Lately Hasbro has been hitting it out of the park when it comes to Marvel Legends. We’ve had five series released so far this year, not to mention multiple retailer, convention, and online exclusives. But alongside this landslide of product come some troubling issues that collectors would like to see addressed.
10. Adherence to Scale
Since Hasbro took over the line, Marvel Legends have been all over the place when it comes to scale. Too-tall Thunder Gods and undersized Iron Men have come and gone, but the real victims are one-and-done characters like U.S. Agent and Klaw. Its unlikely Hasbro will revisit these B-listers any time soon, which means collectors have to make due with the half-baked versions already produced. What this line needs is a universal scale that isn’t disregarded by whim or convenience. We’re already seeing a dedication to scale reflected in the MCUniverse figures; it’s time the comic counterparts receive the same treatment.
9. Gummy Plastic
Anyone who has tried posing movie Ant-Man knows that this particular figure prefers adventuring flat on his back. The exceptionally gummy plastic Hasbro used for his joints has resulted in one saggy superhero. Sadly, this isn’t just a first-run issue, as reports continue to come in on bad plastic. What’s most puzzling is other figures in the Ant-Man series don’t share this problem. But with word the Bruce Banner figure from the Age of Ultron 4-pack is also plagued with gummy joints, it’s clear Hasbro needs to address this problem before it becomes commonplace. At $20 a figure, these things damn well better be able to support their own weight.
8. “No More Mutants Heels.”
Speaking of standing, I stand up for comics accuracy here in the Anthill. When it comes to a figure like the Black Widow, I want her to look as much like, well, the Black Widow as possible. That is, except when it comes to her feet. For whatever reason, the ‘Widow is often shown doing her thing in a pair of thigh-high heeled boots. Now, heels are impractical under every day circumstances, let alone while fighting for your life against Baron Zemo or the Chitauri. And while the Black Widow can be drawn doing anything, the heels on her figure mean she can’t even stand up. Purists might disagree, but until some better solution is found, the high-heels need to go.
7. Unarticulated tentacles
One weird trend of late has been “fixed” accessories. Superior Venom is the latest figure feeling their sting. If you don’t have this guy, there are four tentacles that attach to his back. Oddly, these attachments are shaped so they only fit onto the figure in one way. Not only that, these dedicated attachment-points lock these pieces into position, preventing them from moving. Call me someone’s crazy grandpa, but whatever happened to the ball joint? If these tentacles attached to the back in the same way this figure’s head attaches to its neck, then there would be a full range of motion AND the tentacles wouldn’t fall off every time I walked past. It would be great to see this issue fixed before the inevitable Doc Ock redux.
6. Contrary Colors
Paint applications are a costly part of the manufacturing process. One way to minimize the cost is to cast the action figure in its primary color and then paint the rest. While its great in theory, in practice it can result in a cheap-looking item. If you’ve ever customized an action figure, you know how hard it can be to match the tone and shade of cast plastic. Now consider the people doing this paintwork are more concerned with meeting their quota than your personal aesthetics, and you can imagine the problems that might crop up. This could be fixed by Hasbro giving the figures paint all over. It’s a crazy concept, I know, but with the recent cheapness re: paint on the Ultron BaF, I can’t help but feel consumers are owed more than the barest possible minimum.
5. Lack of Shin Swivels
Some people will tell you that the “boot cut” is redundant or even ugly. These people don’t pose their figures. The boot cut is essential for fine-tuning poses and keeping figures standing. The new Hasbro ankles are great, but eliminating the shin swivel is a significant step back. If I’m expected to tolerate serial numbers in obvious places like the thigh or the back of the head, then I dismiss the idea of aesthetics limiting my value and the figure’s articulation. The boot cut is as important as rocker ankles or the waist swivel, and Hasbro won’t convince me otherwise.
4. Inconsistent Neck Pegs
Look, I don’t expect my Thanos head to fit on my Iron Fist figure, but I do expect that figures of the same size all share a universal neck peg. Obviously male and female neck balls will differ due to proportions, but there’s no good reason for heads not to be swappable otherwise. The suited body that originated with Agent Coulson is a perfect example of this. Any other male head in the line that is in this scale should fit this peg! This really is a feature that Hasbro should play up more, not treat like a vestigial tail.
3. Tiny Capes!
You know who had a tiny cape? Mighty Mouse. Know who doesn’t? Grim Reaper, the Vision, and probably anyone else gets stuck with this half-chewed wad of Laffy Taffy. Why are characters being saddled with this downright dainty accessory? Well, plastic is expensive, and what may seem like mere pennies to you and I can add up to a significant savings for a manufacturer. But as our founding fathers state, reuse must be judicious, and, furthermore, it must make sense: for a character like the Grim Reaper, whose cape billows and flows like the shadow of Charon, this limp dishrag just won’t do. Time to retire this piece, Hasbro. Spend a few extra pennies and give these characters the capes they deserve.
2. The Honor System aka Dude, Where’s My BaF Piece?
The one time I found Daredevil at retail he was missing his Hobgoblin piece. Now, I wasn’t planning on building Hobby, so it wasn’t an issue, but it bugged me to be paying full price for something technically incomplete. Sadly, with Hasbro’s new “easy theft” flap, even the most entry-level dirtbag can boost a BaF piece right there in the comfort of the toy aisle. The idea that the toy is protected by a single piece of tape is absurd considering just a few years ago these things were anchored in place by dozens of plastic ties. How did we go from needing a bolt-cutter to free our purchases to a fingernail? This sort of thing may be “great for collectors,” but it sucks for consumers in the real world.
1. Reuse of Antiquated Tooling
If you were around back in 2003, you might remember what a shock it was to get that Goliath figure in series four. The wonky scale, softness of the sculpt, and the primitive articulation really hit home just how far Marvel figures had evolved. Fast-forward to 2015 and collectors who purchased the SDCC-Ant-Man box set are having that exact same feeling, thanks to the retooled Marvel Icons Cyclops body being reused as Giant-Man. The weird proportions, the not-quite-tall-enough-to be-the-tall-guy issue — the whole thing is a drag and Hasbro needs to cough up a few dollars for a new 12-inch buck. At least, that’s what she said.
In Closing
So yeah. We’re in the middle of a boom period with our favorite line, but there are clearly consequences to this. I’m not sure if the quality control problems are simply the result of the rush to get product to market, or if there is some deeper issue here. Whatever the case, I hope Hasbro seriously considers the issues plaguing the line and addresses them before collectors go in search of better values or more fulfilling toy experiences.
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