Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Action Figure Review: Zabu from Marvel Legends Series by Hasbro

 


   Has it really been over 2 months since I reviewed Ka-Zar from this series? Apparently. I haven't reviewed all of the figures in this series, only Ka-Zar and Wolfsbane, because three of them I sold off as soon as I could (Red Widow, Ikaris, and Black Winter) and Cable I just didn't get around to reviewing. I had to check out Zabu, though. I actually owned the 2008 Zabu from the SDCC 2008 Savage Land boxed set, but that was because the figure reused the body from the G.I. Joe Sigma 6/ Adventure Team Tiger that came with Storm Shadow. I sold him sometime last year, though, before this set was announced, as I had a strong inclination that Hasbro was going to revisit this guy soon. I was right! Zabu is the Build-a-Figure for the most recent series and a part of him came with each figure in the series except for Super Iron Man. This guy is the perfect companion to Ka-Zar (and hopefully we'll get Shanna the She-Devil soon, too), so let's check him out after the break...




The Facts:

Height: 4 inches (on all fours)

Articulation: Swivel/hinge paws (x4), swivel/ hinged rear ankles, swivel/hinge elbows and knees (x4), balljointed shoulders and hips (x4), swivel/hinge tail, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge chest, barbell jointed head, and a hinged lower jaw. 

Accessories: None



The Positives:

* Zabu's a pretty large cat! He's not as big as your typical monstrous Build-a-Figure like Sugar Man, Ursa Major, or Hulk Buster Iron Man, but he's definitely larger than a regular figure. He's quite long (between 7 1/2 and 8 inches) and stands about 4 inches tall. There are a few different colors mixed into his coat and he looks pretty impressive. I love his yellowish-orange fur. He really stands out!


* The headsculpt is excellent and walks the fine line between looking realistic and looking like he belongs in a comic book. His massive fangs are incredible, his eyes are piercing, and he looks ready to seriously protect the Savage Lands and his friends from evil if need be.  





* His lower jaw is hinged and can open so you can have him bite any supervillains dumb enough to mess with him. He's got some very sharp teeth!



* He's a furry guy and the fur is well sculpted all over his body, including tufts coming off the back of his legs. Oh, he's got a cool but short little tail as well. 










* The pads of Zabu's paws are quite detailed. I'm sure cat lovers will go crazy for this guy! If you dipped his paws in ink you could make some fun little cat prints across a sheet of paper, too. Probably not recommended if you want to keep your figure in mint condition but still a fun idea.








* Hasbro's been creating some very well articulated animal action figures lately. The G.I. Joe Classified Series has had quite a few well articulated animals (a wolf, a Rottweiler, a crocodile, and a warthog) and the Dungeons and Dragons like did some impressive work on creatures like the Owlbears, the Displacer Beast (my daughter's into that line). Zabu moves nicely ands has incredible articulation. Whether you want to pose him prowling, in battle, or lounging, you should be able to make it happen. 




   Zabu isn't a massive Build-a-Figure, but he's not absurdly small, either. He's correctly sized for the character and a really well done figure in his own right. The fact that he partners so well with Ka-Zar, another figure in the same series, really makes him stand out. He's a Great figure and a nice addition to my extended X-Men collection. I do wish he had an alternate portrait, though, perhaps something that made him look a bit less menacing. You know, just for fun. Or maybe a stand to allow him to look like he's pouncing. We don't get as many BAFs these days as we used to, so it'd be nice to have a bit more with him. 





   This is the first figure of Zabu I've reviewed on the site. 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
Hallow's Eve
King in Black: Knull and Venom

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

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: The Unbelievable Gwenpool by Hasbro (2018)
Gwenpool

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

Marvel Legends Series: Wolverine by Hasbro
Wolverine & Lilandra Neramani
Wolverine & Psylocke

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







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3 comments:

  1. GIJigsawAugust 20, 2024 at 8:23 PM

    This is a nice Zabu. I also had the SDCC version. Did not realize it was a Sigma Six repaint. No wonder the sculpting was so different than your typical Marvel Legend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Barbecue17August 21, 2024 at 8:50 PM

    Yeah, definitely a reuse with a few new parts. There were three unreleased Adventure Team sets, too. Joe Colton with a gorilla, Dusty with a giant Scorpion, and a diver (Deep 6 or Wetsuit) with a shark. Surprised Hasbro never reused those in anyway.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. GIJigsawAugust 22, 2024 at 7:24 PM

      There's a part of me that liked the Sigma Six design, and another part of me that hated it. I purchased a few. Kind of wish I still had them. I had heard of some of those unreleased sets. I remember first reading about a new six inch Joe series, and some were prognosticating it would be like the Star Wars Unleashed statues which were really cool. An Unleashed GI Joe series would have been cool, even if they had no articulation.

      Delete

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