2013 Marvel Legends
Rocket Raccoon Review

NoisyDvL5

Edit: This Review was Originally Published on August 29th, 2013
I want to love Marvel more than I do. I enjoy some of their comics and most of their movies. And some of my favorite characters hail from Marvel, but it’s always been difficult for me to get into their shared universe. It’s just not the same as the comic universe that learnt me how to read, I guess. You always love what you find first, I suppose, but Marvel does good stuff too.

As such, I’ve picked up a lot of Marvel figures over the years. Some because they were truly awesome, some because they were those favorite characters, and others, well… because they were there. (They drink the sand because they don’t know the difference, Lewis!). I once had all the MLs, at least up until they got boxset crazy and I had trouble keeping up. I also bought a lot of MUs – there’s that checklist over there, as a matter of face.* But, the truth is in the pudding – Marvel has yet to be featured in my stumbling ReCollect Blog because, one, it’s stumbling and hard to make time for, and two, I haven’t unpacked a single Marvel figure yet. Seriously, it’s just MS Venom, a couple Thor-related MUs & Iron Man Legends hanging out in my toy roo… ahem, office. It’s sad.

*I am working on a full 2013 update to the MU Section that will catch the checklist up to the line’s end later this year. I can’t promise if it will go on beyond that. It’s hard to keep on top of when I’m not collecting it.

Anyway, the lack of Marvel representation changed a bit this week. It finally dawned on me a week or two ago that Rocket Raccoon was available as an ML (I bet you all can figure out what spurred my memory). When I hit up BBTS, I also remembered why I forgot. Hasbro has been evil to me of late. My big wants? Arnim Zola. Iron Monger. Rocket Raccoon. Yep, if I’ve wanted a Marvel figure lately, I gotta buy a ton more. That’s evil! Like a toy subscription or something!

I ended up picking up the whole wave from BBTS, even though two figures don’t even have BAF parts, because the singles were sold out and because I still have yet to see Hit Monkey in stores (curse you, Hyperion & Red She-Hulk!). And since I’m so terribly behind on ML reviews, I made sure to get at least one pic of everybody in this wave into this review because who knows when I’ll have time to get back to them, particularly the ones I didn’t really want. (I ended up selling some of ROML Wave 2 before I reviewed them. Oops!) So, if there are any of the five component figures you really want to see get the IAT Review Treatment, speak up now. (The only one I know for sure will get done is Wrecker, provided Hasbro gets a Bulldozer out to retail).

Alrighty then, we’re getting pretty far in here without discussing the Raccoon figure. If you’re not familiar with Rocket Raccoon. He’s a talking Raccoon. In space. Everyone who knows me should know that is sufficient information for me to fall in love with a character. Admittedly, I didn’t come across Rocket Raccoon until a few years ago when his notoriety level shot up after Marvel’s Annihilation mini-series. To be fair, I think he’d only made a dozen or so appearances prior to that. The new space opera that Abnett & Lanning had put together was fantastic and gave me a new inspiration for tons of Marvel’s space characters. My Marvel Legends want list might have doubled in size after all those crossovers.

So when the box arrived from BBTS, I opened it up and got to assembling. Hawkeye & Scarlet Spider were cast aside, as Rocket only needed three figures to carry his parts. I quickly opened those three, taking a moment to go “Whoa! Jim Lee Jean Grey!?” and then quickly assembled the raccoon.

A few minutes later, I had a half-awesome, half-so-close Rocket Raccoon figure. Let me get the half-not-so-much out of the way first, Rocket’s not really articulated below the waist. I’ll give Hasbro the benefit of the doubt – he is tiny and, knees aside, I’m not sure how I’d articulate those lower limbs either, but it still feels wrong. Luckily, he does have good balance on the two legs. Plus, the tail is ball-jointed if you need it for some poses. So, he can stand up – which is more than I can see for some other under-articulated figures I’ve bought! I’d like to see more artic down there, but I can understand Hasbro’s case for skipping it. Continue to Page 2…

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70 thoughts on “2013 Marvel Legends
Rocket Raccoon Review”

  2. OH MY GOD! That pic of him connect to Blank Panther’s neck. <3

    I love the design of RR (never read any comics so will most likely rely on the upcoming GotG movie for any character reference) but am I gonna pick up 3 figures I don't want for him? Doubtful. 😛

    What's with these mini characters being BAFs now? Back in my day, they were pack-ins as a whole extra figure (ie. Howard the Duck) while BAFs were GIGANTIC 12 inch monsters!

