POP! Marvel: Thanos (Infinity War)

Well, in just a few more days Avengers: Infinity War will finally be upon us. This is the big event that the MCU has been building to over the last 10 years, ever since the release of Iron Man in 2008. Stuff is going to go the h*ck down.

Or will it? The MCU has been surprisingly conservative when it comes to stuff like character deaths, and after almost twenty films the overall feel is akin to a soap opera – big events happen, but their overall consequences feel minimal. Still, I’ve enjoyed the ride and I’m sure it will be another solid entry into the franchise.

Naturally the merchandise train has long since left the station and crashed into your local toy store – which brings us to today’s review, Thanos!

Now, I gave up on collecting MCU POPs some time ago, because I didn’t feel the desire to update a bunch of core characters every time a new film came out. Still, I like Thanos as a character and I felt this POP had a look heavily distinct from the POP he got back in 2015.  

It’s a pretty decent figure; I liked the helmeted, ceremonial look of Thanos back in Guardians of the Galaxy, but this is a fresh take. This time he’s also wearing the Infinity Gauntlet itself, with all of the Infinity Gems in place. Paint is pretty solid, and while it’s not as big as the previous POP I think it’s a lot more effective at conveying personality. There’s no chase, but there is a chrome version which appears to be some kind of convention exclusive. Personally, I’d like a glow version, but only time will tell whether we get one.

Super fans can also opt for the 10'' version, which is the same sculpt but substantially larger. Additionally, there's a new 6'' POP with Thanos sitting on his throne on its way too. Last but not least, there's a Wal-Mart* exclusive, which uses the same base body but has a different head and left arm. He’s also got some kind of glittery energy field emerging from the glove. I like the new face and the overall concept, but it doesn’t quite do it for me.

Y’know, it wouldn’t surprise me if we don’t actually see very much of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. Yeah, he’s got a bunch of toys on the shelves – but the Infinity Stones haven’t been assembled yet and there’s still another Avengers film to come in 2019. Not to mention that the merchandising suggests there are going to be a bunch of new characters introduced into a film that’s already pretty stuffed with existing characters.

Nonetheless, Thanos has taken a huge leap in popularity in recent years, thanks to his inclusion in the MCU. Infinity War is likely to boost that popularity even further, and I suspect this POP will be a strong seller.

*JB Hi-Fi exclusive in Australia – presumably New Zealand too

POP! Rides – Ghost Rider (Glow in the Dark)

Today's review is best enjoyed while listening to Hell Bent for Leather by Judas Priest.

Way back in 2013, Funko released their original Ghost Rider POP. It’s still one of the best Marvel figures they’ve released; though more recent figures are more detailed and include an impressively broad scope of characters*, it has an elegant simplicity which puts many other POPs to shame.

Of course, that POP is now discontinued and outrageously expensive on the secondary market. But never fear! While Funko don’t tend to reissue old POPS very often, they have been pretty good in the last year or so about re-releasing old characters with new moulds. And so today we take a look at Ghost Rider with his bike, courtesy of the POP! Rides range.

Judging by the leather daddy Evel Knievel-style costume, I’m assuming this is the Johnny Blaze iteration of the character. I kind of prefer the Danny Ketch costume that the original POP used, but both are great. As I noted back in my review of the original, Ghost Rider is a character who you can appreciate on a purely visual level; fortunately, it’s something that applies to pretty much all of Ghost Rider’s incarnations over the years.  

He’s an all-new sculpt. I don’t think anyone would have been surprised if he reused the original head sculpt, but instead they’ve opted for something different. I think it’s maybe just a shade big (even by POP standards), but it’s hard to tell without being able to actually take him off the bike.

And on that note…most of the POP Ride range has had removable drivers, and so if you own the original figure I daresay you’ll be wondering if you can yank this new one off and slot the original on. Sadly, the answer is no. This new iteration of Ghost Rider is glued on. That’s maybe understandable from a logistical perspective, but still a bit of a bummer; this one would still look pretty good standing on his own as well.

As for the bike…it’s pretty rad. The flames are well painted and “tastefully” placed, so it provides a good illusion of motion without ever being overpowering. However, it is quite realistic in its scale and proportions. I can’t help but think they maybe should have gone a little cartoonier as they have with some of the vehicles to better fit the aesthetic. With that said, it does match the style Funko established Daryl’s bike back in 2014. I’m not 100% certain, but I’m pretty sure at least some of those pieces have been reused/retooled here.

