Marvel Legends: Spider-Man Infinite Series Daredevil

The character that started me down this whole Marvel Legends rabbit hole so many years ago is getting an upgrade, and not to take any sheen off of Batman, but this is the Daredevil figure we need, and the one we deserve.

It only took about 12 years or so, but I think I can count myself as being wholly satisfied with Marvel Legends Daredevil figure. That might be a bit harsh in terms of some of the criticism of past figures, but all of them, from the original Spider-Man Classics figure to the previous Hasbro release, have had some pretty glaring flaws, despite the fact that I was reasonably satisfied with most of them when they were released. This is why I will continue to defend the idea that, at least for Legends, we need a new take on iconic characters every few years or so. The bar keeps getting raised higher and higher, and in the case of guys like Daredevil, that puts previous figures in the precarious position of becoming woefully outdated on the shelf. I mean, did you read Pabs’ recent ML Rogue Archive entry? Yikes. You can’t tell me that she is not overdue for a serious upgrade.

Anyhow, Daredevil has always been one of my favorite Marvel characters. After the Fantastic Four, he ranks right up there with the likes of the Inhumans, Colossus & Kitty, and Arnim Zola and MODOK. He has got grit, stand-alone value, and aside from his actual origin, he is pretty grounded. Now, that is not to say that I need deep realism in my funny books, but I do like variety and Daredevil has had some pretty amazing arcs and artistry through the years. To me, Daredevil still operates in that small section of Clinton (nee: Hell’s Kitchen), and while he can branch out into the rest of the Marvel Universe, I am perfectly happy with him remaining autonomous.

So it is no surprise that when this new assortment of Spider-Man Marvel Legends was announced, DD shot right to the top of my most wanted list. It has felt like he was going to be “just around the corner” for several years now, but the timing finally feels right with drop of his new Netflix series happening in just a couple of months. Now, Marvel Legends can still be hit and miss for me because you never really know what costume you are going to get, but Daredevil is pretty hard to mess up in terms of outfit and I am glad that Hasbro and Gentle Giant went full-on iconic with his look.

A look that, if you think about it, makes him one of the most “toy-etic” characters that Marvel has to offer, at least in terms of the Legends line. No, it is not the most exciting or even detailed, but the sleek and simple design lends itself to a super-posable figure so well, he is almost like a “gimme” in terms of getting it right. Or at least he should be, history has said otherwise, but I think times of under-sized, over-detailed, and over-shouldered Matt Murdock figures can be put to bed with this one figure. Being able to add a satisfying and iconic figure of an important character to a collection is a treat rarer than it should be, but if anyone from this assortment will be able to be cast as such, it is going to be Daredevil. Though, that classic Spider-Man looks be damned close as well.

If you have been buying Hasbro’s Legends figures for the past couple of years, you are going to be pretty familiar with how this figures works in terms of execution and design. Frankly, I think that the Legends figures we are getting now are best that ML has ever been from an overall standpoint (that includes the run from my beloved Toy Biz) and this new Daredevil is going to fit right in with the current releases. Having Gentle Giant take the wheel on most of the ML figures has turned out to be a great decision for Hasbro, and the sculpt quality, articulation and overall cohesion has definitely been a boon to the line, for me anyway. I took a couple of steps back from Legends a few years ago because it had not really become something that I could see myself invested in (sculpts, weird articulation and costume choices were mostly to blame), but I am back now for most things, and the work that GG and Hasbro has done lately has a lot to do with it. Let’s face it, I have been dealing with sub-par Daredevil figures for several years, so there was not going to be any need to add another one to the fray if this one turned out poorly.

I am happy to report that this figure did not turn out poorly, and even though there might be a slight bit of bias at work, I like this Legends figure more than just about any other I have gotten in recent months, but I say that as someone who has not gotten his Avengers figures yet. Even when those do arrive, the figures will be hard-pressed to beat this because this figure captures everything I want in a Daredevil toy. He has the look, articulation and production quality that are essential to make for a good Legends figure, and if you think I have been too hard on the previous DD releases, you will know why once you get this figure in-hand; this one puts all of the other ML (or ML-esque) Daredevils to shame.

The sculpt is clean and streamlined and the build is finally appropriate for Matt Murdock. The original SMC Daredevil, and the previous Hasbro release were just too small and the Toy Biz figures that fell between had terrible bases (be it for anatomy or over-detailing) but this figure does not deal with any of that. The base is smooth and crisp and he cuts a very clean silhouette. There is not a ton of paint to speak of, but what is there is clean for the most part (this one has a little spray miss on the nose), but the reds that are used for the costume and highlights are different enough that they stand out, but there is nothing too garish. His belt is actually glued down, but his billy club holster can slide up and down the leg and you can even take it off if you so choose; don’t worry though, it will not slide around as it stays nice and snug if you have it positioned in the proper spot.

I love his articulation scheme, too, and it has all of the points that I absolutely require for an ML figure, including a neck with a great range of motion, double elbows and knees, biceps swivels, an ab crunch, and the great rocker ankles. All of the joints are nice and tight, but the range of motion is great, especially for an acrobatic character like Daredevil. It is funny, when you get a great ML figure with lots of articulation, it makes you remember why this line was/is the gold standard and why it has held the title for so long. This figure is VERY satisfying to pose, and I did not even scratch the surface for the pictures in this review. Now, the knees and elbows might be a little soft, but it is nothing terrible and it does not detract from any functionality.

Now, if I had to pick a weak spot for this figure, it would actually be his accessory, the billy club. I like that the pieces as big so posing them can be fun, but I miss the included string present in past releases and well, it is cast in plastic that is WAY too soft. These things are pretty gummy so if you have the ends connected, they naturally bend and they look, well, limp. Like I said, they look okay disconnected and you are not limited by a string, but I will be keeping some of my older clubs as well, just to have all of the bases covered.

This Daredevil is hands down my favorite ML figure in a LONG time. I really think he is the perfect version of Murdock that I have been waiting for since, like, 2002. This figure atones for all of the sins of past releases and it is going to take something really special to dethrone this one. Now, this is the only figure from the new Spider-Man set that I have thus far, and even for an early China figure (hence the lack of package and Build-a-Figure piece pictures), he is pretty much perfect. I am only really interested in the “pizza” Spider-Man aside from Daredevil, but I am even more excited for him now base off of this figure alone. The future is looking really bright for Daredevil and I am thrilled that I finally have a great figure of one of the best Marvel characters ever. This is one you will want to pick up as soon as you see him and I have him as odds on favorite for best figure of the wave, and he will certainly be a contender for figure of the year. At least for me.

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