Marvel Legends Retro Tribute Spider-Man review

Spider-Man's a commonly done character in the Marvel Legends line, but the figures he's had have been so hard to find in the aftermarket. You'd think he'd be easy to find in store shelves, but that's not likely the case. Ironically, figures that are more niche than him, such as Misty Knight, and the MCU Spider-Man Legends are easy to find. Maybe it has to do with just how iconic the classic red and blue suit is that it's easier to find on a cheaper figure than it is on a collector's figure. As a result, some of the versions of Spider-Man go for a lot on the aftermarket, especially the 2015 Pizza Spidey. Fans had some similar versions made since then, but for one that looked close enough, and with a pizza accessory, fans had to wait until 2018 for a wave of Marvel figures that looked similar to Pizza Spidey. Will the Vintage Series Marvel Legends Spider-Man fit the bill for fans looking for a version of the mold?

Here's Spidey, ready to be reviewed. The figure is a reuse of the Pizza Spidey mold, which came from the 2014 Superior Spider figure that had a different mask and a less elongated torso. Glenn Webb mentioned that it made his legs look a bit too short for the torso, but I don't think it's that big of a dealbreaker. The proportions look like what Spidey should have, and the colors look great for the suit itself. This is supposed to be similar to the original ToyBiz Spider-Man made before the 90s animated series aired. Scroll down below for the comparison!

The paintwork is fairly crisp for the most part, and there are no paint smudges or incoherencies with the linework. I do wish the pegs facing the sides of the torso were painted blue because they don't look that good on the insides of the arms. The web lines are hard to do nicely on a three-dimensional toy that doesn't have consistently smooth surfaces, but the job is done well. Also, the back symbol is fairly well done, especially considering it's not easy to see when the toy's carded.

The mask looks nicely sculpted on him. There's the sculpting to make the lenses look like separate pieces of the mask, and the point at the nose along with the shape of the head continues the look of a person wearing the mask than a round head as if the mask was a balloon. The web lines also look good, too.

The articulation is tremendous for Marvel Legends standards. The head is on two joints: a ball joint for looking side to side (and for swapping heads), and a neck hinge for looking up and down. The shoulders are on butterfly joints, and they can move front and back and in and out. There is a bicep swivel, a double-jointed elbow, and both hands can swivel on their peg as well as hinge in and out. The torso can ab crunch back and forth, and the waist can swivel. The hips can move front and back, but they can't move in and out too well. There are thigh swivels, double-jointed knees, and the feet hinge front and back as well as pivot side to side.

For his alternate accessories, he has the half-unmasked head and a pizza accessory. The unmasked head is something we don't get often, but I love it here! It's got a smile with his shiny teeth present, and the attention to detail doesn't stop there with the mask slightly rolled up to expose his mouth or nose. The pizza accessory, I'm mixed on. It's painted differently from the 2015 version, but the pepperoni looks like it's either burned or covered in shit, which Youtuber Shartimusprime pointed out. At least the tomato sauce looks good.

From The Fwoosh, here is a comparison between the Retro Tribute Spider-Man next to the Marvel Legends 2015 Pizza Spidey, the 2016 SDCC Raft variant, and the 2017 All-New, All-Different version of Spider-Man (who was in a two-pack with Mary Jane). This Vintage version and the 2015 Pizza Spidey share the same mask design, while the ANAD version has the Superior Spidey mask and Raft Spidey having a somewhat McFarlane influence to the eyes (though not quite there with its more rounded lenses). The reds are similar between the Pizza, Raft, and ANAD versions of Spidey, which are shinier than the Retro-styled Spidey. Raft Spidey's blue is the darkest, Pizza Spidey's blue is lighter, but the ANAD and Retro versions have the brightest shade of blue. It should be worth mentioning that the ANAD Spider-Man has the glowing logo, bluer lenses, and a more stylized look on his suit is because of Peter using the tech he has after realizing he is back in his old body and having Parker Industries while Doc Ock took over his body. The Pizza Spidey's the perfect take on the character in Legends form, though the Retro-styled version is second best because of it looking closer to the 2015 variant.

