I still remember vividly standing in a grocery store (Skagg’s, for you old locals) and staring at the cover of Web of Spiderman #32. I had only very recently gotten into comics, mostly Batman, but that unforgettable image of Spiderman, clad in all black, clawing his way literally from the grave, has been been with me ever since.
Kraven’s Last Hunt was published in 1987, though I think I encountered it in early 1988, and of course came well after the epic saga of the Black Symbiote costume. I wouldn’t find out for some time that this costume was much more than just a snazzy redesign. Not surprisingly though, anytime Spiderman made an appearance in the years to come, be it toys, books, or games, I would often wait eagerly to see the black suit follow; rarely have I been disappointed. And Mezco has taken that trend to some impressive heights.
Our first Spiderman figure in One:12 was the Miles Morales Ultimate version. He wasn’t a bad figure, and his minimalistic costume looks great. But his articulation felt a little short of the usually high expectations a Spidey figure comes with. All the points were there, but the range wasn’t. When the standard Peter Parker version made it out earlier this year, he righted a lot of those wrongs. And the longer I’ve played with him, the better I enjoy him. So with those improvements carrying over to the next variant, I started getting more excited for the Black suit. In between those releases, I had nearly cancelled him a dozen times. If Miles was anything to go by, I didn’t need another “pretty good” black suited version. But those improvements went a long way into keeping me on board, and it’s a damn good thing they did.
Because this Spidey is easily the best of the three.
The suit is an easy enough place to start, right? Whereas the solicitations had us thinking this would be like Miles, with the stretchy nylon-issue fabric, in the time between the change was made to a solid leather material. Again, this made me a little weary, until I started seeing in-hand pictures and reviews. This shiny material is really sleek looking, and it feels fairly durable. The stark white Spider is super clean, and while there are visible seams -that apparently drove some posters to drink- they practically disappear in motion. The sheen matches the plastic parts very well, and the transition to the feet looks as good as Miles but looks even better, really making him the best of both worlds.
And that holds true for the rest of the articulation pattern. The suit leaves him free to stretch just about to the limit of the joints. And while that poseability is still a little less than say the Legends version, the combo of suit design and revised body make him easily the most poseable of the three. I may not be as hardcore with Spidey poses as some, but I’m getting everything I need out of it.
Like Miles, this Spiderman comes up a bit light on the accessories, even though I almost want to count these awesome tins every damn time. You get six hands, the same web variety as the others, that great little magnetic clip, and base. Again, an unmasked head would have been a huge bonus for this figure, and honestly, my Spidey set feels a little incomplete without it. But, back on the plus sides, it’s worth noting that this version’s hands have the webbing slot on the top of the hand instead of under, which of course was a feature unique to the black suit. It’s a great touch.
So, if you’re like me and have always gone for the black suit, or if you just want the best of the Mezco Spiderman, this is your guy. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like the classic suit, so this one being just as good, even better in parts, is like icing on the cake. Like most Previews Exclusives, he will run you around $80, and should be available at comic shops. I got mine locally from my buddies at The Nerd Store in Valley Fair Mall.