There are two versions of this Ghost Rider available – regular and glow in the dark. Both are pretty great, but getting the glow version was a must for me. The glow seems to have been selling out more quickly, but I don’t think either is necessarily rarer than the other, which is nice.  

If you have the original, now you have a different iteration of the character on a bike, and if you missed out then you have a much more cost-effective way of adding a Ghost Rider to your collection. Ghost Rider on a bike is a must-buy, no matter how dedicated or casual a fan you are of the character. It has some minor shortcomings, but none are dealbreakers. He’s easily one of the best POP figures I’ve bought all year.

*Let’s be honest, does anyone really know who the Inhumans are?

POP! Marvel: Captain Marvel (Masked)

In spite of sharing a name with the company the character is from, Captain Marvel has actually been fairly C-list until the last couple of years. The original iteration of the character was probably most notable as being a superhero who died and actually stayed dead for more than 5 minutes. But thanks to Ms Marvel taking up the title in the comics a few years ago and a Brie Larson-led film on the way in 2019, Captain Marvel’s star is ascendant at the moment. Naturally enough, this has translated into her getting her own Funko POP.

And it’s a nice take on the character, too. The sculpt is something of a throwback to Funko’s simpler days, which keeps it looking consistent on my Marvel shelf. The paint could be tighter, but it’s not a bad rendition on the whole. My only real criticism is that I don’t love the dark blue used…it doesn’t pop (ha) on the shelf in the way I think it should. Maybe a gloss tone would have fixed this?

I actually picked this figure up late last year, and various things have prevented me from reviewing it until now – she was actually released part of the same wave as She-Hulk and Dr Strange. The basic figure was the unmasked version, while this masked version was exclusive to GTS Distribution in the USA. Here in Australia it was just a regular release as far as I could tell; either way, neither version seems to be selling for crazy money or anything. You should have an easy enough time tracking one down if you want it.

Final verdict? I’m pretty neither here nor there on the character at the moment – I’m not familiar enough with her comics – but it matches the current look nicely and the mohawk is a cool distinctive feature. Fun, if non-essential to my collection.   

POP! Marvel – She-Hulk (Glow in the Dark)

Company: Funko

Year: 2017

NB: This is mostly a rework of my earlier She-Hulk POP review, with some updated notes.

2016 was an interesting time to be a She-Hulk fan, as *SPOILER ALERT* she was apparently killed 

off in Issue 1 of Civil War II.  In news that shocked no-one, it turns out that it wasn’t a real death at all, and now she’s headlining her own series, called simply Hulk.

Debuting in 1980 as Hulk’s angry female cousin, She-Hulk has been an Avenger, a member of the Fantastic Four and quite successful in her own right, too. She’s never attained A-lister status, but she’s carved out her own little niche in the Marvel Universe -- and to be honest, I find her a lot more endearing than the Incredible Hulk. Marvel’s female characters have been gaining an increased prominence over the last few years, thanks to reinventions (like Ms Marvel becoming Captain Marvel) and new additions (such as Spider-Gwen), so it’s good to see some of that goodwill overflow to She-Hulk too. Time will tell how long this new title will last, but unfortunately in recent years poor ol’ She-Hulk has not fared well in her solo titles. 

This is a re-release of the same She-Hulk we saw a few months ago, but now she glows in the dark. Most of the other characters from this wave are still easily available, and it was a good one: Spider-Gwen, Captain Marvel, (comics)Dr Strange, Dr Octopus and (comics) Falcon. I’m not partial to all of these characters, but the designs look pretty great on all of them.  

Glow version on left, original on right

This particular costume isn't her first one, but most of them have been some kind of leotard or swimsuit in the purple/white colour scheme, so it slots in well with most incarnations of the character. However, she first adopted this particular one after leaving the Fantastic Four and rejoining the Avengers – it’s quite similar to the one from her FF days, bar the colour.  

I mentioned in my original review that buying a She-Hulk POP would leave you with a trade-off – how visible the mould line on the chin is, vs how sloppily the costume is painted. This is still an issue to some degree, but given the overall “softer” look of the glow in the dark plastic, the mould line is hidden more effectively – and the paint does seem to be neater than the first release.

