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The Mark 42 suit was released by Diamond in 2013 and was the first DST Movie Figure I purchased - so this is the figure that started that arm of my collection and hence it has a place close to my heart. Despite this emotional attachment I will aim to be objective in this review. Out of the box the figure stands 7 1/2" high, a tad taller than the Mk6. He comes supplied with an alternative unmasked head, alternative hands (one set open palm, one set fist clenched) and the Stark Hall of Armour alcove. Sculpting on this suit is top notch, there is just detail after detail built into the panels. The standard head is much meaner looking than the Mk6 and the unmasked version has a cleaner sculpt for Tony. Although this could be paint applications, I would expect they at least tweaked a 3 year old sculpt on this release. Paint is where this armour fails. Unlike the Mk6 (official and knock off) which is shiny and pretty, the Mk42 is just a little dull. The paint is metallic, just not bright enough and that becomes more evident if you stand the Mk42 next to a Mk6. The other element that I don't like is the joints which are a painted a pretty flat part-metallic grey and to me almost look like they have been "missed" when the factory painted the model - the hip joints being the most prominent Articulation is vastly improved on the Mk6, well done DST. The head has a wider range of movement as do the legs which are now clear of any armour that used to foul the movement at the hips. But this clearing of the hip joints and the grey paint as mentioned above does make the hips joints stand out onb this model as a bit "odd". The knee joints on the other hand are brilliantly done with a covering panel that hides the joint really well. Ankles remain jointed but are also on a swivel - no rocker movement. Back up to the arms and they are done in the same way as the Mk6 although this time the shoulder panels are much more securely attached and move a lot cleaner. The head and hands are a bit stiff to swap around too much, but not impossible - I recommend a bit of heat from a hair dryer or some boiling water before changing parts, just to be on the safe side. The base piece that comes with the Mk42, and with the War Machine / Iron Patriot released at the same time, is one of the first scenery pieces that I really like in this range, pick up a couple and you can start to build a hall of armours - in face I just wish that DST would have done some more of the IM armours over previous years. Perhaps we will get a surprise Mk43 for Age of Ultron as a Disney Exclusive or a new figure next year for Civil War. Mk42 improves on a number of areas vs the Mk6, but whilst taking 3 steps forward it also takes a couple of steps back with the paint application. Mk42 scores a high 3 but doesn't deliver quite enough to get to a 4 out of 5 or beyond.

Following the release of Wolverine from the X-Men Origins film, Iron Man was released in 2010 to coincide with the release of Iron Man 2. He has the honour of being the first Marvel MCU Movie figure released in Diamond's Marvel Select range, kicking off what would become a highly sought after sub-line in 2010. I must admit that Movie Iron Man figures have been a bit of a mystery to me until recently, having seen a variety of different flavours both in the Select packaging, but also loose and from Far East sellers on eBay (more on these questionable figures in a bit) With in-depth studying (Google) my research has concluded, and please contact me if I am incorrect, that as of writing this review (June 2015) Diamond has put out 4 Movie Iron Man figures, one of which has then been released on two separate cards. The first figures from 2010, in conjunction with Iron Man 2, were the Mk6 armour, and a Mk4 armour which was exclusive to Borders. Both of these came on IM2 packaging and the series also included a Mk1 War Machine. These were all packed with a 3D scenery piece representing a door from Hammer Industries - silver in colour for the Iron Man figures and a bronze colour for War Machine. The Mk6 was later repacked in Avengers packaging. The Avengers packaging release is the more common figure, but as with most Select Movie figures the secondary prices are constantly rising. For Iron Man 3 in 2013, DST gave us the new Mk42 armour (along with a War Machine Mk2 and an Iron Patriot) and they also released a battle damaged Mk42 which was exclusive to Disney stores. These figures for IM3 were released with a scenery piece which depicted an alcove from Tony Starks Hall of