This flu sickness just keeps on. I went back to work for two days, but now I am sitting here just shivering. And today is the warmest it’s been in weeks. I got Battle Armor Skeletor’s blog review up, and now and getting up this Undead of Vikenfell. You can see the YouTube version of the unboxing here. And I want to do one more post of which figure is greater. It’s kind of philosophical. So many of the toys I review I give high marks to…but does that mean anything? On the other hand, this project is getting long in the tooth, and I want to get to other reviews soon.
Well let’s get into what Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell is actually about, then we can theorize later.
PACKAGING
The box is your typical Mythic Legions box. It has a large window bubble on the front, and a cardboard back, making it collector friendly packaging. (Little tabs let you remove and replace the cardboard.
There is a little blurb on the side about what this character is…essentially a skeleton Viking. A strong warrior in life, the character has found this undeath to be what passes for Valhalla because of the intervention of “Skalla of Necronominus”. (I know I messed that all up). But THEY messed something up also…the word “unsatiable” should be “insatiable”)
The back features the image that goes with this wave that is impossible to pronounce.
These figures on the side…I believe I saw the blue-skinned lady. The others I have never seen as they are a part of the upcoming wave. The thing on the bottom is a skeleton beast. Third from the top in Maxillius, who should be shipping soon. But I have been saying that for three months, so…
FIGURE REVIEW
What do you get in the package…
Undead of Vikenfell Figure
Two alternate heads (I have my favorite on for this photo)
A shield
A sophisticated curved sword
A Viking axe
A cloth-goods cape
Alternate “open” hands
Shoulder pauldrons
Weapon strap
This is a lot of stuff, even for Mythic Legions. This figure feels like a Legion Builder, but has so many more pieces. I am told that it is a “retailer exclusive,” meaning the Four Horsemen Studios made this specifically to draw people to toy stores. Giving the figure so many accessories and deluxe paint apps helps with that.
Yes. I regard this as deluxe paint. When I made my video, I didn’t even realize…this is the same body as the one that came with Father Christmas! The paint here is so pronounced it felt totally different, and we are talking about something I was messing with everyday. (Back in December…)
PICTURED: Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell and Figura Obscura Father Christmas. This is a “kitbash” with MASTERVERSE Revelation Evil-Lyn’s alternate heads and other Mythic Legions weapons.PICTURED: Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell and Legion Builder Skeleton. Legion Builder is wearing Masters of the Universe Classic Vikor’s plastic molded cape, and it just “feels right.” He is a chunky figure in scale with those. The new Undead of Vikenfell has a lighter and daintier feel.
This body, which I understand is actually an elf knight’s body, has a smaller frame to it than the other skeleton warriors I have from Mythic Legions. In both cases, the joints feel very loose. I don’t know how I feel about that with the new figure. At least the older one has an excuse.
But all of these Mythic Legions are modular and designed to come apart. So it should turn out OK. I didn’t have any trouble getting them to stand for photography late at night on a Saturday, so that’s good.
PICTURED: Super7 Ultimates! Valeria (Spirit) and Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell. They fight over who has the best wings on their helmet.
The winged helmet is the signature piece of this figure, though it isn’t my favorite head. These wings, which are removable and feel like they need a bird-body, are painted with awesome action. And there is a tassel that attaches to the back of the helmet. That makes him feel a little bit like “The Predator.”
I don’t believe these wings will be a liability (unless I somehow lose one!) BUT I have a Marvel Legends Thor figure that I keep around in my classroom, and the tip ends of the wings on his helmet are cracking off. Yes…that is one of the worst figures I have ever bought. Just the same, it is something I will always be thinking about when I have characters with tall horns or something.
PICTURED: Mythic Legions Demistros, Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor, Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell, and Super7 Ultimates! Valeria (Spirit). These guys are arguing about who’s property is who’s property. Undead of Vikenfell’s cape looks great on Vikor.
ACCESSORIES
The cape. It is big…maybe a little bit too big for the Undead of Vikenfell. It goes very nice on Vikor. (this Vikor is a kitbash of Super7 Ultimates! Conan the Barbarian Battle of the Mounds neutral head and MOTUC Vikor). I have put the necklace that came with GI Joe Classified Gnawgahyde on him. You can see the comparison of the capes below.
