Hasbro Avengers Black Widow & Hawkeye

On the same outing I found the Hasbro Avengers Nick Fury and comic series Hawkeye, I found the movie series Black Widow & Hawkeye. I've passed on these more than three times for sure in my attempt to quit 3 3/4" Hasbro figures, but finally caved in due to their great decos and character likenesses. Hasbro did well on the 3 3/4" Thor movie figures, and does it again with these. 

Scarlett Johansson played Black Widow in the 2012 summer blockbuster, whom Hasbro deftly replicated in 3 3/4" scale, as much as could be hoped for in a mass produced figure like this at any rate, even in her body and posture if you ask me. Like her pouty lips and pretty, wide-set eyes, the arch of her back, the hair, tight little torso, and even her derriere really evoke the physicality of the actress. And while the paint apps are few on her black boy suit, they are cleanly executed. Thin piping from her backside runs up over her shoulders, stopping at an impossibly small shoulder badge, then back down her front to her crisp little "black widow" hourglass buckle. Nice.

We are again denied any waist/torso articulation, yet receive incredible leg articulation, including hinged hips, swivel thighs, double-jointed knees, and very useful hinge-swivel ankles. She gets the same hinge swivel elbows & shoulders as the others but enjoys the added benefit of swivel wrists. Her ball-jointed head doesn't do much beyond side to side, but she's not hunched over or looking down and she looks like an actual person.

Black Widow hold her right pistol really well, trigger finger neatly in place through the guard, but struggles with her left hand which seems to be sculpted better to hold a dagger or the like. Again we are  treated to holsters which snugly store her twin Glock pistols, hanging from a separate belt of rubber- very cool. According to the Internet Movie Firearms Database, Natasha Romanov carried two Glock 26 in The Avengers.

A gimmicky action accessory is included with her as with the others, but I'm not crazy about it- while the spring loaded "grapple" fires dependably, the bizarre red "pincher" at the base is both clumsy and in my case malfunctioning. Whoopdeedoo. I know some of you other guys would prefer a base like myself, but this is marketing to children using an "extra" in the form of an action feature.  Opposite of my several run-in with this girl, she's more often tough to find. I resent paying ten bucks for her, but she was fun to photograph.

 In the photo below, it's plain to see how much better Widow's buck is compared to the more generalized and often unnaturally distorted results in Hasbro's female physique in the past. Avengers Black Widow with Marvel Universe Kitty Pryde, Jean Grey, and Ms. Marvel:

 As Scarlett Johansson was successfully captured in Black Widow, actor Jeremy Renner gets a great likeness, his big nose, small frown, and wide-set shades seem to do the job. While Renner is certainly athletic, the arms look mildly too bulky- not bad, just bulky.

The sculpt and deco are great on this, particularly in the layering of body armor throughout the torso and minutiae down his legs to his combat boots. The outer layer is actually a very dark navy blue, with black straps, quiver, boots and vents at the ribs and behind the black knee pads. Small silver buckles and badges, and purple base layer surrounding his vest zipper finish off an impressive deco.

Hawkeye gets the simplified articulation of many of the other Hasbro Avengers and Amazing Spider-Man line released in 2012. I've said before that it hasn't stopped me from liking their sculpts, it is mildly annoying that they raised the price while cutting the articulation.  Hasbro raised the bar in this scale with their Marvel Universe line, but took it to a whole new level with their Marvel movie figures with much more dynamic sculpts. This looks great!

Hawkeye gets two bows- he hold them securely, but can't simulate a firing pose with his limited articulation. One is a standard, realistically proportioned compound bow, and the other a cannon that fires spring-loaded projectiles. The missiles don't snap into lock that's released by any trigger however, requiring the operator to pull back the missile and release, like a bow & arrow I suppose, but clumsy. That's a shame.

  

He is quite like his 6" Hasbro Avenger's doppelganger, the Marvel Legends-styled Hawkeye...

 Hasbro Avengers 6" Captain America and Hawkeye with 3 3/4" Captain America and Hawkeye... 

Avengers movie series Hawkeye, Avengers comic series Hawkeye, and Marvel Universe Dark Hawkeye...

Hawkeye and Black Widow make a great pair here. While there seems to be a mixed bag throughout the Avengers line, the sculpts are still really good. Better articulation could have improved these to some degree, and I'd originally decided to boycott them on principle, but they looks so good that I couldn't deny them.

More Later- Make It FUN!