Armour. The Mk42 is reviewed a little further down, but for now we will focus on the Mk4 and Mk6 Tony stands 7 and 1/4" high in this armour and in comparison to the later Mk42 is much stockier and painted in very shiny metallic finish. The detail on the armour is pretty good with the panels nicely defined and the hydraulic joints built into the joints on the figure itself - particularly visible at the elbows and the rear of the knees. Tony's face is sculpted reasonably well behind the mask which is removable by the use of two pins.This is the first downside to the figure as the mask sits nicely when up, but when down doesn't quite sit right and leaves two pretty big holes in Iron Man's head. I guess this is why they went down the alternative head route in future IM figures. Paint is nicely done, in my opinion better than the later Mk42 as it holds a much shinier metallic finish but it does lack a decent wash on the armour to bring out the detail. The paint apps on the face are a bit basic, but they pick out the eyes and beard and it's a pretty good likeness. The arc reactor isn't as bright as I would like it. On the Mk4 in isolation, the gold colour is more muted than the Mk6. This gold is used much less but has a tendency to rub very easily on the thigh panels. Articulation is limited by the armour. The head can turn but only a few degrees either way. The shoulders are on a ball joint so have full movement which is supported by the shoulder plates being on a small joint so they move with the arm. There is an elbow joint and the hands not only rotate, but can be replaced so you can have open palm or closed fist on either hand. There is a chest joint to allow a bit of side to side movement - but as with a lot of Select figures, no waist joint. The hips are articulated but don't move loads due to the armour, knees are on a pivot joint and there is the same on the ankles - but not the rocker joints seen on future models. Because of the details DS have sculpted into the hips and the panels around the joint the figure can't really achieve any stance other than a "feet together" neutral pose which can look a bit odd when you consider the wider stance that IM takes in the movies. DST resolved this issue in the later Mk42 by slimming down the joint - but this is where the argument between looks and articulation kicks in. It is also worth mentioning the two flaps on the rear of the suit which are articulated on a small ball joint - but are prone to dropping off. The figure comes packed with a 4 piece background display which represents a piece of Hammer Industries. Once assembled the base has a peg onto which Ironman can be placed. Unlike a number of MS backgrounds, this one is very functional and although a bit plain in terms of mould and finish, it does make the figure look great in a display. This was essentially the figure that started off the Movie Select Line, so when reviewing it we have to consider this is now 5 years old. The paint finish is great and adds a real shine to the figure, particularly the Mk6, which is missing on the later version. The articulation is enough, but not dynamic enough to get Tony into many poses other than a neutral stance. The downsides are the face plate, I would have preferred an alternative head, and there are parts that are included that in my opinion are unnecessary (rear flight flaps). As the Mk4 and Mk6 are essentially the same figure, with a tweaked chest piece and paint variants I a going to mark them together. I am going to give Tony a bit of kudos as the start of this range and up him to a 3 rather than a 2. Please note that the first Mk6 I bought turned out to be a fake from the far east which used the same mould but the plastic and paint was much lower quality. The fakes can be identified by the flat black paint on the biceps and knees which are a metallic colour on the genuine model. The gallery below includes the genuine and fake Mk6 so you can compare differences. Worth looking closely at any you are thinking of buying before parting with the cash.