Below you can see a comparison of Undead of Vikenfell’s cape and Demistros’ cape. Demistros cape is more premium, BUT the trade off is that it is so difficult to get on and off of the character.
Undead of Vikenfell’s cape is asymmetrical, and I don’t know if it was on purpose or not, but when I first used it I noticed one side was stitched together with a single small thread. I looped it around an arm and got the head on (you need to remove the head and place the hole over the peg). But after just a couple of reconfigurations, that little thread broke. I actually don’t even know if that was done on purpose or not. It just made it look bunchy up around his neck, and I don’t count this as a malfunction.
The sword is quite savage. This is a cross between a broadsword, a scimitar, and a saw. Gruesome! The axe is one of the few Mythic Legions battle axes (the only?) that is not modular. This is all one sculpted piece with marvelous wood grain in the handle and designs on the axe head. The shield is gold with silver paint apps, and is honestly one of the prettiest shields I have for an action figure now.
SPARTANNERD RATING OF MYTHIC LEGIONS UNDEAD OF VIKENFELL
Five points- One point for each metric
Sculpt is very good…the bones in the feet and hands feel so human. Each head has nice character, and I especially like the etched skull and wooden axe handle. So here is a point!
The paint is very good. Every inch of this figure has paint apps. Maybe the sword could have some more paint, but honestly it doesn’t need it. I like how savage and rustic it is.
Articulation…don’t all Mythic Legions excel in this area? Having entirely modular parts makes for unlimited possibilities.
Accessories- Almost like, what didn’t we get? This skeleton has everything you would want in an undead Viking. Except for the boat.
Meaningfulness- I didn’t have a skeleton of this type of elf knight build. The shoulder pauldrons are something that will add to future smaller figures…I tried the larger more traditional one on Father Christmas, and they didn’t really work so well. But these are perfect for that. And this is another “generic” skeleton. I do like barbarians fighting skeletons. And Skeletor needs minions.
So of course I rate this at a 5/5. I don’t have a single complaint.
So now I have to decide between MASTERVERSE New Eternia Battle Armor Skeletor and Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell…which of them is the top figure. Stay tuned to the SpartanNerd blog for the verdict!
Why do I like Conan the Barbarian so much? Basically he is the “anti-SpartanNerd.” Whatever I would do, Conan would do the opposite. For instance, if he gets mad…chop! Accompanied with “splish!” and then “Thud, thud, thump” head rolling down the steps. If I get mad, I might look at you funny…
I have anticipated this product for a LONG TIME. So long, in fact that I am not pre-ordering these Ultimates anymore. Yes…they cost more on the shelf. But I haven’t seen many rare ones. I have seen some Conan the Barbarian Ultimates! on the shelf at different stores, ranging in price from $55 (asking price) to $100 (Collectors market price). And for massive fans of the 1982 movie, this is great. I am a more casual fan of barbarians in general. But at this point I have seen the movie three times over the past 18 months, counting just last night so I could catch up for accuracy as I blog. I give the movie a solid B-Minus, that is if The Empire Strikes Back gets an A+ for reference. (Mattel wasn’t exaggerating when they passed on making Conan the Barbarian toys on account of a movie with gratuitous sex and violence…but the movie DOES capture what the comics and literature are about far better than its sequel, Conan the Destroyer). But I have a MASSIVE collection of Conan the Barbarian comics. I especially enjoyed the Dark Horse books. What they are doing now is OK, and they are going to drop a “Howardverse” on us all in the fall time. I don’t know if I will be all into that, but it might be cool! (Robert E. Howard, for anyone who doesn’t know. He is perhaps the inventor of “sword and sorcery” literature, and Conan’s creator).
Click the link here for a review of the packaging.
Let me go ahead and say some things for the haters:
I have been doing the SpartanNerd blog for years now. I have rarely done a video! Camera shy. I cringe as I hem and haw. But I am honest.
The lighting in the room isn’t great, and my glasses weren’t helping me read off of the package. I assure you…I CAN READ. My synopsis of the movie was purposely not detailed. I wasn’t even trying to do a movie synopsis!
A couple of errors. After watching the movie last night another time, I realize the villain was Thulsa Doom, not Thoth-Amon. This is really unforgivable. Sorry! I guess my nerves got the best of me. And then the other is that it wasn’t the Sword of Aquilonia that was broken in half…it was his father’s sword that we saw forged at the beginning of the movie.