For fans that are interested in getting the rest of the figures in the line, here is at least the first wave. They consist of Wolverine (in his brown costume and parts from a 2014 Wolverine figure), Iron Man (reuse of the Neo-Classic Iron Man with the new repulsor blasts and the intended forearms and lower legs that the 2013 version didn't have), The Punisher (who has a red headband, a rocket launcher, and a more classic costume compared to his Walgreens variant), Black Widow (a new female mold with Mary Jane's head), and Captain America (who has the chainmail painted on the torso, lacks the straps of the shield, and has a shield-throwing accessory. If I were to choose, I'd get Wolverine, Black Widow, and Punisher. Iron Man and Cap have the better Alex Ross variants now.

Now let's see how this Spider-Man looks next to the original Toy Biz figure! The Toy Biz figure we will use for reference is the multi-jointed version of the character. The cards aren't quite close, but the attempts are similar. However, Spidey's symbol is more modern on the Legends figure compared to the ToyBiz figure. Everything else is fairly close, though I kind of feel for it to be more accurate, the more narrow eyes of the Spider-UK head should be used.

Overall, this Spider-Man makes for a nice purchase for fans that can't afford the Pizza Spidey. Funny enough, Hasbro got me another one when I thought that the pizza had a paint error, but after finding out that all the pizza slices look like that, I settled with what I have and got a free "replacement" copy from Hasbro, which remains carded. The only issues I do have with the toy are the lack of accessories, and the pizza accessory sorely missing, but I like how the rest of this toy still turned out. Unless you can do with a knockoff version of Pizza Spidey, this toy will do just fine as long as you find some alternate hands that match the red of this toy.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Studio Series ROTF Megatron review

Megatron's second form has been popular with fans during 2009, yet looking back now, the figures made at the time didn't really age poorly. The Leader figure was pretty awkward compared to Optimus and the Voyager, while better, had a shell that didn't appear in the movie and looked somewhat green. Either way, a new mold was due to come yet Hasbro was more interested in capitalizing on the new designs made since then, but then the Studio Series line was made, giving us a new version of Megatron based on his ROTF design, which does make sense since it felt easier to make, along with how its the design seen in Forged to Fight and took Takara's thunder away after they decided to make a repaint of the 2009 Voyager. That said, let's see what this Megatron's all about!

Here we have Megatron in his alien tank mode. It's a much sleeker design that isn't as horrendously rushed as the original Leader, yet I kind of wish it was slightly wider to have it look more like a crab closing in on someone with its claws. Those wings were a part of the design that did appear at times for a flight mode of the tank mode, and without those, the tank does look good still, yet can go well with those for an option. Also, I kind of wish the turret was not as small as it is here. There are cannons behind it that can hinge up and down, but they weren't on the movie design in its finalized look.

The face being exposed is a weird thing about Megatron, but at least it's a bit better done here. It looks more like it's a mask than a scuba piece that doesn't do a good job on covering it.

For a size comparison, here he is next to his ROTF Leader and Voyager versions. The Voyager in this video will be the Movie the Best version for a more comparable approach since the Hasbro ROTF version was green. I kind of feel there are things that the Studio Series figure does better in tank mode, and there are also things that the ROTF figure does better in tank mode. At least both win by being better than the Leader looking like an amateur Lego set.

Transforming this Megatron is fairly involved, yet not as boring as the original Leader or as weird as the original Voyager. Its arms aren't used for the vehicle mode cannon, nor are they compromised from a visual point of view. The thigh guards and rear cover of the legs did pop off from time to time, an annoying aspect since they had no pins on. Also, the head likes to pop off at times.