    Anyways, I supposed unless these end up on Amazon for cheap or I can score him elsewhere, I'm holding out for the movie next year. Surely they'll just reuse the sculpt and pack him in with Batista? 😛

    1. You forgot the part where Howard was a pack-in and the figure cost what, $7?! lol

      They might find a way to reissue/release a comic version if the movie looks to be that popular, but this sculpt won’t work for a movie version.

    2. Don’t forget, they already released him last year with a GotG MU set! I’m sure someone will have pics of the two comparing/contrasting them. Me, I’d like to get both Jean variants* but don’t really want Rocky.

      *(altho considering Hasbro’s track record the past year or so, I’m not holding my breath for whichever she was supposed to get, AoA or White Phoenix? Are they still doing Q&As?)

  3. I typically prefer to snag my figures at retail (I’m obsessive about clean paint applications), but this wave has been impossible to find in my area. I may have to give in and order this wave from BBTS. Most of the figures in this wave look great, and size aside, Rocket Raccoon looks like an awesome figure. BTW, I can totally relate to your feelings about Marvel, lol (I prefer Dark Horse, Image, and IDW), and at times I find it odd that a casual Marvel fan such as myself has so many Marvel figures.

    1. They just accumulate, don’t they? They were the best thing out there for a long time and that helped I think.

      But, yeah, I’ve not had any luck at TRU with the Hyperion wave, so I figured I’d just cut out the middleman.

  4. Props on the Archer reference.

    Light gray Panther is right. The highlights have been one of the worst aspects of the new Marvel Legends run. I was all stoked about Big Time Spider-Man until I finally, finally found the figure is stores and realized that 80% of the figure was brushed a weird forest green. It looked awful. I’m more than happy with the modern Black Panther we got from Toy Biz.

    I’ll agree with you on the modern Hawkeye. It’s a crap design and the figure looks really half-assed (is that the Cap buck? For Hawkeye? C’mon, Hasbro). Scarlet Spider has been a critical darling, so I can see that one being popular. People have been wanting Jim Lee Jean forever, though something’s always been a bit off about that design to me. Maybe it’s the head sock, or the way there’s all the padding, so the suit looks both skin tight and bulky at the same time. I don’t know.

    But the Wrecking Crew I’ve got to disagree on. They’re really lame characters with a corny motif (enchanted construction equipment is one of the lamest villain themes I’ve ever heard of. It seems more like a parody than a serious concept from a mainstream publisher) and painfully generic costumes. The only one who stands out is Wreck himself, and that’s just because he looks like some creep trying to lure kids into his van. The rest could probably be made from any “create a character” feature in any generic superhero game.

    1. Don’t know how to edit on here, but…

      Rocket’s about the right size. Waist-high would be way too big. He’s bigger than a real raccoon, but not the size of a human child.

        1. I’ve heard 2’10” to 3′ standing?
          I’m thinking that’s what James Gunn might have said recently on FB?
          (just started following him and he’s apparently got a zoo of furry things in his house?)

    2. I love the Wrecking Crew! Four big dumb thugs. lol

      I’m partially tempted on Scarlet Spider. The book has been enjoyable and the figure is fine, oversized noggin’ aside.

      I’d be happier with Jean, but my other Lee X-Men didn’t survive the last big purge, so there’s no real place for her to go.

      And the highlights on black drive me nuts. I love black Spidey, but they keep screwing with the figure with the highlight colors. Just let normal lighting do the work!

  5. I have yet to see this wave. Still find the wave 1 and 2 refurb popping up. That I find wonky as ever. The newest wave I have seen was Hit Monkey wave. Got the She-Rulk so have legs and torso. After reading the one crossover more for some guardians and wish had my Drax now. (Still have hope will.see the classic big buffoon in purple version down the road)

    So heres hoping on this wave. Maybe the toy show.

    1. I really wish some of the older MLs would go on clearance. I’d like a Guardians of the Galaxy set, but I don’t like Drax nearly enough to spend $20 on him, and the same dozen or so of that figure have been clogging the shelves at my local TRU for most of this year.

  6. I haven’t seen this wave either. I’m really wanting a White Phoenix Jean Grey, but I’ve given up hope that it will ever happen. The local Meier just got in the Terrax wave, and TRU still has Drax and Hope Summers on the pegs…been that way for six months. Sigh.

