And just like that, with some satin black and a shock of red, the Mezco Spider-Men have begun.
Teased to us waaay back in the early Spring of 2016, we knew the One:12 Collective was going to have Spider-Man. In fact, it was pretty quickly we knew it would be “Spider-Men,” with rumors and discussion leading us to some obvious frontrunners.
I have to say, though, when that distinctive inverted red/black head shot of Miles Morales’s spider suit showed in the run-up to SDCC, I was very surprised. Impressed, pleased — but surprised nonetheless.
I am not super-acquainted with Ultimates Spidey, but, then again, that goes for most of Marvel comics over the last 10 years. That’s not some kind of commentary on their books; I just don’t read nearly as much as I used to. I mostly became aware of him through video games and the more recent Spidey cartoons, and his presentation was pretty fun in those. Obviously, I’m aware that events happened in the Ultimates-verse that made Miles now the only Spider-Man of his world, and so I can definitely see the potential in a retelling of a young Spidey learning the ropes with some unique twists.
One of Miles’s best attributes, though? Gotta be that suit. Reminding me both of an old Alex Ross Spidey treatment and the similarly simple-but-effective Batman Beyond suit, there is a streamlined quality that gives the costume a very modern, even future, vibe. That simplicity was going to be interesting to see implemented in One:12, a line that has no fear of reinterpreting the source material.
Clearly in this case, though, that less-is-more appeal was too good to pass up, as Miles looks very consistent with his usual appearances. In that regard, maybe the only part not exactly on the material is the body itself. Presumably shared with the other Spideys, it has a great slimness and caginess to the build, but for a guy who’s a bit younger than most current adaptations, he comes off a little tall. Otherwise, the look of the suit and the combination of mediums — the plastic hands, soles, neck and head flow really well into the bodysuit and its red appliques — pull off a really solid looking figure.
The articulation is damn, damn close to doing the same. The new body is fantastic in terms of proportions and range, and it really only falters on a couple points. Unfortunately one of those is a pretty essential for Spidey poses. The limb range is really nice here, with better than 90-degrees of motion on the hips, and the arms can still come together pretty well in front of his chest without the use of a butterfly shoulder joint. While the neck and upper torso offer plenty of range for expression, there could stand to be just a little more give between the two torso joints. For me, it’s a very minor issue, since the rest of the joints can “cheat” him into those crunched poses pretty well.
The only real limitation is in the ankles. Mezco has had its share of difficulty nearly since the start of the line with ankle joints, and while Dawn of Justice Batman seemed to have this licked, it shows up here once again. There are some factors of the costume that probably didn’t help matters, and I can’t honestly say I would have preferred a full plastic foot — the look is too good. But, with that kind of aesthetic, there are some limits. Were it a character in combat boots, I would consider them acceptable, really — they have some forward and backward pivot, some side-to-side and swivel range — but for a character who thrives on unique poses, it’s just not enough to hit those. Maybe something the classic Spidey might be a little better off with, by virtue of his boots.
And while maybe a little sparse on first glance, Miles does make up some ground in very good accessories. In addition to the standard display stand and a very cool magnetic clip, he gets two additional pairs of hands and an assortment of webbing, most of which can be attached rather seamlessly via the wrist pegs.
You get two different “splayed” webs, and two “projectile” webs, like they’re still in motion, as well as a bendy-rope style one. And while I doubted I would ever use them, they turned out to be pretty fun. I don’t know if I wouldn’t trade them for an unmasked head, if asked…
With that, though, I feel like damn near everything else is hitting the right spots for me. Miles is starting to climb quickly price-wise, and I actually can see this getting more and more viable over time.
