So, anyone saw that Ant-Man movie? No? Me neither. I remember some capeshit cloutchaser on the bird app saying that Ant-Man will get a complete trilogy before Cavill Superman will. That may be true, but that doesn't necessarily mean said trilogy is good. While there is an appeal for the suit design and Paul Rudd, the films themselves became more and more flavor of the week to the point where they basically exist to fill in spaces for the Phase 4 slate. Maybe these Retro Marvel Legends figures would be more suitable for fans to enjoy rather than the mediocre trilogy we have, right?
Here is Ant-Man in-hand. It's no surprise he's in his original costume with red and blue on it like fellow bug hero Spider-Man. It's more simplistic here, witj the blue being prominent for the gloves, undies, and boots while the black splits down the middle for the red torso. This figure uses the Pizza Spidey mold, which did fit the webhead for the time but now looks generally dated on this guy and seemingly out of place. It did work well for the version of the buck that was used back in 2015 as the Walgreens-exclusive Ant-Man, but that was probably because it was easier to choose the suit that vaguely matched the MCU version despite it being worn by Eric O'Grady. While the figure is generally accurate to the suit design, the hips being blue does make the trunks look more like short shorts, which was probably not Hasbro's intent even the latter would make him look like he's wearing a thong from the front.
Head sculpt is definitely meant to be associated with the Irredeemable Ant-Man design that Eric O'Grady had when he was resurrected and turned into a cyborg by Doctor Doom, which is why the helmet design, while resembling the classic look, does not match the regular design 1:1, from the more bent antennae to the stylized details that are not like the Silver Age aesthetics. It's not terrible, but I know it could be better executed if you ask me. The eyes vaguely feel like they look a little weird in that helmet since they feel more like they were meant to be for the design this figure was repainted from rather than being made for a normal, human face. Since the articulation is the same as with the standard Marvel Legends figures I've covered in the past, I should mention specifically that being on the Pizza Spidey buck, the figure has butterfly joints and no boot swivels, the latter being criticized by fans who were already disappointed with the limited outward range. His sole accessory is a mini-Wasp, which is a reminder that you should get her regular figure.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
And here we have The Wasp in-hand. While fans are more familiar with her more radical Silver Age costume or her more fitting black and yellow/gold costume from the 90s, this outfit is moreso from the brief moment where she basically had a blue, and white suit for Avengers Vol 3 #32 and 33. While the original costume design from the Silver Age is probably what fans would want, and I'm a much bigger fan of the 2015 figure just from first seeing it, this is still a good design for the character. The paint apps are thankfully consistent with the plastic that's already moment, specifically referring to the white and the flesh tones. The black lines are also opaque and aligned generally correctly. The wings can be removed if you want, and you can also remove the slightly smaller wings if you want her to have a single set of them rather than a double-set. I do wish the ports that hold the wings don't stick out as much as they currently do. I should mention that fans have the forearms facing the opposite way, but it means that the back of the elbows don't flow well with the plastic that helps it flow organically.
Head sculpt is a repaint of the Domino head, which is quite surprising to discover since the deco of that character makes it look like an entirely different sculpt from Janet's noggin. Its hair color, flesh tone, and the paint apps for the eyebrows, eyes, and lips make it much stronger than most female head sculpts from the past. Her articulation is the standard affair for female characters, with only a diaphragm joint as well as no boot swivels, a common trait for the users of this mold. Her wings can hinge as well as move up and down on their pegs. And the sole accessory she comes with is a tiny Ant-Man, which is not the same as the one we got from the Marvel Universe Ant-Man or the SDCC 2015 set.
As far as other iterations go, Ant-Man is set to receive a new release for Target, which is cool to get but I not only wish it was given an unhelmeted head or more alternate hands but also uses a mold that fits its character better. As for the Wasp, the costume is obviously different, and I would like to get that version of the character one day.
Overall, these two figures may not have the same quality fans would expect from the versions that we would expect both the official comic version as well as the lack of a normal Wasp, but I will say that these two feel much more entertaining in comparison to the MCU's recent movies. I wouldn't expect the regular Ant-Man to be one you'd immediately want, but the Wasp is not too shabby for what it is. Good luck getting the Astonishing Ant-Man at your Target stores, though.
Final ranking:⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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