Review of Diamond Select Toys Marvel Select Avengers: Infinity War Captain America

Captain America
Avengers: Infinity War
Marvel Select
Diamond Select Toys
Sculpt by Gentle Giant
Retail: $22.99

Captain America is about as iconic as they come. He represents the best of humanity and is a hero in every respect.

The Diamond Select Toys Marvel Select Infinity War Captain America figure is very well done. He is a hero in his own right.

He comes in the Marvel Select bubble packaging that we are accustomed to. The figure is well displayed in the packaging and most of the accessories are visible as well. The back of the card gives us a synopsis of Infinity War and a brief description of the figure.

The figure itself is rather nice. The face sculpt is decent, but is a little soft. The bearded face is a new look for Cap in this movie and I think Gentle Giant did a good job sculpting the facial hair. I also like the little details like the battle damaged areas on his uniform.

I really like the articulation on this figure. The packaging states 16 points of articulation, but I am going to be a bit more generous as some of the points are double jointed. I am saying 23.

• Ball-and-socket joint at the neck (x1)
• Swivel hinges at each shoulder (x2)
• Swivel joints at each shoulder (x2)
• Hinge joints at each elbow (x4)
• Swivel hinges at each wrist (x2)
• Ball-and-socket joint at mid-torso (x1)
• Swivel joint at waist (x1)
• Swivel hinges at each hip (x2)
• Swivel joints at each thigh (x2)
• Hinge joints at each knee (x4)
• Rocking hinges at each ankle (x2)

Accessories are fairly standard here, but there are a few character specific items that are really cool. He comes with four sets of interchangeable hands, two retracted shield cuffs, two expanded shields, and a stand.

The expanded shields are kinda cool as they have can extend and retract as well.

He can be displayed without the shields and shield cuffs, too.

Breakdown:

• Playability – 5 out of 5. I think Cap has some really great playability! He does run a bit on the collector end of things, but I can totally see him battling Thanos.
• Packaging  – 5 out of 5. The bubble packaging is fairly standard for Marvel Select, but everything is well displayed within the bubble, the images are nice, and the breakdown on the back is neat.
• Paint and Sculpt – 4 out of 5. The face sculpt is a bit soft. He reminds me more of Jake Gyllenhaal, but the likeness is almost there. I do like the facial hair sculpting and the little details in the uniform.
• Standability – 5 out of 5. I am happy to say this guy has some good standabillity. His legs are solid and the ankles are tight. Plus, he comes with a stand.
• Articulation – 5 out of 5. 23 is a good number. It makes for some really nice displayable poses.
• Accessories – 5 out of 5. While fairly standard, the swap-ability of the shields/cuffs and the expandability of the shields is really cool.
• Affordability – 5 out of 5. $23.99 is a nice, affodable price point for such a detailed figure.

Overall impression: 34 out of 35 is a home run for DST on this figure. I would highly recommend it for collectors and players.

** Captain America, Avengers, and Thanos are owned by Marvel and Disney. These images are for hobby only. Also, the background images were found on the internet. If one of the images belongs to you, I will gladly give credit. **

Action Figure Maniac Reviews: Mattel: DC Super Hero Girls

DC: DC Super Hero Girls
Mattel
Retail: $9.99 each, Target Exclusive

The newest additions to my collection are the Target exclusive DC Super Hero Girls figures. If you aren’t in the know, DCSHG is a franchise created by DC Comics that centers around some of our favorite female DC characters as they grow up and face the challenges of youth and having super powers. There is a series currently on YouTube and toy lines are on the way.

Target stores are offering some exclusive toys based on the franchise. They will have 12″ dolls and 6″ action figures. The first series of figures includes Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Bumblebee, Batgirl, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn.

The packaging is quite attractive. The front of each card gives a beautiful picture of each super hero and the figures are nicely displayed in action poses. Each character gets a unique stamp in the lower right hand corner. The back of the cards gives a brief series description and a bio for each young lady.

