{"id":12505,"date":"2011-05-04T23:59:21","date_gmt":"2011-05-05T04:59:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=12505"},"modified":"2011-05-07T06:40:25","modified_gmt":"2011-05-07T11:40:25","slug":"thor-week-reviews-marvel-universes-wrecking-crew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=12505","title":{"rendered":"THOR Week Reviews
Marvel Universe’s Wrecking Crew"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> For Wednesday’s entry into Thor Week, I’m going to take look at the Marvel Universe line’s Wrecking Crew! You have to buy three two-packs and a single carded figure to put this four man-team together, but you get a complete roster when you’re done! And in comic toy lines, you should never overlook a complete team. <\/p>\n

My affiliation with the Wrecking Crew is limited in the comics (the only issues that I’ve read in which they appeared were Secret Wars<\/em>), but the toys appealed to me when I ran across them despite my lack of knowledge about the characters. I think it’s because, for the most part, they’re generic. That may sound silly, but there is something interesting to getting some guys in basic jumpsuits with no logos. I mean no disrepect to who they are in the comics, and it’s something I intend to learn more about very shortly, but their simple looks ended up making for some great toys.<\/p>\n

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The Wrecking Crew has a relatively simple origin. Dirk Garthwaite, a.k.a. the Wrecker (that’s him below, if you’re not familiar with these dudes), was a two-bit thug that, by virtue of being in the right place at the right time, received a crowbar enchanted with Asgardian power. Moving up from thug to supervillain, he went on to battle Thor & other heroes successfully, but ended up in prison more often than not. It was there that he met Brian Calusky, Henry Camp, and the disgraced physicist Eliot Franklin. When it came time for Wrecker’s perennial prison escape, he brought the three men along, recovered his crowbar, and with the help of a bolt of lightning, imparted his power to his comrades to create the Wrecking Crew.<\/p>\n

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The de facto leader of the Wrecking Crew is also the only of the quartet to receive a single figure (which garnered him a stand and H.A.M.M.E.R. file) and a completely unique sculpt. The sculpt is spot-on to his more recent appearances and, while it’s certainly skin tight in some areas, there are plenty of fabric folds and details to give the appearance of it being the looser suit featured in the comics. In addition to all the right details, he has a great snarl. I’m not usually in favor of open mouth figures, but Wrecker looks great here. I also had no paint issues on my figure. The colors contrast great and everything is well done.<\/p>\n

By benefit of his new sculpt, Wrecker also has improved articulation. The standard compliment is there, but the much needed thigh swivels are added, the wrist swivels are deftly hidden at the edge of the gloves, and his head features a two-piece ball-joint that greatly increases the range.<\/p>\n

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After learning about the characters, Thunderball became my de facto favorite. He’s a brilliant nuclear scientist hanging out with three thugs. I’d like to see these guys hang out in their down time. What do they talk about? How does Thunderball feel about his buddies most days? It probably amuses me too much.<\/p>\n

Since Thunderball has a generic costume, he also utilizes a generic buck. It’s the larger, bulkier MU body and it works perfectly for him. His only unique piece is his head sculpt. Since this Thunderball features his afro sticking up through his open cowl, you can tell he’s based on his classic design – unlike the Wrecker. I don’t mind the mismatch and consider the team complete, but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if there was a hardcore Wrecking Crew fan waiting for a classic Wrecker…<\/p>\n

The articulation is standard for the line, but paint was a problem for me on Thunderball. Most of the ones I’ve seen at the store were at least a little sloppy. Just some general fuzziness where the yellow meets the green on the collar and boots and the black paint on his hair spills over on to the cowl here and there on the back. <\/p>\n

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Like Thunderball, Piledriver is built on the slightly bulkier MU buck. In fact, they’re the same figure from the head down. That’s mostly okay, except that Piledriver’s power is that he’s really strong and can beat you down with his “oversized hands” – a fact that even the packaging points out. And yet, Piledriver has the same hands as everyone else.<\/p>\n

Also, in the interest of full disclosure, Piledriver did leave the team for a bit and was replaced by his son. So, it’s not like we have every member of the Wrecking Crew, but we have the “all-time” Wrecking Crew roster and his son just didn’t make the cut.<\/p>\n

Piledriver’s head is a nice sculpt and accurate to the comics (if you wanted to customize an MU Amalgam Super-Soldier, this head is perfect) and leaves the paint to do most of the costume specific work. The paint on mine was decent enough. Again, I ended up with some slop on the hairline, but the main QC issue here was the dark wash on the left leg that didn’t match up with the other pieces. Continue to Page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n

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Rounding out the team is Bulldozer. Visually, he’s my favorite. He’s got a bright orange costume with silver gear. The silver is nice and bright and the figure ended up looking sharp on the shelf. Bulldozer almost deceptively uses the same bulky MU buck as Thunderball and Piledriver, but his costume specific details – the collar, bracers, belt, and boot tops – are all separate pieces added to the buck! It simply blends together for a nice looking figure. No paint issues here on Bulldozer, but most of his pieces are molded in the appropriate colors. With the buck body, he features basic MU articulation.<\/p>\n

