Marvel Legends Hasbro "Retro Collection" - I Don't Get It
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2022
- #retroblasting #marvel #hasbro
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Michael looks at the Hasbro "Retro Collection" assortment of Marvel Legends action figures and has a few questions. - Комедії
These are definitely a nostalgia item. A kind of "what If" Kenner had the marvel license in the 70-80s. that being said I have purchased everyone of them so far. I'm old and these are just FUN. nothing else.
Having fun stuffs is what keeps us old guys young.
I agree with that assessment. I had originally thought they were playing to Secret Wars nostalgia, which is definitely part of their appeal, but yeah this looks like if Kenner had acquired a Marvel license alongside Star Wars.
Absolutely. I love this line. As a child of the 70s, the art and style just screamed at me. But if I didn't read them, or I have no nostalgia for them, I'll happily pass on some.
@@TheFunkyJawa I wasn't even alive in the 1900s, but I really love this line
Hasbro Likes to buy out toy companys or sighn contract with Kenner Toys
I think the appeal is that this is an “easy” Collection, not many items, usually available in store, and fairly cheap. Also covers most of the characters you’d want.
I love this line. The card art is AMAZING. The figures hit a great nostalgia button for me. It's a fun "what if" line that's well made.
Hate to nitpick, but the 7 POA is pretty useful when you have Spider-Man shooting his webs, or any character that would be firing something from their hands in the comics.
Or like wolverine with his claws
Nobody is posing these.
For me, a 55 year old, the line is a total nostalgia trip. The Kenner name puts them in that Super Powers/Star Wars vein while offering a better and less expensive collectible than the Super 7 stuff. I have bumped into 20-somethings in the aisle at Target/Walmart picking these up too. I have yet to see any 8 year olds grabbing them though 😄
Same, 55
Me too, 60.
What's not to get? It's a "What if Kenner made these back in the 70's/80's nostalgic toy line." It reminds me of how Marvel characters were drawn in comic books when I was growing up and it's my favorite toy line since the original Kenner Star Wars figures. I absolutely love it!
Its just a whiney man baby complaining about everything. Dudes just a miserable being.
I'm one of the Adult Collectors that loves this line. It fits my collector space and gives me a nostalgia feeling for the old figure lines. I also share it with one of my nephews whom is a huge marvel kid. He loves them so maybe that's part of it, like the Origins He-Man line.
Hopefully your idea to have Kenner be the kids action figure line reaches the ears of the new CEO.
I kinda like these. Brings back some nostalgia, even though they never existed in the past.
These would've been perfect in 1978
Very true. I think that may be the point of these. 👍🏼
It's a great line. It shows us what a 1980's Kenner toy line of Marvel figures might of looked like. It's nostalgia and it works
If Super7 had the Marvel license, they would make these. It's a re-imagining of 70s superheroes in the 70s Kenner style just as Reaction line has been doing. They chose heroes that both adults and kids know and dont have to pay actors for their likenesses.
But these are also half the price
The target audience is men who have recently had their children move out of the house and are now getting nostalgic about the toys of their youth and want to go down a trip memory lane.
The Kenner logo is there because it is retro and it reminds them of a quality that newer more articulated figures dont usually have. Namely being very solid and easy for kids and grandkids to play with without destroying them.
The figures look great even though they dont have a lot of articulation, while they are probably great for kids if they are interested in these this is all about nostalgia, nostalgia, nostalgia!
I like them because of the more traditional comic style the figures are. The MCU has changed the way we perceived these characters and the looks have altered. The MCU is up in down (More down in my view) in the quality of the movies and streaming shows these days and having that more traditional look to harken back to is quite refreshing. Plus they are inexpensive at least in my neck of the woods.
Agreed. Just look at the falcon figures. Those 3.75 get a classic falcon straight off the bat with a proper redwing.
I agree completely, but still didn’t buy these.
And they make for a great collection.
Netflix daredevil show.
These look like the toy range that I always want but as a kid. Yes, they are a ‘what if’ and clearly designed to arouse original Star Wars action figure nostalgia. It’s working because I’m considering collecting them all.