So far Diamond have released two Thor figures based on his Movie appearances, with a third due in Summer 2015 as part of their Age of Ultron releases. This review relates to the 2nd Release, that of Thor as seen in The Dark World. It is also this release which will be repainted for Age of Ultron and supplied with a new scenic base. The figure is reflective of the revised armour Thor wore in his second solo outing, albeit with bare arms - Thor's arms were armoured for most of the film, particularly the action sequences. Diamond's packaging never fails to impress, and Thor is packed in the oversize blister with the usual high quality artwork to the side panel and a write up of the figure on the rear. In the box you get Thor himself, Mjolnir and half of a scenic base. Once out of the box Thor stands a commanding 8" tall, which is about 6' 6" scaled up, and puts him the tallest of the "Human" Avengers and second only to Hulk. The sculpt on this is one of the best I have seen from Diamond so far in the Marvel Movie releases. The head is one of the best likenesses, and captures Chris Hemsworth very well. The hair is sculpted into a number of braided elements and flows out reasonably naturally onto the back and shoulders. This Dark World version of Thor comes with non armoured arms, and these are sculpted with some muscle definition, but the arm articulation does impact this. There are sculpted bracers over each wrist and a detailed chest piece which runs into the chain-mail trimmed trousers and knee high boots/bracers. Thor's left hand is sculpted open as it summoning lightening, and the right is sculpted to hold the Hammer. Mjolnir itself holds some detail but is obviously two pieces joined together and the join is clearly visible. The Handle is ribbed and sculpted as leather and there is a leather strap at the end, but this is in solid plastic so sometimes hangs against gravity. Thor is finished off with his signature red cloak which is nicely sculpted from pretty solid plastic and hangs pretty naturally.. Onto articulation and Thor is standard fare from Diamond. The head is on a pivot, but the hair restricts almost all movement. The arms are jointed at the shoulders to allow a 90 degree straight out position, and everything in between. There is then swivel on the biceps and a join at the elbow. Finally the wrists rotate. All this means Thor can achieve a good number of arm poses, but unfortunately not the one everyone would want - arm straight up holding the hammer and summoning lightening. It's the cloak that puts pay to this pose as its hard fixed over both shoulders. Thor has a Torso joint which allows him to lean forward and backwards and twist a little from side to side. There is no waist articulation, so onto the legs which are jointed at the hips, but again are restricted in their movement due to the flow of Thor's armour. There is then a thigh swivel, knee joint and like most newer select figures there are ankle rockers to allow Thor to be planted flat footed into a pose. Paint is fairly good. The head and skin has nice definition with a couple of subtle tones. Thor's eyes are also painted a striking blue, and there is a natural look to the lips and the goatee. The armour is predominantly black but within this there are some tone changes, indicating a darker wash. The chainmail on the legs is painted silver, but not too bright. There is nice red trim to neck area of the armour and underneath both bracers on the wrists. The armour is trimmed in gold, and it's here we get the first significant paint bleed with some gold bleeding onto the black armour underneath. The cloak looks to be flat red, relying on the sculpt to bring out shadows and highlights. Mjolnir is pretty plain with a silver paint on the hammer and a brown handle with the hint of a darker wash. Thor, as mentioned above, also comes with a scenery piece which links up to that supplied with the counter part figure from The Dark World, Jane Foster. Combined the two pieces don't so much make up a base that you can stand the figures on - but rather a scenery piece depicting some fallen Dark Elves. This is nicely designed in terms of connecting together and is a half decent sculpt and paint job. The issue is, for me, it adds nothing - and I would have rather have seen some form of backdrop piece like the Cpt America Heli Carrier background - but obviously done in stone work with Asgardian decor. Thor is a chunky, imposing figure and fits nicely into an Avengers display as well as going well with the Jane Foster figure in a Dark World situation. The upcoming Age of Ultron version is just a repaint, but I do prefer the silver trim that this AoU figure will have vs the gold on this version. Sculpt is one of the best I have come across to date and the paint job is pretty good with just a few blips. Articulation seems to have been added but with little consideration of the poses Thor can realistically achieve once the hair, cloak and armour are in place. The Hammer accessory is a bit of a let down due to the visible joint. All in all Thor does enough to get above 3 and into a 4 out of 5 score.