Given that I was correct in guessing that there would be a glow She-Hulk, I still suspect we could see a few variants further down the line – a Fantastic Four She-Hulk, and maybe some purple/white paint variations.

As with the first version, She-Hulk has a great colour scheme that stands out nicely on the superheroes shelf. The green is a little more muted than the original, but to the casual observer this will be the main difference between the two. And the glow feature itself? Funko has had a mixed bag with plenty of its prior releases, but this one glows nice and brightly. So I prefer this version of the two, but either is a good choice.   

POP! Marvel – Doctor Strange

Series: POP! Marvel

Year: 2016

Company: Funko

I’ll confess – I have only a passing familiarity with the good Doctor here, primarily through The Infinity Gauntlet. He played an important role in that story, after discovering the Silver Surfer near-powerless in his attic (as one does). But he actually debuted back in 1963, one of Marvel’s first supernaturally themed superheroes. Though never as controversial as say, Ghost Rider or Son Of Satan, he still managed to find himself in a bit of hot water back in the early 1990s, when the cover of one of his issues used the unauthorised likeness of then-prominent Christian singer Amy Grant. Marvel eventually had to come to an out-of-court settlement on that one, though I doubt the whole situation would raise the same kind of ire these days.    

The first thing you’ll probably notice is that this POP is quite heavy, due to the cape attachments on both his shoulders and head. It’s quite a clever solution, actually – attaching part of the cape to the head means that the bobble is retained without massively disrupting the look.

Doctor Strange has had a few costumes over the years, but this is his best-known look. And boy is it a product of its time! It’s a great martial artist meets wizard combo – and though definitely dated, it offers a nice contrast to the usual superhero spandex garb. Benedict Cumberbatch looks to be wearing very similar garb in the upcoming film, though the colours are a little more muted. Speaking of which, the colours all contrast nicely with one another, with the exception of the orange gloves. Online research seems to indicate that his gloves are usually yellow – maybe he’s meant to be casting a spell here or something? Or perhaps it’s a Marvel style guide thing. The control art on the box renders the gloves a slightly different shade to his sash and cape trim, but the difference isn’t this extreme. Hopefully a running change fixes it later.  

On the upside, his hands have been sculpted in his signature spellcasting/heavy metal/webslinging poses. Which makes me think wishfully – we’ve had an Ozzy POP, could we get a Dio one sometime soon? Also, intentionally or not, his arms sort of mimic the traditional Baphomet pose from Eliphas Levi’s famous illustration, though his hands are held quite differently. Sinister hidden symbolism? I’m not one for conspiracy theories, but I’m sure there will be at least one parent out there that stops their kid from buying it for exactly that reason.   

The Eye of Agamotto holds the cape on at his neck, though it probably could have been picked out a little more with paint – for all its importance to the character, it’s barely noticeable here. The rest of the paint is fine; the hairlines could be a bit neater. The only odd choice is that the lower half of the cape is actually cast in blue, and then painted red. It seems an odd choice – I can only assume it was a costing thing at the factory; there’s no other reason it makes sense. 

Doctor Strange is a character I’d like to read more of, particularly in light of his upcoming debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’m mostly planning to check out his 1970s adventures, as I suspect the film will draw most heavily from that era; but if anyone has any suggestions, I’m more than happy to hear them – list them in the comments below. 

POP! Marvel – She-Hulk

She-Hulk 

Series: POP! Marvel

Company: Funko

Year: 2016

Well, it’s an awkward time for She-Hulk to debut as a POP because *SPOILER ALERT* it seems that she’s just been killed off in Issue 1 of Civil War II. Whether this is a real death or simply a cliffhanger remains to be seen, of course – and let’s not forget that death is rarely permanent in comics.

Debuting in 1980 as Hulk’s angry female cousin, She-Hulk has been an Avenger, a member of the Fantastic Four and quite successful in her own right, too. She’s never attained A-lister status, but she’s carved out her own little niche in the Marvel Universe -- and to be honest, I find her a lot more endearing than the Incredible Hulk. Marvel’s female characters have been gaining an increased prominence over the last few years, thanks to reinventions (like Ms Marvel becoming Captain Marvel) and new additions (such as Spider-Gwen), so it’s good to see some of that goodwill overflow to She-Hulk too.   