I think you're overthinking the Kenner logo thing a little here! I think the market for these are a mix of vintage enthusiasts who like the old looking style (basically doing their own reaction line), but unlike those which were largely always going to be in the hands of collectors, these could be enjoyed by kids as well since they're characters contemporary kids would want to play with vs older characters to movie/tv franchises that kids don't by and large care for.
As for the logo itself I think it's just for the casual vintage enthusiast adult who may see the old style and Kenner and just get that itch. Basically they may just start using the Kenner branding as a catch all for vintage style toys. Its a company that no longer exists and has a perpetually retro logo so it'll always be the "retro" toy company. In the end I think they're trying to recapture the idea of vintage Kenner with these more than try to recreate 1 to 1 something Kenner ever did.
I also think kids may not really care about it being the older depiction because it still is spider man, hulk, captain america etc. Yeah maybe Captain Marvel is drastically different than her movie depiction, but hey as a Kid, Adam West, Michael Keaton, & Kevin Conroy's Batman performances/styles/tone were all different but it was still just Batman for me! I think many young kids are either smart enough to understand there are different versions (hello spider verse and no way home!) or like the character enough that it doesn't matter!
He's not overthinking it, he's pointing it out. The point isn't to talk down to casual collectors, he's giving his thoughts. You don't have to agree with him, but Michael knows his stuff unless he admits he doesn't
@@k-dawgbroadcasting5444 I know he knows his stuff, but my point is that there are a lot more people who are not into the nitty gritty details on vintage action figures, vintage kenner etc. I know to the super knowledgable and hard core collectors this doesn't make sense, but I don't think it's aimed at them. It's marked at people who are going to get them like he said to stay in the box and put on their desk because they like the art/style and the feelings it invokes or a kid who likes Spider-Man will get it because it's spider-man.
Thats what I meant! No disrespect to him, I think he's just missing the forest for the trees here. Sometimes a toy is just a toy
I pick these up as well and I love them. I got them because they remind me of something that would have been made in the '80s. having a bunch of secret wars toys in the past, these reminded me a lot of those. so to give you a better idea of who this is for, it's adults that don't collect action figures from a mid-tier or even high-end standpoint, but want something nostalgic to put next to their office computer or display on their shelf.
While his points certainly are valid and I know lots of people feel this way, I just don't get hung up on little things like the Kenner logo being there or it not being retro of anything. I love this line. From an art/packaging/displayability stand point, these are great. I have two shelves that just have these lined up in package. They look fantastic all next to each other. I also have an open version of each of them and they are great. I have them all over my desk and can quickly grab them during conference calls and manipulate them while I think. And the place where I have 20 of them all arranged, I could maybe fit 5 or so ML figures. I totally get that they aren't for everyone but there are people out there these really appeal to.
I guess the question really is, not whether you like it or not, but what's the point? What are they expecting you, me, any of us to like? What are we supposed to be displaying, apparently, entirely from a displayability standpoint? Just new 5 POA figures of things we already have in a different scale that aren't a throwback to anything?
The point is, he likes them. Full stop.
Retro styling from the amazing cardbacks to the vintage SW(and similar mid-70s to early 80s 3.75” figures) articulation and sculpting. These speak to many of us from that era.
You hit on a lot of questions I have from a displayability stand point. I’m new to the line and just can’t get enough of them but my conundrum is whether to take them out of the cards and let those awesome colors sing or keep them MOC and display them that way? I’m not a huge fan of keeping action figures in their packaging for the sake of collecting them as I believe they should be free of their plastic cell!!! I honestly do not know how I should display these? Is there anyway you could share with me what your collection looks like? I’d really appreciate it as well as my nerves hahahaha. TIA!!!
The thing that bothers me the most is that they're still called "Marvel Legends". Are they intentionally creating brand confusion to avoid paying for another trademark? Also, if they're going to be 7POA, I would think that knee articulation would make more sense than forearm rotation. But really the sweet spot would be classic G.I.Joe: ARAH articulation (with or without O-ring). I don't understand why Hasbro seems so averse to using the articulation that Hasbro was once known for.
When I was a kid, okay and a little older than that, I thought the voice of the songs in Dr. Suess how the Grinch Stole Christmas was James Earl Jones. So hearing Vader sing "7 POA" kinda vindicated me a bit lol. Great video!!
Now have Broken Vader do a Tony the Tiger impression.
