Review : Avenging Captain America
Marvel Select (Diamond Select)
Wave/Series : Disney Store Exclusive
Released : 29th February 2016
Price : £19.95
Anyone who follows the site, and my reviews on a regular basis will know that the general principle behind my collection is mid-range Movie & TV figures - and by mid range I mean both in size (6-7 inch) and in price (£20-£25).
My Marvel figures were all, up until recently, based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe as controversially I am more a fan of the movie's than the comics. With all the great stuff Diamond Select Toys do, they aren't particularly over generous with their Marvel 7" releases - tied into a limited number in any year with there licence. That has initially led me to enhancing my collection with comic figures who don't have a movie costume release - Deadpool and Black Panther being two I have bought so far. And now I find myself drawn to this Captain America.... so much so I picked him up last week.
Avenging Captain America is a Disney Store Exclusive, released alongside Black Panther and a number of re-releases to give Disney a Civil War related figure range in their stores for collectors.
Captain arrives in a sligtly slimmed, depth wise, Select packaging with Cap's shield logo on the bottom left of the card front and a cartoon panel of Cap right down the left hand side. On the back is a full view of the figure itself but without any form of bio, background or any "also available" images.
Out of the box, Cap stands 7 1/4 inch high and is based on Rogers look from the modern Cap comics with similarities to the costume seen in Captain America : The First Avenger. The figure is executed with a realistic look to the sculpt in terms of body shape etc this Cap will still fit in neatly with your movie figures if needed. You will also notice how heavy this figure is, it smacks of quality material vs some of it's peers in a similar price bracket.
The sculpt is brilliant with a good look of Steve Rogers about the chin and nose area that are visible under the mask - from some angles he also has characteristics of Chris Evans. Paint application on the head is top notch with the A and wings picked out neatly in white. The face has shading around the nose and mouth and the eyes are really well done considering they are tucked away behind a mask. There is a touch of bleeding of blue paint at the ears, but only on very close inspection.
The body sculpt is just as good, with crisp definition in the body shape and the clothing over the top. The torso is dominated by the white star and around this is a leather strap which is brushed for detail and with the clasps and buckles picked out in silver. The lower stomach are has clear definition between the red & white stripes - but sensibly they have gone with a dirty white to show a weathered Captain, not one that has just stepped out of the launderette.
Each shoulder has a further star emblem, this time this is clearly a decal. And the arm changes from blue to white and then ends in some burgundy glove which is again defined really well with a dark wash to bring out the folds and seams.
The legs are plain blue, but are painted in an almost denim pattern with a lighter drybrush across it to make it look worn and ruffled. The boot area are black and brown with a silver buckle on both sides and even a sculpted tread on the bottom of the boot.
Articulation is really good, and Diamond are getting better and better with their joints. The ball jointed head has plenty of movement and I like the fact it can cock side to side. The ball joint shoulders can't quite get to a full 90 degrees out to the body, but go far enough. They are supported with a bicep swivel and a standard 90 degree bending elbow joint. The gloves then swivel and the hands are on a peg which can rotate and move up and down. The left hand is sculpted in a fist, and the right is obviously perhaps a re-use from somewhere as it seems to have a trigger finger and yet Cap comes with no gun - it does still grip the shield perfectly well.
The torso joint is hidden neatly in the gap between the blue chest and the red/white stomach area and can move a good half inch to either side - with the straps cleverly moving with the chest joint,
Hips are jointed so they can go out to the side to an almost full splits position, but then also rotate to come out forward to sit Cap down. This is the latest Diamond Select figure I have bought to feel much tighter in the hip joint - historically an issue with weak joints - so perhaps that particular issue is now behind us. There is no unsightly thigh swivel - hurray - but then you find there is an upper leg swivel nearly disguised by a joint in the trousers just above the knee. The knees are then double jointed and finally the ankles sit on a rotating rocker.
The shield is Cap's sole accessory. Compared to other shields I have seen, this one feels a bit dull with a very matt finish. Behind the shield there are two working straps, both of which have been painted so well done there for attention to detail. The shield fits on either hand, but only the right one with it's open hand will hold the strap. Despite numerous requests in Ask DST sessions and online, this figure does not allow the shield to be mounted on Cap's back - so the wait goes on.
Cap comes with a really nice diorama stand which is a Hydra logo as a ruin. Compared to what we got with Black Panther, this one is pretty chuncky and has a fair bit of weight to it. The paint is good with a realistic stone effect, and mud and debris on the base area. There is one peg which fits into Cap's foot and allows him to stand on top of the display base - looking really good when he is posed.
Avenging Captain America is a figure with so many great things going for it, and hardly any negatives. He looks good, he poses well, his paint is neat and detailed and best of all this is still a 7 inch figure, with a base, that is priced under £20. You won't find better value for money in any other figure range. Disney store also do regular discounts, particularly online, so I suspect you wouldn't have to wait long to get this with a 10%, 15% or even 20% - and that makes him a bargain.
I have no option other than scoring Avenging Captain America a 5 out of 5. And I hope that the partnership with Disney & Diamond Select continues and brings us similar figures of this quality either in comic book (yes I may be converted) as well as movie figures.
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