You know, watching the trailers for Thor: Ragnarok, it looks like a good chunk of the movie could be set within the framework of a Thor and Hulk buddy picture. It that is true, I think I am even more excited for the November release.
We have already been told that this Thor movie will be a departure from the look and tone of past movies, and there looks to be more humor, but at the same time, more struggles for our titular hero. One of those major struggles comes in the form of his Avengers ally, Hulk, and the Grandmaster (GOLDBLUM!!!) looks to pit the two of them against each other for his interest and entertainment. Taking design cues from the Planet Hulk comic series, Dr. Banner is ready to rumble with the Odinson, completely adorned in Romanesque battle garb. This scene already seems pivotal to the overall plot, so you better believe that Hasbro took that as an opportunity to capture the dynamic look in plastic as the Ragnarok series Build-a-Figure.
It has been a long time since my last ML Hulk, and even though I am DYING for an updated classic ’70s/’80s version, there is no denying the coolness of an MCU Hulk decked out in gladiator armor. This is, of course, spread out across the entire wave, and you need all six standard figures (including the previously covered Hela, Thor, and Loki) to gain all of the green chunks needed to complete the figure. Why the Planet/gladiator Hulk look is something relatively new, there are part of this figure’s design (and Ragnarok designs in general) that are so steeped in Jack Kirby influence it makes me squeal with joy. A good deal of the armor is removable, including the helmet and shoulder straps, so there is actually a variety of posing and display options for this, even though I feel as though this look will be particular to a certain time and place in the movie.
My Marvel Legends reuse sensor isn’t as good as it used to be, but I *think* this figure is all new in terms of construction. There might be a spot here and there that could be eligible for harnessing a previous piece, but this figure is pretty specific. For all intents and purposes, he is built accurately to Hulk’s size in the MCU, and with the exception of a slightly wobbly knee on mine, the construction is solid. We are a long way from the days of not-so-jolly green giant in purple pants, so there are a lot of details and textures to appreciate here. I like the armor in gauntlets and forearms and it makes me wince just thinking about taking a back hand from Dr. Banner in this garb.
It doesn’t take me saying it to know that the influences from Planet Hulk are strong here, and the idea of having Hulk be a champion of a fighting area in certainly an interesting one. There will be a lot of questions to be answered during the movie, but I am anxious to see how Hulk got into that predicament, and I relish seeing Jeff Goldblum preside over such games, especially with his Kirby-inspired cohorts. Speaking of, Hulk’s war hammer is about the most damned Kirby accessory I have ever seen in a movie or put to plastic, so I LOVE it more than I can say. The handle on this (as well as the axe) is pretty wide, and since Hulk’s hands are made of pretty rigid plastic, it can be a challenge to get him to hold them. But once he does, smile on the Kirby genius, because it is there, and it is glorious. Oh, the helmet is pretty damned excellent as well, and I greatly appreciate the fact that it is removable.
For the most part, the paint on the figure is strong, though I will nitpick the fact that my particular figure has a bit of a derpy left eye. It is not terrible, especially when the helmet is on, but since they eyes are about the most important spot to get right in terms of paint, it is worth mentioning. I do not, however, have any paint issues with the rest of the figure, and the “war paint” makes it easy to want to display the figure out of armor as well, because he does look frikkin’ cool. Man, I cannot WAIT to see Hulk and his friend from work do their thing in this movie. From fighting against each other, to fighting alongside each other, to having a reminiscent conversation, everything looks great, and I am glad I have some wee plastic men to recreate it all.
The hype is real, you guys! I am sure some would have argued for a different BAF in this slot, but Hulk is rad, and he and Thor might just end up being my favorite new MCU buddies. I mentioned before that this wave is really strong, especially the MCU figures, so if they are your bag, you do NOT want to miss out on Hulk. I will help you out and give a LINK where you can go an git ‘em right now. Woo! Roll on November and embrace the coming of RAGNAROK!