Here we have Megatron in robot mode, being leaps beyond the original toys of this particular design. There's no heavy asymmetry with the arms, the head looks less like a mask, the proportions work, all that the ROTF Megatron design could ask for and then some! A problem that I do have with this figure is just how I wish there is a coat of silver paint to make it look shinier than it currently is. Without the deco, Megatron feels somewhat naked and plain. That metallic look is crucial towards completing his appearance! Also, while not noticeable on some angles, Megatron's torso has a gap that isn't filled in by any part of him. Maybe some wings would have worked. At least his back looks a lot more accurate as well as refined than on the previous Voyagers.

Megatron's face sculpt also looks really good. While there is no silver paint on him, at least the molded details do look good for the most part, and nothing is really lost from the lack of paint.

The articulation is pretty good for once! Head is on a ball joint, both arms move freely at the shoulders, and they both hinge in and out. Both elbows bend, and the arms swivel at a bicep. There's a slight thumb joint on the right arm, and there's some movement for the claws on the left arm. The legs move at the hips front and back, then in and out.

Megatron comes with no accessory, but he can have the blade deployed from his fusion cannon. I personally wish he had an alternate arm that can be swapped like on Bumblebee. The blade is made from a softer material, but at least it looks good.

For a size comparison, here is Megatron next to his original figure forms from 2009, a decade ago! Obviously night and day (even though the original Voyager had a waist swivel), but the real kicker is the approach they each have with their arms. The Leader had a massive arm cannon that looked stupidly big and lacked an elbow joint for some reason. The original Voyager had a more accurate arm, but its method of articulation and the blade is all a Mech-Alive feature. If the arm is straight, it's in cannon mode, but when it's bent, it becomes a blade. The Voyager manages to stray away from that. The Leader has a missile launching feature, though.

There are some other random Megatron comparison tidbits I wanted to make, just to give an idea on how his design was done. The left arms on the original Leader and Voyager are pretty puny compared to their right arms, though more so on the Leader with its middle finger. The original Voyager had a missile launcher on the left arm, while the Studio Series Voyager has more fingers and a better-balanced arm.

Also, my Leader Megatron broke at the heel. Which is why the new Voyager is facepalming.

The only reuse of the mold was one that takes him at the end of the movie, and at a scene where he received a beating from an Optimus wearing Jetfire's corpse. This is the Battle Damaged variant, which gives him a more metal deco, bronze for the PVC parts, and a retooled face that has been shot by his own cannon before it was pulled off. I would love to have gotten this if it weren't for me already buying a Voyager that's not too different beyond the deco and head. This would have worked better if it came with an alternate head to make up for the lack of an accessory.

And here we have Megatron with Optimus, Blackout, and Starscream, which means we can recreate the Forest Battle! As for Megatron on his own, he makes for a great improvement compared to his previous forms. That said, I do wish he had a silver coat of paint, at least one accessory for his regular claw (or two if Hasbro made a Scalpel), and the wings of his jet mode that could cover up the torso like they could on a third party upgrade kit. At the very least, we have a Megatron design from the original trilogy that's done right in toy form. In fact, this is the first one we'll be seeing in the series. Later on, we'll check out Dark of the Moon Megatron and then see if MV1 Megatron is well-worth getting after more than 10 years without a new toy!

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Studio Series Brawl review

Whether he's called Brawl, Devastator, Decepticon Punk, or the tank Decepticon, this character had a Deluxe figure and a Leader Class figure in the original Movie line yet never had a Voyager. He had a Deluxe figure that was pretty weak compared to the contemporary options available, and the Leader Class figure was a much more accurate toy yet felt a lot more clunky when stacked next to later Leader Class figures like ROTF Optimus Prime and HFTD Starscream. A version of Brawl made in the Voyager Class would not be a reality until the Studio Series line was made, so let's see what the mean, green, fighting machine has in store!

Here we have Brawl in tank mode. A modified M1 Abrams tank mode with the additions of a cow-catcher and two missile pods because this Decepticon means firepower. With a camo deco and some bits of rivets to imply how this tank mode was built, Brawl does have that nice feel that a tank former should have.

I do wish the upper two barrels looked like they would match up better. They almost look like Jar Jar's face for some reason with how they look.

