With the Avengers movie finally out, I figured it was time for me to get some of the figures. Thing is, none of them really impressed me. They all seemed too gimmick-laden, and most of them didn’t look as good as the ones from the individual movie lines. Heck, they didn’t even give us a Hulk in the proper scale. Not only that, it didn’t have much of a “comic series” line like Captain America and Iron Man 2 had. I just liked the diversity that brought to the table. But now, in the line’s third wave, we got something I was hoping to see during Iron Man 2: Black Widow!
Unless some kind of miracle happens and we get a Maria Hill figures, Black Widow is going to be the only female in the Avengers line. Unfortunate, but really, I don’t think any of the other female Avengers would have worked in the movie. But as I always say, it’s better to have a lack of diversity than forced diversity or inaccurate representation.
One that that had been keeping me away from the Avengers movie figures is the kind of… unexciting sculpts. They felt doughy and lacked character. Thankfully, Black Widow doesn’t have that problem. In fact, I’d dare say she actually looks better than the canceled figure from Iron Man 2. I also like her better with the shorter hair.
Let’s be brutally honest here… Hasbro’s not the best at sculpting female faces in this scale. You can either get something fantastic like Agent Helix, or something… very questionable like the movie Baroness figures. Thankfully, Black Widow is pretty good! She’s not perfect, and she doesn’t have a dead-on Scarlett Johansson likeness, but it’s certainly good enough. Her hair is well-sculpted and all the paint applications on her face are nice and clean. Well done.
Her figure is very well sculpted, aside from two minor issues. Her right hand lacks a trigger finger, which makes dual-wielding her pistols a bit more challenging. Her holsters are also a bit odd, with the left one being lower than the right one. I don’t see how that’s very practical…
One of the biggest issues I’ve had with Hasbro’s 3.75” offerings this year is the lack of articulation. I can understand having to cut a few corners, but my god, there’s a limit! It’s like all those years of 25th Anniversary G.I. Joes were for nothing. Thankfully, Black Widow only lost one joint: her waist. Everything else is there: double-jointed knees, wrist swivels, ankle hinges. She even has ankle rockers!! She almost makes up for all of the males in the line. Almost.
Black Widow’s main accessories are kind of obvious: two pistols. I think they’re new sculpts, because I never saw these in G.I. Joe. They look good, but the plastic is very rubbery and they bend easily. She also has the obligator spring-loaded weapon… some supposed grapple launcher? It’s really weird, but it can fit on her back in a backpack peg designed for G.I. Joe backpacks!
Despite being made of kind of a rubbery plastic and having odd hands, Black Widow is a fantastic figure and I’m glad I picked her up. I highly recommend her, even with the lack of torso articulation. If you want one, grab her at first sight at FPNYC—I think she’s only one-per-case!