REVIEW OF THE KING CONAN.
He is just SO EPIC!
Now this is just me geeking out. Some reference…my worst action figure is Marvel Legends Thor (classic comics appearance). I say this is the worst because he is not very posable. He has kneepads that break off and have to be glued. He doesn’t stand well with the heavy plastic cape. He came with Mjonir, that doesn’t fit in his hand well. That hand is a weapon holding hand where the thumb is attached to the fingers (creating a circle,) so that the weapon has to be slid in from the top. More like “forced” in. He came with a plastic rock to stand on, and I have gotten more use out of that rock than Thor!
Why this commercial about a different toy? King Conan soundly defeats that and is in the same collectors category, that’s why. We have multiple, swappable hands to be sure he can hold his weapons. (Just that sentence has TWO strictly better cards.). He has an alternate head. (It’s not THAT different). He is super articulated, and stands very sturdy. The sculpt is brilliant, and some of this toy WAS sculpted by the Four Horsemen…there are reused parts from Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor. (Vikor has so far been my favorite action figure, along with Battleground Teela. I kept them after selling off most of my MOTUC collection).
Pictured: Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor and Super7 Ultimates! King Conan. Both are flexing for the camera. Vikor has been my favorite action figure. Pretty much hands down. And if you read the SpartanNerd Blog enough, you know I have lots of pictures of him.
It is apparent when you look at that ab-crunch joint. And I haven’t tried to take off the belt (probably shouldn’t) but you can also see the belly button. Super7 solved one problem with that wrestler-style belt in that twisting his waist doesn’t give us that awkward “table shelf” apparent on the MOTUC figure. You can see from this shirtless flex that Vikor has unsightly pins in his elbow and knee joints. You can’t see a single joint on King Conan except for the torso. All of the cuts in the arms are very well concealed by the sculpt, and the knees and ankles have armor pieces that cover the joints.
Pictured: Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor and Super7 Ultimates! King Conan, with head swaps. It works very well…another clue that this is part re-use. Also, the figure on the left is holding the flail from Four Horsemen Studios Demistros.
Let’s talk about the “portrait.” He does look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and this is what is important, isn’t it! I was tempted on the last time I went to Wal-Mart to pick up a NECA Terminator 2 action figure of The Govenator…just to compare. (I’m also a fan of that movie, of course. Almost anything Arnold. Even Mr. Freeze). No need for all of that. My only issue is that one of the head sculpts doesn’t have pupils. This is kind of un-nerving to me. There is alot of “fog” in the cinematography, and they didn’t record in high-definition either, but you can still see the pupils anyway. If anything, his eyes are darker. Just white spheres doesn’t do it for me. Now my child can probably remedy this with painting skills…I know I can’t do it!
The accessories that came with King Conan are the Sword of Aquilonia and another short sword pictured above. (It is good that it comes with a scabbard). I am uncertain where the design of this sword came from. Is it something extra that Super7 came up with, or is it a part of the costume that we can’t really see in the image from the movie? (Like…is it from production notes or something?) Someone out there knows this answer!
The Sword of Aquilonia…it does have a drab paint-job. But after watching the movie last night, I realize that this is accurate to what came with the toy. King Conan isn’t specifically pictured with it in the movie, so this can actually be considered an extra piece. Unfortunately, I have to report that the brown paint on the handle has flaked off. It’s no wonder, Conan’s gripping hands are so tight you can’t arm him with weapons without using a hair dryer.
Pictured: I call this one The Coup D’etat-Back to the Wheel of Pain. Super7 Ultimates! King Conan is being led away a prisoner by Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor and MASTERVERSE 40th Anniversary He-Man. Notice the handle on the Sword of Aquilonia (Vikor has it.)
The other accessories are things that go with the clothes…this is a chest harness with built-in paldrons, a mink stole sculpted from plastic, and a soft-goods cape.
You can see in the above picture that the armor and cape work pretty good even for a figure that is an inch taller.
Pictured: I call this one Revenge- After the Wheel of Pain. This is MASTERVERSE He-Man’s body armed with Super7 Ultimates! King Conan’s cape and armor, and King Conan’s head swapped in. He is holding the golden axe from The Animal Warriors of the Kingdom Gold Loot Box, and Mythic Legions Xylernian Guard’s shield. Also standing on King Conan’s rug. And this is about the most awesome-non photoshop picture of a barbarian action figure you can get at this price point.
