Any long-time FPNYC blog reader knows by now that I kind of favor Marvel when it comes to the big 2 Comic Publishers. I try not to be biased, as both publishers have their share of faults (:: cough :: Jack Kirby got screwed ::cough:::), but I love their characters as well as a ton of the creators working on them, and the Marvel movies have been pretty enjoyable so far. That, and occasionally they have a event I care about that seems like a ton of fun, despite having a weak premise. AvX (Avengers vs. X-Men) is this year’s “NOTHING WILL BE THE SAME” event , and unlike “Fear Itself“, I’m actually enjoying ( and buying) it. While the majority of the Avengers and X-books tie into it, you can just read the main AvX series without having to buy a ton of tie-ins. However, if you’re in it for the fights, “AvX:Vs” may be more of your thing, as it’s a bunch of Marvel’s best artists drawing expanded battles from the series. Plus since both books are running $4 and issue, it comes with a free digital download code to redeem. so at least you’re getting 2 copies of the books basically.
So now that I’m done shamelessly plugging Marvel’s big event book, let me plug the latest line of Marvel Legends figures. Wave 2 is out in stores, and MAN, is it flying off of the shelves pretty much everywhere. Bucky-Captain America and Drax were the first figures to drop, as they were the only 2 without variants. The remaining 5 figures are now dropping, and all but 1 have some sort of variant, which is kind of cool, as the majority of them are more than a simple color swap. Take Spidey for example. This is HARDLY the first time your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has gotten the Legends treatment. HOWEVER, this is the first time he’s been available in his “Big Time” green/black outfit, or his Future Foundation costume. I really like both costumes to be honest, and am legit torn which one to purchase. Spidey, like Modern Thor before him, has no accessories or build-a-figure pieces though, so if you’re not in love with this costumes, you can skip him.
Moving onto the mutant side of things, we have 2 characters who are slightly new to the Marvel Universe. Fantomex, introduced during Grant Morrrison‘s run on X-Men and barely used until “Uncanny X-Force” launched, and Daken, Wolverine’s son who first appeared in the “Wolverine: Origins” title. Fantomex is rocking his UXF look which is smart, as it’s a great look and prevents him from looking like a large Storm Shadow figure. He comes packed with 2 guns, and Build-a-Figure Arnim Zola’s right arm. Daken, available in his masked and unmasked variant, will probably end up serving as the mold for a future Wolverine figure, comes with Zola’s left arm. I want that Fantomex something fierce, as he does not exist in the Marvel Universe line, despite all my wishes.
Madam Masque and Thunderball are the remaining figures in the set, and they both have completely repainted variants with different head-sculpts to make different characters. The build-a-figure variants are even different colors too, so that’s kind of neat. Masque is repainted to Madame Hydra, and the variant Zola torso she has is the Red Skull, and the repainted Thunderball is Piledriver, who comes with a red head and control, vs Thunderball’s yellow one.
Series 2 is definitely a worthy follow up to series 1, and has a bunch of cool character who’ve yet to receive the Legends treatment. I’m still not a fan of the prices, but Spidey and Fantomex are damn tempting. As with the Legends, they’re slightly more than $20 a pop, and because they’re so in demand, you NEED to buy them on sight.
NEXT TIME: Time to look at some toys tied-into some big movie that premieres this week.
