Review: Superhero Squad Planet Hulk and Silver Savage
I have a friend who, from time to time, suggests comics he thinks I should read. More often than not, they're series I have little interest in. I generally thank him for the suggestion, say I'll get around to it, then forget for four or five years. Then, when I actually read the comic he recommended, I'm always blown away. Several of my favorite comics have been suggestions he's made.
About a year ago, he told me I should check out Planet Hulk. It's really not something I'm interested in. Maybe I'll get around to it in a few years.
At any rate, I am collecting Superhero Squad figures, which I rarely see on clearance. When I came across this set for $2.99 at Jacks (if you're not in New York City, don't even ask), I grabbed them. I don't have a lot of context, but I know during Planet Hulk, the Jolly Green Giant got marooned on a gladiator world, where he was forced to fight. He wound up taking over, which led into World War Hulk.
There's a Planet Hulk animated movie getting put together sometime next year: maybe I'll just check that out.
About a year ago, he told me I should check out Planet Hulk. It's really not something I'm interested in. Maybe I'll get around to it in a few years.
At any rate, I am collecting Superhero Squad figures, which I rarely see on clearance. When I came across this set for $2.99 at Jacks (if you're not in New York City, don't even ask), I grabbed them. I don't have a lot of context, but I know during Planet Hulk, the Jolly Green Giant got marooned on a gladiator world, where he was forced to fight. He wound up taking over, which led into World War Hulk.
There's a Planet Hulk animated movie getting put together sometime next year: maybe I'll just check that out.
Appearance and Construction: 7/10
The quality here varies greatly from figure to figure. Hulk is easily the better of the two in almost all respects. His paint work is very solid, with all but a few lines clean. The green plastic he's sculpted out of is vibrant and effective. His face looks great, too.
Turn him around, and he's just as good; maybe better. His... er... skirt (just don't tell the Hulk I called it that) is great, as are the belts and straps.
The real stars here, though, are the armor and weapons: the colors are bright and easy to see. There's a perfect blend of cartoon and realism here: the proportions are heavily animated, but the metal bits are painted realistically. This is what this style was meant to do. Sure, he's got some mold lines and a few minor scuffs, but if I were scoring Hulk on his own, I'd hand him a nine. Easily.
Honestly, I find it hard to believe that Silver Surfer (or "Savage", as he's called here) was made by the same company, much less packaged alongside Hulk. This is still a well designed and sculpted figure. The problems are almost entirely with the paint work.
Turn him around, and he's just as good; maybe better. His... er... skirt (just don't tell the Hulk I called it that) is great, as are the belts and straps.
The real stars here, though, are the armor and weapons: the colors are bright and easy to see. There's a perfect blend of cartoon and realism here: the proportions are heavily animated, but the metal bits are painted realistically. This is what this style was meant to do. Sure, he's got some mold lines and a few minor scuffs, but if I were scoring Hulk on his own, I'd hand him a nine. Easily.
Honestly, I find it hard to believe that Silver Surfer (or "Savage", as he's called here) was made by the same company, much less packaged alongside Hulk. This is still a well designed and sculpted figure. The problems are almost entirely with the paint work.
Lets start with that mace, since we've got to start somewhere. While the Hulk's weapon looks like it's carved from stone, Silver Surfer looks like he picked up something made of mud... and that's the NICER description that comes to mind.
His loin cloth looks like it was painted by a toddler: those lines aren't even close. The rest of the paint is applied better, but it was horribly planned. The yellow paint is way too thin, and the silver shines through. Even his face is a disappointment. The white eyes just blend in with the silver, making it look they didn't bother including them. On his own, Surfer would pull a six. |
Since this is a two pack, I'm averaging nine and six. I'm not quite generous enough to round up, so that gives us a seven for the pair.
Packaging and Extras: ----
The packaging here is pretty straight forward, more concerned with tying in with last summer's movie than anything else:
There's nothing all that memorable. I will add, as something of an afterthought, that I DESPISE the artwork, which fails to convey the charm of the toys, but that's more or less academic.
There are no accessories, nor would I expect there to be. No change to the score.
There are no accessories, nor would I expect there to be. No change to the score.
Play and Display: +1
This is something of a tradition here in The Clearance Bin: the awarding of the bonus point to the two inch figures. One day I'm going to admit that this is now expected in this scale. But not today.
Like before, Hulk does better in this category than his metal-clad friend. Hulk has five points of articulation to Surfer's four, and Hulk's work better. Hulk has articulated shoulders, cut wrists, and a turning waist. His left shoulder is greatly limited by his spiked armor, but everything else works pretty well. What really stands out are the wrists, which allow him to hold his ax and shield in several distinct poses.
Surfer's articulation is still good; in fact, he's got one joint the Hulk is missing: the neck. He also has a turning waist and shoulders, but the wrist joints are sadly missing. His shoulder articulation is limited for a couple of reasons. His right hand can't come too far back or the Surfer loses his balance and topples backwards. The left hand is attached to the board, which he's using as a shield. You can get that in front of his face, but... why?
Still, there's plenty of articulation here to justify a bonus point.
Like before, Hulk does better in this category than his metal-clad friend. Hulk has five points of articulation to Surfer's four, and Hulk's work better. Hulk has articulated shoulders, cut wrists, and a turning waist. His left shoulder is greatly limited by his spiked armor, but everything else works pretty well. What really stands out are the wrists, which allow him to hold his ax and shield in several distinct poses.
Surfer's articulation is still good; in fact, he's got one joint the Hulk is missing: the neck. He also has a turning waist and shoulders, but the wrist joints are sadly missing. His shoulder articulation is limited for a couple of reasons. His right hand can't come too far back or the Surfer loses his balance and topples backwards. The left hand is attached to the board, which he's using as a shield. You can get that in front of his face, but... why?
Still, there's plenty of articulation here to justify a bonus point.
Price Tag and Final Analysis: 8/10
The price of oil's decreased over the past year, so why are these still going for seven or eight bucks at major retailers? I know I'm screaming into the abyss, but these shouldn't be more than five or six bucks. The joke is, a few blocks from where I picked mine up for three bucks, I saw the same pack in a comic store for ten. Makes you think.
This is a very uneven pack. One figure is really exceptional, and the other is, well, not. That said, the problems with Surfer are all skin deep: a touch of paint here and there, and you could turn him into a very nice one-of-a-kind collectible. Don't know if I have the motivation, though, to tell you the truth.
This is a very uneven pack. One figure is really exceptional, and the other is, well, not. That said, the problems with Surfer are all skin deep: a touch of paint here and there, and you could turn him into a very nice one-of-a-kind collectible. Don't know if I have the motivation, though, to tell you the truth.
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