I think they are just a bit of fun and appreciate them for what they are 🤷🏻♂️
Making Kenner into a kid toy focused company actually sounds like a fun idea.
I’ve actually really been loving some of them. The Spider-Man and venom ones were awesome. I don’t care about the packaging or Kenner logo… They’re just good solid action figures that aren’t flimsy and over articulated. Love your channel.
It's a good line and pricepoint for kids. I wouldn't trust giving a 20 (errr...30+) dollar action figure to kids, remembering how often kids toys got broken. I'm glad they made them and hope it keeps going.
Exactly! I buy my daughter (who uses superhero figures along with her Barbie and LOL figs) and my nephew those 12in or 10in "cheap"-- and by "cheap" I mean like 10 to $15 each --5 POA Marvel and DC figure lines you see at Walgreens, and those are usually broken within a month!
The one and only time I got my nephew a Marvel Legend was when that awesome Marvel Legend Thing that came out a few years ago. He begged and pleaded for that Thing so I relented and bought it for him... He lost both heads and smashed the hand joints within I think it was two or three months, and that was the end of that LOL
$10 is too much for 5 poa figures in 2022. $5, fine, I'd collect them. But they're a total ripoff at $10.
@@BobbyLCollins yeah it's a total rip-off at $10 per figure. The Jazwares World of Halo toys are at the $10 price point and each figure is fully articulated with a base stand and weapon. It's insane that these Marvel Kenner figures are $20 for 2 5poa figures with no accessories
@@BobbyLCollins HARD AGREE. Ten bucks is too much. And don't get me started on Super 7. When a licensed Hot Wheel or Matchbox car on a nice card is *a dollar,* surely a 5POA plastic figure can be $5-7.
Question for Hasbro: If you can make a Carol Danver's Ms. Marvel Retro figure, ( in her sexy costume ) why can't we have a 6 inch Marvel Legends version, instead of the awful Captain Marvel figures, that don't sell?! :)
There is one but it's old and in a trio box with Captain America and Radioactive Man.
@@roguesbackstory3441 Would've been a damn cool inclusion in the Kree Sentry line alongside her movie figures.
@@CrisisComics But that wouldn't help them defeat the male gaze or whatever it is her current outfit in meant to do.
She came in a 3-pack around 2014-2015 with a modern Cap and Radioactive Man. But I want a figure of her in her original costume from the 70's. More precisely, the Karla Soffen Dark Ms Marvel version.
It bothers me that this figure is called "Carol Danvers" instead of Miss Marvel. It's like they're ashamed that she was the original Miss Marvel or they don't want kids to know that Kamala Khan wasn't the first.
If they had competed with the new 4” Batman figures they would be a hit.
Yup, overpriced.
@@JONNYSORENSEN_AU Those little Batman’s are like 7 or 8 dollars. They’re articulated and come with 3 accessories. Kenner is ripping people off
@Bruciphers Dungeon I think we're all in agreement here;
Why are these figures and GI Joe Super7 retros $10, $15, when spinmasters DC, though not thick cardbacked figures if that matters,... such better toys??? 😂
@@bentonrp It’s crazy. If they were fan channel only I’d understand a little of it. Honestly if the Reaction figures had under a $10 price point I’d be swimming in them. They can sell most Pops for less than $10. And pops have better detail. Lol
@@brew1234567891 I would have bought all the reAction too if they were under $10 🙂. Instead, I did the only logical alternative...: None! 😂
I think they look great as a loose collection too. They nailed the packaging but I agree regarding the kenner logo and had issues with that too when they were announced. I don't collect any 6" in any line, pretty much exclusively SW unless something piques my interest which these have done. They do seem to fall into a 'what if' kind of scenario between Super Powers and Secret Wars. Superior to ReAction figures and half the price too at least in the UK
This was my favorite Hasbro toy line after G.I.Joe Classified. They're beautiful both carded and uncarded. Loved that they were all based on the iconic designs from the 70s (with a couple of exceptions). RIP Marvel Legends Retro 375.
BV singing 7 POA and Michael banging his head on the desk was LOL!
