Review – Dive Attack Spider-Man

Before I headed out for Hong Kong I managed to come across some of the new 3.75-inch scale Spider-Man action figures (mentioned here) so, thinking these would be a good fit with the excellent Marvel Universe action figure series, I bought a few of the new Spider-Man action figures.

So far I’ve only opened the Dive Attack Spider-Man, but after the poor showing of this action figure I’m not so sure if I’m as excited about this line as I thought I was.

Packaging

The new Spider-Man packaging is your basic blister card, which isn’t really surprising, and it’s got an attractive graphic design and color scheme that makes the figures pop out on store pegs. The blue design looks good, though I would have rather seen more artwork on the back of the card rather than the photograph of the toy. In the end the card design is neither good or bad; it’s simply functional.

A Great Look!

Just based on the preview photo online I was immediately drawn to the Dive Attack Spider-Man action figure, so when I found this series in stores he was the first toy I grabbed. I know that the whole “stealth, arctic, circus” costume concept (mostly used for Batman action figures) bothers a lot of people, but I’m actually pretty relaxed to this sort of idea these days and just try to enjoy the wackier — and more fun — designs. And Dive Attack Spider-Man definitely qualifies as wacky.

From the colors — metallic blue with red and orange — to the scuba accessories, everything about this action figure just screams hokey and screwy. And I love it! The sculpt is fantastic, the paint is crisp and clearly applied (not perfect, but as good as we can usually get out of a mass-market toy), and the entire package is just so goofy that I can’t help but enjoy the final design. This is the Spider-Man I expect to find in light-hearted cartoons and not a serious comic book, but if there’s one thing that Batman: Brave and the Bold* taught me is that there’s room in my heart for multiple takes on the same character. And this Spider-Man is absolutely right there with the Brave and the Bold action figures when it comes to fun.

The toy would have been a great addition to my Marvel 3.75-inch scale action figure collection . . . if it wasn’t for the terrible articulation.

An Articulation Disaster

Where the Marvel Universe action figure series clearly shows Hasbro’s undisputed mastery of the 3.75-inch scale action figure market, this Dive Attack Spider-Man is cut from the same (terrible) cloth as the Wolverine and the X-Men Magneto action figure I reviewed last year (review here). With only seven points of articulation, it’s unbelievable that this Spider-Man was released in the same year as the Marvel Universe Spider-Man (review here) action figure.

So what are the seven points? Ball-hinge shoulders, hips, and ankles, and a ball-jointed head. That’s it! No elbow joints. No knee joints. No waist joint or ab crunch. Even single-hinge knees and elbows would have been a drastic improvement over what we were given. And since these action figures cost EXACTLY the same amount as the Marvel Universe action figures, and the Spider-Man series isn’t even part of the Fury Files project, it leaves us wondering where the money went when Hasbro created this toy.

The Game

Oh, so that’s where the money went. Well, I’ve gotta say that while a card game packed with action figures could be cool, the game that Hasbro gave us is barely a step up from the game that’s included in the Marvel Handful of Heroes toys (review here).

Three game cards (which do look kinda neat; I like the diecut shape) and a rulesheet with the instructions is all you get for the game. The game doesn’t even actually use the action figures, and the rules are little more than a complex “rock, scissors, paper” with numbers. It’s not the worst game that has ever been published, but I would have happily skipped the game if it would have meant better articulation.

Closing Thoughts

I was very excited when I first heard about this series, because I thought for sure that the toys were going to fit in seamlessly with my Marvel Universe collection. Deep down I even kinda feared that the Spider-Man action figures in the line would be built off of the Marvel Universe Spider-Man action figures with new paint and accessories, but looking back I now wish that Hasbro had done exactly that.

In the end all I’ve got is a stiff, wooden Spider-Man action figure who looks cool but can’t do anything beyond stand there like a rock. No dynamic poses. No crouched, ready for attack dioramas. No fun at all.

If all that this toy had done was make me unhappy about the quality of the new Spider-Man action figure line then I could have hidden the toy in the closet and moved on. Instead I’m now left wondering if the upcoming 3.75-inch scale Iron Man 2 action figures (mentioned here) are also going to be plagued with poor articulation. I hope not, because it’s gonna crush my soul if the new Iron Man action figures aren’t every bit as good as my Marvel Universe action figures.

*Affiliate link: Orders using this link earn battlegrip.com cash, which is applied to buying toys.

Philip Reed is gonna hide this Spider-Man toy and try not to think about the other two action figures in this series that he already bought. Maybe there will be something miraculous and the other two action figures will actually have decent articulation. Probably not, but Philip can dream as long as he doesn’t open the packs.