Over the years Diamond have put out a number of different versions of The Hulk, from the Grey Ultimate Hulk to the more traditional green versions. In 2012, and as part of a series of figures from Avengers Assemble, DST released a movie hulk. Hulk is a big piece of plastic, standing 10" high and coming in around 6" across. Like many DST oversize figures he is pretty heavy, but is supplied without the usual base/accessories you would see in the normal size figures. Due to the way DST pack their select figures, Hulk arrives in the same sized box and therefore fits perfectly into any MOC collection. Once unpacked you can start to appreciate the sculpt on this hulk. From the giant veined feet through to the 6-pack and bulging arm muscles the body captures Hulk, albeit a little under-defined (but that could be the paint job). The trousers are a bit plain, but do their job and are sculpted around the knee joints. The head and hair is also nicely sculpted BUT they didn't pick a particularly good look. Whilst trying to capture the Hulk snarl, they kind of lost the figure a little and left hulk with a kind of half smile, part snarl and part showing the dentist his gnashers. Onto paint, and another mark off for this figure as he is very one tone of green - and the green is probably a little too dark for Hulk, and particularly for Hulk as a 10" figure. The upcoming Age of Ultron repaint looks to have got the skin tone and more depth of detail - so we look forward to that. Hulks pants are a flat grey and there is some bleed into the knees. The toes nails are painted and there is also decent detail on the teeth, lips and eyes. The hair is a bit flat too, painted one shade of near black. Articulation is pretty good considering the bulk of the figure. The head is ball jointed and can look, to a degree, up down and side to side. The shoulders are jointed to allow the arms to go out 90 degrees to the body, and they also swivel to allow hulk to raise the arms above his head ready to SMASH. Further down the elbows are jointed and their is swivel in the wrist The torso is jointed, so Hulk can swivel at the chest. But there is no waist articulation. The hips can move, but dont really move particularly far and that means Hulk is pretty much limited to a neutral stance. The knees bend, and thankfully there are rocker joints on the ankles to allow Hulk's feet to be planted flatly and keep him pretty stable. This is not the perfect movie Hulk, and looking at it neither is the AoU version - although this 2015 update will be a significant improvement. Hulk is not a bad figure by any means, but he has the potential to be so much better with a slicker paint job and a re-sculpted head. He looks great in any display, coming into his own towering over the usual 7" scale figures in either an Avengers setup or battling against Chitauri or Loki. Hulk weighs in with a 3 out of 5, and it will be interesting to see if the AoU update is tweaked enough to get up to a 4 when I have it in hand. I also look forward to posing Hulk with the upcoming Widow figure.

When Winter Soldier was released in 2014 many Marvel Select fans looked forward to an updated Captain America for their Avengers display - me included. Diamond went down a different route and released him in the all blue stealth suit that Cap sported in the opening segment of the film. There are two versions of this. The first is the standard release, which included a masked Captain and a standard painted shield. This is not 100% accurate as Cap used a blue & silver shield in the sequences where we wore the stealth suit. The second release was a Disney Store exclusive and included an unmasked Steve Rogers head, some "damage" to the suit and a damaged shield. The standard version is the easier of the two to find, but I was lucky enough to pickup the exclusive version. This review and the associated picture gallery are for the exclusive version. For anyone shopping for this figure then as with the first Captain America Movie Figure, there does appear to be knock off versions of this circulating in the Far East Cap comes in the standard Select Box with beautiful artwork on the side and a write up of the figure on the reverse Once cracked out of the box you will have the main figure, the alternative head, a shield and a large backdrop piece. The figure itself is really well done and is has been much improved on the First Avenger release. The sculpt is well done, with a lot more detail on the suit than shows up in images. Cap's face under the hood is much crisper. The alternative head never looked great to me in images, but up close it is much better than it looks - although is still not a brilliant likeness for Chris Evans, and I have no idea where that hair style came from. The shield is just a rehash of the original shield, but fits easier over the arms. The belt is nicely done and is loose on the figure so it slides up and down - still not sure what this is needed Painting is well done throughout. Yes it's all a dark blue, but within that are darker areas painted in and even some red down the sides. On the exclusive version there is some nice but subtle weathering added and there are very small scratches detailed into the chest.. The silver is crisp on the chest with no visible bleed into the surrounding clothing. The head and eyes are cleanly painted with very minor flesh colour bleed onto one side on the hood straps on my figure. The Shield is painted really well, it is very difficult to get a naturally distressed look, but they have achieved this. The best points on the figure are the articulation, which has come a long way in the 3years since the First Avenger Cap. The elbows and knees are much more natural yet still allow for a decent range of movement. Ankle rockers have also been added which makes standing Cap much better. The head is on a ball joint, so allows the head to look up and down as well as side to side. The head pops off to swap, its not the easiest to get off so I would consider warming it up slightly when swapping heads to reduce risk of any damage. The base piece supplied is the same as the piece that comes with Falcon, and is nicely detailed to depict a wall of the Shield Helicarriers, even including a SHIELD logo sculpted into the floor. It is painted a flat silver. This one works much better with Cap as a display piece where as on Falcon it looked a bit odd if you displayed Falcon on the stand with his wings in place. With the improved articulation, the nice paint job and the ankle rockers I give this Captain a 4 out of 5, overall DST were a bit lazy with not giving him the right shield and the Chris Evans head isn't a knock out. This is still not the definitive Cap, but is a good stand in and I just hope that DST will come good with a true Avengers Red, White and Blue version next year as part of Civil War