THE THRONE OF AQUILONIA
Somewhere up above in this same review blog entry I mentioned Marvel Select’s Thor coming with a plastic rock for him to stand on. King Conan’s throne is just another way that Super7’s offering is so much more. But to be fair, you had to pay for it separate. I personally think they should have made this all one box. You don’t get one without the other kind of thing. I don’t own it, but maybe I will…The Figura Obscura Headless Horseman comes with a horse. This is inseparable from the character. It should have been the same here. Who is displaying a King Conan without the throne? Now early on when I was deciding whether or not to purchase King Conan, I watched video commentary about the reveals, and people were torn on if this was worth $45 or not. They have released a couple of other thrones, and they are all a similar price. (Mon-Star from SilverHawks is one I can think of). I am happy with King Conan’s throne, but it could have been a smidge cheaper on shipping, etc if it was bundled together. Or maybe they didn’t think they could sell it at a higher price. I don’t know…I just collect.
As I mentioned in the video, I felt a little burned about the rug not being removable. (Actually I kind of down-played my feelings as “an observation”). Somehow, for 18 months, I thought this would be a cloth rug. Is this communication on their part or me just being a dum-dum? It is well painted. Beautifully painted actually. But we have soft goods for the cape. Something different could have been done here.
So with the throne, you get a plastic base sculpted to be concrete, with a rug sculpted on and painted, the throne itself which is more like a bench and less like a chair, and this ornamental spear. I mentioned in the video that I was glad it wasn’t a scepter. King Conan is an unhappy king in the comics. Sitting around ruling everyone is boring for the guy. He would rather be out there busting snake cult people. That it is a spear was a way that the movie writers could express this to us without giving us a story. It is said that Netflix is wanting to make some media for King Conan, and Arnold Schwarzenegger is very much behind the project.
Pictured: Super7 Ultimates! King Conan Throne of Aquilonia, which is occupied by MASTERVERSE Revelation King Grayskull.
The above photo tackles one of the questions I had. Does it look good with other characters. I find that King Grayskull doesn’t sit so well, which has me concerned because I have ordered MASTERVERSE Skeletor with throne.
Pictured: Super7 Ultimates! King Conan Throne of Aquilonia, which is occupied by GI Joe Classified Cobra Commander.
The throne works very well for Cobra Commander.
One thing…the box that King Conan came with has a terrific diorama featuring a nice shadow behind the throne and two torch-sconces. This is just too terrific. It adds a whole lot to the whole set. The floor I used for these photos is from MASTERVERSE packaging.
A very out-of-character photo. But you can see the other hands well.
Pictured: Super7 Ultimates King Conan and Throne of Aquilonia, who is defending his throne from Four Horsemen Studios Demistros. Demistros is armed with McFarlane’s Redeemer sword. The concrete slab almost disappears in this lighting and filter.
After watching the movie last night, I notice a large disparity in the throne we are given and what was in the film. The concrete slab was three times as large! We only have a straight-ahead shot, but it is clear that the rug is sitting on concrete that is symmetrical on both sides. Super7 could have given us this…it would have been two more pieces of plastic, and then no one would have anything to say about the price point of the throne. Now that this is the SpartanNerd’s summer vacation, I have time to customize this.
SPARTANNERD’S RATING OF SUPER7 ULTIMATES! KING CONAN AND THE THRONE OF AQUILONIA
I’ve had this for about two-weeks now, and have had a couple of photo sessions with it. It delivers for the price you paid for it if you collect action figures or if you are a fan of the movie. Movie fans might be casual like me or serious. Probably a serious movie fan would go for something by Hot Toys or Sideshow or someone, where you pay more like $200. But as what is basically a Masters of the Universe Classics 5.0 figure…(Original wave 1.0, Subscription 2.0, Filmation 3.0, Ultimates! releases 4.0, and now non-MOTU is 5.0 by my counting)…$55 for the king and $45 for the throne isn’t too bad considering the current economy. Considering that this was done at what is on Mythic Legions, non-retail price scale. This is my interest. I am certainly glad I ordered the Battle of the Mounds figures that will be coming maybe in July. It checks all the boxes with little complaint. I am going to list things down below and offer two ratings…one for the king and the other for the throne.
