Which superhero action figures are the best? 1 1

[fantastic_four]

I'm looking to get my kids some superhero action figures.  Which brand and model are the best quality in terms of detail, design, articulation, etc?  I'm interested across all release years and decades, not just current ones.

My main motivation is buying them for the kids, but I'm generally interested in them, too, so I'd rather buy the best for me even though I realize they'd enjoy almost anything I gave them.  I'm interested in both Marvel and DC.

Edited April 16, 2018 by fantastic_four

[Buzzetta]

I think that Marvel Legends offers the most bang for your buck

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Legends

 

we also have a thread where others might jump in and discuss. 

 

[fantastic_four]

Thanks! Any particular year for Marvel Legends? Or is the most recent the best?

[Buzzetta]

1 hour ago, fantastic_four said:

Thanks! Any particular year for Marvel Legends? Or is the most recent the best?

I think your best bet is shopping on Amazon (especially if you are a prime member) and taking a look at whatever figures you want that are currently enjoying deep discounts.   There is currently a Spider-man v Vulture two pack for $20 that seems to be a steal at the 6" size - especially when they usually retail for $20 a figure.   Infinity War Iron man is already discounted to $17  They also have a lot of figures that are not currently being ordered by the stores at retail cost for $20.

[Chip Cataldo]

For DC, it's gotta be DC Universe Classics by Mattel. Lots of people on Facebook selling loose figures for cheap. Some are expensive, but most are less than new figures. 

[tv horror]

I always liked the Super powers and Secret Wars lines there was just something appealing about them, but these would be a collectors item than to play with although I did when I first got them and they are still complete. 

[Chip Cataldo]

4 minutes ago, tv horror said:

I always liked the Super powers and Secret Wars lines there was just something appealing about them, but these would be a collectors item than to play with although I did when I first got them and they are still complete. 

If money was no object I'd certainly recommend them, but he did mention they were for his kids and loose prices have spiked the past several years. 

[marvelmaniac]

Any particular figures of hero's/villains that really interest you or you really like?

[fantastic_four]

Nah, I just want to expose my twins to both DC and Marvel.

I'm currently considering the Marvel Legends line, the Marvel Toybox line, and the Playskool Heroes line (it has both DC and Marvel figures).  But I'm interested in the absolute best if one or both take to figures and want bigger/better ones later, but for these two 2.5 year olds I'm currently leaning towards the Playskool Heroes line pictured below because they also love the Star Wars "Galactic Heroes" line.  The art style on the "Heroes" line is REALLY cool.

Edited April 17, 2018 by fantastic_four

[fantastic_four]

I decided to go with the Marvel Toybox line.  The character art style looks cute and cool, the articulation is SPECTACULAR, they're well-priced for play as opposed to collecting at about $12, and they're nicely sized at 5 to 6 inches so should last well into childhood.  It also has the only version of Thor I currently like that doesn't look too realistic and styled like Chris Hemsworth from the films.

My only complaint so far is that the line just started late last year and they're releasing new figures fairly slowly, so major characters like Wolverine aren't available yet.  Even Spider-Man and Black Panther just came out within the past few months.  I'm hoping more are on the way.  A minor quibble is that I don't like the way they render calves on the characters...they're twice as thick as quads, and they have angled stances that make them look somewhat like minotaurs.  But they look GREAT from the waist up, and the articulation is truly something special, they're INSANELY poseable and the most flexible figures for kid play I've ever seen.  I was actually going to buy a recent Legends version of Iron Man because I thought the coloring on the Toybox version was drab, but when I saw a video of the articulation on Toybox Iron Man I flipped that entirely.  The flexibility of the joints on these figures is really something special.

  

 

Edited May 14, 2018 by fantastic_four

[fantastic_four]

I've got twins that are a boy and a girl and their mom was pushing me to get figures my daughter would be more likely to enjoy as well, so I also went with a Storm figure in addition to the Toybox figures.  I chose the Diamond Select classic Storm figure which looks REALLY freaking awesome with the great vintage costume styling.  She's pretty well-articulated relative to the Legends line and most action figures in general, but in comparison to the insanely poseable Toybox figures she's going to seem SUPER-stiff.