The Star Spangled Man, for me, is a must in any Marvel collection and more so in a collection that focuses on the movie universe. This is the first Cap figure released by Diamond Select in 2011 and is based on his WW2 appearance from The First Avenger As with most DST Marvel Movie figures this release is already well past its RRP of £20 and commands in the region of £40-£50 packaged on the secondary market (April 2015). A word of caution that this is one of the few DST Marvel figures that is being released in the far east as knock off versions and check when you are buying on eBay. If the price is too good, and the location is in the far east, this is likely a knock off and quality will be questionable. Cap comes packaged in the usual Select oversize packaging and included with the figure are his iconic shield, a hand gun and half of a diorama base piece - the second half of which comes with his counter part figure from the movie, Red Skull Once you get Cap out of the box, the sculpt on his WW2 gear is pretty impressive with different textures across the chest piece and a variety of buckles and straps. He does suffer a bit in terms of how the elbows have been tackled and the boots are a bit unwieldy, these are more articulation issues more on this later. The head sculpt is "enough" for you to know its Steve Rogers, but as with a lot of Human Sculpts from DST, its a bit soft and flat of any definition and detail. The hood is OK, but again a bit plain. Paint apps on mine are a bit messy, with some bleed on the stomach area straps. The helmet on mine is also missing one of the wings (which look like transfer rather than paint) on one side. There are some nice details on either shoulder and the chest star is OK. Articulation is what really lets this figure down in my opinion. I never expect a massively articulated figure from Diamond as I prefer the figure to look right. In Cap's case the articulation in the elbows has led to a rather odd, unnatural looking joint and the joint isnt painted so it stands out. The boots are also missing ankle rockers so Cap never seems to stand properly as his feet cant be placed flat to the floor. The Shield is nice, but is a bit too much of a tight fit to go over his arm, and mine broke when I first put it on. When in place it does thank fully hide the elbow issues. The Gun is what it is and fits snugly in Cap's hand or indeed in its leg holster. You wont get any significant action poses out of Captain, but once posed with his shield he does look pretty good. Although this was the right figure for the film, it is a shame that Cap has never been made in his modern outfit as either seen in Avengers or the tweaked Age of Ultron version. That leaves Avengers fans either using this version, or the stealth suit from Winter Soldier in an Avengers line up The base piece doesn't really add a great deal to this figure. Rather than be a background piece it is a metal base that joins up with the Red Skull's piece to make a base for both figures. Being practically flat it is easily lost in any cabinet and I have discarded mine to the storage box for now. Don't get me wrong, Captain is a decent figure. But due to the issues I have encountered I have scraped him in as a 3 out of 5, and I would recommend the Winter Soldier Stealth Suit as a better figure and of course you would expect an updated Steve Rogers next year when Civil War is released.

The Lizard (The Amazing Spiderman) The Lizard, the big bad from Amazing Spiderman, is a bit of an anomaly within Marvel Select's Movie figures. Since his release in 2012 he has actually fallen in price. Unlike most MS Movie releases, the Lizard is still pretty readily available, and with eBay sales as low as just a tenner recently. Having initially kept away from this figure I have been getting "collectors boredom" recently while I wait for new releases, and have been backdating my MS Movie collection. Lizard arrived in a bit of a beat up box, but still with very impressive graphics particularly the side panel. Once opened I am now struggling to see why people would not want Lizard in their collection. Granted he is a bit of a different look to the usual Comic Dr Connors, but this is a big figure, comparable with movie Hulk, and and adds real menace and bulk to a MS Movie shelf. Sculpt first, and this is as good as I have seen on an MS figure for the facial features. It captures the look from the movie really well. Down into the body and the detail is pretty good, with sculpted scales and muscles through to clawed hands and feet. The paint job is also impressive. It is predominantly green with a beige wash which then brings out the detail on the sculpt. There are also subtle washes of darker green in the recesses on the muscle definition. Eyes and mouth are also well painted, and the only real let down is the nails which are a bit bland and look a shade too orange for my liking Articulation is the standard fare for a MS figure. You have ball jointed shoulders and then standard joints in the elbows, wrists, knees and ankles. Lizard also comes with a ball jointed tail and there is a torso articulation which allows him to hunch over a little if needed. The head is on a ball joint which allows a full range of movement. The tail is key to this figure as it is the only way you can get Lizard to stand on his own. I can see the mechanics behind this as without the tail the feet would have to have been sculpted flat to the floor and would have made him look a bit too big footed (think Chitauri) At 8.5" high, and as mentioned, Lizard will give Hulk a run for his money. He also looks suitably big and menacing next to any of the human heroes. Despite his seemingly low stock score in the Marvel Select marker, I actually really like Lizard and can't understand why he is languishing in almost bargain basements while Red Skull and Loki are commanding silly money. I think Lizard is one of the best MS figures I have obtained to date in terms of overall sculpt, paint and articulation. If you don't like the Movie Lizard design from the film then I can see why this isn't the figure for you, but for me he has certainly exceeded my expectations and I look forward to sticking him into the display. A very high 4 out of 5 for me.

