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.

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Hasbro Avengers Nick Fury and Comic Series Hawkeye

 

I surprised myself buying more of these, but enjoyed the two Captain Americas from Hasbro's Avengers series I picked up recently quite a bit, so I got some more....

  

 

Unlike the Super Shield Captain America, these two came with a lot of accessories- look at these full trays! Some were a disappointment, which I get into later, but at least an effort was made. Why Hawkeye gets two handguns and a crossbow, and Cap doesn't even get an assault rifle is a mystery to me.

 

 

Nick Fury looks to have a lot of parts that Captain America series Winter Soldier had, and benefits by getting more articulation than the other 3 3/4" Avengers figures. Along with double-jointed knees, he enjoys a torso/abdominal joint and hinge-swivel ankles. His elbows are the same hinge-swivel as the others however, and his wrists don't move.  I must say that from some angles he certainly resembles Samuel L. Jackson, and he looks killer in his trench coat! His weapons fit securely in his hands, and Hasbro smartly molded a holster for the pistol onto his left leg. They also glued a holstered sidearm onto his chest, but the pistol cannot be removed- looks good though!

 

 Fury's rocket launcher is only okay- it doesn't sit on his shoulder well and there's no good way to grip it with both hands, but it does fire pretty well. Pushing the ridged missile into the spring-loaded chamber until it clicks, the projectile is released by pressing the end protruding from the rear of the barrel.

 

 

Man did they pile this "comic series" Hawkeye with accessories- I love the backpack for his extra missiles, which are molded in three bright colors- fun! His cannon is far to big for him to hold, but fires nicely, launching the projectile by pressing the big red triggers on it's sides.

 

Both of Hawkeye's handguns fit securely when placed in the correct hand- he doesn't hold anything but the larger .45 type pistol in his left hand. We actually get two holsters on his utility belt- we've been treated to some nice detail on these figure's belts, and Hawkeye is no exception.   

 

  

Apparently, this is the version of Hawkeye featured in the Ultimates Universe, of which I am unfamiliar, but am eager to read. He only gets the simpler articulation a lot of the comic series figures got, like the hinge-swivel knees & elbows, but there is some incredible detail and paint apps here. They probably should have molded the knee guards onto the lower leg for a better look when his knees are bent, and a waist joint would have vastly improved this figure, but he's otherwise quite awesome.

I'm probably going against the popular vote, and though I'm a fan of Sam Jackson, I like this comic series Hawkeye better than the Nick Fury figure. I wasn't crazy about it the first couple times I saw him, but he's rad!

 

 

 I know I should hate Hasbro for raising the price on these while cutting the articulation, but I've been having fun with them, particularly the comic series figures which are beefier, colorful, and enjoy sculpts that are better than a lot of the 3 3/4" Marvel Universe figures we've seen. Hawkeye with fellow Hasbro Avengers comic series Shield Launcher Captain America, Battle Hammer Thor, and comic series Grappling Hook Spidey from the recent Amazing Spider-Man line...

 

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More Marvel Comics Shopping!

 

My haul of Marvel comics from last Wednesday must have really hit the spot- Sunday afternoon found me back at the racks looking for more Fantastic Four and Captain America...

 

*Captain America & Hawkeye, # 629-632

I enjoyed reading author Cullen Bunn's recent run on Captain America & Scarlet Widow so much that I hunted down his issues of Captain America & Hawkeye, # 629 - 632. I had been kicking myself for missing it after he told me about it's coming debut in person months ago, so I'm really looking forward to this...

 

*Captain America & Iron Man # 633 & 634

Speaking of our local-boy-done-good, I discovered a couple issues of Captain America & Iron Man from the end of summer which Cullen also authored. I'm unsure if there were any issues past these two, but I'll be on the lookout...

