Review – Marvel Universe Red Hulk

Line: Marvel * Manufacturer: Hasbro * Year: 2009 * Ages: 4+

“Thundering out of the desert carrying weapons seemingly designed just for his powerful hands, the Red Hulk is determined to wipe every trace of the original Hulk from the Earth. Just as strong as his emerald counterpart, he has left a trail of destruction behind him. Those who have survived his passage are left to wonder who he really is, and where he will appear next.”
— from the card back

When I first spotted the Marvel Universe 3.75-inch Red Hulk one morning at Wal-Mart I glanced him over and then decided to pass. After all, I already had a basic Hulk (reviewed here) so I didn’t need another one. At least, that was what I thought at the time.

Unfortunately, shortly after seeing Red Hulk I ran across reviews at Infinite Hollywood and Articulated Discussion that showed me I was wrong. I did need a Red Hulk for my collection. But, as I’m sure you’ve already guessed, once I knew that I wanted one of these guys I couldn’t find him. For reasons I don’t understand, this figure is one of the toughest to find in the series. I guess either Hasbro is short-packing him or enough geeks want one that he constantly sells out. Either way, it wasn’t until a few months after I decided that I wanted a Red Hulk that I actually found one again.

As soon as I saw him on the peg that second time I snatched him up. And he’s a great addition to my growing Marvel Universe collection.

Red Hulk Punchy!

Built out of the basic Hulk sculpt (reviewed here), the only two new elements to the figure are the head and a new left hand. Where the original Hulk has an open hand that’s suitable for holding things this new design has a fist. It means this guy punches the crap out of everything in sight, which kinda goes against the text description on the card back and immediately identifies my one major complaint with this toy: Where are the weapons? The card back talks all about weapons but the toy doesn’t come with any accessories at all. Lame, lame, lame. And with only fists you can’t even give him any weapons from other toy lines.

Very poor choice, Hasbro.

Red Hulk Face Look Good!

Where the original Hulk action figure in this series was cursed with a terrible head sculpt this new Red Hulk has a head and face sculpt that looks a lot more like the reference artwork and is actually very well done. And unlike the green Hulk, where the head set lower on the body makes him look hunchbacked, the head better fits this body design so the figure doesn’t look like his head is sticking straight out from the front of his chest.

Red Hulk Painted Sloppy

Grrrrr. Why is it these toys always have some problem or other? As annoying as the lack of weapons is, it’s possible that the sloppy paint — look at the red on the teeth — is an even bigger problem than the toy not following its own description. The pants are pretty good, even if some of the blue slopped over to the red legs, with a dark wash bringing out the details of the sculpt, and the thumb nail paint is okay, but the head is sloppy enough to really be bothersome.

And unlike a lot of figures that are readily available, the Red Hulk’s rarity means that you can’t really toss him back and watch for a better paint job. This guy’s tough to find so if you skip one you may not see him again. I’m tempted to try painting the teeth but it really sucks that such a fun figure is damaged by sloppy paint.

Red Hulk FUN!

Despite the lack of weapons and the sloppy paint, I can say that this guy is really fun. Just like the green Hulk, it’s gotta be the size of the toy that really adds to his value. For $8 you’re getting a lot of plastic in the pack, and even if you already have a Marvel Universe Hulk I think this guy is neat enough that it’s worth grabbing him. Besides, if one Hulk is fun then two Hulks must be double the fun.

I should have grabbed the Gray Hulk when I saw him in stores. I’m betting he would look great on display with the two Hulks I’ve already got.

Closing Thoughts

I know I completely skipped any detailed discussion of this toy’s basic sculpting and articulation, but that’s only because I’ve covered all of that in my review of the green Hulk. This new toy would have been better with improved paint (a dark red wash over the body would have really made him look great) and weapons and at least one hand designed to hold weapons. But even with those flaws this is a toy that any Marvel action figure collector can enjoy and any kid who plays with his toys will love.

Christmas shopping time is coming soon so if you’re looking for a gift for a toy collector, and you get lucky enough to see one of these guys in stores, this would make an excellent present. It’s about $8, red, and a very fun design.

This is by no means the best action figure of 2009, but it is fun and that counts for a lot. I just wish he wasn’t so damned rare, since that means only those lucky enough to spot one in stores — or someone willing to spend $20 or more online — has a chance at getting one of these guys.

If you wanna spend some time looking over Hulk-related stuff run on over to Ratchet’s Hulk Collection. This blog is nothing but all Hulk, with info and photos of comics, statues, and toys packing the blog with almost too much Hulk action.

And if you want another opinion on the Red Hulk action figure than take a look at this review at Toyriffic. Sounds like Bubbashelby made the same mistake I did with this action figure:

“But he’s still an excellently sculpted figure and one I could not pass up twice (yes, I passed on him once, then regretted it, so I am glad and lucky he turned up again in my toy aisle meanderings.)”

It’s good to know I’m not the only guy who passed on a Red Hulk and then had to track one down.

Philip Reed loves the Marvel Universe action figure series. This is easily his favorite new toy line of 2009.