Jane Foster (Thor : The Dark World) I was determined not to go "completist" on Diamond Select's 7" Marvel Movie Figures, my focus was on putting together The Avengers. One figure I originally had no intention of picking up was Jane Foster from Thor, the Dark World. But as collectors will know a number of things can transpire to bring new figures and items into your collection. With Jane Foster it was a combination of price (£12.30 delivered from Amazon.com), a slow month for new figures (that dreaded itch to buy "something") and the announcement of a new Thor figure for Age of Ultron, even if it was a repaint. I decided at £12 that Jane would now become useful to sit with my Dark World Thor as a standalone display and the new AoU Thor would take his place in the Avengers set up... how weird our collectors minds work. Upon arrival Jane had obviously either taken a battering in transit, or was from some pretty beat up stock back at Amazon. As I am a loose collector this didnt really impact anything, but would have frustrated any MOC collectors. Jane comes in the usual oversized Select packaging with wonderful art across one side and the back She comes with two head options, one normal, one possessed. And comes packed in with half a base/display piece which joins up a piece packed in with Dark World Thor - more on that later. Sculpt is a pretty good likeness to Natalie Portman and the sculpting on the robe looks nice and natural. Paint applications were strong. Articulation however is where the figure lost a few points. First issue is her feet which are sculpted in heels and with no feet hole. She does have ankle joints, but finding that balance point to keep her stood up is tricky and I think she will need some 3rd party aid to keep her stood in my display. The other issue is a rather ugly left elbow joint where the bronze paint on the bracer has carried on into the joint - appreciated this could be a one off with my figure. Because of the dress her legs have limited movement, and the arms are also restricted heavily by clothing and the shoulder plate on right side. The heads however do swap over nicely and gives a couple of options to display Jane as "normal" or "possessed". Over to the base, and this is where I struggle. It is a lovely piece. It is well sculpted, well painted and has a fair bit of weight to it. It clicks easily into the Thor version. But it is not a base! There is no way you could stand Jane or Thor onto this, it is more of a scenery piece that would stand beside them. Considering everything, Jane is a 2/5 figure. I applaud Diamond for using one of their slots for the Dark World to produce Jane over say re-releasing Loki, or doing Malkieth. It is also nice to see a female character in the Select Movie range. Sadly she suffers from not standing very well and limited articulation which has been sacrificed over the sculpting of the dress and accessories. The head swap is a nice touch. The "scenery" piece would have been better as a true base to help keep Jane upright.

