{"id":5330,"date":"2010-05-10T00:36:54","date_gmt":"2010-05-10T05:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=5330"},"modified":"2012-04-16T03:51:30","modified_gmt":"2012-04-16T08:51:30","slug":"itsalltrue-review-iron-man-2-comic-series-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=5330","title":{"rendered":"ItsAllTrue Review:
Iron Man 2 – Comic Series I"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m not sure, but I think there might be a new Iron Man movie out. There was something or other about it on television the other day. Oh, and new toys too. I tried not to buy any, but, as usual, I failed miserably. I’ve bought six 4″ figures so far, a blue eyes\/reactor War Machine and the five Comic Series I figures reviewed here. I\u2019m able to look through the cool movie designs and resist temptation, but I can\u2019t resist the classic comic book designs. I may be a DC guy now, but I loved Iron Man as a kid. <\/p>\n


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Classic Armor (Mark V)<\/strong><\/h4>\n


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First up, we have Iron Man in his classic armor. This is easily Tony\u2019s most iconic look, many of the later armors being variations on the theme established here, and that iconic status is easily captured by this figure. It\u2019s simply the best version of this armor in this scale. My MU purchases have largely been based on the Secret Wars figures I had as a kid. I bought the Marvel Universe version of this armor and I can tell you right now, I shouldn’t have. The sculpted details are far better here, particularly on the mask. The hip discs should hang lower like they do on the MU version, but I like the solution on the movie figure just fine because it doesn\u2019t block the articulation.<\/p>\n

While searching through the different figures at the store, we had a terrible time finding a figure where the widow’s peak was painted well. Other than that though, the figure has great paint work. The pearlized yellow and metallic red combine to make a sharp piece.<\/p>\n


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Articulation was the only area where the figure left me a little dissatisfied. The articulation in the legs (ball hips, thigh swivel, double knees, and ball ankles) and torso pivot are excellent, but I would’ve like to see more in the arms (ball shoulders and elbows, swivel gloves). I don’t mind the missing bicep swivel so much, but ball wrists, like the MU has, would help put this figure over the top. I love the open hands for repulsor blast poses, but without wrist articulation, they\u2019re limited. Finally, the head is can only move side-to-side. A proper ball-jointed is so expressive that it’s a crime anytime it’s not present.<\/p>\n

Finally, this Iron Man included two accessories. A translucent red repulsor blast and a “blast-off” base. These are both fun accessories. I enjoy the clip-on repulsor blast, but I haven’t quite mastered the base yet. Mine is a fairly wobbly and I haven’t come up with an iconic pose that the base will hold upright just yet. Maybe I just need more practice. Still, they’re both nice pack-ins. Overall, the key articulation points aside, this figure is the best update to my Secret Wars version I think I\u2019ll ever get.<\/p>\n

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Stealth Armor (Mark X)<\/strong><\/h4>\n


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Okay, go back, and read everything I just wrote about the sculpt and articulation on the Mark V armor. Yep, we got a straight-up repaint here. That’s not a problem, of course. Tony’s Mark X Stealth Armor is just a dark blue version of his regular armor and both Toy Biz & Hasbro have been exploiting that for the last few years. To make this part interesting, I’ll mention something I didn’t mention above – sculpted soles. All the figures I’ve bought from Iron Man 2 have sculpted patterns on the bottom of their boots. I love little details like that. The Stealth Armor figure also included a translucent yellow repulsor blast. Continue to Page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n


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First Appearance Armor<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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This is the figure that broke me. I’d passed on it a few times, but I ran across this particular one and had to have it because he featured a ton more “scuffed up” detailing then the other ones I’d seen so far. It’s simply brown and silver paint brushed over the dull grey plastic to simulate rust and damage, but this figure had a lot more of it. After I decided to get him, I caved and grabbed the rest of the wave. Under the cool paint work, is a well-sculpted figure covered in dents and dings. The figure didn’t need to be so detailed to capture the FA look, but I really appreciate that those details were added.<\/p>\n


