Hasbro Marvel Legends Steve Rogers & Hope Summers

A couple weeks ago I heard the Hasbro Marvel Legends had arrived at Target, and though the toy aisle had not been reset, I knew the DPCI # and had the help fetch me a box from the back room  :D  Unbelieveably, all the variants were present in the said case- two blue Iron Men, the red-flamed Ghost Rider, and this Commander Steve Rogers! Through the grapevine I've come to realize that for whatever reason, variants are easy to find in this first wave of the long anticipated return of Marvel Legends. I like the way these are packaged- they're splashy & fun looking, though the artwork of the characters isn't my cup of tea, and I'm not a huge fan of the Legends logo either.

First up, and the one I was most interested in, Commander Rogers! I was thrilled to have stumbled apon the variant of this figure featuring the clear shield. I've yet to read any Marvel books with Steve Rogers in this uniform sporting his photon shield, Bucky Barnes carrying both Rogers' mantle as Captain America and his trusty shield. The shield can fit into the hole in his back or onto his arm using a peg and clip device. This works well, but coulsd be more easily broken that a couple elastic bands like some of the other Captain America figures I've seen.

Everyone reviewing this variant has said his suit is black, but it looks like a really dark navy blue that probably looks black next to the his counterpart which has a lighter blue wash/highlights- you can tell by comparing his very black, shiny boots. Commander Rogers' shinguards, belts, and gloves are lighter in tone than the other version as well.

This action figure has some pretty great articulation, but I found getting him to stand in any variety of poses a mild challenge. Commander Rogers has ball and hinge shoulders, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows and knees, forearm and thigh swivel, a generous abdominal crunch and full waist swivel, those ball hinge hips that are sometimes cranky, and swivel/hinge ankles. He also has a ball and hinge neck with outstanding range, but like several of the Marvel Legends I have, Commander Rogers would benefit from a stand. That said, I'm a patient and masterful action figure poser   :D

The laser-sighted pistols Commander Rogers came with fit pretty well into his left hand, his forefingers clawed to fit in the triggerguard, but the right is a little loose. Like more than one dork, I feel a couple holsters and perhaps a paint wash for these accessories would have been cool, but I do like the silver color. And why they gave this figure a swivel in they forearms instead of at the gloves is beyond me- the skin tone below the paint can be seen arond the cut.

I was supremely impressed with the 3 3/4" Marvel Universe Commander Rogers by Hasbro last Fall, who bears the remebmblannce of a young Robert Redford if you ask me. I wish they'd put the stars on the Legends version like the MU version, and wish they'd given the MU version a photon shield like the Legends variant, and am unsure why they didn't do either. What a great oppurtunity for one of my favorite activities here at the Super-DuperToyBox, BIGTOY/littletoy!   :D

While I felt somewhat ho-hum about several of the characters in this 1st wave of the return of Marvel Legends, I knew I wanted to pick up a Hope Summers too.  While I know almost nothing about the "Mutant Messiah", I've recently transformed into a rabid Cable fan after reading so much early X-Force stuff, and have yet to read the Cable: Homecoming hardback I picked up at Comic Headquarters in December, which features Hope. That might take awhile as I'm STILL catching up on X-Force and should probably read Messiah Complex first, but I digress!

Several plastic junkies have said this may be the the same absurdly large gun Marvel Legends Forge came with, but this little girl doesn't like holding it. Like Commander Rogers, Hope has a difficult time standing, further exacerbated by somewhat loose knee joints and a heavy cape on a waif buck. And I'm certain warpage due to the packaging has occured in her right leg, perhaps contributing to Hope's issues remaining upright. I've read opposite reports on some reviews of Hope,  most of which feature several pictures of her in virtually one pose, so... Maybe it was an off night for me? Well she fell over on the shelf while I was writing this, so there ya go. She can do a kneel on one leg with her gun, which is more stable.