It’s a while since Marvel released any non-movie related POPs – I think Daredevil might have been the last one, actually – and this wave is a good one: She-Hulk, Spider-Gwen, Captain Marvel, Dr Strange, Dr Octopus and (comics) Falcon. I’m not partial to all of these characters, but the designs look pretty great on all of them. With the imminent arrival of the Dr Strange movie, I’ll probably end up picking that one up too.  

This particular costume isn't her first one, but it is probably her best-known. She first adopted it after leaving the Fantastic Four and rejoining the Avengers, so it's not a huge coincidence that the two costumes look quite similar, save for their colour. 

But… as much as I like the design, buying a She-Hulk POP will leave you with a trade-off – how visible the mould line on the chin is, vs how sloppily the costume is painted. I went with a slightly more prominent mould line than I would have liked -- it's not very obvious in the picture, but it's very noticeable in person -- and a relatively neat costume. There were 8 to pick from when I bought her, and this was really the best overall option. Custom painters will no doubt be capable of addressing these issues, but it’s a pain nonetheless.

We could see a few variants further down the line – a Fantastic Four She-Hulk and/or a Gamma Glow-in-the-dark She-Hulk. I’ve got my fingers crossed for a glow version, as aside from being awesome, it would make the mould line much less prominent. But we’ll just have to wait and see.

She-Hulk is a good purchase for fans of the character. For more casual fans like myself, she’s got a great colour scheme that stands out nicely on the superheroes shelf.

POP! Marvel Daredevil

Company: Funko

Series: POP! Marvel

Year: 2015

Daredevil has easily been one of my favourite TV series for this year, and – true confession time – one of the few new series I’ve watched this year. It added a really good slant to the MCU, and while the surprisingly upbeat ending felt a bit at odds with the tone of the other episodes, it was still thoroughly enjoyable. Season 2 is eagerly anticipated. It was made even more enjoyable by my relative ignorance of the character; I know he's blind (but can virtually see anyway) and that Elektra died, but not too much more than that. The show really sold me on a character who I previously associated with the fun but heavily flawed Ben Affleck film. 

So now we have The Man Without Fear himself rendered in Funko form. There are currently two versions available, the red outfit reviewed today and his yellow “first appearance outfit”. That one's not out in Australia yet, but has been available in the US for a while.

There is very little paint, which I think is a good thing; it’s not really necessary to render the costume effectively. But if there was nothing but cast red plastic, it would be a bit dull – so a few select details have been picked out in a slightly different shade of red, namely his “eyes”, gloves, billy clubs, holster and boots. The string binding his billy clubs/walking cane together is painted black, and a black tampograph of his “DD” logo decorates his chest. He’s quite good; from the front, he’s almost perfect in fact. On the back of his head, he has some white marks – I’m not sure if this is stray paint, abrasions from being dropped, mould or glue. Not a major drama, but I was a little annoyed considering how well done everything else had been. Incidentally, he is a MUCH brighter red than you see here -- my photo set-up at home is quite primitive, which I hope to rectify soon.     

I’ll be a little surprised if we don’t see some TV-based Daredevil POPs, but it may take a while. Sometimes Marvel’s wheels seem to spin a little slowly – for example, in spite of Agent Coulson’s breakout popularity since the release of The Avengers, he only just got a POP this year. While I’m not entirely sure on the actual Daredevil costume that’s worn in the show, I am a big fan of the black ninja-esque costume he wears for most of the series -- so the sooner Funko get cracking on that, the better. In the meantime, this a great comic-based version, well worth picking up for any Marvel fan.   

POP! Marvel -- Captain America (Unmasked)

Year: 2015

Company: Funko

Series: POP! Marvel

I didn’t really come round to Cap until I read The Ultimates 1 & 2 miniseries, back in about 2006. He went from being (in my mind) a one-note jingoistic caricature to being a well-rounded character. The first series gave a really impressive showcase of how powerful the character was, while the fight between him and Colonel Abdul al-Rahman in the second series was genuinely affecting – well done, on both counts, Mr Mark Millar.

Chris Evans’ take on the character is fairly distinct from the Ultimates version (definitely not as violent), but he’s still pretty cool. So today we take look at the most recent POP release of Captain America. It’s the unmasked version, which is a Funko Convention Exclusive for 2015. Cap here is on active duty – I threw out the box, which is anathema to some collectors. But the box was dinged up and so was the plastic tray inside, so I’m sure you can forgive me.

