After being rumored for inclusion in Marvel Legends for what seems likes years, Puma has finally arrived to take his place amongst the Spider-Man Rogues Gallery. Was he worth the wait? Well, let’s take a look to find out, oh, and peep the new Symbiote Spider-Man figure, too!
This new Kingpin series is a bit strange in terms of its makeup in that about half the series is devoted to what I consider to be longstanding characters with classic looks (Kingpin, Puma, Silver Sable, Night Thrasher, and Six Arm Spider-Man), and the other figures are modern and feel like they belong standing right next to each other (Red Goblin, Black Cat, and Symbiote Spider-Man). I mean, usually there is a bit more era-diversity going in a series, and Night Thrasher could qualify as the in-between figure, but he is classic at this point to me. I know there have been some grumblings about this series not being as strong as past Spider-Man offerings, but I personally feel like it is really strong, and I am ticking off a lot of those classic boxes.
Like the Red Goblin, though, this new look for the Symbiote Spider-Man is new to me, so I am kind of feeling it out for the first time here, and I generally enjoy that with new toys since my comic-reading frequency has taken a nosedive over the past few years. As far as looks go, I think Hasbro pretty much nailed Puma, but the new look for the Symbiote Spider-Man is not as successful for me, so let’s take a look.
SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN
Yes, I am a blue and red costume Spider-Man fan all the way, and now, I am not a huge symbiote fan. However, there is absolutely no denying the iconography and sheer coolness of that classic black and white Symbiote Spider-Man costume. I mean, it is the essence of the 1990s, but it was handled so well and by top talent (those Todd McFarlane books sure are purdy) at its peak that it has almost become as well known as the classic look. Okay, that might be a bit of an overstatement, but I really love it, and the contrast and clean lines just make it very conducive to cool toys, too, and we have had many featuring this look.
At the same time, I don’t think this new look for the black and white costume is as successful as the classic. That is not me ragging on something that is new or just not as familiar, but like its colorful counterparts, that original black and white look is so perfectly balanced in its contrast and simplicity, it makes for a daunting task when it comes to alterations. Now, Hasbro did a nice job in rendering this look as it exists, but I am just left flat by the different details this version features over the iconic version. I get it, updates to looks are a part of what keeps comicdom chugging along, and this figure does feel at home with the new Black Cat, and especially the Red Goblin, but I don’t find the embellishments to be anything to write home about, and they might actually break up the clean look of what came before a bit too much.
Don’t get me wrong, the same basic elements of this look have been carried over from the original, it is Spider-Man, and it is black and white, but the more Symbiote details actually do the look a disservice for me. I get why Spider now has claws and sharp toenails, but they break up such a nice silhouette that it is almost a shame to adapt a look from something that was originally an adaptation of the original black costume. This has more of a “Carnage” feel to it, which is fine, but the monstrous hands and feet almost work against the redesign of the Spider-Man logo, which is very hard-lined and geometric.
The “eyes” are the really odd thing to me though, and while I am sure there are some pertinent story points that explain this since the Red Goblin’s pumpkin bomb has them, too, I am not sure what to think of them here. I mean, they don’t look bad on their own merits, but with an alien symbiote that is supposed to take on a working relationship with its host as efficiently as possible, these just look more like weird sunglasses to me. Again, I think the most egregious part is the breakup of the clean lines this look usually holds, and for the sake of being different, it is not all that successful to me.
All that said, this is certainly not a bad figure, and if you like this new Symbiote look, you will probably be pretty happy. The base is the best articulated foundation for a Spider-Man figure currently in the ML library, so while the hips are still limited for those ever so elusive crouching poses, the butterfly shoulders give way to some nice range of movement. Now, I harped on the claw hands, but the figure does include two fists, so you can do without the monster look there at least if that is your preference, leaving the feet to kind of have a look of their own. So, aside from some paint nicks here and there, this figure is very fine for what it is, even though it does not do much for me personally. It does do just fine with the Goblin and Black Cat though, and that is kind of a theme in this particular series.
PUMA
NOW we are talkin’! Longtime ML holdout, Puma, has finally arrived, and for me, he was worth the wait. He has not ever been on any of my Top Ten lists, and he might not even be a top ten Rogue for me, but he is a classic character with a bonkers look that is perfect for an action figure, so he is most welcome here. The design of the character, despite the assumptive drab color palette (but it isn’t, really), lends itself to many strengths and components of what makes for an interesting action figure, so even in a series with Red Goblin and a Spider-Man with six arms, Puma probably wins the contest for the most unique appearance.
Right from the start, I knew that Puma and Silver Sable were my most anticipated figures from this wave. So, even though a dark horse emerged as my overall favorite (but more on that later), this figure does not disappoint, and when I finally get my collection display put back together, he will take a prominent spot amongst the colorful weirdos gunning for Peter Parker’s head. To me, Puma is a very successful working of new and reused parts, and in terms of look, I don’t have any nits to pick here. I am not tough to please in that regard, though, because usually, if a classic character pretty much matches those old Handbook drawings, I am going to be good. Usually ML puts a bit of a more modern take on many of those iconic characters so they look ever so slightly different from those depictions that are burned into my brain, but that is not the case here, and Puma is pure classic-y goodness. Or badness, since he is a villain and all.
The torso and legs to the shins are pretty straightforward since Puma wears a “spandex” costume for his main getup, but Hasbro did not cheat were the details come out, and his arms, hands, feet, and shins all have the required furriness to them to help sell that transformative look. The belt and arm bracer are both new and depicted well, and I am so glad the feathers were retained on the arm, and in the back of his hair. Those feathers make for a very unique accent to his look, but are also crucial in showing off his Native American heritage, too. The head sculpt is the shining spot though, for sure, and the likeness is successfully captured, but Puma is also given a screaming expression. While that is something I generally shy away from in figures, it actually works well here due to his characterization, and it installs a good bit of personality to a guy who chose pretty drab colors for his costume.
For me, the classic Spider-Man Rogues have fared quite well in Marvel Legends as of late, Puma lands as one of my current favorites, along with Doc Ock and Mysterio. I love that his iconic look has been done justice, and the attention to detail and overall execution help show why looks such as this are considered so iconic and long-lasting, and that is a great thing to extend to an action figure. There are still several Rogues that need a first time or re-do treatment in ML, so hopefully guys like Vulture, Scorpion, Hydro Man, and others will get some fancy updates soon.
Whew, we are almost through this entire new wave! We will wrap things up tomorrow if I can push myself to get everything done, so it should be no mystery as to who will be featured next at this point. While you wait with bated breath, go to Dorkside and lock these guys up, or at the very least, don’t skip Puma, he is a winner for sure.
