Oh, Kraven — where to begin?
Sure, I could talk about how you first appeared in series six of the ToyBiz Spider-Man Classics line, or how you were reissued with a new head for the Spider-Man vs. the Sinister Six gift pack. I could mention that you’re based on the Marvel Legends series two Namor figure, which in turn is based on the 1990 Power Slammers WCW Wrestlers Buff Bagwell figure. Or I could just spend the entire article cracking jokes about your pants. You don’t make it easy, man.
But I kid, Kraven. Well, not really — and therein lies the problem. While both figures are wonderfully accurate representations of the character and feature nice paintwork and terrific sculpts, they are also downright goofy. Hear me out now. I’m glad ToyBiz went with the character’s classic costume. I’m thrilled I have two remarkably different, comic-inspired head sculpts to display.That said, some things just look better on paper. Namely leopard print and spray tans.
The sculptor of the original Buff Bagwell body will remain a mystery, but the Kraven-y bits were provided by Phil Ramirez. And they look great. The lion’s mane vest has some impressive detail and sits nicely for a separate piece. Both heads are remarkably expressive … one more so than the other, obviously.
It’s hard to look away, isn’t it? It’s a sculpt that demands your attention. I can’t help but feel I’ve met this guy before, and that’s the real beauty of the piece; on one hand the face is almost comically exaggerated, but there’s a manic intensity there that’s shockingly real. Enthusiasm, thy name is Kraven.
But there’s more to a great figure than just a head sculpt. While the Sinister Six version of Kraven has the more expressive noggin, it’s the original series six figure that deserves the attention.
Kraven the Hunter was a Steve Ditko creation, but it is John Romita Sr. this figure takes it’s cues from. The over-muscled, almost blocky arms are a good match for the artist’s style. The head is pretty much spot-on, right down to the cheesy grin. It’s a great representation and works with the older modified body in a way the previous Namor figure did not.
The paint on this guy is impressive. The apps are very clean and solid, with the wristbands and pants featuring some notably crisp work. The green chosen for the eyes on the vest is striking, an appreciated touch considering Kraven’s otherwise earth-toned wardrobe.
Paint-wise, the pants get an admirable amount of attention. The blended white shading really sells the black pattern, creating a surprisingly convincing animal skin. The lion’s mane, on the other hand, has a more naturalistic wash and dry brush combo to play up the sculpted detail. And then there’s the tan …
It makes sense that Kraven would be tan. He is a hunter, after all. But whoever was running the paint-sprayer at the factory the week these figures were produced got a little overzealous and Kraven ended up looking like he’d lain in the booth an hour too long. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it can take a little getting used to.
The Sinister Six version eschews the tan but is afflicted with hideous black body hair. Well, tiny black lines meant to represent body hair, anyway. The effect is disturbing and the rationale questionable; the figure’s paint was cut back in other areas, so why bother adding to it? Creating new paint masks ain’t cheap. I guess someone at Toy Biz had a body-hair fetish.
The reduction in paint apps is especially noticeable on the pants. When the white overspray gets skipped they lose the illusion of being animal hide. In fact, white as a color seems to have been eliminated almost entirely in this version; only the belt survives and the figure suffers for it. I’m sure nine out of ten collectors would have chosen that application over body hair, but that’s a point long moot.
And then there’s the face.
I guess they don’t have toothbrushes in the jungle? Somebody get this man an Oral B and 200 CCs of Crest Whitening STAT. Funky teeth aside, check out how lifelike the paint on his mouth is. All the facial hair looks great. Well, other than the “stubble” on his cheeks the same length as the hair on his arms. Ewww.
Kraven features a modest 26 points of articulation. The vest restricts the arms, keeping them at a perpetual half-mast and preventing them from moving very high. The figure also lacks an ab-crunch, which limits the sort of poses Kraven can take. It’s unfortunate. This is a guy who wrestles tigers for fun — he should be able to get into some pretty extreme poses.
As I mentioned previously, Kraven is on the Namor body, and Namor had funky open boots to allow his ankle-wings to stick through. The peg-holes were filled in when Kraven inherited the body, but the strange gaps in the ankles remains. These were left bare on the series six version, but inexplicably laced up for the Sinister Six version.
Kraven is a polarizing figure. On one hand, it’s great that we have one (sorry, two) for the display. On the other, he has such a strong visual identity that he comes off as a bit odd alongside more modern figures. Later artists would tone down the more outlandish elements of the character’s costume, but that’s not present here — this is full-blown, 100 percent classic Kraven. For good or ill. We’ll just have to deal with it.
Jason R Mink is the Man in the Anthill