Personally, I love this line of figures simply because they do look very retro in their styling. Are they technically correct in terms of reproducing something that was previously made by Kenner? No, of course not. For me, I have never been hung up on technicalities in terms of collecting things that remind me of what was around when I was a kid, and I think that is the point of this line. They are targeted at adult collectors who want Marvel figures with a retro vibe, and without all the bells and whistles of the 6" scale stuff. I think they are cool, and for me these fit the bill for what I want to build as a collection of Marvel characters. Anyway, that's just my take on it.
Great line of figures. Throw back to an era right before I was born. I'm glad they made them and hope the line continues
Im only 14 rn but those figures gave me nostalgia for no reason
It's not that hard to understand. It's "What would Kenner have made if they had the Marvel license back in the 80's." This is a great line with a fantastic selection of characters and amazing card art. I'm really enjoying them.
They cost twice more than they should. Not a good value. I can get a 6" Marvel figure with 10+ additional points of articulation for just a few dollars more. I already bought Pocket Super Heroes 42 years ago.
@@BobbyLCollins 6” Marvel Legends SRP is $24.99US, approximately twice the price of retro 3.75”. Unless you buy yours off the back of a truck, your math doesn’t add up. They have already released a much better selection of characters versus Pocket Super Heroes Marvel characters. Everyone should buy what they like.
Counter point on the use of the Kenner logo: Who cares?
The way Broken Vader sings 7POA cracks me up 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I really enjoy collecting this line (one of very few modern I do collect) because not only as you mentioned that the card back look great but as a kid the 1984 Secret Wars collection was my favorite besides Star Wars. I enjoy that most come without accessories because other than a few most characters did not have accessories and now with 5 POA … er I mean 7 😁. These give me a chance to integrate some unmade heroes with my secret wars
I love those figures. The greatest cardback of all the modern figures. The scale is perfect, price is good and all the figure have that vintage design that I love. Having highly articulated 6” Marvel figures to end up standing straight with all my other thousand of figures doesn’t appeal to me as much as those beauties. To each their own
It's a Marvel what if Kenner line. Hasbro explained it in the past.
Given Kenner made Super Powers, this isn't a plausible What-If. It's a total misfire conceptually. Kenner would have made these in a larger scale with soft goods accessories, knee joints, and action gimmicks.
Yeah, the Kenner logo may not make sense, but there is an appeal to us adult collectors. I see 5 err... 7 POA action figures in the likeness of something that could have been made during the 80's, I want it. The retro style cardback artwork is awesome. So while they are not 'reissues' of previous figures, they are made in the 'mold' of an action figure during the 80's. And price-wise they are perfect IMO.
Hasbro has the "Kenner" brand name and wants to use it. My guess is that it's marketed to adults to buy for their kids. It hooks the adults about their childhood nostalgia and wants to share that same experience to their kids.
It’s just a fun passion project from a few people In house, they made it for themselves, the whole idea is just a what if Kenner got the license back in the 80s , that’s it just simple and fun
This was a great video. The comedy timing was awesome! Also I want to add I would love to see that card stock on Star Wars figures.
You don't get it but lots of others do. Like you said towards the end of this video, they're display darlings. Oddities, something different, something from the "what if" file. There's a certain appeal to "what if" concepts especially in the toy aisles. There's no law that states all toys must make sense. In many ways, nonsense sells much better than playing it safe. As you e stated in a previous video, Hasbro bought all of the competition and therefore they have the legal right to mix n match however they see fit. These sell sell in my area, I'm guilty of completing the collection this far and I intend to keep them on these beautiful, if not historically accurate packages. Like with every toy line, buy it if you like it, leave it if you don't.
What annoys me is that Hasbro's 6-inch Marvel Legends figures on the Toybiz-themed cardbacks are ALSO considered "Marvel Legends Retro", making searching any online storefront a lesson in frustration...
I think these are meant to be kept moc.They look great on card,plus the quality of the card speaks volumes.As a 42 year old, this is the way I remember marvel characters looked liked.With this and especially motu origins,I really hope the legendary retro kenner superpowers line is not far off.
I'm fine with these existing, but they are horrendously overpriced, especially as someone who prefers to open the figures
Oh Man I was saying the same thing to My Wife. I was going to pick up Cap and Us Agent and they told Me $32 I was like "No Thanx!" My Kids were embarrassed at the check out and I was like no Hasbro should Be embarrassed ! We paid what $3 back in the day and I get inflation but $23 ? Thats insane! As far as cardbacks and Star Wars retro Why would they? Star Wars is going to sell If You literally made Bantha poop and slapped Star Wars on it someone would buy it. Its sad but You know it well Michael slap Star Wars or g.I. joe on something and it deosnt matter what it looks like or the packaging Folks eat it up. Sad.