As far as I can tell, the body and shield is identical to the regular masked release, with the difference coming in the head – it looks like a unique piece to me, though I suspect we’ll see it reused again next year, for reasons I’ll reveal a bit later. 

The paint is mostly clean, but you can see that the blue the body’s cast in is difficult to paint over. The reds and whites on his uniform aren’t quite as bright as they should be as a result, but you could kind of just pretend this is battle wear and tear if you’re bothered by it. 

On the downside, the shield was slightly warped on closer inspection; it’s a slightly softer plastic than the rest of him. It’s not major though; I didn’t notice it in the box, so it's not a deal-breaker.   

Overall, is this one as good as the regular version? Well, given that Cap spends about the same amount of time with his mask/helmet off as on, the answer is yes. But I wouldn’t recommend paying the convention premium on eBay. With Captain America: Civil War coming next year, there are likely to be a whole bunch of new Cap POPs on the way – and I’ll be very surprised if at least one of them isn’t an unmasked one, reusing this head. So maybe wait a few months and see how things go.      

On a side note, I’ve noticed POPs have been rising in price of late. I started collecting them in early 2013 and I believe they were still retailing for $15AUD at the time. Now they’ve just hit the $18AUD mark, which is getting a little too pricey for my tastes. This guy cost me slightly more than that, as he’s a convention exclusive. To my mind, though, the price should either be going down or holding steady. I’m sure that some aspect of the economics is getting past me here, but Funko POPs are far more readily available now than they were even a year ago – this suggests to me that they are selling gangbusters, which would presumably drive production costs down. However, it’s possible that the cost on new moulds and licenses is driving things up overall. Fair enough, but I think I will have to get out of the game if they go up much more. 

POP! Marvel: Rocket and Potted Groot (Summer Convention 2015 Exclusive)

Back in 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy was released and rapidly took the box office – and the rest of the world – by storm. It was something of a surprise hit, as the property is pretty obscure even among comic fans, but it was pretty clear from the opening minutes that Marvel had something pretty special on their hands.

Though I enjoyed all of the main characters, my favourites were the two who could have so easily been the worst parts of the film – Groot and the subject of today’s article, Rocket Raccoon. A plush toy in the making, accompanied by a tree, who only repeats the words “I am Groot” over and over again? That sounds dreadful on paper. But in execution it was funny, charming – and in one of the film’s climatic scenes – surprisingly moving.

So here we are, almost a year and a half later, looking at the most recent addition to the Guardians of the Galaxy Funko POP! line – Rocket with Potted Groot. Characters who aren’t of regular human proportions don’t always look so great when translated into POP form. I was a little unsure on Rocket when I first saw his POP design, and I couldn’t say I’m totally sold on it as yet. But it’s grown on me. Not great on his own, but when taken with Groot they’re a pretty cool pair.      

Of course, this is theoretically a convention exclusive, so it needs to have something to distinguish it from the regular versions – hence the miniature Groot! It largely reuses the original Rocket sculpt, though he has a new right arm to cradle the potted Groot (who is very cute, in spite of the details being a little soft). Rather than his orange jumpsuit, he’s also been repainted in a Nova Corps blue. I don’t think it’s super film-accurate, but he does wear something similar near the end of the movie.   

So, the final verdict – the thing you all came here for. Mine has a black paint streak across his forehead, which is a little annoying, but not a deal-breaker. I actually think he turned out very well – I think that this guy should have been given a more mainstream release, given that he’s distinct from the increasingly innumerable Groot and Dancing Groot releases.

With that said, Popcultcha has him and I even saw him show up in a Co-Op Bookshop near Central Station in Sydney, so you’ll probably have an easier time getting him than most of the other SDCC exclusives. Nonetheless, I’d be surprised if we don’t see a regular release repaint at some point in the future – maybe in Reaver colours or something. Worth tracking down if you can find him at the right price.  

POP! Marvel Black Suit Spider-Man

Series: POP! Marvel

Year: 2015

RRP: $16.95

Though I own a whole bunch of POPs, this is actually the first Peter Parker Spider-Man I’ve bought. I’ve toyed with getting one of the comics-based ones, but to be honest I’m just not that huge a fan of him these days. But the Black Suit (or Symbiote suit, if you want to get technical) is probably my favourite costume of all the different versions he’s had over the years.

