When I first got into Marvel Select Movie figures I decided that I would go for the definitive versions of each character - so in Spider Man's case I went with the most recent Amazing Spider Man 2 figure (reviewed further up). This decision was made after having a good nosey at the other Spider Man figures available and deciding the ASM2 figure was the "nicer looking". After going "completist" on Marvel Select Movie I have recently added the original Spider Man to my collection and can honestly say that this first movie Spider Man is massively under rated when photographed and in hand he is a stunning looking figure. Released in 2012 to coincide with the Spider Man reboot, starring Andrew Garfield, Spidey came packed with interchangeable hands and a display background that represented a New York Alley ledge. He would also be released as a Disney Exclusive Unmasked version and an extremely rare and sought after Metallic Finish. Articulation is not a strong point for Diamond figures, if you want massive articulation then head over to Hasbro's Marvel Legends, but Selects certainly deliver on looks and are always impressive display pieces. Spidey is no exception and looks really eye catching in any collection. Spidey stands just under 6 3/4" which for me looks spot on, particularly if you stand him with other Marvel Selects. To me Spidey is always that teenage boy and should always be a bit smaller and thinner than some of the bulkier hero's like Captain America. The sculpt is very good with the detail and texture in the suit being sculpted rather than painted on. Spidey comes with two sets of hands, one set is clenched fists, the other is in the web shooting pose. These slot in and out relatively easily. The unmasked version comes with an alternative Andrew Garfield head and some minor tweaks in the alternative hands which are sculpted un-gloved. The Garfield head is passable, but not a perfect likeness and it feels a bit soft in the sculpt, almost as if you were looking at a "blurry" Garfield. The alternative hands are a bit odd as they are Peter Parker's ungloved hand with the web shooters in place. Both of these are sculpted in the web shooting position which when displayed is a tad odd as I would have prefered bare skin hands that were perhaps sculpted to hold Spidey's mask.
The paint is crisp and there is very little bleeding between blue & red. My two gripes, albeit minor, are the eye colour and the joints. The eyes are painted yellow and look a bit odd in certain lights - particularly when photographed, which is one of reasons that I was originally put off this version. Certainly if you look at some stills from the movie there is a yellow tint to the eyes, but not to this extent. Secondly the joints don't quite match the colour on the rest of the outfit. It is not a disaster, but isn't great when you inspect the figure close up. Articulation is standard on Spidey. You won't get him into many action poses, for that you will need the upgraded ASM2 figure from 2014. His head is on a ball joint and can achieve a full 360 degree rotation, and has a bit of up and down movement. The shoulders are ball jointed and then a standard elbow joint. The wrists can be rotated and then a hinge at the base of the hand allows some extra hand movement - useful to achieve web shooting poses. The chest is ball jointed to give a bit of left to right movement and the ability to lean him slightly forward and backwards. As with most selects there is no waist articulation. Like the shoulders the hips are on a ball joint and down to a double jointed knee which is crucial to get him into the wall pose with the display base. You can rota the lower leg around the shin, and the feet are on a swivel and pivot. The display piece is a nice touch and is designed to hang on a wall, which is a real innovative idea. This feature though is also it's downfall as it only comes with one wall hanging bracket in the centre. This is fine for the empty display, but add Spidey and gravity kicks in and the whole thing leans to the heavier side. Despite this it does provide a decent base on a shelf, and allows Spidey to be posed in a wall hanging pose rather than a neutral stance. So which Spidey should you select? The easy answer is get both, but if not then decide if you want looks or articulation. For articulation the newer version wins hands down, but check out our review of ASM2 as he is not as articulated as you may think. For looks and if you can look past the eye lenses, then go for this version. For me he stands out much better on a shelf with a brighter blue costume, displays really well on the wall diorama and looks great posed with The Lizard. Until the inevitable "new" Select Spider Man either next year as part of Civil War, or at the latest alongside the the next SM film, then I would actually recommend this first SM over the re-release from ASM2 which in my opinion gives away too much in looks and substance to try and get better articulation. If you ever get the opportunity to pick up the variants, then do not hesitate as these will continue to rise in price.
