Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Action Figure Review: Wolverine & Lilandra Neramani from Marvel Legends Series: Wolverine by Hasbro

 


   2024 is the 50th anniversary of Wolverine and it's going to be a big year for the guy. Besides costarring in a movie with Deadpool, Hasbro also has some four packs to celebrate the most popular X-Man of them all. Each of the 4-packs has some version of Wolverine paired with another character and some of them are a bit odd. I'd argue that the only slam dunk of a set is the Logan and Sabretooth set as the others don't always quite make sense or definitely come with a less desirable figure. In this set, Brood infected Wolverine is the less desirable figure. Don't get me wrong, it does come from the comics and is a look for the character featured on a pretty well know cover, but Empress Lilandra Neramani is clearly the star of the set. This is the first of the four packs I found and I picked it up at Needless Toys and Collectibles in Lincolnton, NC (an incredible toy store). Ready to check out this set? Then let's dive in after the break...





The Facts: Wolverine

Height: 5 3/4 inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, boot swivels, double-hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball-jointed hips, swivel waist, hinged mid-torso, lateral pectoral hinges, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel biceps, double-hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, hinged neck, ball-jointed head, and hinged jaw.

Accessories: 4 swappable hands. 








The Facts: Lilandra Neramani

Height: 6 inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball-jointed hips, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: 4 swappable hands, 2 gauntlets, and staff

Non-Scalper Price: $50 dollars
Comparison:



* The arms and head are new on Brood Wolverine (in the center) but the legs and body look to be reused from previous Wolverine figures like the retro collection Wolverine (left) and the Juggernaut BAF series Wolverine (on the right). 

Comparison:

* There hasn't been a previous Lilandra figure but a Lilandra head was released as a pack-in with the Walgreens exclusive Mystique figure from 2019. The new portrait is definitely better, though, with a better shape to the helmet. Plus, you get a body for Lilandra (it seems that the intention was for Lilandra's head to be placed on a spare Silver Sable body). 
The Positives:



* What to say about Brood Wolverine? He looks cool. I mean, the brown suit is always a winner, right? It looks very solid with good paintwork and the classic red belt. The arms are new as they're pinless and show off the Brood Wolverine's scaly grey skin. They've got a nice wash on them, too, so they do look pretty unique.  









* There's something appealing in a macabre way about getting monstrous versions of heroes. This is a rather creepy version of Wolverine with barely visible, beady eyes, and a massive mouth. Massive. Lots of teeth, too. Ususally Wolverine's hood is orangish-yellow, too, but I assume it was changed intentionally. I'm not very familiar with this specific storyline (the Epic Collection of it is on my shelf but I haven't read it yet) but from looking at some images it seems the costume does have a brown hood here.


* The jaw is articulated, which is always fun. Definitely a neat feature that adds a bit more pizazz to this version of Logan. Do you know how Logan heals himself of the Brood? He simply says "Sickness, be gone!" And now you can reenact him doing that. 




* The claws on this figure are different than on the rest of the Wolverine figures I own. For a few years Hasbro has been making the claws individual pieces that slot into spaces on the hand. The claws have been separate pieces from the spots on the gloves where they slide out. this time, though, the spots on the glove and the claws are one solid piece. That seems to make them sturdier and less likely to fall out. I like the look of them quite a bit and I think they might just be an improvement. 





* Wolverine comes with two pair of hands: A pair of open hands with claws extended and a pair of fists with the claws retracted. 


* The arms are new and pinless but the rest of the body (well, other than the head) is reused from the 2016 Juggernaut BAF series Wolverine. It's still not a bad sculpt, though I was hoping this guy would have a pinless body, too. Still, he's fun to play with and moves quite well. He's got the pectoral/ butterfly hinges, too, so he looks great in crazy battle poses. It's an older body, sure, but I don't think it's aged poorly at all.


* Empress Lilandra Nemari, the Majestrix of the Shi'ar Empire, is definitely the draw for this set. She's a major character in both the comics and in the animated series, so she's sure to be a draw for many collectors. Lilandra is decked out in her classic silver outfit and she's looking quite regal with lots of unqiue designs sculpted into her armor. The silver plastic is quite impressive here and I only noticed one spot where the figure had that weird "marbling" that Hasbro's metallic looking figures sometimes have. She's quite impressive and looks to have a mostly unique build



* Lilandra is wearing her uniquely shaped helmet which only leaves her face visible. The helmet design is quite nice and her face is quite beautiful and really well done. The work on her eyes is incredible and you can see some of her facial tattoos/ elaborate eye makeup on the sides.





* Lilandra's cape is not removable, but it really does complete her look. She's quite regal with it on and it adds a nice splash of color. 




* There's a lot of detail on the figure, so she's not just a basic body reused and painted silver. The designs on her torso are etched into the sculpt, as are the details on her boots. The gauntlets on her forearms are removable (they're reused from Quake) and can come off when you swap her hands. 


* Lilandra has a pinless body and everything is nice and smooth here. While her cape may inhibit some poses, overall she's still pretty mobile and she looks great, especially when using poses with her flat right palm or her staff. She uses a single upper torso balljoint which is a bit restrictive, but overall not too bad. it does ensure that her armor still looks impressive rather than broken up and gangly. 