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As I said earlier, most of the Wrecking Crew were only available via two-pack. Vault was surprised to find that I wasn’t planning on reviewing their two-pack partners, so I thought I’d better throw them in to at least acknowledge their existence. I wasn’t buying the two-packs for any of these characters per se, but I can report that all three are decent figures. Hawkeye (packaged with Piledriver) is the best of three with a lot of add-on pieces that captured his unique look. He also included three accessories (bow, arrow, & quiver), but his defining feature is his trademark smirk. The Thing is satisfying if you’re looking for a pantsless version, but I was surprised that he was so short (shorter than his 2pk mate, Bulldozer) and his swivel neck joint. He’s not bad, I did have fun with him in the pics, but he just doesn’t seem to be on par with the rest of line. Finally, buying Thunderball netted me a Spidey. It seems like a fine Spidey figure, but as an earlier MU figure he’s lacking some key articulation I think every wallcrawler needs. I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if there was a better Spider-Man somewhere else in the line.<\/p>\n

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Each figure featured in a Secret Wars 2pk also came in with an issue of the series. If you were buying all twelve 2pks and hadn’t read Secret Wars, that could’ve probably been a pretty cool setup. Unfortunately, with the relative obscurity of some of the characters, I doubt there are many MU collectors that fall into that category. Still, comic packs are a fun part of Star Wars & GI Joe, so I applaud their use here. Thunderball did receive his trademark wrecking ball in his 2pk. It would later be painted better and given to Absorbing Man, but it looks okay here. It has some surface features which makes it look like Hasbro intends to paint it into an inaccurate globe at some point though. It has a swivel joint where it connects to the chain. It’s an okay accessory, but I find it difficult for him to hold and to find a pose that looks good given its shape. <\/p>\n

As he should, Wrecker included his crowbar. Yes, it looks huge, but I assure you it’s in scale. Kirby draws his crowbars real big, okay? It looks great with him and fits in his hand, thus fulfilling all the basic requirements of a great accessory.<\/p>\n

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Overall, these were interesting figures for me. I had no real knowledge of the Wrecking Crew a few weeks ago, but the figures were calling to me ever since they were released. I know that sounds odd. We live in a time where we know everything or at least have an affinity for the Creeper or Gladiator before we pick them up as a toy. The prices are high and there’s so much to choose from, that I hardly ever buy or have interest in figures that I don’t know something about. Yet, in the case of these guys, there is something appealing about their basic costume and generic looks. While they are a great representation of Marvel’s Wrecking Crew, they also have a ‘blank slate’ quality to them too.<\/p>\n

Also, I have to applaud Hasbro. I have a complete Wrecking Crew in a line just getting into its third year. As a DC collector, I can rattle of a whole list of teams Mattel has yet to complete (like, all of ’em) in roughly the same time frame. I love completed teams and am always sad that it seems to be something companies almost fear handing out.<\/p>\n

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For more Marvel Universe reviews, check out our
Marvel Universe Collector’s Guide<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For Wednesday’s entry into Thor Week, I’m going to take look at the Marvel Universe line’s Wrecking Crew! You have to buy three two-packs and a single carded figure to put this four man team together, but you get a complete team when you’re done! And in comic toy lines, you should never overlook a complete team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":12506,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[26,34,10],"tags":[1006,24,1004,2567,1003,1007,588,1005,888,1002,1001,1000],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/creTN.jpg?fit=50%2C50","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-3fH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":21397,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=21397","url_meta":{"origin":12505,"position":0},"title":"Marvel Universe SDCC Exc: Masters of Evil 3pk Review","date":"October 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s been awhile since my last Marvel Universe review. Truth is, MU and I seem to have had a falling out. Space, budgeting, the return of Marvel Legends, & just finding the damn things have all affected my MU purchases of late. I haven\u2019t bought many, but I did need\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marvel"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":27203,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=27203","url_meta":{"origin":12505,"position":1},"title":"Marvel Universe Hercules Review","date":"March 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "Marvel"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":32428,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=32428","url_meta":{"origin":12505,"position":2},"title":"Absorbing Man Week! Marvel Legends BAF Absorbing Man Review","date":"February 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "Marvel"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_0168.jpg?fit=640%2C640&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12473,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=12473","url_meta":{"origin":12505,"position":3},"title":"THOR Week Reviews Marvel Universe Thor #012","date":"May 2, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"With Thor debuting in theaters this week (and another project we'll announce soon) we've decided to celebrate the God of Thunder with a week dedicated to reviews of toys based on him and his supporting characters in the Marvel Universe line. For today, we're taking a look at the single-carded\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marvel Universe"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12527,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=12527","url_meta":{"origin":12505,"position":4},"title":"THOR Week Vault Review: Secret Wars Thor & Enchantress","date":"May 5, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"My last review of the week is the Thor and Enchantress Secret Wars two-pack. Like the Doom two-pack, this was the first chance for Marvel Universe fans to pick up a Thor figure, not to mention an Enchantress. On paper this two-pack seemed promising, but sadly, the plastic reality wasn\u2019t\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marvel Universe"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":31564,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=31564","url_meta":{"origin":12505,"position":5},"title":"Marvel Two-A-Day Hulkbuster Legends Valkyrie Review","date":"July 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "Marvel"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12505"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12505"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12505\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12549,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12505\/revisions\/12549"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}