Review – Ultimate Spider-Man Titan Hero Series Action Figure
After I was so very happy with Hasbro’s new 12-inch Iron Man (review here) and Clone Trooper (review here) action figures there was no way that I could pass on this Ultimate Spider-Man Titan Hero Series action figure when I saw it at Target yesterday. Another $10 toy, this one’s got the same number of points of articulation as the Clone Trooper . . . but the articulation isn’t identical.
Swivel Calves?
You see the spot where the red and blue of Spider-Man’s costume meets below his knees? Well, that’s a swivel joint. The shoulders and hip swivel joints and the ball-jointed neck don’t confuse me at all, but those swivels at the calves have me sitting here trying to puzzle through why Hasbro would place a joint there. It’s clearly not for added play value, so all I can come up with was that there must have been a financial reason to add a joint in that spot. Is it really cheaper to create the lower legs/feet as a separate piece in cast plastic than to paint the plastic? This is a question I am going to put some time into discussing with experts.
Only $10
There is no doubt in my mind that some action figure collectors are not seeing the value in this new series from Hasbro, but when a toy like this towers over $15 and $20 toys at the store I strongly believe that younger kids and even parents will gravitate toward this toy before they will other action figures. Partly hollow, limited articulation, and a small number of character options is all very likely to be overwhelmed by perceived value when a kid with an allowance is looking through the toys.
I don’t expect this approach to be a monumental success for Hasbro, but I can easily see them coming back for a second year and bringing us a Captain America and maybe a Thor if stores like Wal-Mart and Target are happy with the speed of sales. And from what I have seen at the Austin stores these are selling quite well; better than the new Iron Man 3 3.75-inch scale action figures are anyway.
Closing Thoughts
As with the new 12-inch Iron Man (review here) and Clone Trooper (review here) action figures I am going to recommend taking a look at this Spider-Man the next time you are in the store. An over-sized classic Kenner toy with modern sculpting and a great price, this Titan Hero Series Spider-Man would make a fantastic gift for a five or six year old kid or a fun addition to a shelf of Spider-Man toys.
My only “huh?” with the toy is the odd decision to articulate the calves, but I truly believe that was a decision based on costs and the articulation at the calves in no way harms the toy. It’s just really weird and a slight downcheck on what’s otherwise a very neat toy that blends retro and modern design into one piece.
I’m sold. Reminds me of my old Mego Superman (and I think I had Spider-man and Lone Ranger). Kids should always be able to spend a modest amount on their allowance to get a popular character–in original duds.
So sick of spy-vision, armor-blast Batman from another universe.
That to me is the appeal of this one–he’s big (especially for a kid) and he’s colorful without being all wacky. And a kid can buy him without too much help from mom and dad.
I see they couldn’t be bothered to paint the back.
These things depress me. In theory I guess they could be decent, but they seem to fall short of the bar for even a cheap toy to me. If you’re going pass on articulation, maybe pre-pose the figure a little so it at least looks good in one pose? I guess Hasbro should be congratulated for not taking the Mattel approach and charging $20 though.
I’m loving these. I finally found the Star Wars figures today and picked up the Clone Trooper. I think it’s great. It’s the definition of a great toy. When I find the Marvel figures I’m gonna pick up both of them.
I could definitely see giving one of these to my young nephew. It’s the kind of thing he would drag around with him wherever he goes.
@Jay – I’ve grown to love the crazy Batman variants and now that I think about it kinda wish Mattel would produce a Power Attack Batman at this same size.
@stack32 – “If you’re going pass on articulation, maybe pre-pose the figure a little so it at least looks good in one pose?”
I’m actually happier with the neutral poses over the semi-articulated statues of the Spawn era. I suspect — and this is simply me speculating — that Hasbro ran studies and determined that kids find more value in the neutral stance than they do a figure that looks weird once you move an arm or leg out of the pre-designed pose.
@T-Rav – Totally agree with you on that Clone Trooper. It’s my favorite of all three of these that I’ve bought and reviewed.
@FigureFan Zero – And I think that’s ultimately what will determine whether these succeed or fail: Do kids cling to these toys and find them fun? I suppose we’ll know if Hasbro is back with new ones next year.
I am guessing it would be to avoid painting. By using the swivel joint to make the legs into two pieces, the lower leg could be cast in red, while the upper is cast in blue. That would be my theory, anyway.
@Wes GRogan – Yeah, the best I can figure is to save a paint app. I just thought a mold and plastic would cost more than paint. It’s a pretty weird spot for a joint, though.