To cut a long story short, Spider-Man was on an alien planet as part of the Secret Wars (the 1980s one, not the 2015 one), and ended up bringing an alien life form back to earth with him – the symbiote. After a while, Spider-Man worked out that his new “suit” was causing him a few problems and got rid of it. But eventually it would find a new host – Eddie Brock, who we all know as that most 90s of comic villains, Venom.

Like his series/wave-mate Spider-Man 2099, this figure is built on the basic body, with the details coming from the tampos and paintwork. This might seem a little cheap, but it’s actually pretty true to the first appearance of the suit – you’ll notice there are a few blue highlights, but it’s otherwise flat and solid black. Blue highlights often look rubbish when translated to 3D form, so I’m glad that they have been left off here. 

This guy has been out in the US for a while, so far as I understand, but only seems to have made his way to Australia in the last month or so. The whole wave is Spider-Man themed, featuring the Punisher (who debuted in Spider-Man comic, before you get on your high horse), Venom and Spider-Man 2099. It’s a welcome change from the last couple of years; save for the X-Men wave released earlier in 2015, Marvel POPs! have been very heavily dominated by the movie universe for a couple of years. Most of these are great, of course, but it’s good to have some comic-based stuff too. This guy is highly recommended for Spider-fans. Hopefully we’ll soon see an Iron Spider released too.

Funko POP! Marvel: Venom

Company: Funko

Series: POP! Marvel 

Year: 2015

If we rewind time back to the early- to mid-1990s, take a trip down to the local newsagent and pick up a comic book, the odds are pretty strong that it will be DARK and EDGY, filled with impossibly muscular men and woman who do SERIOUS THINGS while looking GRIM AND DETERMINED. Not because it really serves the plot, enhances the character or anything like that, but it’s mostly because that’s what the trend was at the time. You thought Batman was dark and brooding in the 70s or the 80s? Well, old man, SPAWN is here and he’s got more inner turmoil and EDGY ARTWORK than a thousand Frank Millers could ever bring to boring old Batman.  

It’s easy to make fun of the “90s edge”, of course, but it did give us some fun comics and some very cool characters – one of them being Venom (even though he debuted in 1988). He has a cast a long shadow over the Spider-Man Universe that very few characters will ever manage to equal. Time has diluted his impact and character design, and he’s been spun-off into a zillion different other symbiotes – but though I’ve never been particularly huge Spider-Man fan, I have a lot of respect for Venom. Which is why I picked up this Funko POP!

I mentioned in my Spider-Man 2099 review that Funko had presumably released that figure to get a new character into circulation with minimum cost. Well, at least some of these cost-savings have been funnelled into Venom – he’s got an elaborate head with sculpted eyes, spiky teeth and protruding tongue. His legs and torso seem to be from the basic Funko body, but the arms and hands are all new – his fingers are long and claw-like, which befits the character’s vicious streak. The regular body just would have done it here.  

The sculpting work is great, but on the downside, paint is likely to be an issue. Venom’s “spider logo” is pretty clean I’ve seen on the three examples I’ve run into in person – but the face is a different story. The mouth, tongue and teeth are likely to have small points of slop that you’ll have to be okay with, but the eyes are a little tricker. Depending on the example you find, they can be pretty good – like the pictured example – but the chances of issues like missing spots or overspray are quite high. Such is the nature of buying POPs. Funko’s improved a lot, but there’s still plenty of room for more improvement. 

Though I don’t think he’s perfect – I always imagine Venom being particularly large in comparison with regular characters, and he’s kind of regular height here – I think he’s turned out pretty darn well. As with Spider-Man 2099, this guy is highly recommended for any Spider-fan and for anyone who likes the 1990s in general.

Ghost Rider – Funko POP! Marvel

Today's review is best enjoyed while listening to Hell Bent for Leather, from Judas Priest. 

Series: POP! Marvel

Company: Funko

Year: 2013

I’ve been on a bit of a Marvel kick over the last week or so, a lot of it driven by the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron. So we continue that today with the Ghost Rider Funko POP!

Now I must confess that I don’t think I’ve ever read a complete Ghost Rider comic – I know a little bit about his backstory, but I think that like Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider is a character who you can appreciate on a purely visual level, without knowing too much about the character. He looks like a total cliché tattoo design – a biker with a flaming skull for a head –but that’s what makes him so cool!  

