“The darkness that blankets this city is nothing. Nothing! Not compared to the shroud that Spider-Man pulled over me! He stole my life… shattered it… then cast it aside like yesterday’s news! So it is only fitting, only fair, that I do the same to him! And I will. Very… very… soon!” – Eddie Brock, Amazing Spider-Man v1 #298, March 1988.
I’ve reviewed Venom figures before and I imagine I’ve droned on about the symbiote costume a time or two here at IAT. So to keep it short for newcomers: I love the Symbiote Spider-Man costume above all others. Venom, for a long time, was “not cool” with me because he was a messed up version of that costume. I got over it & now mostly enjoy Venom, but only when he doesn’t have that big, stupid tongue.
There, that about covers it. Even when I didn’t love Venom, he’s always had a spot in my collection though. I had the tongue-flicking 90s Toy Biz version, the dumb Classics one with the exposed leg, the cooler Legends one made from Sabretooth’s buck, the giant Marvel Select one, Agent Venom, and a whole other host of 5” & 4” ones here and there. I never did get the cool one in the jacket riding the motorcycle though, I always wanted that one. (Do not go to eBay, Do not got to eBay…).
I figure, if I didn’t love the character, I could at least kinda get the costume again. When I bought the Select last year, I was pretty smitten. I liked all the extra parts, the level of detail, the size, etc. I thought I was done on the Venom front. And then along came this wave and made me want something I never knew I wanted. An update of the Toy Biz Venom.
See, that flicking tongue venom stayed in my collection for a really long time. Granted that he never flicked his tongue, but the rest of him did hang out, kinda smiling & happy to be there filling out my 5” Marvel display. He never really got bumped out by the various Venoms that came later until the Sinister Six box set. It was probably a good decade or so.
Marvel Select Venom is a work of art and I’ll probably be keeping both of those for a while, but this Legends Venom, more by necessity than purpose just conjures up good memories of that tongue-flicking toy from my youth. It’s a clean, not overly detailed look – how I think of the symbiote versus the sometimes veiny, bulging art that gives the Select his great look. This figure has that late 80s smiling head that conveys both otherworldly menace and a guy just happy to get a hot dog at the end of a long day. I didn’t know I’d want that after the awesome Select Venom, but I do. And he rocks. Continue to Page 2…
The tongue flicking one is still my favorite Venom fig, too. It’s also the only figure I was ever happy to see break, as the spring inside snapped ages ago so now I can have the tongue stay out at will. But I dare say this one is going to give it a run for its money.
I also thought that I wouldn’t need another after the Select one, but it turns out I have some problems with it. The tongue head is messed up on mine, the top row of teeth are all the same length and the image that popped in my head when I first saw it was “Symbiote Simple Jack,” which is now all I can see when I look at it. Plus the tongue is a bit too big for my tastes and is glued in place (I know it was supposed to be removable), and the veins are a bit much (I too prefer the smooth, oily look). And it really annoys me how the bottom of the spider is broken by the waist joint.
So when I saw this was coming out it looked like I might need to pick it up, and the more I see of it…I KNOW I need to grab it. I don’t want to throw the P word around before seeing it in hand, but that looks about as close to a perfect Venom fig as I’ve ever seen. I won’t be getting rid of the Select one anytime soon – I’ve wanted that Eddie mid-transformation head ever since thst grading card in the 90’s, you know the one, plus the MacFarlane head is so unnervingly spot on and the The Madness parts are just a treat – and I will never voluntarily get rid of the tongue flicking one, but I really can’t see needing another after this.
I just need to find one not stupidly overpriced…
Someone else who doesn’t care for the tongue! I mean, we’ve seen enough hentai by now, right?
Figure looks nice and clean, which is something I appreciated about Anti-Venom: NO “shadowing” oversprays! I’ll have to keep an eye out for a good white spider, esp after recently grabbing a Superior Venom and not realizing until I got home that his chest deco was half smudged. oh well, mainly grabbed him for the BAF piece, anyway.
(and taking a second look at AV, it seems he has some minor paint issues, but they aren’t that noticeable, being mostly on his back and right bicep. so as long as I keep his right arm turned forward or posed reaching to his side, it’s not visible.)
Only thing I would love to have as a bonus would be a mouthless head so could work in as a Dark Spidey. Only thing I would add. Did not see when spotted this wave so know will be hunting. I still have to finish Rhino (Christmas Shopping got in way of that was I don’t buy for myself then)
another fun and Great review. Is that the DQ Dog and Ketchup bottle? Thats surprising an idea not tried yet with Toxin.
I own that awesome Marvel Select Venom and thankfully I don’t have the issues that @Alex unfortunately has (Sorry man) since the tongue on my is fine and very removable.
After I bought him, I figured, well just like Noisy, that’s it. I don’t ever need another Venom figure. and technically I don’t, but I’m still getting this one mainly to complete the Absorbing Man BAF, ’cause really, this is pretty much the ML version of that figure minus the better paint job and accessories. But hey, it’s still a solid figure nonetheless. Hopefully that means Hasbro will give Venom a break, much like Cap and Iron Man sorely need right now once Civil War fever’s over.
Yay for the closed mouth! It’s finally happened! Crazy thing is that the tongue-full head is actually kinda cool too, though the real triumph goes to that plain ‘ol classic Venom smile head. I’ve waited so long for a Venom that doesn’t look like a black garbage bag full of chunky soup and vomit.