* Lilandra has four swappable hands: A pair of standard grips, a flat palmed right hand, and a left hand fist. They swap out easily and I had no concerns with breakage. 




* Lilandra's staff is pretty cool. It's a neat design and is just a bit transparent to give it a bit more of an unearthly feel. 

   I'm going to do a compliment sandwich here as I wrap things up. First, I do like the set. Lilandra is an excellent figure and turned out very nicely. Brood Wolverine is an odd choice, but it's better than just another basic brown Wolverine, I guess. Now, I do think Hasbro should have spiced these up a bit. A couple more alternate hands for Wolverine would be welcome and could be useful for any brown suited Wolvies and an unhelmeted head for Lilandra feels like a real missed opportunity. Fortunately, Hasbro didn't price these with the weird multipack tax that they were doing last year. Last year Hasbro's multipacks were more expensive than two single figures, which is just bizarre. This year they've gone back to the normal pricing (though still at $25 a figure), so that's an improvement, I guess. This is a Good and a 1/2 set, though my guess is many  folks will want Lilandra and will try to sell off Brood Wolverine. He's a fun variant, though, and she's a necessary X-Men character, so I'm pleased. 


Interested in more of Wolverine, AKA Logan, AKA James Howlett, AKA Patch? Then check out my reviews of the Marvel Legends Retro Collection Wolverine (Strike Force) and the Juggernaut BAF Series Wolverine, and the Marvel Legends Retro Series Wolverine.

This is the first figure of Lilandra Neramani I've reviewed. For more Marvel Legends Series reviews check out the following:

Marvel Legends Series by Hasbro (2016)

Marvel Legends Series: Avengers by Hasbro
Taskmaster
Yelena Belova

Marvel Legends Series: Black Panther by Hasbro (2017)
Black Panther 

Marvel Legends Series: Black Widow by Hasbro (2020)
Black Widow: Deadly Origin
 
Marvel Legends Series: Captain America by Hasbro (2016)
Black Panther
Demolition Man (Mercenaries of Mayhem)
Nick Fury 
Nuke 

Marvel Legends Series: Captain Marvel by Hasbro (2019)
Captain Marvel

Marvel Legends Series: Deadpool by Hasbro (2018)
Cable
Deadpool (Boxers)
Deadpool (X-Force)
Deathlok
Domino
Lady Deadpool 
X-23 (X-Force)
 
Marvel Legends Series: Doctor Strange

Marvel Legends Series: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) 
 
Marvel Legends Series: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
Baron Zemo

Marvel Legends Series: Fantastic Four (2017)
Mr. Fantastic
Thing  
 
Marvel Legends Series: Gamerverse
Civil Warrior

Marvel Legends Series: Guardians of the Galaxy by Hasbro (2017)
Angela
Groot Evolution
Yondu

Marvel Legends Series: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 by Hasbro (2017)
Drax
Gamora (Daughters of Thanos)
Nebula (Daughters of Thanos)
Rocket Raccoon & Groot
Star-Lord 
Yondu 

Marvel Legends Series: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 by Hasbro (2023)
Mantis
 
Marvel Legends Series: The Infinity Gauntlet by Hasbro (2021)
 
Marvel Legends Series: The Infninity Saga by Hasbro
Captain Marvel & Rescue Armor

Marvel Legends Series: Inhumans by Hasbro (2017)
 
Marvel Legends Series: Ironheart by Hasbro (2021)
 
Marvel Legends Series: Iron Man by Hasbro  
Vault Guardsman

Marvel Legends Series: Marvel Knights (2023)
Blade

Marvel Legends Series: The Punisher by Hasbro (2019)
The Punisher (Walgreens Exclusive)
 
Marvel Legends Series: She-Hulk by Hasbro
She-Hulk 

Marvel Legends Series: Silk by Hasbro
Silk and Doc Ock

Marvel Legends Series: Silver Surfer by Hasbro (2018)
Silver Surfer

Marvel Legends Series: Spider-Man by Hasbro
King in Black: Knull and Venom

Marvel Legends Series: Super Villains by Hasbro (2021)
Xemnu

Marvel Legends Series: The Unbelievable Gwenpool by Hasbro (2018)
Gwenpool

Marvel Legends Series: Thor by Hasbro
Gorr
Ragnarok

Marvel Legends Series: Thor: Love and Thunder by Hasbro (2022)
Mighty Thor

Marvel Legends Series: Typhoid Mary by Hasbro (2018)
Typhoid Mary

Marvel Legends Series: Venom by Hasbro (2018)
Carnage  
 
Marvel Legends Series: WandaVision by Hasbro (2021)
 
Marvel Legends Series: What If? by Hasbro (2021)
Heist Nebula

Marvel Legends Series: X-Men by Hasbro (2016)








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1 comment:

  1. CarniviusApril 26, 2024 at 11:07 AM

    that wolverine figure is kinda neat even if just based on a barely seconds of his life. No tentacle arms though (also I'm not sure how the heck his body could even change shape into Brood when his skeleton is covered in adamantium but ok). :P

    Still annoying when they reuse old pin-hole joints in this age though. There's a 'new' Silver Surfer coming out and it's still got the old pin joints. And it's extra noticable on him cos he's otherwise really smooth and devoid of much detail to distract from the ugly holes.

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