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This figure is clunky, but has surprisingly good articulation. Yes, the ball-joint in the head is still limited to side-to-side swivel and the chest pivot is similarly restricted by the bulky sculpt, but his arms have ball shoulders and elbows with swivel wrists while his legs have ball hips and ankles with thigh cuts and double knees. He can get down if he has to. He also includes a clip-on fire blast.<\/p>\n

I don’t know why, but I love this armor. Maybe I’m an armor junkie that just hasn\u2019t admitted it. I’m already looking forward to the eventual gold repaint of this figure, though I won’t be as fond of the dents and dings on that version since it should look factory new. It’s still gonna rock though.<\/p>\n

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Crimson Dynamo<\/strong><\/h4>\n


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This was the one figure I almost didn’t buy. I might have to accept that I’m an armor junkie, but Crimson Dynamo is a foe not another suit for the display. Two things got me with this figure. One, the look. The large shoulder pads, the ribbed gloves and boots, and the very square design are all hallmarks of the version of the Crimson Dynamo that I remember from the comics. And two, like the Mark V & the First Appearance Armor, all those classic comic details on the toy nail the look. He’s also a bit bigger than the other figures and in this day and age, a little bit of inter-line scale is to be appreciated. It doesn\u2019t happen often enough.<\/p>\n

Dynamo’s articulation is standard for the line (same as the First Appearance armor), but his design does limit the armor. The chest pivot can move in all directions, but can’t really swivel. The ball shoulders have good range, but are blocked from coming inward by the shoulder pads. And again, his ball head is limited to swivel only action. For paint, Dynamo is mainly two shades of Crimson (how approriate): the main shiny red of his armor and the duller red on his pads, boots, gloves, and a few other areas. All the apps were really sharp on my figure, but he does have a few scuff marks and scratches to his finish throughout. Finally, Dynamo included a clip-on eye blast. I don’t really care for it. To work, it encircles his entire head in energy and looks rather silly.<\/p>\n

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War Machine (Mark XVI)<\/strong><\/h4>\n


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While I prefer Rhodey’s version of the War Machine armor, the original Mark XVI is still one my favorites and this figure doesn’t disappoint. Where the iconic Iron Man look is smooth and seamless, WM is the exact opposite. It’s a bulky armor with tons of detail. Those details are captured here. The individual plating and paneling standout on the figure front and back. The shoulder-mounted missile launcher and mini-gun both spin 360 degrees on their pivots and can retract to upright positions on his back. Even the unique mark of the War Machine armor is captured subtlety. Am I gushing? Sorry. Continue to Page 3…<\/a><\/p>\n

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War Machine sports the standard articulation for the line, but again his armor offers up unique problems. Like the others, his head can only swivel, but it’s further blocked by the raised panels on his shoulders. The distance between his lower torso and thigh cut is smaller than standard and this causes him to be incapable of the more dramatic legs poses of the other figures. His shoulder pads do flip up to allow movement to his ball-shoulders; though it can look a bit odd at times. I’m disappointed that he’s limited, but he still has more than twenty points of articulation overall and the retractable weapons help ease the sting.<\/p>\n

War Machine is painted largely in a metallic grey\/blue and silver. The darker grey\/blue areas are also given a wash of black paint to help differentiate the armor from the others. It helps the toy have a more useful, “in the trenches” look. The War Machine armor isn’t about flying around and impressing chicks. Its job is to blow **** up. And it looks like it does just that. He doesn’t feature a large repulsor\/fire blast like the others. Instead, they call back to the ML War Machine with clip-on effects for the mini-gun and the missile launcher.<\/p>\n

Despite the articulation problems, he ended up being my favorite of the five figures. I’m still looking forward to getting the Rhodes version of this armor, but this one will look great in the armory that’s slowly accumulating on my desk.<\/p>\n


