There’s a bit of a theme I’ve noticed about my recent purchases. I’ve done this all before. Marvel Legends Captain America and Symbiote Spider-Man and G.I. Joe Classified Series Duke. The original releases of these figures came out forty years ago. Duke via mail away, Cap in Secret Wars Wave 1 and the then Black Suit Spider-Man in Secret Wars Wave 2. These latest versions offer something old and something new, but are they worth picking up, given the fact that there’s been multiple releases for each of these characters in recent memory? Here’s what stood out to me and ultimately made me buy each of them for what feels like the umpteenth time.
Marvel Legends Secret Wars Captain America
A New Years Eve Target run scored me Secret Wars Cap. I was having a rough day, and hanging out in the toy aisle to help turn things around was Steve Rogers. His warm smile embraced me like an old friend, and despite telling myself I would wait to get a deal on this release, I couldn’t resist that smoulder. As I plucked him from the peg, his lenticular shield released a wave of endorphins. God damn you, Marvel Legends Team. You get me every time.
It’s tough to say this is the definitive Cap because his shield is busted to shit. If you’ve got an extra shield in your collection you can pair it with this and argue it’s the best Cap ever. The pinless arms and legs are an upgrade over the 20th Anniversary Cap from a couple years ago. The face portraits are great, though I’m always going to be greedy and ask for an unmasked head. Especially when these look so good.
The original Secret Wars Cap back in 1984 only came with the “Secret Shield”, the name given to the lenticular pack in that still blows my mind all these years later. The inclusion of a broken shield here is cool. I’m sure I’ll find plenty of use for it in figure photography. I have no doubt they’ll release this same body at some point in the near future with the darker blue and a new unmasked head and I’ll be back in line succumbing to those baby blues all over again.
Marvel Legends Secret Wars Spider-Man
My buddy Marc texted me to tell me this was back up on Amazon for regular price. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s better to pay retail whenever possible for a Spider-Man figure. Second market prices on Spidey figs can be a bitch. When I placed the order it said it would take a couple weeks to ship. To my delight Spidey came unexpectedly early brightening my day with his darkest of suits.
This Spidey is perfect in damn near every way. His new body is slightly smaller than the previous Retro Card release and it also gets rid of the pins that held back that Legend in its quest to perfection. I love the inclusion of the squinty eyes head, though again I’ll be greedy and ask for an unmasked Peter Parker head. It feels like we’re due for a good unmasked comic version of Peter Parker, doesn’t it?
Outside of some QC concerns I’ve heard regarding crooked spider logos, you’ve really gotta nitpick to find a problem with this guy. Fortunately mine seems ok, so I’ll chalk this one up as perfect, at least until they bring back toe articulation.
G.I. Joe Classified Series Retro Card Duke
Here’s my tip of the week: if you’ve got your eye on a figure but don’t want to pay full price, start a list on Amazon and watch for damaged items. Especially if you open your figures. From my experience, the descriptions are pretty accurate and if it says the only issue is with the packaging, you’re opening it anyway, so save yourself some cash. That’s how I scored Duke here for $15.
I never had Duke as a kid. I’ve got zero attachment to him as a character outside of the cartoon. That being said, I was never that broken up about the first G.I. Joe Classified Series Duke that came out all the way back in Wave 1. I see what they were going for, it just wasn’t what people wanted at that time. THIS is more in line with what people wanted when the line was first announced. I still think the face could be a bit closer to the card art, but it’s certainly closer than V1. Had they given us a smiling Duke head, this would be perfect. For the record, I still think V1’s head is better than some of the other sculpts they’ve done. Looking at you, Falcon. You weirdo.
This Duke has pinless arms, legs, and enough gear to fill a footlocker. At the end of the day, this is a very plain “army guy.” There’s nothing special outside of the fact this guy was the leader of the Joe’s and took a massively erect snake to the chest to save Sunny Crocket. Did you know he only survived due to backlash over Optimus Prime taking a dirt nap in Transformers: The Movie? Well, now you know. And knowing is half the battle. (Cue the jingle)