Complaints aside, Hope looks pretty great! The worn texture on her poncho is well detailed, matching the wrappings on her shinguards.  Her body is molded in semi-metallic evergreen I really like. Hope's arm guards can be moved, but still manage to get in the way of her gun handling. I find her little face to be pretty, though some have described it as plain. Is it her skin tone? I think she's cute :)  Her hair sculpt is a nice windblown look, but hinders her articulation considerably, as expected. Speaking of which,her articulation is similar to Commander Rogers', except she has a swivel/hinge elbow as opposed to a bicep swivel, and a swivel/hinge wrist what would help her hold the gun better if it only fit better in her hands! Her abdominal joint is different too, which appears to be some sort of  limited hinge/swivel or ball & socket.

Here's Hope with a couple other female figures of different manufacture : Mattel's DC Universe Classics Donna Troy, and DC Direct's Soranik Natu...

Commander Rogers came with the crotch of this wave's BAF, Terrax, and Hope included his head and weapon, the latter in two parts. This looks to be a killer figure, but I doubt somehow I'll pick up the entire wave. I might get the Extremis Iron Man & Modern Thor, but that'll probably be it.  I realize this is a big moment for hardcore Marvel Legends fans, but I'll cherry-pick this line like nearly every other I get into. These were $14.99 at Target, which some mind find a bargain compared to the $18.00 that Mattel asks for DCUCs now, but it still seems like a damn lot to me!

Commander Rogers and Hope Summers with my Lord of Asgard Thor...

*See MarvelLegends.Net for the Legends visual checklist!

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War of the Green Lanterns

I've been reading A LOT of back issues of pre-New 52 Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, and Emerald Warriors, including issues from the "War of the Green Lanterns" crossover event. Krona had released the dreaded Parallax into the main power battery on Oa, taking control of the Corps' collective mind and turning them against Green Lanterns Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, Kilowog, and Ganthet. Unable to use their polluted rings, Hal convinced the team to use different colored rings left behind when Lyssa Drak trapped other Lanterns of the Emotional Spectrum in the Book of the Black. Krona is an Oan scientist who became obsessed with observing the origins of the universe itself, constructing a machine that pierces the temporal barrier to view the beginnings of time itself. Krona catches a glimpse of the hand of creation depositing the speck that would become the entire cosmos. His machine explodes at that instant, and the universe is shattered causing the creation of the Multiverse as the universe replicates into an infinite number of parallel universes. As punishment for this act, Krona is transformed into pure energy by his fellow Oans and is sent to forever wander the cosmos. Krona's actions are what caused the Oans to become the Guardians of the Universe. (from Wikipedia)

I've really enjoyed Geoff John's stories, and am a HUGE fan of Doug Mahke & Tyler Kirkham's drawing in Green Lantern & Green Lantern Corps respectively- EPIC work, People! The images above are from Green Lantern #65, and below is from Green Lantern Corps #59...

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Green Lantern Corps: Brightest Day "The Weaponer"!

While I'm waiting for the March issues of the New 52 Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, and Green Lantern New Guardians, I've been catching up on issues of  Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, & Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors from 2010-2011. The Green Lantern Corps issues from around this "Brightest Day" period before DCs  New 52 reboot have been some of my favorite, including "The Weaponer" story arc, starting in Green Lantern Corps #53 (Dec. 2010). This ties in pretty nicely with my last post on DC Direct's Series 5 Sinestro & Soranik Natu, as the Weaponer who crafted Sinestro's yellow power ring has come back to take his revenge on the "Butcher of Korugar" for what he has done to Qward by holding his daughter hostage.

The art in this book by Tyler Kirkham, Batt & Nei Ruffino is spectacular, as is immediately evident in the opening flashback sequence of Thaal Sinestro receiving his yellow power ring from the Weaponer. While I have read the Sinestro Corps War in the last year, which I understand carries on in regard to Sinestro and his connection to Qward through this book, I'll admit that I've read so much Green Lantern in the last year that I've had a difficult time keeping it all straight in my mind!

