. Currently packed at one per case.

The good: Great paint wash, detailing, accuracy. Mid torso joint allows for a wide range of motion.
The bad: Paint scheme does not refelct the movie costume.
The ugly: some loose joints & paint slop on my sample, shoulder pads could be easily lost.
Articulation:
ball & socket head, ball & socket shoulders, double elbows, ball & socket wrists, ball & socket mid-torso, ball & socket hips with thigh ball swivel, double knees, limited ball & socket ankles.
Score: 6 out of 10

Mark 03

This is the main dude of the bunch! He's the same sculpt, but the paint work here is much better than the Mark 2. The joints are my sample are fairly tight, but there is a bit of paint slop, so pick through them & get a good one! He's more heavily packed in the case, so you won't have trouble finding one. Should pad problem is apparent, it's a bad design, but it's not a deal breaker. There's a nice dark paint wash in the deep red sections of the armor that is very nice and subtle.

The good: Great paint wash, detailing, accuracy. Mid torso joint allows for a wide range of motion. It's just a pretty figure.
The bad: Head can be popped off the ball with some effort.
The ugly: Paint slop on my sample (minimal), shoulder pads could be easily lost.
Articulation:
ball & socket head, ball & socket shoulders, double elbows, ball & socket wrists, ball & socket mid-torso, ball & socket hips with thigh ball swivel, double knees, limited ball & socket ankles.
Score: 9 out of 10

Prototype Iron Man

Allright, let's be frank here for a second. I like figures with snap on armor, and he looks decent with it all on him, but otherwise, pass on this one. Trust me. It's got acceptable articulation and interchageable repulsor parts and arms & removeable helmet. The worst figure of the bunch, maybe we'll get another shot at this type of figure later one again. Packed at 2 per case.

The good: Some removeable armor.
The bad: The rest.
The ugly: Paint slop on my sample the Robert Downey Jr. Likeness.
Articulation:
Head, ball & socket shoulders, double elbows, forearm, ball & socket hips with thigh ball swivel, double knees, limited ball & socket ankles.
Score: 4 out of 10

Iron Monger

He's big & bad, and he looks good, but he's lacking a few things that would have really put him over the top. There is another version of this figure coming with removeable armor that looks fantastic, tho! His chest repulsor is a piece of clear red plastic, and he's got a power-punch type action when you squeeze his legs. This however kills the right hip joint, while retaining the knee & ankle joints. Of course, without the hip, these joints become useless. He's the big guy of the bunch, standing around 8 inches tall. Very minimal paint on this toy. Packed at one per case.

The good: Huge figure with a good, accurate sculpt, metallic grey plastic.
The bad: Almost no paint.
The ugly: he needs hip-replacement surgery.
Articulation:
Head, ball & socket shoulders, swivel bicep, elbows, ball & socket wrists, ball & socket, knees, ankles.
Score: 7 out of 10

Target Exclusive Red Repulsor Iron Man

Now this is a pretty figure! Identical to the Mark 03, this figure sports a beatiful paint job reminiscent of his silver & red suit from the comics. Available in solid case packs at your local target. Go get one.

The good: He's pretty! Candy-apple metallics red paint.
The bad: Only at Target.
The ugly: The same problem with the shoulder pads.
Articulation:
Same as Mark 03
Score: 9 out of 10

Walmart Exclusive Stealth Operations Iron Man (War Machine)

I must admit I was excited about this War Machine version, but he's a bit of a let down. He's retooled, allowing for the guns on his back to swivel up to his shoulders. The guns pop off VERY easily, and the wrist guns stay on OK, but they were clearly designed as an afterthought, and require some fiddling to get just right. The metal flake in the grey plastic is nice, but the over-used black wash makes him look a bit too sloppy. Pick through the solid case packs for a good one.

The good: Nice to get a War Machine, added guns are a nice touch.
The bad: Only at Walmart, guns pop off too easily.
The ugly: The same problem with the shoulder pads, black wash looks sloppy
Articulation:
Same as Mark 03
Score: 6 out of 10

after a short wait that seemed like an eternity, Mattel is back with DC Universe Classics series 2, the Grodd wave. After series 1 exceeded expectations, I was ready to be slightly let down by the sophomore offerings. Boy was I mistaken. This wave surpasses series 1 on every level, and that's saying something. It doesn't hurt that character selection is very strong here, and overall paint, joint quality and stability, and even accesories are superior, even if only slightly in some instances. In terms of the current offerings available out there, it would be unfair to simply say that Mattel has raised the bar with these - There no longer is any bar, and Mattel is now only competing with themselves. They're that good. Looking ahead, series 3 looks like the gas pedal is pushed to the floor, and we can only think and dream of what we might see come Comicon. Without any further delay, here's series 2!

Firestorm

The Classics Firestorm is shipping first, with the modern version coming later as a running change. As first shown here at AFT, this figure sports the newer, redesigned headsculpt fans clamored for. An almost entirely new figure sculpt, he also includes those cool nuclear-molecure wrist attachments. Firestorm fans, you will not be dissapointed.

Superman Red

We've already gotten a good look at Superman Blue, so let's take a close look at the more tempermental Red version. This versin, as expected, is identical to the Blue version, except that Mattel went the extra mile to do a new headsculpt. The paint is very clean, with crisp lines differentiating between the white and red areas. Both versions include the same collect & connect piece.

Aquaman

Arthur Curry has never looked so good. Although there isn't a weak figure in this set, Aquaman is my personal favorite. Fron the regal Four Horsemen sculpt, to the brushed sclaes on his torso, this is the classic Aquaman we've always wanted. He can do some really nice swimming poses, so if I had one (very) minor wish, it would be that he had hole in his back for a clear stand so that he could "float". His trident is intricate and worthy of the King of Atlantis. If you only get one figure from this wave (heathen!), then Aquaman is the one you don't want to miss.

Black Manta

...which brings me to my next favorite figure in the wave, Black Manta! The Arch-enemy of Aquaman just oozes coolness. As a child of the 70's, who didn't want a Black Manta to do battle qith aquaman, after watching episodes of the Super-Friends?! Manta includes a very nasty looking trident and some sort of future-underwater-Atlantian-technology pistol. Even with the hoses, his helmet still has a nice range of movement. Black Manta is one of the most stiking figures out this year.

Harley Quinn

Dr. Quinzel is best known for her strong impact on the Batman aAnimated Series, but she was such a cool character that she branched out on her own into the comics world as well. While she shares some parts from previous Mattel females, she feels all-new. She includes her giant wooden Mallet (no doubt inpired by the Joker's own), and a "pop" gun, which I'm guessing is more deadly that one would be led to believe. She's so well done that it makes me want an all-new, super poseable Joker for later on in the line. I would not be surprised if she is the first to dissapear from store shelves.

Gorilla Grodd (Collect & Connect)

Wow. Your free bonus for buying this entire wave (as if the toys weren't amazing on their own) is a fully articulated in-scale Gorilla Grodd. The super intelligent simian includes a cranial harness with attached hoses that clip on to his bulging biceps. The helmet is not removeable. Grodd stands almost 8 1/4 inches tall, which means he is perfectly in scale with this line. He is painted to perfection, and the gray brushing is done with a nice subtlety and precision. Everythng blends as it should. In paint jobs like these, it's easy for the factory to get a bit heavy-handed with the paint, but here it's used sparingly and to perfection. He's easily be best Grodd ever done, and that begs the next logical question: Where's my Flash, darnit!!??

A huge thanks to the guys at Mattel, and to you, the readers, who make it fun for me to write about these great toys.

Cap

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