Review – Marvel Universe Hulk
“The Hulk claims to be the strongest one there is. That isn’t quite true. Under normal circumstances, the mighty Thor, the Abomination, the Glob, the Juggernaut and quite a few others are just as strong or stronger than everyone’s favorite greenskinned Goliath. However, circumstances can rarely be called normal when they involve the Hulk. While he can usually lift 70 tons without breaking a sweat, the Hulk is an inhuman engine of destruction whose strength increases in direct proportion with his anger. The longer a battle lasts, the stronger he gets and there doesn’t seem to be any limit to his strength.”
— from Hulk: The Incredible Guide
Easily the largest figure in the Marvel Universe 3.75-inch series, the Hulk is massive. In the package (see below) he fills the blister more than any other release in the series. And the weight — in comparison to the other figures — is shocking. You don’t quite appreciate how big and heavy the Hulk is until you hold him in your hands; I know that I was surprised even after seeing the photos online (check out this review at www.articulateddiscussion.com for some excellent shots).
The Hulk is packaged in the standard card, just like the other figures in this series, with the card back taunting me by showing Captain America (where are you, Cap?). Unfortunately, the code for www.furyfiles.com doesn’t work yet; I guess the Hulk hit stores before the site was ready for him.
But none of that matters once you get the package open because the Hulk is so damned big and heavy that the instant you touch his cool, hard plastic you’re ready to start playing with him.
Hulk Ugly!
The instant the weight and size of the Hulk stops overwhelming your senses you notice just how ugly his face is. This has got to be one of the worst of the 3.75-inch figures in this series, with the Punisher being the only figure I’ve bought that’s even uglier. (Poor, poor Punisher. Why did the sculptors hate you so much?) The Hulk’s head is a little too small for his body, it’s set down to low (his neck is kinda sticking out of his chest), and his forehead is way too big. Way, way, way too big. Not to mention his hair is pretty goofy. The Hulk could use a new head and face . . . maybe in a future wave Hasbro will give us a revised Hulk.
Hulk Awesome!
Once you get past his ugly, odd-sized head, the Hulk’s actually a very cool toy. His articulation isn’t the greatest, with his muscles limiting his range of movement, but the fact that the designers gave him a closed fist for smashing and an open hand (which is sized perfectly for the Hulk to hold other action figures) more than makes up for the articulation issues. Every joint feels strong, though, so he may just be as durable as a Hulk action figure should ever be; in fact, most of the Marvel Universe figures have had pretty tough joints so whatever problems the series has, Hasbro appears to be making toys that are suitable for actually hitting the floor. Now that I think about it, the appearance issues of the figures really has no effect on play value, so these may actually be toys first and collectibles second. That’s never a bad thing.
And what’s very nice is that fact that the Hulk is so stable that he can easily stand when he’s holding another action figure over his head. So far I’ve had the Hulk hold G.I. Joe, Star Wars, DC Universe Infinite Heroes, Indiana Jones, and Glyos System figures and he’s taken each one without any problems at all. Great toy!
It’s really, I have to say, the Hulk’s size and weight that makes him such an impressive toy. While he’s technically a little undersized in comparison to the other figures in the series, he’s big enough that I’m happy with him.
Closing Thoughts
The review at www.articulateddiscussion.com says:
“The Hulk is an inherently fun character that lets us see what it would be like to live with unbridled aggression. He’s got an amazing history and a huge base of fans for a reason, because he’s just fun. This toy takes that already enjoyable character and brings him to life in your hands, although not perfectly, it’s still a joy to play with.”
I can agree with that assessment. When I first saw photos of the Hulk online I couldn’t get past how ugly his face looked. It wasn’t until I held him — and started playing with him — that I realized how neat a toy he actually is. He’s actually the only Marvel Universe figure I’ve picked up so far that doesn’t feel quite so overpriced. Sure he doesn’t come with any accessories, but in terms of plastic volume the Hulk’s got more mass to him than any other figure in the line (and maybe even more total plastic than a lot of 5-inch and 6-inch action figures).
If you can get past his ugly face and tiny head then I think you’ll find that the Hulk is a great addition to your 3.75-inch action figure collection. Even now I’m planning to see how many G.I. Joe vehicles the Hulk can hold over his head; I’m betting that the Cobra Trouble Bubble won’t be a problem for him to handle.
Philip Reed smash ugly-faced Hulk! Sculptors must redeem themselves and immediately give Hulk new head!
I bet the Hulk would look pretty good attacking the MOBAT from the G.I. Joe Ultimate Battle Pack.
I actually kind of like the Hulk’s ugly face. At this point, Hulk and Stealth Iron Man seem to be my main targets for this line.
The Hulk is what made me initially balk when looking at the line. When I found the regular Hulk figure from the last movie line, I found my perfect 1:18 scale Hulk. His eyes look terrible, but a couple of dabs of paint and he’s better than ever. He’s quite poseable, and you can get him super cheap right now at most retail stores. He’s better scaled with the MU figures too!