Red Skull (Captain America : The First Avenger) I came quite late to the Marvel Select line and decided early on just to go for Movie based figures. Having now ticked off all the main Avenger characters, Falcon and Spiderman I looked back at the range to add some bad guys to the shelf. There are about 4 to chose from if you go on Movie appearance only, these are Loki, Red Skull, The Lizard and Chitauri Soldier. At this point I am not overly awed by the Lizard and Chitauri and wont lose any sleep not having them just yet - but I really wanted Loki and Red Skull on the shelf. Little had I realised that these had rocketed in price and rarity. I try not to go mad on rare pieces, I put a price on anything - and although I will go higher for a rare piece - paying say £100 on a £20 figure because it is rare is nonsense to me and I would rather not have it. I have been playing a long game with Loki & Red Skull hoping for a re-release or perhaps a loose one coming up on the market - and that is what has happened with Red Skull who popped up on my ebay search at £19.99 buy it now and free delivery. He arrived along with the usual Select base section and I am very impressed all round. Sculpt wise he is the usual Select high standard, and the paint job is superb with a number of Hydra logo's on his shoulders. The buttons, buckles and trim of the coat are well done and well painted. And despite pretty much being an all black outfit, there are shades and finishes that differ (gloves vs sleeves for example) which bring it too life. The head is shaded well and the eyes are even painted up into the recessed eye sockets. He comes with a base that links up to the First Avenger Cpt America figure, and also with a German Pistol (Luger?). My only downsides are probably a result of this being a 2nd hand piece. Firstly the left leg is very loose - and I think this is a wider issue on Selects as it is identical to the problem I have with the recent Amazing Spiderman 2 figure. Secondly I think one patch on his head is a paint chip rather than paint deco - decision now wether to try and touch up or leave as "battle damage". If you are a fan of Marvel and Marvel Select then I highly recommend Red Skull to add some menace to a shelf. Here's hoping that I can add Loki at some point and hopefully more movie based figures in the future.

Spiderman (The Amazing Spiderman 2) Although not an Avenger as such, a movie Spiderman was always on the shopping list for the Marvel display. Diamond have put out a number of Spiderman figures in the Select range so far, including both comic versions and one from the Amazing Spiderman. However, I have held on for this new version from Amazing Spiderman 2, touted as the ultimate Spiderman figure. Upon arrival the figure is in its usual oversized collectors packaging from Diamond with some lovely artwork on the side and rear panels. The first key difference between this figure and other Select figures is the lack of any base/display piece - this is fine by me as I never use these anyway (update : Diamond have since re-released this figure with the wall display piece previously released in their original Amazing Spiderman). Diamond have obviously counter acted the inclusion of a base with a wealth of accessories. The first of these are the Fireman helmet and hose as seen in the film. Alongside the fireman gear are a wealth of hands - and this is wear I began to lose the plot. Spidey comes with open palm hands attached, and there are also web shooting hands - with removable webs. I get these. Then there are 3 different pairs of fists, one of which is designed to hold the lengths of web - but the other 2 confuse me as surely Spidey only needs the option for one clenched fists? Then there are the lengths of web which are meant to allow you to hang Spidey from a wall / shelf etc. Now these webs are well done and link together nicely and attach to Spidey's hand. The issue is there is then nothing to attach them to the said wall/shelf etc. I can probably work something out - but I don't think it would have hurt putting some kind of clamp or sucker in the pack? Spidey himself is then also a bit of a let down. First, mine has a very loose right leg which results in him doing the splits quite often. The articulation is then not quite there for the type of poses you would put Spidey in. For example the regular crouched position can be achieved but as the neck articulation is limited - Spidey simply looks at the floor. The leg issue was fixed with sticking Spidey on a Neca stand and I have gone with a pretty neutral pose and Spidey is now sat alongside Cpt America and Hulk. All in all this figure promised much but didn't quite deliver. Had he not been touted as being able to swing from his webs or be more pose-able I wouldn't have been too bothered as he is actually the same as any other Select figure I have ever bought. The issue here is too much hype.

Falcon (Captain America : Winter Soldier) The one thing I have learnt very quickly about the Diamond Select figures based on the Marvel films is never hesitate on a purchase. After deciding earlier this year to add an Avengers set of figures to my movie figures I have had no end of trouble tracking down some of the figures at a decent price, and am still missing on any bad guys due to the price on Loki and Red Skull. So when Falcon landed at Film n Figures in Chorley I went and picked him up straight away, despite not actually seeing CATWS at the point I bought him. My only knowledge of Falcon is what I had seen on the Disney XD Avengers cartoon the clone and I watch at weekends Falcon comes in the usual impressive packaging with a bio of the character on the back. Once opened you have the choice of displaying him with or without the wings which slot into his back pack. With wings was the only way to go for me, and with these slotted into place you really appreciate the figure. Some will argue the wings would have been nice to be folded away, but I can understand the cost of that tooling and the risk of damage so the slot in and out solution is acceptable. The sculpt is great, as I am getting used to with Diamond's Marvel Select figures. And there is a decent range of articulation. The head rotates with a bit of up and down movement. Arms are on a ball jointed shoulder, with elbow joints and swivel in the wrists. The Legs are also ball jointed at the hips and with a knee and ankle joint. Unlike some of the other Select figures the backdrop for Falcon is pretty impressive also, with a Shield logo stamped into the floor. However, and this is my major gripe, I would have preferred Falcon to come with a flight stand of some kind and packed also with the two hand guns he uses in the movie. There is enough articulation to get him into some relatively good flight poses and the one where he is flying backwards shooting would have been lovely to replicate on a display Overall Falcon makes a great addition to the Avengers shelf and misses out on a perfect 5/5 due to lack of a flight base.