Each of our heroes comes fairly detailed. They have beautiful, Disney-like faces. Their costumes, while not comic book accurate, are really cool and character appropriate.

Each figure has 13 points of articulation:

• Ball-and-socket at neck – x1
• Rotating hinge at each shoulder – x2
• Rotating hinge at each elbow – x2
• Swivel joint at each wrist – x2
• Rotating hinge at each hip – x2
• Rotating hinge at each knee – x2
• Swivel joint at each ankle – x2

First up, Wonder Woman!

She’s a pretty nice looking figure. Her costume is fairly simple, but the stars down the sides of the leggings and the wings on the boots are awesome! She comes equipped with her Lasso of Truth which if nicely sculpted to look as though she is about to lasso someone. It attaches to her belt, but disappointingly, the sculpt makes the rope stick out behind her.

Next up, Bumblebee!

Bumblebee might possibly be my favorite of the series. Her costume is pretty cool and she come with a backpack from which her soft-plastic wings spring. The bits of blue contrast with the yellows and look nice. She doesn’t come with any accessories, but the backpack is removable.

Next, Batgirl!

Batgirl is neat. Her costume is fairly reminiscent of her comic look. I am not sold on the hood/cowl. It looks odd, but is removable. She also comes with a bat-shaped removable backpack. She has no other accessories.

Supergirl comes next!

She is easily my least favorite. Her costume is full-on Supergirl and her soft-plastic cape is removable. My biggest complaint with her … she WILL NOT stand up. I was lucky to get these pictures. Even with the cape removed, she is difficult to stand. I think she is hair heavy, and then with the cape attached, she falls like crazy. There is also something about her face I don’t like. She looks doofy.

The first villain is Poison Ivy!

I really like Ivy. She seems to have the most Disney-esque look of all the figures, but she has some nice detail. Her hair is beautiful and the “vines” on her legs and her rose belt are nicely done. She comes with a really cool soft-plastic climbing vine accessory that can be moved where you want it.

Last, but not least, is Harley Quinn!

Harley doesn’t disappoint. It’s not my favorite look for the character. I like the jester look best, but this fits for a teenage girl better. Her face is really pretty and her shirt is done really well. In true Harley fashion, she comes with an over-sized mallet, which is pretty sturdy.

My favorite feature on these figures is their hands. All of them have soft-plastic, yet sturdy, hands. On some, the fingers are beautiful and really delicate looking.

Breakdown:

• Playability – 4 out of 5. These are awesome action figures! I like the feel of the figures, but getting some nice, dynamic super hero poses can be difficult.
• Collectibility – 5 out of 5. The packaging is so attractive on these. The figures are nicely displayed and the colors are really sweet. I like the individual bios.
• Paint Applications – 4 out of 5. Paint is pretty solid, but if you look, you’ll see some uneven lines, especially on faces/masks.
• Standability – 2 out of 5. Supergirl RUINED this one. Some of the others were only slightly difficult to stand, but she was awful. Considering the back of the card explicitly states they stand on their own, I am disappointed.
• Articulation – 4 out 5. 13 points is nothing to be bummed about, especially considering the audience for these figures. Ankle articulation would have been a really great addition so you could get action poses. Also, the neck joints are a bit stiff.
• Accessories – 2 out of 5. The figures have only a few accessories between them. I really like the ones included, but a group of young girls needs more to do!
• Affordability – 4 out of 5. $9.99 is a good price point. It might be a little steep for younger children who are fans though.

Overall impression: 21 out of 35. Mattel’s DC Super Hero Girls are really nice action figures. I would have been a bit more happy if I could pose them better and … SUPERGIRL! I really like these. They will look good in any collection and the kids will like them too!

 

** DC, DC Comics, and related characters belong to DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Entertainment. These images are for hobby only. Also, the background images were found on the internet. If one of the images belongs to you, I will gladly give credit.