Today, we're diving into the world of action figures with a review that's sure to excite collectors and Marvel fans alike. It's none other than the Hasbro Marvel Legends: Avengers: Beyond Earth's Mightiest Heroes Target Exclusive Black Widow Action Figure. This figure has been fairly well received in the collector's community, and we're here to find out if it truly lives up to the hype.
Black Widow, Natalia Alianovna "Natasha" Romanova is a character appearing in Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Don Rico, and artist Don Heck, the character debuted in Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964). The character was introduced as a Russian spy, an antagonist of the superhero Iron Man. She later defected to the United States, becoming an agent of the fictional spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and a member of the superhero team the Avengers. She fought alongside and developed a romance with Daredevil for a period of time, before becoming the leader of The Champions. Through the years, though, she has retained her allegiance to the Avengers and has served that team capably.
Accessories (9/10):
Black Widow comes with a fairly well-balanced set of accessories. Amazingly enough with all the extras, she's not considered a deluxe figure and only retails a bit above the usual price. We'll discuss this later. Anyhow, Natasha comes with: Three alternate head sculpts: one short hair, one long hair, one long hair with bangs, two widow sting bracelets, two widow sting bracelets (firing), two widow sting bracelets (smoking), one pair of fists, one pair of open hands, one pair of weapon firing hands, two pistols (one with attached silencer) two firing effects, and two smoking effects which can plug into the gun barrels. I am really pleased with these accessories. The different looks with her various hair sculpts make for great alternatives when posing her with other characters and can reflect various points throughout her career.
Appearance (9/10):
First impressions matter, and Black Widow certainly delivers in this department. The attention to detail on this figure is remarkable. Her suit is sleek, with a finish that captures the essence of Natasha Romanoff's iconic look. Under the lighting in my pictures, the suit appears to be very glossy, but in hand it's a mix of matte and semi-gloss black. The belt is a beautiful, free-floating addition, with a very nicely rendered, bright red, black widow hourglass symbol. The sculpting of her facial features is spot-on, capturing her comic book likeness beautifully. I am torn as to which head sculpt I will use for my primary display. The short hair has a nice wind-swept look to it and the details on her face are outstanding. The long hair w/o bangs offer the best view of her face, and it is absolutely beautifully rendered, and the long hair with bangs offers the most mysterious look, as her bangs hang down long enough to hide her eyes. The short hair offers the easiest posing though and likely will be the winner. The attention to detail is actually very well done here, when you consider the sculpted zipper on the front of her jumpsuit, the wrinkles and seams in the costume, and the designs of her weapons. Of even greater notice is the silver paint applied to the zipper. It's very clean and easily jumps out against the black costume. I generally give Hasbro guff about their appearance and paint gaffes from time to time, but today, I have to say... this is probably the best-looking figure I've seen from them.
Articulation (8/10):
When it comes to articulation, this Black Widow figure offers a good range of movement. I am genuinely pleased with the ability to pose this figure. The long hair head sculpts do limit the range of motion for her head, but for our purposes, we'll discuss her with the short hair sculpt in place. Her head can turn easily, side to side. She can look down very far, bringing her chin to touch her neck, but can only look up just a small bit. Her shoulders work exceptionally well, with butterfly joints that actually have some decent range to them. Her arms can raise to above a T pose and with the butterflies swing forward somewhat and backward relatively nicely. The arms will rotate a full 360 degrees. Her bicep swivel works fine, and her double-jointed elbows bend all the way in. The wrists are designed to swivel and hinge; however, her bracelets do tend to restrict this movement. Her upper torso movement is better than I had expected but is still a bit limited in forward crunch. It will twist, tilt side to side, and lean back. Her lower torso is on a ball joint! It will turn and aid in crunching both forward and back, giving her upper body a fair amount of range. Her legs, though able to kick forward very high aren't capable of wide splits. The upper thigh cut works fine and the double-jointed knees allow for heel to back touching. There is no shin cut, which is good because it would have broken the sculpt. The ankles have terrific hinge and pivot range. I'm very happy with the fact that her leg joints are sturdy, allowing for some great posing and balance. I feel like Hasbro actually took some time and effort with this figure and the results show. I'm very happy with the engineering on this figure.
Affordability (7/10):
As a Target Exclusive, this Black Widow figure retails at $27.99, which is about $2-$3 higher than traditional Marvel Legends figures. Thankfully, my buddy Mike found one on clearance at his local Target for the low price of $14 and scooped one up for me. You're likely going to have to look through the clearance shelves in store, as they are sold out online. Nevertheless, for dedicated Marvel fans and Black Widow enthusiasts, it's a worthwhile addition to your collection.
Overall, The Hasbro Marvel Legends: Avengers: Beyond Earth's Mightiest Heroes Target Exclusive Black Widow Action Figure is undeniably a fantastic addition to any Marvel Legends collection, earning a solid:
8 out of 10 ToyBoxes!
With a stunning appearance, decent articulation, and a set of essential accessories, it's sure to please fans of the character. However, the affordability factor might be a drawback for some collectors. Nonetheless, if you're a Black Widow aficionado or simply a Marvel enthusiast, this figure deserves a place on your shelf. Black Widow shines as an exceptional addition to the Marvel Legends lineup, offering a compelling blend of aesthetics and articulation. Until next time... GEEK OUT!!!