In 2009 Diamond Select Toys took their Select range of 7" Marvel figures and applied the format to the first Movie figure, that of Wolverine from the 2009 movie X-Men Origins : Wolverine The figure that "started it all" is now highly sought after, and I was lucky to pick this up recently from Evilbay at a sensible price and meant I had now effectively completed my Select Movie collection (variants aside) until the 2016 figures arrive. Wolverine comes in the standard Select packaging and would still fit with any Mint on Card collection nowadays despite being 6 years old. The big variance of the packaging that you would notice is the lack of a graphic on the left panel, instead this is a black panel with the X-Men Origins text. Once out of the box the first thing that will strike any Select collector is Wolverine's size... he is far too small. At 6.5" high Logan is almost Legends scale rather than the now established Select sizing. He is dwarfed by his 2013 do-over and by all the other Select Movie figures, including Widow and Hawkeye. Putting the size of Logan aside, the figure is a half likeness to Wolverine, but more a cartoon representation than looking anything like Hugh Jackman. The face is sculpted in what I assume should be a snarl, but ends up looking a little bit like a forced smile at a Wedding. The paint applied to the face and hair is a tad too shiny and there is no wash or dry-brushing to add depth. Down to the torso and the chest and arms are sculpted with some nice muscle definition. The chest has a sculpted white vest which is painted, like the head, in a shiny finish and has no definition or weathering. The chest skin tone is also very glossy and a different shade to the arms. The one redeeming feature of the top half are the bone claws which are nicely done. The bottom half is a set of jeans which do appear to have had a bit of paint work on them to look weathered. The flared bottoms of the jeans are a nice nod to the era the movie is set, and under them are the cowboy boots that Logan wears in the film. Articulation isn't too bad on the figure with a ball jointed head that turns a full 360 degree. Arms are fully articulated on a ball jointed shoulder, elbow joint and wrist swivel. These mean you can get the arms into a variety of menacing poses. There is no torso joint that fans nowadays would expect, but the waist does swivel. The legs are ball jointed at the hips and can get out to a spread position, but not into the splits. The knees bend, with the joint pretty nicely hidden, and the ankles rotate to allow you to stand Logan with a good degree of stability. The scenic base and dumpster are pretty nice and add a bit of theatre to the Wolverine display. It is nice to see a peg in the base that allows you to drop Wolverine on it and then the peg holding him secure enough so you can pose him on one leg in an action pose - something we have lost in the more modern figures. Overally you have to respect that this figure launched a line that is still going after 6 years and that is well respected in the market and well collected with a good core of fans. It is a shame that despite having a good 7 years experience with comic figures that Diamond got the size so wrong on this, and I believe it is that Comic experience that probably drove the paint choices and the glossier finishes. In a way Wolverine Origins is a transitional figure and has hallmarks of the Comic figure heritige whilst being a movie representation. Thank fully Diamond did improve very quickly and within 12months had put out the excellent Iron Man 2 figures and would go on to give us such brilliant figures as Captain America and Thor. Thank fully for Logan fans, we got a much improved Wolverine in 2013 and if you want a Wolverine in your collection, then pay the extra to get that one. Wether we will see anymore Wolverine figures, or indeed anything ever again from the Fox licence, is unknown, and a little sad. Origins Wolverine walks away with a 1 out of 5, not even nostalgia can cause me to give it anything higher. Sorry Logan.