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: Hasbro: Marvel Legends: Toys R Us Exclusive: Guardians of the Galaxy v.2: Evolution of Groot Figure

Marvel Legends: Toys R Us Exclusive: Evolution of Groot
Hasbro
Retail: $15.99 @ Toys R Us

What Can I say about GotG’s Groot? He is tall, he is strong, he is intimidating … he’s a tree. He’s the most lovable tree in the galaxy though!

The collect-and-connect Groot from GotG v.1 was impressive and, while the changes are fairly limited, you are going love Groot v.2. He’s a great looking figure!

He comes packaged in a great looking window-box where the figure is prominently displayed along with two versions of baby Groot.

If it seems like Groot isn’t quite tall enough, you are right. He comes packaged with his lower legs detached. Attaching them is as easy as matching up the wood patterns on the upper legs to those on the lower legs and snapping them into place.

Groot is rather nice looking! There are a lot of woody, viney details throughout the figure’s sculpt.

“But what about articulation?” Oh, it’s there and it’s quite nice. He has 18 points altogether, but the fact that most joints have multiple functions makes him really functional.

• 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 hinges at each hip (x2)
• Swivel hinges at each knee (x2)
• Swivel hinges at each ankle (x2)

“Accessories?” There aren’t mini. Did you see what I did there? The only accessories are the two baby Groot figures, but they are frickin’ adorable!

“How does he compare to v.1 Groot?” He is quite similar to the original collect-and-connect figure. The color is a bit different. You will find he is a lighter brown with hints of green, especially around the chest.

The biggest difference is the face and head. v.2 Groot is more expressive. His eyes are vivid. They are sculpted and painted gold with a small back dot in each one. He has a very Groot-ish smile as well. There are also some slight differences to the crown on his head.

Breakdown:

• Playability – 5 out of 5. He’s a great poseable figure that is ready to rush into battle with the other Guardians to save the galaxy!
• Packaging  – 5 out of 5. The window-box packaging is quite attractive and the figures are nicely visible.
• Paint and Sculpt – 5 out of 5. I think the eyes and the new expressive face make this a home run!
• Standability – 4 out of 5. I was able to do some nice poses, but standing straight up, he’s a little top heavy.
• Articulation – 5 out of 5. He only has 18 points, but the majority are multi-functional making him quite poseable.
• Accessories – 5 out of 5. Two baby Grooooooooots!
• Affordability – 5 out of 5. $15.99 is an amazing price for this guy!

Overall impression: .34 out of 35. Hasbro’s Marvel Legends Evolution of Groot figure is fantastic! He is playable, affordable, and well done! I recommend him for all the geeks and Guardians in your life!

** Groot and Guardians of the Galaxy 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: Marvel Select: Antman

Marvel Select: Antman
Diamond Select Toys
Retail: $24.95 @ Disney Store

I will start this review by saying that I have not seen the movie. I know … I’m an awful person. That said, I fell in love with this figure when I saw him on the shelf and had to have him.

Antman comes on the standard Diamond Select blister card. He is nicely view-able and all of his accessories are visible. The side of the card displays a close-up of Antman and the back shows a full picture of the figure.

I am fairly impressed with the likeness on this Antman. I can definitely see Paul Rudd in the face, although it is stronger in some views.

The figure comes with a second, swap-able helmet head that looks really good.The tubes at the neck plug into small holes on each side of the helmet.

He has 19 points of articulation:

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

He comes with the extra head, two sets of swap-able hands, and a miniature Antman.

The miniature Antman is a really cool accessory. It is not articulated.

My only complaint is that the tubes come out of the helmet when the head is turned. They are made of out of semi-hard plastic and keep their original shape making it difficult to keep them plugged in.

Breakdown:

• Playability – 5 out of 5. I’m really impressed with this figure. It’s definitely a collector quality figure, but I find everything about him play-able.
• Packaging  – 4 out of 5. A character bio would have made this perfect.
• Paint and Sculpt – 4 out of 5. No real complaints. I love Paul Rudd and really see him in the figure, but some angles are stronger than others. The paint apps are pretty solid.
• Standability – 4 out of 5. He is fairly stand-able, but I did have some trouble getting him to stay up for more dynamic poses.
• Articulation – 5 out of 5. While the count is a little lower than other figures I’ve reviewed, every bit of articulation looks nice and is solid.
• Accessories – 5 out of 5. I really like the accessories here. The miniature Antman made my day!
• Affordability – 4 out of 5. $24.99 is a little more pricey than usual. I feel, though, that he is well worth it.

Overall impression: .31 out of 35. A nice solid figure! I feel like Antman is a great figure for collectors and fans alike. Plus, it’s Paul-frickin-Rudd. Love the figure!

 

 

** Antman is owned by Marvel/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.