King Conan PROS- Outstanding sculpt. Looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Comes with two weapons and removable armor. Excellent paint details. Plenty of hands to swap and also an alternate head with different hair.
King Conan CONS- Pupils on one of the head sculpts not there. Gripping hands are so tight they have to be heated up to work. Paint on Sword of Aquilonia is flaking off with very minimal use.
Throne of Aquilonia PROS- Great sculpt. Terrific Vac Metal paint job. Spear accessory makes all of the other accessories with the figure look sad. The platform has pegs for helping stand action figures that have holes in their feet.
Throne of Aquilonia CONS- The “concrete” slab isn’t the correct size to depict the movie scene accurately. The “rug” is a sculpted and painted detail…not a separate piece.
All of the excellent things I list add lots to the product, and has been more fun for me with time. The pupils issue and the paint flaking are both QC issues that Super7 should address, but they don’t take away from the toys much. I haven’t been displaying the head that doesn’t have pupils…I almost forget that I have it, and the two sculpts are so similar. Look at all that the Throne of Aquilonia has added to King Grayskull, Cobra Commander, and really almost anyone else who might fancy themselves to sit on a throne. Look at how useful that platform is…it has pegs that fit Mythic Legions feet, MASTERVERSE feet, and Ultimates! feet. AND a bonus…the diorama that came as part of King Conan’s package looks too great with all of these fantasy figures to throw away. I can only give a 5/5 when I take everything into account. Maybe not a perfect 5/5, but fairly close.
Pictured: Super7 Ultimates! King Conan and Ultimates! GI Joe Cobra B.A.T. The platform has pegs that made the balance required for this action possible.
Like I said…if you are a different kind of collector, you might disagree. Out there is a larger scale figure, perhaps in 1:6 scale, that you can dress in all manner of looks. Out there is a hyper-detailed statue to sit on a shelf. A large full-scale statue for your yard. That’s not what this product is meant for. It’s meant for the plastic adult collector semi-play with action figure market. The 1:12 MOTUC scale collector. And it does that terrifically.
Will he supplant Vikor? It seems like maybe Battle of the Mounds Conan might be able to when he arrives. Having this makes me wish I had the “iconic pose” version. Watching the movie last night also makes me want the camouflage version. I feel like this figure adds much to all of the barbarian things I have already. We’ll have to see if over time King Conan moves into that favorite slot!
Do you agree or disagree, Hub City Geeks. Let me know in the comments!
Also, Super7. I did what you said. I made a video. I posted to Instagram. Both things I never do. I also answered your summons to apply for the affiliate links program…and WAS DENIED. I am not Pixel Dan or Action Figure BBQ or Dorklair. Don’t claim to be. (I am very inspired by all three, and also by Poe Ghostal …great news I just found out he’s back!)
I am a real consumer who runs this blog as a hobby. It is Summer vacation. I will work on it. But Super7, you guys should reconsider! I give honest opinions and reviews. Readers, send me some advice in the comments!
Pictured: MASTERVERSE Revelation Orko, armed with Animal Warriors of the Kingdom magic staff, displaying Heroic and Evil Magic blast effects.
Maybe you didn’t know, but in addition to being a SpartanNerd and Reverend, he is also a chorus teacher…Yep. With a MMED in Music Education with an emphasis on sight reading music.
Now that I got that qualification (perhaps dis-qualification) out of the way, here is something they teach you at Music Teacher school. You shouldn’t tell the kids that Major sounds happy and Minor sounds sad. They can be either one. A great many country songs with sad subjects are in a Major key, and plenty of party-down rock and pop songs are in a Minor key. So…where is this going in regards to reviewing toys?
Did you catch what I might be talking about from looking at the above four images? The Four Horsemen are presenting the primarily blue and green magic effects as good, and the red and purple as evil. I have learned that the image on the back of the heroic effects depicts Aracagorr, who is a good-guy boss, and the one on the back of the evil effects depicts Poxxus, a bad-guy boss. Why are they pigeon-holing these effects? Outside of Star Wars, this kind of color-coding doesn’t happen much. I mean, it does. It seems like GI Joe might have green-blue blasts and Cobra has red-pink blasts. But some things turn this thinking on its head. The Joker looks cheery and happy, and someone who never saw him before might not think he was evil, but Batman might be construed as evil with the black cape and dark armor. Magic the Gathering flips this script also, Liliana is part of The Gatewatch and is a black-aligned character…White-aligned Heliod showed himself to be a Villain. Final Fantasy X and X-2 also have black mages on the good side. Elden Ring…is anyone good and evil?