    Quick question…what’s up with Sentry and Iron Fist? Will we ever see those or were they canceled like Phoenix 5 Cyclops and Rogue?

    1. weren’t P5 Cyclops and Rogue in the Wolverine sub-line with mini-BAF Puck? I thought Cyke, at least, was still coming out there?

      oh, except you can only GET that line thru Diamond / LCS, unless you want to pay extra thru BBTS/etc. >_>
      I’ve seen the MU scale version at retail, which is yellow Wolvie, white shirt Wolvie, Samurai, and ninja fodder, all with less detail and articulation than MU.

    2. It sounds like that wave of ML won’t get it’s variants out. Running changes have apparently become more difficult to orchestrate over the years.

      1. Just seems strange to me…is there not enough demand for them? Is that the problem? They always seem to sell pretty well when they show up randomly at one of the local retailers. Its really annoying when they talk about releasing a figure that I really want and it doesn’t happen for some reason. I don’t get it.

        1. I don’t know about demand, but from various comments over the years, running changes seem to be a cross your fingers sort of thing. Basically, asking the factory to do 8,000 this way and then the next 8,000 a different way. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t.

          Then if that part is executed correctly, demand does become the factor. If you only get orders for 10,000 that makes for some rare variants. If you don’t even get 8,000 orders, nada.

  7. Still waiting for this wave to show up at HTS. I want Black Panther and Wrecker along with (if he ever makes it out) Classic Hawkeye. I’m likely going to get a black permanent marker to Panther so his costume looks more consistent and less “bluey.”

    I gotta say, though, that this sudden halt to the promised variants is gonna kill our chances of ever completing the Wrecking Crew.

    1. I thought the Hawkeye variant was Bullseye as Hawkeye from T-bolts/Dark Avengers? The look is close to “classic” Clint, but there are a few discernible details to separate them?

      2. The Hawkeye variant is his unmasked movie look with the shades, the one he now sports in the comics as well. Since that’s the version which made it to retail, it leaves Classic Hawkeye as the variant, and those all seem to be on hold, much like Bulldozer from the previous wave’s Wrecking Crew.

    2. I might try that on Panther! Couldn’t hurt!

      I know! I could’ve lived without some of other variants, but we MUST HAVE Bulldozer.

  8. Hasbro’s badong BAF part splitting sucks… Worse of all is that we never got a Classic 90s Kaine, but we get the Scarlet Spider Kaine…
    I mean Jubilee as a BAF!? Why not Aunt May as a BAF!?

    2. To be fair, 90s Kaine did suck, and Scarlet Spider has been one of the biggest critical hits Marvel’s had in the last couple of years.

      Jubilee as a BAF I don’t understand, mainly because many people like myself, people who grew up in the 90s, consider her to be enough of a main character to warrant a solo release.

      1. They gave us Spider-Ben a few waves back… It’s not like I’m asking for Scriers, Judas Traveler, Delilah,Stunner or Spidercide… (a Lady Ock would be nice though) Kaine is the last important Spider-Clone… Which I need in his 90s garb to pose with Spider-Ben.
        Worst part of Jubilee is that it isn’t the Iconic Jubilee… It’s the recent Jubilee.

        1. I don’t need Jubilee anymore. My want of Lee X-Men has sailed, but it is a shame they’re doing the recent look over the classic.

    3. ToyBiz did a Kaine, but it was a repainted kitbash from basic buck (Hercules:TLJ Iolaus) and AoA Gambit head: http://www.toymania.com/archives/spidey/maxclonage/MC_KAINE.JPG
      also, he was only available in a Maximum Clonage boxset.

      but yeah, he’s just another Spidey figure to me, and meh.
      I recently sold off my extra Ben Reilly figure to a friend then teased him he had to track down the rest of the wave to get the rest of Ares BAF. LOL

        1. yep, that’s why I referred to him as “basic buck”. the only thing that wasn’t “blank” on him was the wristbands, which ArchAngel and Simon had different styles, but they were passable then. still beats Quicksilver’s gimp fist. >_>

          actually, AA might have used the mold first, then they re-used for everyone else? At least one of the Hercs (punch button) came from Gladiator with new head.

  9. Great review, pics, and . . . you know the rest.

    Never been much into comics, but characters like this always make me wish I knew more; they seem so much fun.

    And here’s a creepy concatenation of circumstances: less than half an hour ago, I’d just finished watching Pom Poko on Film 4, a cartoon movie about a community of tanuki (raccoon-dogs) fighting urban expansion near Tokyo.

