#Hasbro revisits a very classic and well known costume for Marvel's most popular mutant, and why wouldn't they? Something to go along with the 90s Sabertooth from the same wave, a Marvel Legends of Wolverine in his Jim Lee/90s/Tiger Stripe outfit is something that is more than welcome amongst Marvel Legends collectors. So how does this fare to an already busy Wolverine filled collection? Let's find out!
I am a Wolverine fan. I can't say that he is my favorite Marvel character, but I can say he is up there on my top ten. The antihero style makes him relatable and the fact that he just keeps going, and going, and going even when the odds are against him is something I truly admire (of course a healing factor like his helps). While he was a natural born killer thanks to his past, Logan was always that jerk with a heart of gold kind of guy. Despite his reputation, he was always the first one to defend those who can't defend themselves, he had a soft spot for children, and when it came down to it, he was the first one to trade blows, take a hit, or kill for his teammates no matter how much he doesn't like said teammate. My favorite run of Wolverine was when he led the black ops team of X-Force--especially when Domino was in the mix! Definitely one of the best times I thought he was written and definitely was my favorite costume of Wolverine. This particular costume is classic but not at all my favorite. But as far as Wolverine goes, it's his attitude, his never ending commitment to win, his loyalty, and his rich history with the rest of the Marvel Universe that makes him memorable to me.
Let it be known that the claws on this Wolverine is not as clean nor is it anywhere near as perfectly placed as this promotional shot.
I'm going to give Hasbro some recognition for trying with the alternate hands despite how useless it is in my opinion. Why is it useless? Because the fists with claws can simply have said claws taken out and turn it into a fist without Wolverine's signature weapons. The alternate hands are non-claw fists, which, again, rather obsolete given the fact that we already have that option with the first pair of hands. I think open hands with some kind of gesture would have done well. Or an unmasked face, maybe (which I'm sure they'll save for another release of this action figure).
Truth to be told, this is my first Wolverine action figure from Hasbro in a LONG time and so this is definitely my first introduction to Marvel Legends more accurate depiction of the Canadian Mutant in terms of height. Logan, while the badass and ladies man that he is, is a man whose stature isn't 'model-tall' like his male teammates nor is he even average. He is laughably short for a super hero, but that is part of his trait. This particular body mold, which has been used before (Classic brown Wolverine) definitely pays homage to that. Along with other things that are great about this body, it has the right to boast that it could be the best mold for Wolverine. Along with the definitive height and proper muscular proportions, the added parts that are sculpted for this costume (his masked head, the boots, the shoulder pads, and the claw signifiers-?-) on his gloves are all well done.
Once again Hasbro proves that the right kind of plastic colors can bring out a comic book character to (plastic) life. We are all aware that modern day Marvel Legends will not have the same intricate paint details as the days of old, but what we get are still more than passable and given that I can look at this figure and just see 90s Wolverine says a lot. I probably would have liked claws that are more silver than the dull plastic, but all in all, everything about this action figure's coloring is just right.
Wolverine is a pretty nimble character. Despite the adamantium laced skeleton, Logan is a skilled in all forms of martial arts and his acrobatics can sometimes go on par with the likes of Spider-Man, Daredevil, Iron Fist, and the sort. With that said, an action figure of him should be more than capable of trying to accomplish maximum articulation without looking too ugly. Luckily, Hasbro also performed pretty well in this department. Along with everything we can expect from a Marvel Legends, Wolverine comes with an awesome butterfly joints for his shoulders that really give him the range of movements needed for his arms. It doesn't look too awkward or too joint-y. Logan's shoulder pads also have hinges so that part of his costume doesn't hinder any movement on his arms.
The only other thing that could have really made this action figure a bit more versatile is giving him alternate hands that actually gives different options. I'm not sure if an open hand would work but a gesture, like I mentioned definitely would have. Also, an unmasked head would have made this figure that much better, but I am more than aware that when they rerelease this Marvel Legend it will definitely come with that mask-less alternate face. That's the way the business goes and Hasbro knows how to play the game with their Marvel Legends. I can't honestly say if I will double dip unlesss they really give the second release MORE accessories and accessories that makes sense for Mr. James Howlett over here.
At the end of the day, I really like this action figure. It's loyal to the comic book/animated series look, it has good articulation, the coloring (though lacking in paint details) really does give the source material some homage. Lacking some good accessories may hurt it a bit, but at the end of the day, I still think Hasbro did a fine job. Hoping to see other Wolverine action figures on this body mold--X-Force Wolverine, perhaps?
Until Next Time!