How about this? Elemental magic. Lightning is orange or yellow. Ice is clear or white or blue. Life magic tends to show green. Fire orange, red, black. My point is that magic effects is one of the areas of the toy collecting and photography hobby where the fans can be more creative. Right off the bat I disagree with the philosophy the Four Horsemen are giving us for magic and blast effects. And I intend to prove that in the review below.
What do we get in the boxes?
Both are identical, but with different color schemes. You can see them in the packaging clearly, but here is one unpacked.
I’ll go from left to right. A long stringy swirl. 2 large discs, 2 medium discs, and 2 small discs. 2 swirling mists. (I believe the one on the left to be warped…even better then). A long lightning effect and a short lightning effect. A long magic snake effect. And a short skull effect.
Photos of the Mythic Legions Magic Effects in action
I am not going to show that many Mythic Legions toys in this review. So brace yourself. I don’t actually have that many, but I have wanted magic and blast effects for a long time for my action figures. These are the perfect size of six-inch scale. So prepare to see Masters of the Universe Classics, MASTERVERSE, Marvel Legends, and maybe some other things, as well as Mythic Legions.
Pictured: Marvel Legends comic book Thanos with Infinity Gauntlet hand. Mythic Legions Evil and Heroic magic effects skulls.
The little skulls are my favorite. The different colors highlight that Thanos is holding two different souls. Not necessarily good and evil. Because I am talking about mixing it up, why couldn’t one be Green Lantern and the other The Flash!
Pictured: Marvel Legends comic book Thor with Mythic Legions Heroic and Evil lightning effects. What we really need is that lightning in yellow, orange, or white.
Marvel Legends comic book Thor is my worst action figure. The lightning effects really add something to a character like this!
Pictured: MASTERVERSE Revelation Evil Lyn and Teela, both with their hair-down head scupts, and MASTERVERSE Revelation Sorceress. Teela is also armed with the MOTUC Great Unrest Staff of Ka. Also pictured are a variety of Mythic Legions Heroic and Evil Magic effects, and the two halves of the Power Sword from MASTERVERSE Revelation King Greyskull.
That “Pictured” caption took forever to type. Anyway, here I depict a scene where the Sorceress tells Teela and Evil Lyn about the two halves of the Power Sword. The magic effects add a lot to the scene.
Pictured: MASTERVERSE Revelation King Grayskull with Mythic Legions Heroic and Evil magic effects.
The back of King Grayskull’s box depicts an image that looks something like this. (I suppose I need to post a review of King Grayskull and the Sorceress soon.)
Pictured: Four Horsemen Studios Demistros, Mythic Legions Skeleton Legion Builder, who is armed with MASTERVERSE New Eternia “Viking” Skeletor’s scimitar and MASTERVERSE Revelation Teela’s shield.
Here they are with some actual Mythic Legions figures. Demistros is bringing this skeleton warrior back to life. The swirling mist adds something. It is given life by the green soul skull escaping from the red portal. If I had used the red skull, would that story be as clear? Nope.
Pictured: MASTERVERSE Comic-Con exclusive Scareglow with diorama box, MASTERVERSE Revelation Teela, armed with The Great Unrest Weapons pack armor and staff of Ka. Cosmic Legions Silver Figure Stand, Mythic Legions green snake effect and green skull effect. An aquarium plant hides the stand.
I didn’t realize that the snake effect was actually a snake until I took this picture. While I am at it, notice that I have Scareglow mounted on the Cosmic Legions Action Figure Stand. So I am going to take a break for a quick review of that as a bonus under the ratings section below.
Pictured: MASTERVERSE Revelation Evil Lyn and Teela. Evil Lyn has Mythic Legions swirling mist effect. Teela has the red snake effect.