  10. You totally want to sell me your Jean Grey, right??

    Great review! I may try to grab the other two for RR after I get a Jean if I find them at retail. My comic shop is doing cases only because they hate me.

  11. I’ve seen a lot of people complain about the small BAF’s, and they hate on the figure merely becuase it’s “too small. A BAF is supposed to be huge!” I’m actually on the other side of it. I’m glad that I don’t have to buy a full 5 figures to complete a BAF that I like. I love my Hit Monkey. It is increbibly well detailed and a lot of fun. I think I’m going to go hunt around to get a Rocket Raccoon now too. This guy looks to be as well detailed as Hit Monkey.

    If you do find the Hit Monkey wave, you would end up with plenty of guns for RR. HM came with a whopping 4 guns! I’m slightly disappointed that RR only came with 1 after HM’s precedent, but overall, I’m not bothered. Though a handgun probably wouldn’t be effective in space, I don’t think he’ll mind sharing HM’s weaponry.

    I suppose one way to appease the mini-BAF haters is that they could have combined HM and RR in the same wave. I’m sure they could have distributed the pieces so that they came out with 5 figures instead of 6. That would probably make them happy.

    1. I’m not really that EXCITED over the micro-BAF concept, but I respect that it has a function… and it is still fun. Huge just seems funner. 😉

      Even if I found the Hit Monkey Wave, I’d only buy two figures and I don’t think both come with the monkey. LOL

  12. you know, given the nature of the crew, and what they do and how, them being so oversized, and they are, make no mistake, is completely forgivable. they are four idiots who are there as high level cannon fodder to show how powerful your hero is, or vice versa, to really treat some lower level hero to an ass whipping. they are to marvel as yokozuna was to the WWE.

    RR doesn’t do huge things for me, but i suspect that when the movie hits, he and the figs he’s packed with, will become the most in demand figs of that wave and the highest price to be paid on the secondary market. that kaine scarlet spidey will be had for pennies. just a guess, but there it is.

    as for you casual marvel characters, you know you own so many marvel characters? cuz they’re awesome, that’s why! they look cooler than DC characters, and the toys themselves are generally superior (a few complete and total duds notwithstanding). i suspect many of you non-wrestling fans have a wrestler or two in the bins too, and why is that? cuz they’ve been well made and some of them look awesome… and they’re stupidly easy to find, and can be found in brick and mortar stores for discount prices on occasion, making them ridiculously easy to snag for custom fodder too.

    1. I am not a wrestling fan, but I do have a handful of wrestling figures in my collection, though for the following reason:

      Sgt. Slaughter: Because he was a Joe, goddammit. If Hasbro ever wises up and releases a 6″ scale GI Joe line, the Sarg will already be ready for duty.

      The Rock: While I don’t enjoy wrestling, I do enjoy the cinema of Mr. Dwayne Johnson. He just seems like a delightful fellow.

      Hulk Hogan: I grew up in the 80s. If that wasn’t enough, I was a big Rocky fan, so not I have a Thunderlips for him to fight.

      Macho Man Randy Savage: Let’s see, he was a spokesman for Slim Jims, he appeared in Spider-Man, and, in his later years, he basically looked like a jacked-up Santa Claus. RIP, Macho Man.

      1. Don’t forget Ricky “Steamboat” as a Quick-Kick stand-in for 6″ Joes! 😉

        I don’t follow wrestling anymore, but I still have a few favorites, one who still gets figs, the others on occasion, but otherwise, they make good “thugs” or custom fodder.

        1. indeed, the mattel wwe figs are the best thing they produce, i think… none of the articulation issues of dcu, none of the matty collector nonsense, just find the fig, get the fig. a literal TON of bucks for virtually any custom you could possibly be looking for fodder for. the only beef i have with them is the limited range of their ab crunch, and that’s a pretty small beef.

          1. except WWE basic figs don’t have side hip articulations, anymore, just straight forward. 🙁

            1. they didn’t under jakks either, but why would you buy the basics? in general, i only regard the elite class, as they’re in the wheelhouse of packout and stylization that collectors prefer, and so do my kids… the only basics i buy are the girls, who for some strange reason, get a complete cache of articulation in the basic price tag.

    2. You know full well that I’d trade in nearly all my MLs for Marvel characters on 4H-sculpted DC bucks. 🙂 Those misshapen over-articulated MLs haven’t aged that well in my collection (hence they’re still lost in that cardboard sea in my garage). I do love me some MLs, for sure, and many of them are here for the same reason as these five!