 

*Heroes Reborn: Fantatic Four (2006)

In spite of being advised otherwise, I actually enjoyed my TPBs of Heroes Reborn: The Avengers and Heroes Reborn: Captain America that I picked up on sale this past summer. They were splashy, fun, and fresh to me. Artist Jim Lee is one of my favorites (Batman: Hush anyone?), and a quick thumbing through confirmed I would likely enjoy this as well. My recent picks of Marvel Now: Fantastic Four #1 and FF #1 reignighted my interest in this legendary group!

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Hasbro Avengers Captain Americas

 

These two Hasbro 3 3/4" Avengers Series Captain Americas were an impulse purchase- I had just read the new Marvel Now Captain America #1, and while strolling through Wally World late one night this week, I noticed they had finally restocked the Marvel section.  While initially annoyed by Hasbro cutting articulation, I was surprised by how much I liked the Avengers Battle Hammer Thor and Skrull Soldier. Hasbro has unscrupulously tacked an extra three bucks onto their 3 3/4" action figures in the last year while stripping the figures of some points of articulation, but Shield Launcher and Super Shield Captain America do have a lot going for them.

Shield Launcher Captain America  has a lot of look- great coloring, great accessories, and detailed sculpt make him a fun little action figure. I'm quite fond of him! I'd have preferred a waist swivel and ankle hinges to double-hinged knees, but it doesn't ruin it or anything. His elbows are hinge-swivels, like his hips and shoulders, which work perfectly. He has no bicep nor wrist swivels, and his ball-jointed head is limited to side-to-side movement, but we are treated to a gleaming metallic shield  :)

Like the Captain America Series Heroic Age "Bucky Cap", we get a .45 caliber handgun that fits into a holster! Avengers Captain America has an improved, metallic finish on his weapon that looks nice with his silver uniform appointments.
 

Cap's shield launcher is a cumbersome affair, hilariously fit with a flip handle underneath so it can be clipped onto his wrist, or attached to the peg hole on his back. Good luck with that. It does launch the special shield included, but not very powerfully. I like the G.I. Joe green this accessory it's molded in.

Hasbro also produced a 6" Avengers Captain America I posted on awhile back, whose proportions seemed a little better than this 3 3/4" Cap, though it's color was inferior. I'm unsure the Shield Launcher Captain America has more accurate color to Chris Evans' movie costume, but it's subdued tones look so much better on the updated uniform.

 

 

Super Shield Captain America is my more favorite of the two, from the comic series of the 3 3/4" Avengers line- he's basically Ultimate Captain America, no wings on his temples, stars on his shoulders, and grey pants.

Like Heroic Age Cap from the Captain America movie line, we get a gimmick shield as opposed to a regular one. Heroic Age Cap's gimmick shield was more fun than this one, which merely pushes the rockets out when the protruding lever is depressed... *yawn

Luckily, my Paratrooper Dive Captain has a nice shield he can borrow that matches perfectly...  :) 

 

 

 

Super Shield Captain America has the same basic articulation as the Paratrooper Dive Captain: hinge-swivel shoulders, a very limited ball-jointed head, no waist/torso articulation, swivel wrists, single-hinged elbows & knees, and hinged hips with swivels at the top of the thighs. It's very basic, but works fine.

The big, red laced boots have a lot of eye-appeal here, and I like the grey pants- I have yet to read any, but Ultimate Captain America is a good look. While I miss the winged mask, I love the face/head sculpt on this Cap, and there is some awesome detailing in his flak jacket, bandolier, and utility belt. I can't fathom why Hasbro neglected to include an assault rifle with him! The could easily has just given us the same one included with the Capt. America series Crossbones, which looks perfect with him...

 

 

The Comic Series figures from this line and the recent Spider-Man line are noticeably larger/beefier than the movie series- I like this, and their sculpts and color have made up for their simple articulation.  Super Shield Captain America looks great with my Avengers Battle Hammer Thor!

 

Roll Call! Present from left to right: Super Shield Capt. America, Shield Launcher Capt. America, Heroic Age Capt. America, Super Combat Capt. America, and Paratrooper Dive Capt. America.

 

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