Here we have a comparison with the 2007 Deluxe and Leader. The Leader's deco is more apparent yet not as accurate as on either figure, and the treads on the Leader are the best, but the Voyager feels more accurate overall. Deluxe is good, though. I do find it weird that the Voyager's missile pods aren't facing forward. In general, all three of the tanks are good.

Transforming Brawl with the instructions is pretty annoying, and to make matters worse, mine didn't come with any instructions at all! There are some parts that don't look like they're possible to accomplish when you're unaware of how to transform him, such as when to rotate the turret in the robot mode position. That said, once you get the hang of it, you'll have less of a frustrating time transforming the toy, but it's still annoying to deal with.

Brawl's robot mode looks accurate, but there are two issues I have with the figure: The first issue is how the arms work, and the second issue is how the turret sticks out like some weird boner that'd give G1 Megatron a run for his money. Perhaps some would joke this Devastator has an enemy penis than an enemy scrotum found on the ROTF combiner. I wish you can hinge it to make it look like it's positioned to the hip like an underslung cannon. The arms, I do feel are, are a weird part of the toy. They are accurate,, but they don't look normal at the same time. Also, the hands are molded within the turret. The side does look good.

I will compliment the figure by having no big backpack like the original Deluxe and Leader, but I wish the turret was hidden better, and I also wish the hands were easier to see.

The face sculpt looks great, though I wish the eyes were easier to see. Perhaps there are fans that are more used to seeing him with the simpler head design, but that'd work more if the original Brawl figure was made for a Classics line of sorts.

Brawl's articulation is decent. Head is on a ball joint, shoulders swivel 360°, shoulders move in and out, a bicep swivel is added, and the elbows bend. The hips move front and back, in and out, there's a thigh swivel, and a bend at the knee.

Brawl's accessories complete the looks of his arms, as they add even more arsenal that he can unleash in Mission City! They include a missile rack on a blade and a claw with a gun attached. Standard accessories that Movie Brawl normally has.

For a size comparison, here he is next to his Deluxe self that I once owned and the Leader which I never got (even though they've been on shelves more than either Prime or Megatron did). In terms of accuracy, the Studio Series wins better, especially when it's more durable than the Deluxe figure (more on that later), but the Deluxe and Leader manage to win in terms of how the cannons are placed. The Deluxe has it on the arm, Megatron style, and the Leader has it on the hip.

The Deluxe and Voyager at least both handle the weapons in similar ways, but the Deluxe had you remove the cannon for a proper look of the missile pods, and without storage to boot, while the claw looks more intimidating on the Voyager than the Deluxe with its coloring. Also, the proportions of the head made me lower the treads so it can be easier; the Voyager's head looks better.

If there is a problem my Deluxe Brawl had, it's how the back and arms popped off. Too easily. And to make matters worse, this figure had the Allspark Power paint that made him look so bad.

Overall, Brawl's got some minor issues that kind of mess up his aesthetics, but he's still a great recreation of his old self with all the screen accuracy he could get! If you can get past the transformation, limitations of the turret, and the arms, you'll be quite content with this figure. He hasn't been repainted yet, but do expect a Deep Desert variant at some point.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Studio Series Lockdown review

Lockdown was amazing in Age of Extinction, and while he may look nothing like his Animated form, I kind of find the differences of their appearances pretty clever, with the Animated version being more monstrous-looking in a show that's more "kid-friendly" while the Movie incarnation looks more like a man in a suit compared to the more alien Decepticons in the realistic Movie continuity. Despite that, there was a ROTF Lockdown figure that looked closer to his appearance in Animated. While the original Deluxe Lockdown (and the ROTF figure by extension) were able to pull off a Deluxe figure with a tall robot made from a normal-sized car, the AOE Deluxe couldn't quite do that right. It not only relied on a transformation that was more well-known used on DOTM Roadbuster, but it also made him barely taller than, say, AOE Bumblebee.