Edited May 14, 2018 by fantastic_four

[fantastic_four]

And to not skip the DC heroes even though I'm a Marvel zombie, I just went with the recent Justice League film figures of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.  I wanted figures in the style of the animated series to remain aesthetically consistent with the Marvel Toybox figures, but I just couldn't find the three majors all with any reasonable amount of articulation.

[fantastic_four]

4 hours ago, fantastic_four said:

My only complaint so far is that the line just started late last year and they're releasing new figures fairly slowly, so major characters like Wolverine aren't available yet.  Even Spider-Man and Black Panther just came out within the past few months.

I saw from the ad below that the next wave of Marvel figures in this line will be Dr. Strange, Ant-Man, and Wasp.  Clearly they're prioritizing the characters that appear in Marvel films, so Wolverine or any other non-Marvel Cinematic Universe character may not even be in the works yet.    REALLY freakin love the Thor and Cap from this line, they're just amazing.

[fantastic_four]

Given that a Toybox line version of Wolverine isn't likely anytime soon, I may go for the Chinese Revoltech Wolverine figure.  Revoltech makes THE most articulated characters in the history of action figures...even the ankles, wrists, and toes are articulated.  I assume these are bootleg though, and I don't really even know how to buy them.  You can get them for $20 from ebay from Chinese sellers, but I have no idea whether or not you can trust you'll actually get it since it's bootleg.  From American sellers it usually costs more like $40 to $80.  Plus the articulation may be way too advanced for kids, I can see getting it handed to me to "straighten out" a lot.  But they look absolutely amazing and I'm tempted to pull the trigger from China.  

Edited May 14, 2018 by fantastic_four

[AnthonyTheAbyss]

I buy Hot Toys.  But that's hardcore collecting.  Something to consider when your kids grow up and it becomes their passion.

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

4 hours ago, fantastic_four said:

I've got twins that are a boy and a girl and their mom was pushing me to get figures my daughter would be more likely to enjoy as well, so I also went with a Storm figure in addition to the Toybox figures.  I chose the Diamond Select classic Storm figure which looks REALLY freaking awesome with the great vintage costume styling.  She's pretty well-articulated relative to the Legends line and most action figures in general, but in comparison to the insanely poseable Toybox figures she's going to seem SUPER-stiff.

Obviously you selected this particular figure for your own enjoyment. I will wait for your usual in depth critique of the female anatomy and criteria for acceptance to you.

[fantastic_four]

23 minutes ago, AnthonyTheAbyss said:

I buy Hot Toys.  But that's hardcore collecting.  Something to consider when your kids grow up and it becomes their passion.

They look incredibly realistic--how's the articulation on those?

I don't think I'll buy 12-inch figures for the kids, but I may end up a collector myself before long and if that happens Hot Toys is an option.  I had 12-inch Star Wars and Mego figures as a kid, but I always preferred the smaller ones to those because of the articulation.  My 12-inch stormtrooper, Boba Fett, Chewbacca, and Darth Vader from the 70s always seemed too stiff to play with.

Edited May 14, 2018 by fantastic_four

[AnthonyTheAbyss]

8 minutes ago, fantastic_four said:

They look incredibly realistic--how's the articulation on those?

You get what you pay for.  These are basically miniature human beings.

Example of articulation...

 

 

[fantastic_four]

3 minutes ago, AnthonyTheAbyss said:

You get what you pay for.  These are basically miniature human beings.

Example of articulation...

 

 

Wow, very nice.  Do you prefer them to statues?  I think I took to statues because of the scale and realism, but these seem to bridge the gap between statue and action figure.

[fantastic_four]

Looking at pics of the full array of Hot Toys figures gives me mixed feelings.  They're ultra-realistic, but of course not precise, and as a result some look incredibly awesome, others put me into the "uncanny valley" of feeling uneasy.  Heath Ledger Joker is my favorite comic villain, yet his Hot Toy figure freaks me out.  But someone like Deadpool where he's covered by the mask looks just totally awesome.  As does Iron Man.