Overpriced? What store is ripping you off? They're like $10-11 in Target or Walmart.
@@THE_bchat they're not worth $10. They're worth $5 at most. Hence, they're overpriced.
@@THE_bchat for that same price you could buy a 4 inch Halo figure that is fully articulated with accessories and a base
@@THE_bchat I have only ever bought them on clearance for $6-7
I love this line and it's the only line I collect nowadays. They look great and are affordable!
More expensive than the SM DC line, yet affordable. And they are great on their own. I love that both lines actually fit with classic SW vehicles and accesories.
This is meant to be a “What if…?” line of sorts, “What if Kenner had the marvel license?”
Lovely video. I always enjoy your videos.
I’m an adult, so the toys certainly pushed all the right buttons for me!
Have you watched the recent Marvel movies and Loki show? I think the explanation for the Kenner logo is that we’ve switched multiverse lol
It’s all META!
Idk how anyone doesn’t understand. It’s a what if situation. Like what if Kenner had the marvel license. Personally I think these figures got charm and I like them.
I love this line for the nostalgia and clean retro look.
I think the Kenner argument here runs in the same line as people who grew up with Star Wars hating all new Star Wars films. The Kenner logo is immaterial. The flimsy card stock I agree. But thr figure prices are beginning to get out of hand. They aren’t trying to sell to kids if a Star Wars 3.75 figure is 12 dollars.
I am an adult collector. I was 10 when original Star Wars came out. I love retro style figures. I love these. The Kenner logo is weird, but I open then and display them (at present with my Star Wars retro figures as space is limited for me now). These and the Mandalorian retro figures are pretty much all I've bought lately as SW vintage and black series and marvel Legends are pricing themselves out of my collection.
I do wish there was at least one accessory each, even a silly one, like a lightning bolt with storm or a tiny Wasp with Antman.
This is classic retro marvel I wish one day we see this in the mcu
I was confused too with the Kenner logo. I couldn’t stop staring 🤔 at it confused why it was there and then you started talking about it. 😆 So well done, Micheal. 😘😘😆👏🏻
I got a bunch of them for my grandkids for Christmas. They loved them. 3 3/4" figures compatible with the GI Joes and Star Wars toys they have. There have been epic toy battles already!
I think the simple answer for why these exist is that Hasbro bought the master toy license for making Marvel figures. That would mean 6-inch but also 4-inch scales. They likely wanted the master license to keep any competitor (Mattel, Super7) from producing rival Marvel action figures (at a non-6-inch scale) to put out on the toy aisle, especially at a lower price point that might suck away parents or collectors from Marvel Legends.
BUT Hasbro tried (in many stupid ways) to put out 4-inch figures for years and these lines never sold and ended up clearancing out (see Gamerverse 2-packs). They were super-articulated, so the manufacturing cost was high for Hasbro.
They don't really want to be in the 4-inch figure-making biz anymore since 6-inch is more profitable but they must make something in the 4-inch scale to keep Disney happy, and a "retro" line which only has 5 (7) POA is far cheaper than a super-articulated line. It has bucks that can be reused for many Marvel characters too unlike Star Wars where unique tooling is often required (and that's why they cut costs on SW packaging, because SW costs more to make than these retro Marvel figures with far less articulation).
These retro figures cost $20 in Canada, the same price as a TVC super-articulated Star Wars figure so few parents are going to buy them for kids, parents can get a more articulated 5-inch Marvel cartoony figure for cheaper.
I just started collecting these. I didn't grow up with this,but these retro carded figures are really fun.
I just enjoy the fact that these figures are so nice in hand and that they have such a good sculpt quality at such a small size. And as for affordability, notice how the price hasent gone up for any of the figures. This is because they are not in high demand. Now that sounds bad but in reality its a smart descision because the small niche it appeals to , adult collectors who are looking for that vintage feel while also not having toys that force it and instead take advantage of modern day technology, will continue to buy these consistently for a long time ,unlike other nostaligia based fads. This is because it appeals to something so specific that the buyer will never want it to leave.
