Well, Frank Castle sure is doing well for himself with this latest rash of Marvel Legends Fan Channel exclusives. This is the second time this week we have a new look for him, and just for fun, we have brought Flash Thompson along for the ride, too.
As the holiday season approaches, you should not be in any frame of mind that it will be a holiday for your wallet because the Marvel Legends hits just keep coming. As we wait for a few key box sets and the final MCU-based Build-a-Figure assortment of the year to hit, these Fan Channel single releases are keeping the ML fire alive, and thus far, there has been a bit of something for everyone, especially if you are a Punisher fan.
Just this past Monday, we took a look at the Punisher War Machine figure, but Frank is making more costume changes than Elton John at this point, but now he is looking more like how we traditionally know him, just with the mean and imposing amped up another notch. If that is possible.
PUNISHER
So, while Frank was armored up before, this new figure brings him back closer to his roots of not wearing armor, while staying armed to the teeth. When it comes to repaint exclusives like these, this type of figure makes a lot of sense, and while he is not the straight up black and white (colors that are, in my opinion, crucial to his characterization) clad version we know best, this outfit of camo pants makes a lot of tactical sense. It seems to me that Frank has a lot of clothes that look like this hanging in the closet of his white picket fenced-suburban home, and aside from the patented skull logo on his shirt, much of this getup could be off the rack at his local military surplus store.
That said, this look makes a lot of sense, and for a guy prowling the urban landscape looking for bad guys. He will be able to hide in the shadows and blend in with his black and grey colors. In good old Punisher fashion though, once he finds his target, it is all about intimidation, and you can vary your levels of that depending on the situation and two heads are included to see that through. To me, the more “classic” Frank head with the skull paint is the way to go with this base body/outfit (much of it Killmonger), and this might be the meanest looking Castle we have gotten yet, even in his long history in the line. It just looks cool, and threatening, and takes his characterization up a notch. I have seen some hit and miss paint applications on the eyes on this one, so while I think mine is good, be on the lookout.
The head band head that we have seen in a few releases at this point is also included in this set, this time with the band in grey. I like variety and never decry the inclusion of more accessories, but I don’t think this head fits the theme of this figure nearly as well as the other. That is just me, though, and I am glad it is there for the choice. Additionally, this figure comes with three guns (because: Punisher) that, I believe, are repaints for arms we have seen before. That is fine, and I am glad these look, aside from the paint, more like realist guys Punisher would use, rather than some more comic-y versions.
Overall, this is a very serious Punisher, but another entry that makes sense in this Fan Channel execution. I like this more modern take on the character, and even though it will never dethrone classic Frank on my shelf, it is certainly a good luck for him.
AGENT ANTI-VENOM
Holy moly does a figure like this ever shine a glaring light on the fact that I am waaaaaaaaay behind on some of my comic reading, especially when it comes to the symbiotes. I will admit, I have trouble keeping tabs on everyone hosting one these days, and when you throw in the “agent” and “anti” components, my head is left spinning. I mean, I have never been the biggest fan/follower of Venom and rest, but there are certainly a lot them floating around out there these days. It seems to me that Legends is doing a good job of keeping tabs on most of them, and while we have seen Agent Venom, and Anti-Venom before, we now get a crack at AGENT ANTI-Venom. The powers combine yet again.
As the “Anti” moniker would imply, this guy is a reverse of what you usually expect to see as far as the black and white combo with Venom. So there is a lot of bright white here, but I like the silver accents to help set off the contrast between that white and the black in the logo. The added belt also helps keep him armed to the teeth, and I think my favorite details are those in the shoulder and shins, and this outfit takes on a bit of an “arachnid” quality to it, just further enhancing the Venom motif.
The back tendril attachment is certainly eye-catching and is pretty consistent with the more modern takes on the whole Symbiote look/stories. Four guns are included here, and they can actually be held by those tendrils, so this Agent can come packing heat and have an instant tactical advantage. I know that the old Superior Venom and some of the rest of the newer takes have made for very popular figures, so this is likely a good choice for a Fan Channel release, and I am interested to see how fast he sells through, as these guys always surprise me.
Whew! Never a day’s rest when it comes to hunting for new Marvel Legends. We still have several Fan Channel releases set for this year, and since NY Comic-Con starts tomorrow, I am willing to bet that we see even MORE stuff to get before the end of the year. If these dudes tickle your fancy, you can get them from Dorkside with Punisher HERE and Venom HERE.