It seems to me that the red snake effect is perfect for the Staff of Ka. Which brings up another point. The Four Horsemen sculpted the Masters of the Universe Classics, and there were a bunch of snake staves sculpted for that line especially for the Snake Men faction. Dare I assert that this magic effect calls back to that?
SpartanNerd Rating of Mythic Legions Heroic Magic Effects and Mythic Legions Evil Magic Effects
Before this review, I actually already used some of the effects in my pictures in reviews on this site. This is a new and very useful item. It adds so much to really so many toys. I only scratched the surface! We need more things like this. The Mythic Legions Magic Effects plays nice in any sandbox. You could definitely use that lightning in Star Wars. You could put those smoke effects behind a Hot Wheels car or something. Disney Barbie dolls. Maleficent. Pokémon. Zelda action figures. I don’t own any of these, but oh the potential! Multiple scales, too. And apply them to the vintage toys like you always wanted.
My hangup is the assertion that the red effects are evil and the blue effects are good. That’s like saying you could only use Metallic crayons for transformers. You can only put ketchup on french fries. You can only add rubber ducks to Jeeps, not Ford trucks (I saw one today with ducks on the dash). I am surprised that this assertion came from such a well-rounded studio.
The sculpts are nice. The product does seem a little bit brittle. I am careful, but some kid out there probably wouldn’t be. But these were made for adult collectors, so…
I bought both sets and am scoring them the same. 5/5. They add very much to all of my collection, and I know they will to yours too!
BONUS:Cosmic Legions Silver Figure Stand.
After such a glowing review…time for a not-so-glowing one, lest you assert I am some kind of loyalist…(Everyone who reads this stuff knows I am honest to a fault perhaps.).
The stand stinks!
The stand came in this polybag with a yellow sticker- (see the photo near the top of the page.)
When you assemble it, well…it seems like the vertical end of the stand should be flush with the platform, doesn’t it. And in fact I have seen pictures of other peoples stand where it is. But mine would not click in. And I used a good screwdriver and a good wife to try and tighten it up. No matter what pressure I put, no matter how tight I made the screws, this “daylight” wouldn’t go away. I was afraid I was going to break it if I kept trying to force it.
If only that was the only problem.
When I was posing my figures outdoors reviewing the Animal Warriors of the Kingdom Red Weapons Loot box, I made a picture of Man-At-Arms using the bow and arrow. (See the review with the picture here.)
I put Duncan in the stand, but realized a problem.
The business end of the stand has this metal claw. Now there were these little rubber bits that covered the metal “points” of this claw. As I was posing the figure, they came off! Luckily no damage was done, and miraculously I kept them from being lost in the grass. But they didn’t make it this review, did they? Now if I use the stand, I have to consider that it might scratch the paint or damage the figure. (You can see these rubber pieces in the Scareglow picture).
My advice, SKIP THIS ONE!
Rating of the Cosmic Legions Silver Figure Stand: 1/5. This thing is awful. I know it is for the science fiction version of Mythic Legions, and I don’t even mind the silver metallic stand. That is fine for whatever. But the assembly went wrong. The rubber things came off and have since been lost while using the stand for its intended function. I worry about damaging figures if I use it. There are better stands out there for your money.
One might argue that it is because I used MASTERVERSE figures instead of Four Horsemen figures. To that I assure you that there isn’t enough difference in the thickness of their waists. I also assert that a figure stand should be versatile. Any action figure within reason should work. Thanos wouldn’t be within reason, so I didn’t try that one. Man-At-Arms should have been fine.
Regular readers know that I already reviewed “The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows.” This book is along the same lines. A result of the current spin on “Marvel Secret Wars,” “1602…Angela” takes place in an alternate storyline.
Before I write any more, let me explain why I was drawn to picking this title up at “The Tangled Web” on June 13…
Me and Angela go back aways. I used to read Spawn comics quite a bit. I don’t own many of those anymore. But I remember enjoying the story immensely…I couldn’t put it down. And even recently I read back over “Spawn: The Dark Ages.” Angela and angels of her ilk were a key component to all of these stories.
