Marvel Legends Showdown Dr. Doom
I'll try not to rehash how much I don't like the Fantastic Four, because you probably all have the point by now (if you've read my Thing and Human Torch reviews). But regardless of which super hero team Dr. Doom was created to battle, the fact remains that he is definitely the crown prince of Supervillains in the Marvel Universe. He is the KING of villains, and definitely the most infamous. It's odd, because I don't know much about him, since I don't read the FF books, but he still rings true as an awesome character to me, even though the only story I really know with him in it is Secret Wars.
But the concept of Dr. Doom is very cool, just the same. The theory that he can combine advanced technology and sorcery is a terrific idea, and gives Doom an immense wealth of power at his disposal. I know I'm not big on the whole universe-changing cosmic events, but Doom is still at least somewhat Earth-based, and I consider myself a fan of his, even though the FF does nothing for me. And this figure is a great representation of Doom, and I definitely recommend folks pick this one up!
First of all, the mask/hood head sculpt is done pretty much perfectly. There is some amazing detail work in such a small space, and I love how it looks. The rest of his body is pretty simple, yet sculpted to near perfection, with his wrinkled cloth tunic, somewhat old fashioned battle armor, and even the long green "skirt" he kind of has. It is all incorporated very well into the sculpt and the figure looks like Doom should, without sacrificing articulation. In fact, Doom has the swivel forearms that Spidey has (and that I wish everyone had) which makes a big difference, too.
A couple of sticking points though...his shoulder joints seem a little funky, and he can't put his arms flush to his sides. Also, his rubbery cape is permenantly sculpted in a "flowing" shape, which can be distracting if he's not posed in such a way. Still, overall, the figure looks like Doom should, and has some great movement...one of the better figures out there and a blast to play with.
Overall, I'd have to say the Super Hero Showdown is a mixed bag. While it's terrific to have Joescale Marvel Comics characters, there is a TON of room for improvement in the assembly process and paint applications. While I find most of the figures acceptible, only a few really stand out, and when you're paying $8.00 for a single 4" figure, they had better ALL stand out. No I don't care about the game, so I do wish Toy Biz could find a way to incorporate these 4 inch figures into a line on their own without the game involved at a lower cost. Still...
It is a fun line, to be sure, but with only a few minor improvements, it could be incredible. Here's hoping future lines improve on the foundation, and even more hopefully Hasbro continues where Toy Biz left off.
Back to Marvel Legends Showdown