Spin Master has a similar line for DC, Fortnite has a line in that same scale. So does Halo. Reaction was already mentioned, and has a vast library of franchises, but no Marvel. Why wouldn't Hasbro get in on that?
Marvel Universe wasn't very popular and is more expensive to make (not to mention, harder to find), due to all of the articulation points, so maybe Hasbro wanted a way to bring Marvel characters into that scale, without taking a huge risk like with Universe.
"Kenner" is likely only on the package to indicate compatibility with the Star Wars line, and the large card-backs are just to attract your attention, with nice vivid artwork. What's not to get?
Marvel universe wasnt very popular?
It was highly popular imo
@@Ilkvomit We are taking about the 3.75" line, not MCU, yes? Perhaps it was popular to those who actually collected it, but I feel like it had distribution issues, and most Marvel collectors talk about (and deal in) Legends. (So, not as popular as Marvel Legends.)
@@VirtualVeracity yeah the 3.75 line was very popular. From what I remember it had multiple waves and certain variations of characters were super hard to find.
I saw a guy in his late 20s all excited when he was just randomly cruising the toy aisle with his GF and saw these. Obviously not a collector. He was telling her these were the toys he had as a kid and was upset he couldn't find a Wolverine. Maybe he's thinking of the old TB stuff? Who knows? I think Kenner and low detail 5poa figures are just cultural shorthand for "retro" 1980s/1990s toys now. Same with clothed 8" stuff and MEGO being shorthand for 1970s toys.
Thank you for pointing that out about the Kenner logo on the card.
That Kylie as Cammie t-shirt is fire.
I love these old school type figures they go great with my reaction figures marvel was a dream come true for me when they made them and Kenner logo on there is just cool for nostalgia
You articulated the main points very well, Michael.
I love them. Glad to see alot of ther people do too. They scale perfectly and look great with all my other 3.75 action figures. Keep em coming Hasbro.
These five POA figures are trying to say remember when toys were extremely simplistic like these.
I say we make a Kenner logo bumper sticker for our cars. Chevy, body by Kenner.
As a collector, I have them and like the kenner look on marvel characters. The GI JOE reaction kenner style is hitting stores and I like them also.
@@MonsterKidCory you are right, doesn’t make sense. I just personally like the kenner look and reaction look on figures.
the line is a little out in left field, but it kind of works if you need an Ant-man for your avengers display, and would work if they make a Wasp.
Only bought Carol Danvers, Invisible Woman, and Phoenix.
Think the Kenner thing is just a homage. As for market, it’s retro and kitch imo. I like them. 70s/80s look and feel. I think you’re making far too much out of the Kenner logo. It’s just a bit of fun.
Hey there, do they fit into the Star Wars plastic protective cases for the extreme mint in card collectors? Thanks!
The Kenner logo is to provide that brand trust to the parent, who as a kid had Kenner toys, when buying toys for their kids.
Riiiiiiight.... because Hasbro totally wasn't a thing when we were kids.
@@retroblasting Not with toys. At least until GI Joe, and Transformers hit the scene. By the time they appeared Star Wars was beginning it's down swing.
It's fine though. Hasbro is probably using the Kenner name, like you said, to produce affordable / open and play toys aimed at kids (and those parents who want to buy them for their kids) just like WotC is their arm for table top and digital games.
You got the answer! In the corporate meeting room: hey, what about Reaction? Can we compete with them? Yes, make figures, make it so!
Yep, this is for me. It's what I would have wanted as a kid. I didn't ever buy more than one or two Secret Wars or Super Powers figures because the scale didn't line up with my Star Wars guys. I had a few pocket heroes from when I was little - Batman, Robin, Superman, Hulk, SpiderMan, Luthor, and the Batcave. Having them interact with Star Wars was essential because then I could have all the ancillary characters - Han Solo in Bespin outfit was Bruce Wayne. Classic Han was Dick Grayson. Imperial commander or other officer types could be Gotham PD, Gordon, or the like. AT-AT driver was Mr Freeze, rebel Hoth soldier or Stormtroopers would be his goons. Hoth base made a great Mr Freeze hideout. Greedo would be a weird alien Green Lantern since I didn't have a Hal Jordan. I knew about all of the weird alien Green Lanterns from a Brave & the Bold comic my mom got for me off the rack at a supermarket - and I loved the idea of one of those guys palling around with Superman and Batman instead of Hal Jordan. Since I didn't have any other villains there was a lot of stories with Mr Freeze and Joker. I did a similar lineup for Spiderman/Hulk - I think Han was Bruce Banner, classic Han Peter Parker... but without even one villain I didn't get very far. I think I tried to pass Greedo off as the Green Goblin. If I had figures like this retro line of Marvel or DC guys it would have expanded my universe significantly. This line really is the first time I've thought seriously about buying super hero figures in ages.