However, I did watch the first Ghost Rider film, back in 2007 – as many of you will know, it was dreadful. I didn’t get around to seeing the second, though trusted friends assure me it’s far worse. It’s a shame, as it could have been really great, but was hindered at many points. I’m sure this was at least in part (though not entirely) due to his “hellish”* origins and the way some of that had to be tiptoed around for a mainstream movie – what probably should have been quite a dark and disturbing movie was turned into a near-unwatchable embarrassment.

   

Nonetheless, in early 2013 Ghost Rider got a POP! release from Funko, probably at least in part as a result of the second film coming out in 2012. There have been a few different people who’ve taken up the Ghost Rider mantle over the year, and this one most resembles the second iteration, Danny Ketch.

The original Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) was a stunt rider, and his outfit was kind of like a jumpsuit, with a big 1970s collar. Danny Ketch, by contrast, wore a biker outfit – grey pants (probably jeans), leather jacket with spikes and massive chains. He got a Judas Priest makeover, basically. It’s the look I prefer for the character, but that might also be because it’s the one that was current when I was a kid. In his hand he holds one of his signature chains, which is a great touch. Would be nice if it was flaming but you can’t have everything. Aside from that, it looks like a major retool of the basic Funko body -- distinct from other figures in the line, but without deviating massively from their signature style.     

Paint is mixed. Funko are generally fine with paint these days, but two years ago they tended towards “adequate” and not much better. Ghost Rider fits that mould – his face has been notably touched up around the nose and mouth. The spikes that dot his belt, gloves and wrists are all sloppy, too. But that said I like the solution they came up with for his flaming head – the whole thing is cast in a semi-translucent orange plastic, with the “skull” parts being painted on later. Though the execution is a little off, it’s a good concept.  

There are three versions of this POP that I’m aware of – the regular one (reviewed here today), glow in the dark and metallic. The metallic one doesn’t look so great...as might be expected, the glow in the dark version would be my preference, but it’s now quite expensive, and I’m not really willing to fork out exorbitant sums for him. Indeed, just the regular one will probably cost you a little more than you might expect, as he doesn’t seem to be in production any longer.       

I skipped Ghost Rider on first release and picked up on a bit of a whim when it turned out I had the chance to get him again – but he is a good POP that will look quite distinct from the masses of other superhero POPs on your shelves. I spent about the same this figure as I did for a ticket to the movie back in 2007, and I can tell you with great certainty that this was better value. 

It would be nice if they eventually redid him and included a flaming Hell Cycle, similar to the other vehicles Funko has released over the last few years, but unless he gets a new movie or TV series anytime soon, that seems quite unlikely.

*Neither DC or Marvel really draw firm answers about cosmic matters, but DC have hinted on numerous occasions that the Judeo-Christian view of things is more or less correct (though it’s obviously more complex, what with the existence of the Greek gods in Wonder Woman, and the various different spiritual powers from Hellblazer/Constantine, Dr Fate and Swamp Thing, just to name a few). Marvel has deliberately played it vague over the decades, at least in part to avoid alienating readers. This has included Johnny Blaze's Ghost Rider powers being retconned as coming from Mephisto as opposed to being a side effect for selling his soul to the devil.The forced distinction may seem quite silly to some (including me), but that's the way comics often are.       

Iron Man Mk. 43 (POP! Marvel)

Iron Man Mark 43

Series: POP! Marvel

Company: Funko 

Year: 2015

Marvel owes a lot to Iron Man these days. Before 2008, he was something of a B-list hero; the average man in the street had probably heard of him, but couldn’t tell you much beyond the fact that he wears a red and yellow suit of armour. But when Marvel decided to take a risk with the release of the Iron Man movie in 2008, that all changed. The Marvel Cinematic Universe was built around that core, with Iron Man himself emerging as its breakout star, above and beyond more famous Marvel heroes like Captain America. 

7 years, 10 movies and 3 TV series later (and more on the way!) we stand on the edge of the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Which naturally means there is a whole buttload of merchandise coming to accompany it, including the subject of today’s review – Iron Man, bedecked in his Mark 43 armour, from Funko.

The Mark 43 looks to be the main suit that Iron Man will be wearing for Iron Man 3, though the Hulkbuster suit (Mark 44?) looks set to get some screentime too. It’s a nice return to the classic red and gold look, but still subtly distinct from the other suits we’ve seen across the other movies. Perhaps most importantly, it looks a lot better than the mostly-gold (and ugly) Mark 42 seen in Iron Man 3.

