Toy Review: Marvel Legends Retro Card Daredevil Is A Big Surprise

Off and on as I’ve been talking about toys over the last couple months, I’ve mentioned more than once that I think the retro card sublines being released by Hasbro are some of the best they’re releasing right now. So I’m going to take the next week to talk about some examples of the Marvel Legends retro card sub-line and why it’s great.

One of the most interesting trends currently happening in toys right now are sub-lines having, well, sub-lines of their own. Early last year, Hasbro started one with Marvel Legends retro cards that I just love and had to put in this week of reviews: the mini comic line. And I knew that I had to kick it off with none other than Daredevil.

Daredevil is easily one of the most frustrating characters for Marvel Legends collectors, bar none. It’s been far too long since the character has had a classic comics version released among the line — probably actually the biggest Marvel star that’s gone the longest (with Thor being the only other contender). That’s a long-winded way of saying this may not be the Daredevil you expect.

The cool thing about the mini comics sub-line is that each figure is based on a specific comic appearance: Daken is from Dark Avengers #1, Banshee is based on Giant-Size X-Men #1, and Black Widow is lifted from Jim Lee’s cover to Uncanny X-Men #268. In Daredevil’s case, it’s based on the prototype costume from the Daredevil: Man Without Fear limited series, designed by John Romita Jr. and drawn in the series by Romita and Al Williamson with colors by Christie Scheele.

While I’m one of those fans waiting on a new traditional comics Daredevil, I adore this figure.

The design is ripped straight from the series. Sure, this is just a guy in a black hoodie, sweatpants, sneakers and bandana, but there’s something about it that just screams Daredevil. The way the figure stands and poses is quintessentially Matt Murdock — specifically as depicted by Romita, Williamson and Scheele — right down to the strawberry blonde hair that Scheele gives Matt (versus the more traditional red hair Matt usually has).

I really dig the accessories they give the figure. The only thing they lack is in an unmasked headsculpt. We get three additional hands with a variety of poses. I’ve never read the series, so I’m not sure why there’s only one baton instead of two as Matt traditionally has, but it’s a good, solid baton, and I like that it actually has a string instead of the sculpted plastic featured in many versions of the weapon. The minicomic is fun, but it’s a little disappointing that it’s just a single, solid piece. It would be nice if it opened up to even just a pair of facing pages from the comic itself.

But where this figure shines is in the posing.

I could have spent hours posing this figure. It’s one of the most fun I’ve ever had in-hand. There are some sacrifices made for the design (because of the baggy hoodie, we don’t get a traditional ab crunch). Otherwise, this is such a good figure to pose. I was able to do pretty much anything I wanted with him and more to the point that I actually lost track of time a little bit. It moved so well that it’s going to find a spot in my displays once I find some time to reorganize them.

This is a heck of a figure to kick off this week with. It has quickly jumped up my list of favorites and makes me want a traditional Daredevil even more.