I'm not a regular collector so I can understand why my view is different than a lot of the toy channels I've been watching. Heck, the Mandalorian Retro wave is the first time I've bought more than one action figure at a time in years and years. It did get me watching these channels more vigourously and exploring all of the custom figs and playsets, which I love and was only vaguely aware of before. So while my opinion about these retro lines vary quite a lot from Retroblasting and other youtubers, they also brought me to their channels which I have been watching obsessively since I ordered my first Mando a month or so ago. I think I've already watched all the Star Wars Follies.
Watching these has also inspired me to dig out some of my old Star Wars stuff from my parents garage. I have quite a few of my favorite pieces with me always, but some of the bigger sets have been languishing in my folks garage for decades. Michael would have a heart attack if he saw the state of my Kenner Death Star. I'll be starting the restoration process on that and some other sets soon and probably coming to this channel as a reference point for that.
I said "lots of stories with Mr Freeze and Joker" but I meant Lex Luthor, as that was my only pocket heroes villain. I had Joker on the mind because that was the one character I really felt was lacking, as my stories were very Bat-centric. And there's no Star Wars figure that makes a good Joker.
I can see the corporate meeting in perfect detail in my head. "And we should put Kenner on the card. Because Member-Berries."
"Now, i know most of you were not even born when this line didnt exist back in the day, so ive bought a fresh case of member berries and if you want to continue working here you'll suck then down like coca-cola and ask for more"
Great Video Michael. I always enjoy your lighthearted commentary. Very well done. Broken Vader for the WIN!
I love these. I don't care why they are making them.
Same here. They either appeal to you or they don't. I love these figures!
Hasbro also use to have a smaller Marvel legends line that were the same size as these with the same or almost the same articulation as the Six inch figures.
"WHY THEY CANCELLED MARVEL UNIVERSE!!?"
(The Simpsons Reference)
Mike, I'm not a collector like you and most of the RB community are, but I am a little older than you guys and was a kid in the 70s and seeing these figures does give me that feel from back in the day, especially with the beautiful card backs. Now if you said this and I missed it let me know, did the fellas who sent you the line say where and how much these figures be sold for? Reason I'm asking is they remind me a bit of the Final Faction line being sold at Dollar Tree. 5 POA, solid line up of heroes and enemies, accessory packs up the wazoo, and now a second line w/ a off roading assault vehicle and an armor up pack. Now I'm just wondering if Hasbro saw the success the FF line has become because I've seen folks going nutso over them and the customizers post a ton of videos of what they are doing & thought "We can do something similar & we have the Marvel super hero rights." For some reason I'm getting the feeling these might be marketed for the kids who play like you said, maybe at a lower price point in Target or Wallyworld (WalMart for those who never heard that term.) Just a thought.
I doubt Hasbro was influenced by the Final Faction line, as both the Retro line and that came-out at about the same time.
This is a great line. I enjoy the simplicity.
I like them, They remind me of my old Secret Wars toys, but have a better overall look.
Hoping they develop figures for the Thing, Nightcrawler, and the Beast. :)
Great vid and analysis as always. I was wondering about the Kenner logos on these as well. Kids will find the range bright and colorful but I definitely do not think they were the main intended target audience.
The classic Kenner action-figure style of limited POA coupled with great card artwork has been used to great effect by Super 7’s Reaction line across dozens of obscure pop culture licenses for over half a decade now - as you said, this is possibly Hasbro’s attempt to give collectors a Reaction style action figure experience; just with:
-Marvel characters, that have never been offered previously by Reaction
-The actual Kenner logo on the card; as they own the brand; instead of Reaction’s Kenner-styled homage logo
Kenner logo + these being based on classic comic book looks... it's absolutely for adults. Else the logo would be Hasbro's and the designs would be MCU based or whatever new cartoon Disney farts out.
