Toy Review: Marvel Legends Ghost Rider Robbie Reyes Is Good … But Could Be More

In the past decade or so, Marvel Comics has created a fascinating generation of young legacy heroes. Rather than simply slapping a familiar codename and powerset on a new face, they’ve built compelling backstories for diverse young men and young women, and one of those at the center of that trend is the newest Ghost Rider: Robbie Reyes.

Robbie made his debut in All New Ghost Rider #1 in 2014, from Felipe Smith and Tradd Moore. Right away, Robbie was not your typical Ghost Rider. Rather than a motorcycle or similar single-person ride, he transformed thanks to a possessed Dodge Charger. While he was a spirit of vengeance, it was the ghost of a killer he bonded with, not a demonic or angelic Spirit of Vengeance.

Robbie also had a more unique history. He was a Mexican American from Los Angeles and the primary caregiver of his disabled younger brother. He also eventually joined the Avengers, becoming a multiversal lynchpin in a massive epic.

Robbie was initially offered as the included figure in a crowdfunded Haslab that would have seen his Hellcharger hit fans’ shelves. When that Haslab failed to gain the necessary support, many wondered if we would ever see Robbie alone, and thankfully we finally have.

This figure is very much a mixed bag right away. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just a few steps away from being great.

As far as design, it mostly feels like the character stepped right off the page. The body looks really good, with the black popping in just the right way. The issue in the design is with Robbie’s skull. As you might notice in the promo image above, the promo figure was a silver skull, which this figure itself is a bright white. 

It’s a jarring look that almost makes the figure look unpainted, rather than a ghostly skull. Adding a little shading on the cheeks and jaw, or even just the seams of the helmet-like skull would have added so much. Thankfully his eyes are painted on and look really cool, but it does highlight that the skull is otherwise so stark.

The accessories are mostly good. A Robbie headsculpt would have been a nice addition, but not totally necessary. The alternate hands are solid, with the claw-like hand adding a lot of personality. The hammer and crowbar are unique weapons that set Robbie apart from the Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch figures out on the market. The accessory that falls short is the chain. This is exactly the same chain used in the recent Spider-Venom and that’s a glaring thing on its own, but like that figure, this would be benefitted by the chain being wired or otherwise moldable/posable.

The posing is where this figure really shines. Though butterfly-jointed shoulders would have really helped, overall, this is a great posing figure. Both in standing and flight stand poses, he looked fantastic, even with the limitations of an older body buck and the static chain. Even with the limitations of the chain, that’s an accessory that will make any pose with the figure pop even more, which is really what’s needed.

So, there are a few small flaws here, it’s really a figure that’s otherwise somewhere between good and great. He’s going to be a great addition to my horror heroes, especially in the upcoming spooky season.