There are a lot of whimsical moments mixed with the action throughout the book, both in the dialogue and visually, that made this book a real treat! In the following page, Kyle pokes fun at a new Sinestro Corps recruit, currently under a truce with the Green Lanterns, and the Weaponer shows up to slap Kyle Down, kidnap Sora, and send a message to Sinestro: "Surrender yourself or your daughter dies" ...

Kyle seeks out Sora's despotic father, deaf to his pleas to face the Qwardian Weaponer in order to save his daughter...

Exasperated by Sinestro's apathy, Kyle insists the Yellow Lantern return with him to Qward by way of a knuckle sandwich...!

Green Lantern Corps #54 (Jan. 2011) opens up with the insulted Sinestro his power ring in accordance with the treaty, and settling the matter toe-to-toe with the Green Lantern. "Fisticuffs Enabled"  :D

"This style of boxing is called Hammerfist, It was taught to me by the Korugarian Grandmaster Tivas Kark", goads Sinestro after knocking Kyle to the ground, "Who taught you to fight?" "Batman." answers the young Lantern as he slams a fist into Sinestro's breadbasket...!

Sinestro prevails however, knocking down Lantern Rayner three times before "invoking the mercy rule", advising him to go save her himself.

Meanwhile back on Qward, the Weaponer pleads his case to Sinestro's estranged daughter, who needs little convincing that her father is a heartless monster. It's because of Sinestro that all of Qward is now a post-apocalyptic wasteland, their god-king, the Anti-Monitor, destroyed in a war against the heroes of the Korugarian's universe, and the Sinestro Corps returning to enslave the Weaponer's home planet.

In Green Lantern Corps #55 (Feb. 2011), Kyle returns for Sora with his teammates to confront the Weaponer, who confidently dispatches the fighting unit one by one using his superior, adaptive weaponry that utilizes the primal life-force of the White Light! 

Gathnet's secret pact with Guy Gardner & Atrocitous is revealed to the other members of the Green Lantern Corps when he vomits blood upon being netted by the Weaponer, the mysterious alliance in defense against the threat of an old enemy destined to enslave the seven entities that embody the emotional spectrum (Krona, in the War of the Green Lanterns story that follows!). While the Weaponer delights in the mess Gathnet has wrought, Soranik sneaks up from behind with one of his own otherworldly weapons...

While the Thunderer's are confused by the Korugarian's appearance on the scene, the Sinestro Corps teleports in to throw a monkey wrench into the whole mess! Riveting!! 

Green Lantern Corps #56 (March 2011) opens with Sinestro calling all Yellow Lanterns to arms, demanding the Weaponer be destroyed for trying to ransom a thing he holds sacred... his dignity! You thought he was going to say "daughter", didn't you?   :D

The Green Lanterns attempt to shield the unsuspecting Thunderers from the rampaging Sinestro Corps, whom they must not engage in keeping with their current peace accord, the common enemy they share at home a larger threat... 

But Sinestro is not far behind his army, reminding his corpsmen to spare the Green Lanterns and concentrate on reminding the Qwardians why they fear them, and that the Weaponer is his alone to defeat... !

Realizing the Weaponer's shield is the key to his status as "protector" of the Qwardians, Soranik begins to realize that his salvation may be the key to ending the Sinestro Corps' reign of terror. Green Lantern Corps #57 (April 2011) finds Lantern Stewart returning to the battlefield with the Thunderer's, armed with the Weaponer's creations taken from his fortress...

After pummeling the Weaponer, Sinestro pulls his daughter from Lantern Rayner's hand, "I will not have you polluting my daughter." "You have no right to call me that! Since when were you ever a father to me?" Soranik fires back. But the Weaponer is on his feet once again...! 

The Weaponer eventually falls to Sinestro, but instead of killing him the Korugarian appeals to his lonely and despised Qwardian's sense of belonging, asking him to join the Sinestro Corps... and he accepts! Before departing through a portal with  the Weaponer and his corpsmen, Sinestro bids farewell to his estranged daughter, "You do know that had you been harmed in any way, I would have ground this world to dust." GREAT stuff, People... great stuff...!

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