But to the layman, the main feature that distinguishes this particular Iron Man from the roughly 39472358923749 other Iron Man Funko POPs currently available is the blast-off effect. Shooting blue blasts from the respulsors on his hands and feet (which also act as a stand), he’s one of the most distinctive POPs that Funko has put out in a long time. He’s got lots of intricate little details all over him in his armour plating;  it’s maybe a little more detailed than I would like in this format, but the overall effect is so impressive I really don’t mind.

Paint is mostly good, though it does look a little thick in a few areas. It’s quite glossy, which I think is the paint itself, rather than a separate layer. You may see a couple of spots on the gold where the red shows through a little, but nothing major. I don’t know if they’re planning a metallic variant of this guy, but it would be virtually redundant.   

This POP is yet another great addition to the collection from Funko – they’ve gone gangbusters the last couple of years, getting their hands on an absolutely huge range of licenses. The whole Avengers: Age of Ultron range looks great. Now I just need to figure out how to get my hands on one of the Hulkbuster POPs…   

  

Thanos (POP! Marvel)

Thanos

Series: POP! Marvel 

Company: Funko

Year: 2015

“The Universe will now be set right. Made over to fit my unique view of what should be. Let Nihilism reign supreme!”

Thanos, Infinity Gauntlet

One of the coolest cameos in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy was Josh Brolin as Thanos. Though the film didn’t really touch on his backstory in any great detail, Thanos is one of THE big bads in the Marvel (comics) universe and his appearance bodes big things for the future of the Cinematic Universe.  

My experience of Thanos is primarily through the Infinity Gauntlet miniseries, from back in the early 1990s. George Perez and Ron Lim did a fantastic job on the artwork, and though the story shows its age in a few ways these days, it’s still a fun read. There’s a lot going on, but basically Thanos gets hold of a glove which gives him god-like power and then uses it to wipe out half the life in the universe, solely to impress his paramour – who is the female personification of Death. Naturally this doesn’t go over very well with the remaining heroes and they team up to stop Thanos from causing any more mayhem. In between there’s a good deal of pontificating on the nature of power, nihilism and love, all while floating in space. It’s pretty pretentious, but when comics go this route it can turn out really well; Alan Moore’s run on Swamp Thing is still right up there for me. 

This figure is based on his appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy, rather than his classic comic outfit, but they both share considerable similarity. The most obvious differences are the darker blue on the costume and the lack of gold codpiece – both of which are fine in my book. He’s been sculpted with his disturbing smile, which in the movie lent a sense of unnerving reality to the CG creation. Uncanny valley successfully crossed! It’s not as unnerving here, but it’s still creepy. Thanos is frequently a bad, bad guy and if he’s plotting something it can’t be good for mankind – or the rest of the universe.   

If I had one complaint it’s that he’s probably a bit too big. He’s been rendered as a 6” POP, which makes him a cool display piece but is probably a bit out of scale. It was difficult to tell how tall he was in the movie, what with being seated the whole time, but I don’t think he was double the size of everyone else. A better option for me personally would have been similar to Cthulhu – sold as a 3.75” one, but notably bigger out of the box.  

Paint-wise he's pretty solid. There's a few fuzzy lines around the place, but no major dramas. The only one that bugs me is on his mouth, where the white has spilled over a little. I'd suggest you check in person, but I only had one to pick from.  

It’s kind of a shame that he doesn’t have an Infinity Gaunlet, so that he could be fudged as a comic-based Thanos too – but I strongly suspect that we’ll see this figure retooled with it in future, perhaps when Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 is released in 2017.

In the meantime, there are two versions available – the one pictured here, and the glow-in-the-dark variant which comes out in a couple of months. I was originally planning to wait for the GitD one, but I had some trade-in credit at EB Games, they had him in-store and I just went for it. I don’t think I’ll double up like I did with Cthulhu, but who knows?   

Marvel has been doing a fantastic job with its movies and it looks likely to continue forward in the future. I’m really looking forward to seeing more of Thanos in the future – though I doubt the battle for the Infinity Gauntlet will take place on the same scale as in the comics, it should still be quite epic.   

"I guess I'm pretty evil. I live under the sea and sometimes I give people bad dreams,"
"Oh, that's cute. I once wiped out half the life in the universe."