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I didn’t mention this with each individual figure, but every one of them includes a base and three “armor” cards. The bases are your standard rectangle base with a molded extension that goes behind the figure and holds the armor cards. The cards are a neat accessory, but not terribly exciting. The chest piece card is printed on white stock with the other two cards being translucent. Basically, if you have several figures you can mix n’ match the cards and create your own armor. Each combination of three cards creates a unique 9-digit string and tells you to go to IronManCard.com. That site name still just redirects to Marvel.com which doesn’t mention them, but I’m guessing that 9-digit string could someday be used on the proposed website to make the armors digitally. The movie is out and the site still hasn’t gone live, so who knows? Maybe nothing will come of it.<\/p>\n


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Overall, I’m happy I bought these toys. I can’t deny that I have an urge to put a collection of Iron Man armors together and I hope this line is the line to do it with. I’m not the biggest fan of 1:18th, but these are great figures despite their size. The sculpting is top-notch and that makes these little guys stand out over a lot of the other lines in this scale, including Marvel Universe. The articulation may leave a bit to be desired here and there, but when it’s blocked by the armor you find youself thinking that maybe that’s okay. These are guys in giant metal suits, they don’t need to move like Spider-Man.<\/p>\n

I may not be down for every movie or concept figure, but I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for the comic versions that are being released in the line. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m not sure, but I think there might be a new Iron Man movie out. There was something or other about it on television the other day. Oh, and new toys too. I tried not to buy any, but, as usual, I failed miserably. I’ve bought six 4″ figures so far, a blue eyes\/reactor War […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":5487,"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":[487,34,10],"tags":[574,519,474,571,573,520],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/ironTN.jpg?fit=50%2C50","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-1nY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6249,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=6249","url_meta":{"origin":5330,"position":0},"title":"ItsAllTrue Review: Iron Man 2 – Proto & Oversize Armors","date":"June 14, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I finally found some Comic Series II! In the last few weeks, I've been mocked by more Classic and light-up armors than you would believe. I've been tortured by unusable $5 off stickers. I've looked through pegs and pegs of IM2 toys and not found much new... and it's been\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11555,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=11555","url_meta":{"origin":5330,"position":1},"title":"Marvel Universe Checklist Updates, Cap & Thor Pages Added","date":"February 4, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"New pages for the Captain America & Thor movie lines have been added to the Marvel Universe Resource. The Iron Man 2 and Spider-Man pages have been updated with the latest wave information. And a Two-Packs section has been added to the 2011 page. Images have been added for most\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marvel Universe"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5502,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=5502","url_meta":{"origin":5330,"position":2},"title":"ItsAllTrue Review: Iron Man 2 – War Machine & Mark V Armor","date":"May 17, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I mentioned in my Comic Series I review that I wasn't planning to pick up that many of the movie or concept figures. I'm still not looking to be a completist with this line, but there were some non-comic figures that I did want, specifically the War Machine and the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":31571,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=31571","url_meta":{"origin":5330,"position":3},"title":"Marvel Two-A-Day Hulkbuster Legends War Machine Review","date":"July 28, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "Marvel"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11574,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=11574","url_meta":{"origin":5330,"position":4},"title":"Marvel Universe Reviews: Iron Man 2 – Comic Series III","date":"February 7, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Admittedly, this review is a little late. I had trouble finding this wave when it was released last year and when I did find it I had a ton of DC Classics reviews to get through. I'm caught up now and I've got some time before Bane gets here to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marvel Universe"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9689,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=9689","url_meta":{"origin":5330,"position":5},"title":"ItsAllTrue Review: Iron Man 2 Classic Iron Monger","date":"October 6, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"For the last few weeks, I've been running across Iron Man 2 Comic Series III figures. I've been tempted, but not enough to buy. The modern armor is odd. The Centurions haven't been painted well. The one I wanted was always gone. But I lucked out while on a trip\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5330"}],"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=5330"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5330\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18035,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5330\/revisions\/18035"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}