Well, what was green is now red, and what was black is, well, still black – but different looking. Norman Osborn and Felicia Hardy have updated looks for their all-new Marvel Legends figures, so come check out our feature on the minty fresh Black Cat and Red Goblin from the new Kingpin Build-a-Figure series!
This first Spider-Man series of 2019 is a pretty good split between getting updated versions of long-standing Legends veterans, as well as some first timers for the line. Really, that is what I hope for with each new series, sometimes, there are instances that I get a chance to learn about new costumes and/or characters that I have little past experience. New costumes are on the agenda for me today as I the concept of the RED Goblin was introduced to me with this figure, and even though Black Cat’s outfit keeps the classic cues, the new details offer a fresh take on an iconic look. Felicia has always been one of my favorite Spider-Man associates, and Symbiotes are all the rage now, so both of these inclusions make sense in this series.
BLACK CAT
There is something about the cats in the lives of our favorite superheroes – they just cannot decide if they are good kitties, or bad. That is what keeps them interesting, though, and Black Cat has been a near-constant source of upheaval in Peter Parker’s life since her introduction in the comics. Likewise, she has had a pretty stable run in Marvel Legends dating back to the old Toy Biz days. That original figure is best left forgotten at this point, but I still really enjoy the first Hasbro release in her (what I would call) iconic costume, and that figure still happily occupies real estate on my Spider-Man shelf.
So, since I am happy with that figure, and thus consider MY version of Felicia to be in the books, seeing her refreshed in the line is a great thing, in my opinion, because it helps to continue to cement her place in Spider-Man’s mythos. I have to say that I like these new duds, even though some of the details might be just a little too on the nose in terms of being a “cat suit” in the non-traditional sense. However, there is no denying that this new get-up is much more conducive to fighting and/or committing crimes than her classic look that always put a bit of “cheesecake” over functionality. Hey, I don’t have to balance a figure in heels this time around, so at the very least, this version gets points for that.
So, the costume has a lot of black to it, like it should, and I believe that this figure is most the Black Widow (from the bike set) at its base with new accents. That works fine for sure, but even with the embellishments, you knew going in that this would not be the most colorful or dynamic because that would work against its intended purpose. I like the fur details as they are relevant to the character concept, but they are still subtle. Those around the forearms and shins could work for a possible update to Tigra, which we desperately need, so I always like adding parts to the library.
The belt and whip match for some continuity, and it appears Felicia has upgraded her weapon to have more technical components to it. Now, I cannot decide if I like the “eyes” on this costume or not. That is no fault to the ML team as they were designing off of the reference material, but I honestly cannot make up my mind if I find them silly or a nice little nod to a full cat concept (along with the silver broach for the nose). The jury is still out for me, but regardless, it is not anything overly egregious or anything.
What I LOVE about this figure is the new head sculpt, and even though it most certainly depicts a modern Black Cat, it is so good, I might swap it out on the classic figure as an upgrade. It captures Felicia’s personality to a tee with the wide eyes and big smile, and I think the face sculpt is most certainly an upgrade over the other version. The hair is appropriately while/platinum, but the more straightforward hairdo limits the neck articulation less than before, and the paint is cleaner overall. Sure, this purely a matter of preference here, but as a fan of the iconic Black Cat look, I wasn’t searching for something to win me over based on change alone, but I do most certainly like this new portrait.
RED GOBLIN
Symbiotes! Symbiotes EVERYWHERE. I know this is reflective of the current state of the comics, but between the Spider-Man and Venom series of the past year or so, Legends has certainly been repping the whole concept in big numbers. Even though I am not a big symbiote guy, there have been a lot of interesting figures as of late, and while many of these are unique characters, many from the Marvel Universe have been dabbling in alien tag-team abilities as of late. Yes, it seems as though no one is immune from takeover, and I have to admit, I had no idea that Norman Osborn of all people has been making a go of it recently. I have no idea what it has done for the character, but I can tell you that it makes for a pretty badass action figure.
Even with all of the Screams, and Toxins, Poisons, and Lashers, Venoms, and Carnages out there, I think that this Red Goblin look might be my favorite expression of the concept yet. Sure, there is a LOT of black and red in the Marvel Universe to go along with all of those Symbiotes, but the tail and unique face really makes this guy stand out, and as a direct result, the figure, too. With a minor nitpick that I wish the tail utilized bendy wire for posing, this figure is really well executed, and the paint and parts make for something I want on my shelf, even in the shadow of Osborn’s more well-known alter ego.
Now, I know I said there is a lot of red and black in MU, but that is because the colors go very well together, and execution of the black paint on the red base of this figure is outstanding. Whatever paint masking process is being used on these figures needs to be retained because even with the organic “messiness” of the symbiote structure, all of the lines and details are squeaky clean, and it looks great. The tendrils add to that effect, and while many of the symbiotes are crazy with how they are splayed in paths leading all over the place, these are a bit more under control, as if Osborn has a tighter control. The tail is something that had forgotten about with this figure up until it was delivered and it is an interesting addition to the overall look of the character. It, along with the head, adds a demonic flair and adds another element to help this figure stand out, even amongst the other Venoms/Carnages we have now. Like I said, I do wish the tail was bendy, but as it stands, the position it is in is good for me.
The head sculpt is where this figure REALLY shines, though, and it is amazingly unique, yet somehow keeps a near-perfect blend of the Goblin and Carnage likenesses. Like, this is obviously a take on the classic Symbiote effect when pairing with a host, but the face and ears and whatnot are still unmistakably the Green Goblin that, even if you had no idea who this character was and even though that color swap, you would be asking yourself if this is a new costume from Norman Osborn. That said, and maybe this is just me, but the face and head shape has a very demonic look to it with some heavy Asian influence to it. This guy looks like he is right out of an ancient Japanese ghost story scroll or something and it makes for a cool effect because I don’t have anything like that on my Legends shelf. Like I said, Norman Osborn will always be the the GREEN Goblin to me, but good design is good design, and this figure and concept looks great. Even the pumpkin bomb gets in on the action, heh.
I will say, it is a damned SHAME that the glider is not included with this figure, though. I hate to end on a low note, but man, that lit up/on fire bug-looking glider is really, really cool, and I miss it a lot here. I am not sure why it was not included, but I am sure it was due to tooling costs and whatever, but that would have made this figure a complete home run for me.
I put these two together in one feature because they are alike in that I did not expect to care much at all from them at first glance, and getting them as just a means to a Kingpin. HOWEVER, as it so often happens with Marvel Legends, it turns out these are pretty great figures, especially that Goblin, and like them both so much more than I ever suspected I would. These are cool figures! As mentioned, I am going to make sure that Red Goblin finds a good spot on the shelf, even if I already have Norman represented, and the new Black Cat head sculpt is so nice, I think a swap is in order. So, what are you waiting for? Get on over to Dorkside Toys and get these locked down!