I thought toybiz when i saw them, then looked closer and got confused
Hasbro to fans: You wants these, don’t you?!
Great video. While I have no interest in these whatsoever my young nephews love them as anything bigger they are more prone to breaking, but I agree they could care less about packaging. It gets immediately tossed and the "retro" has no impact on them.
This honest review by Michael for RetroBlasting, highlights the obvious problem with this Hasbro Marvel Retro Collection.
As Michael observes, if the packaging was smaller in size and the price lower, these figures would be an ideal introduction to Marvel action figures, for children.
But as these figures are deliberately aimed at adult collectors, what is Hasbro's plan and future plans.
Instead of flooding the toy market with multiple versions of the same Marvel heroes, why not just concentrate on the excellent, 6 inch, Marvel Legends toyline, that most people want to collect?
The Marvel 375 are half the price of 6 inch Marvel Legends.
@@georgecostanza8927 And still too expensive. :)
I think you make loads of valid points. My problem with the Kenner logo is from a marketing and merchandising standpoint it’s adding confusion to the branding. If companies are going to acquire other companies just use the parent company’s branding/logo or use whatever brand is more well known and has best goodwill from the general public.
I had moved on from collecting action figures but picked up some of these, I think they look great.
These are from an alternate timeline on a different Earth where Kenner had the license, it was bound to happen eventually that the MCU multiverse would start to influence actual products here on Earth-616. On another one, G.I. Joe was created by George Lucas and through constant re-edits, tweaks and re-releases... Zartan shot first.
Second time around watching this video. I just got the Retro Collection Ghost Rider figure, because I'm a Ghost Rider fan, and it's really nice, but it comes packaged in a box, where GR is on one side and his bike is on the other. But because the figure is 3 3/4", and the bike is to scale, the box ends up being two thirds empty! Seeing these cardbacks, I can see that they EASILY could've fit both GR and his bike on one of them. But then they wouldn't have been able to charge upwards of $30 for it!
I bought 4 characters that I connected with from my childhood so I can have them on a nostalgia shelf that goes with a few 3.75 characters from DC to Marvel to Star Trek. They don't make sense but I love the look. With that said, beyond the 3 figures that I wanted, I'm passing on all the rest.
As an old comic book fan, these look awesome to me
They are in perfect scale with my Secret Wars figs from 80's. These are great.
Those bits with the Broken Vader were hilarious especially the ending
Great video with an honest perspective on this line. I remember when these were announced and my first thought was, "Oh! So it's like the Super Powers line, but with Marvel!". However, that was not the case. I can only assume this is a "What If?" Marvel line more closely related to the Star Wars figures. Had this line included at least knee joints and cloth capes (I know it'd cost more) I would've bought into this line. I think asking for an "Action feature" (ala Super Powers) is not financially feasible. Keep up the great work!
I love the ToyBiz Marvel figures from 1990. Beautiful packaging and classic 5 poa sturdy durable sometimes wonky looking figures that I dig.
This is my favorite new line. I actually get more excited for this than 6 inch. As for the Kenner part, you’re overthinking it. It is just a what if they were done back in the day by Kenner.
Also, super articulated 3.75 inch figures are ugly. These are great.
Don't ever tell a person they're overthinking something. It just makes you look like an enthusiastic dimwit.
@@retroblasting noted. You just seemed stuck on it. Carry on. Lol
I never even realized these had the Kenner logo. Seen them at stores for a while and never really batted an eye other then “Oh hey, that’s kinda neat.”
These are dope I have so many of them in fact this video made me purchase another ! I love this line ❤
Broken Vader giving Michael the business! See, friends CAN have a difference of opinion and remain friends. 🙂 love it when broken Vader shows up. Great video Michael!
Yeah, when I first started collecting action figures I started off with the 12 inch early 2000's Marvel Legends and DC universe stuff. But then I found the 6 inch Marvel Shield Files and DC Monitor series and realized I loved the smaller economy figures for play and collecting. I'm also a bit of a chill guy when it comes to collecting