While fans may be happy with Peru Kill, an unofficial Masterpiece incarnation of the character, those that wanted a better-done version of the character made for the Deluxe and Voyager collection had to either get a knockoff of the Deluxe that scales in robot mode or wait for 4 years to pass so there can be a new stab at the character in Deluxe scale, which means it's time to take at Studio Series Lockdown!

Here we have Lockdown in his Lamborghini Aventador mode. Such a slick altmode with the gorgeous gunmetal gray, the headlights & windows looking slick, and the tires actually being pinned on instead of relying on the ones that peg in. It's such a beautiful altmode that makes you think it'd belong in a toyline that has die-cast metal cars with opening doors, interiors sculpted nicely, and perfect accuracy to the real model.

It's a nicely done take of the character. In fact, I prefer the look of this over TLK Hot Rod's altmode. This one just feels more like a car that a businessman that isn't boring would ride in. I can almost get nostalgic from seeing the promo pics of Lockdown's altmode as revealed by Transformers movie director himself, Michael Bay.

But this is a Transformers toy, after all, so we gotta add some random crap on this car on the exterior, right? For weapon storage, there are two slots that his hook and blade can attach onto. 

For a vehicle comparison, here he is next to his AOE form. While the original AOE toy's altmode still does look good, it's ruined by a paint job that doesn't look as appealing on a car like this. Also, there's the Decepticon insignia that doesn't add to the look, especially when Lockdown was never a Decepticon to begin with. The worst part is how the windows were blue, which makes this AOE figure have a color crisis compared to the Studio Series version.

Transforming Lockdown is pretty involved, and with a transformation that isn't borrowed from another figure. It's more a case of straightening the limbs and collapsing the backpack, though at least it's a bit more different here than previously. Also, remember that there's a slight hinge on Lockdown's chest, so he can a bit more definition on his chest than if it were flat.

Lockdown's robot mode is pretty good. From the front, it's got a much more powerful look, certainly capturing his man in a suit appearance that the original Deluxe never had. From the side, the feet do look weird, and his arms are sadly obscured by the door panels, though thankfully the arms look decent. The backpack doesn't look that decent from the side, but at least from the back, it's not as chunky looking as it is on Jazz, as it's more broken up here.

Headsculpt feels right this time for Lockdown. The eyes are green, there's the folded up mask, and all the details that Lockdown's face should have on a toy are nicely sharp, without that stupid half-assed look that the original AOE figure had.

Articulation is alright. Head is on two joints (on a ball joint on one end and a hinge on another), shoulders are on ball joints, and the elbows bend and can swivel on the ball joint. There is a waist swivel, and the hips move back and forth, though moving them and the waist swivel is tricky as one gets in the way of the other. There is a thigh swivel, bends at the knee, and you can slightly hinge the feet forwards if you want.

For his accessories, he can hold his weapons with either the slots or his 5mm compatible hands. I do like the display options that are available, but I wish he had some firearms thrown into the mix. Maybe some added paint on the weapons would be nice too, though I'm glad they look good.

Here we have Lockdown next to his original AOE self. The differences give me vibes of those "Doctors hate him!" memes, especially when he manages to look a lot better than his original figure. I feel like a fool for getting too excited for this version of Lockdown when it first came out, especially now that we have a much better version of the character to display proudly!

While that version does come with the arm cannon, it's still not too elegant because of the missile feature making the toy look awkward. That and how there's a big protrusion for the 5mm port and weapon storage.

The figure has been repainted once, in the form of Shadow Raider, who was a faceless grunt on Lockdown's ship. I guess it'd be weird to see this figure have the exact same colors as Studio Series Lockdown, but while orange is a nice color, it's not really suitable for a character called "Shadow Raider". Maybe a metallic purple would have worked.

Overall, this version of Lockdown is great to own, even if there are some minor issues that pull it back a bit. It's nice for fans that collect mainline figures than 3P options can have a better-done Lockdown compared to what's been made in 2014. If you see this guy, pick him up!

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