In Spawn, the angels were depicted as a group of business women you definitely didn’t want to be your boss. They worked in a tall skyscraper, and dressed in pants suits or similar…on the high end of the “professional dress” spectrum. Then, if they suspected a Spawn or other demonic force nearby, the clothes would come off…and wings were revealed, and very very skimpy battle ribbons would be what adorned the woman. Oh yes. Generally a huge weapon as well. These angels were the toughest fight for Spawn. But Angela was different. She and Spawn “hit it off.” A very forbidden relationship came to a head until right at the 100th issue, Angela killed Malebolgia, (basically the devil…but not Satan.) However, she would be killed as well. Then Spawn would go downhill and I would stop reading, as McFarlane “jumped the shark,” wanting to take the book into a more “horror” direction.
Similarly, (but not as relevant), Immaculata was the Dark Ages Spawn’s enemy. As a story told around the same time period as “1602”, there are things that pulled me to purchasing because I read and enjoyed this so much. Immaculata wasn’t a “business woman,” but a nun. She was suppressing her angel-ness. But when Spawn came around, those animal angel instincts awoke…and similar to described above, this terrific warrior appeared in place of the nun.
The angel stories I am recalling here were AWESOME. Later I would learn there were ownership disputes about Angela between Todd McFarlane and Neil Gaiman. And I heard nothing more about it for a long time.
In the middle of my reading of “DC New 52,” Marvel come out with “Age of Ultron.” I didn’t read it. Ultron rang a bell, as I read “Secret Wars” from the 1980’s. The final issue had a black bag so you couldn’t see the cover. It was hiding “Angela”! Marvel had secured the rights to the character.
The only knowledge about this, besides what I just told you, is that I have seen some Angela titles on the shelves. I skipped them not, not immersed in Marvel’s ecosystem. But it is clear that she is “Asgard’s Assassin,” implying to me that she works for Odin, or similar. (Explaining how she is an angel in a universe not really having a consistent God. Spawn’s universe eventually, very slowly explained how God’s angels worked.)
All that to say why I was drawn to this story. I expected the barbary of “Spawn: the Dark Ages” and the awesomeness of Angela, the thing who killed Spawn’s devil.
The cover art was OK. Angela here appears Elizabethan but also science fiction. There were some prettier alternate covers, but since I am not immersed in the Secret Wars, or Marvel’s version of Angela, I skipped those. The cover does show a remnant of McFarlane’s version, in there are those ribbons floating around her. We see these throughout the comic. She doesn’t use them for any purpose…they do serve in the place of a halo, I believe. Though they might have some kind of weaponized use.
The art in this book is inconsistent. Some of it “old school” Marvel. Some of it more modern. Why?I liked it, though. And here is one of my favorite pieces from the book. The color scheme reminds me of “Jem and the Rockers.” Basically, Sarah and Angela are a team of angels hunting “witchbreed.”
I’ll not show you a picture, but just let me say that one of the witchbreed has claws like Wolverine! Maybe it is that she is hunting mutants…
Angela describes Sarah and themselves as “Angels of Doom.” Throughout the book, where God’s name would probably be mentioned, instead we hear “Doom.” This echoes the larger Secret Wars story, where we are told that Victor Von Doom is “god and master.”
Because this book just came out, I am blurring the words here. But this is one of my favorite pieces of art from the book, right near the end.
Basically, Sarah has been cursed. And so the lead-in to a larger story.
SpartanNerd’s rating of “1602: Witch Hunter Angela.” Well, did this story meet my expectations?
This is a dark story, with two brutal killings and Sarah being cursed. It kept me reading…I read it three times to be sure I got it all. There is a lot here. I still have some questions.
I’m confused. Who is Kit Marlow? Was that Shakespeare of Marlow? Why is there someone with glasses…glasses weren’t invented for two hundred years….Is there more implied in this story than the reader can just see? Sarah’s flashback led us to believe that she was training to be a warrior, and not a lady…though her words said otherwise.
The art was good, but varied in style. There is more than one artist on this book…they need to work to smooth it out. I enjoyed the “Jem” color scheme. And the more modern “muted” look as well. But the two styles are jarring when going from one place to another.
I think I will read part two, which will come out on July 29, evidently…according to the last page. The book is going to feature the Guardians of the Galaxy in the next issue, it seems.
I think I will read it.
The SpartanNerd rates “1602: Witch Hunter Angela” at 3/5. While I have plenty of complaints and questions, I have read it over three times. And am curious about what will happen next. Angela (and Sarah) gets a point for coolness anyway.
Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments, oh Hub City Geeks!
spartannerd 