      Wrestling-wise, I would have some more if Mattel would knock out versions of Macho Man, Slaughter, & Hulk in versions I want. Pretty much James list! LOL

      1. dude, which mach is your mach? cuz they’ve done like 3 mach’s so far, and there’s another coming in the next wave or two. hulk is trickier, since he works for TNA these days, but jakks cranks out out about 4 times a year still.

        1. I’m not sure, but I’ll know it when I see it. I want the full artic, so it has to be a deluxe too. The latest one was close, but I wanted the headband.

            1. That middle one will probably do. I don’t know if I’d seen it before. I like the all orange one out now, but he’s basic isn’t he?

              And you know this just leads to Miss Elizabeth… :p

  13. When you see CM Punk as a chew toy you gotta laugh.

    We all have duds we wanna get rid of. Though haven’t seen many myself in the new MLs. I think my fandom for the Crew raised when poor Thunderball wgs the remaining one durinv the zombie outbreak in AoD vs. MZ.

    That and loved that Punisher became zombie fodder. (Wish he got fully eaten)

    The Scarlet Spider looks good but have yet to read any. Still may buy though.

    2. Scarlet Spider does have a really great book, I was reading it until the place I was buying it screwed up and didn’t order it for a bit. I’ve kinda fallen otu with comics overall though really. I might still open him…

  14. y’all better be glad you said these were from BBTS, as the other waves are impossible to find up here. I only stumbled across Betty-Shulk and …Protector? the other week in Ireeka WM when I went to talk to the lawyer (might actually close this accident after FOUR years AND the old man dying!!), then ran down to SoCo last wkd to meet a friend for World’s End and found Hyperion (and Pro-?) at TRU. hesitated at $20 for Hype, but not sure when I’m ever going to see them out here, or ever. one WM out here don’t carry ML, the other had a Hope sitting for ages and looks like she lost their place in the reset? (Movie Spidey MLs went to $11 clearance, but I did find spikey Nova MU after getting out of ER last night!) Target is much the same, still sitting on hopes and Klaw for months now. other Targets in StL had some sort of sale on ML and received that same case, so there are Hopes and Klaws and Constrictors collecting dust up there in the county.

    I just hope I get that settlement money ASAFP, because this kidney stone is wiping out what little I do have. I should have balked at the MLs I did find recently, but…! yeah, I’m going to be hitting BBTS to catch up the last few waves of ML and a couple other lines. I saw WhoNA just got in the Pyramids of Mars set, and I may have missed Ace, too. 🙁
    ok, enough whinging.

    I could have set you up with a Zola or Iron Monger, but I sold my extra Zola on the ‘bay and Monger is buried in storage at moment. (another bill I don’t really have money to cover! ugh.)

    as for reviewing this wave, I’d like to see Jean, Hawkeye, Wrecker. don’t care much about Scarlet Kaine, or Panther (ToyBiz was good enough for me). and isn’t red skull shirt variant Punisher (T-bolts?) in this wave, too?

  15. I have a bunch of the Toybiz Marvel Legends / Spider-Man Classics villains. I grabbed a few of the very early Hasbro pieces but wasn’t terribly impressed with a lot of them (except Red Hulk who is awesome). The relaunch figures have all generally looked great to me but outside of the Thunderbolts set (I’m a die-hard T-Bolts fan) I’ve resisted buying any of them.

    HOWEVER– I’m SORELY tempted by the idea of a Marvel Legends Masters of Evil. Klaw, Constrictor, the Wrecking Crew, plus the upcoming Zemo, Tiger Shark, Radioactive Man, Blizzard, and Batroc. I would do that in a heart beat.

    EXCEPT– I’m not buying the other three members of the Wrecking Crew until I KNOW I can get a Bulldozer. And I’m not starting a Masters of Evil without a Wrecking Crew.

    So until I know that for sure I’ll content myself with the upcoming Songbird and Boomerang for my T-Bolts display.

    Stupid running changes.

    2. I have faith that Habsro will figure out a way to get the cancelled variants at some point, but who knows how long the wait will be? Ugh.

  16. Pingback: August Review Round-Up (August 16th-31st) 128 Links! « It'sAllTrue.Net

  17. I can’t believe you quoted “The American President” in a toy review. And I can’t believe I knew the quote.

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