Action Figure #657: Marvel Legends Ultimate Iron Man(Mini-Comic Wave)

 Anthony put on some pounds!

 After Extremis got me back into Iron Man, well, I also gave Ultimate Iron Man a try. The suit was ugly, but the whole giant brain skin was definitely a new take on Tony. I don't remember how much I liked the run, but I read every issue, so I think younger, universitary me liked it! Which means the moment this figure was announced I knew I had to get him

 I absolutely LOVE the sculpt. As far as I can tell, it's an entirely new sculpt that I don't think they'll be able to reuse on anything else, because as far as I remember, even Ultimate War Machine had a very different body. And it came out looking great! It's full of mechanical details everywhere, and the paint job looks top-notch... except maybe the flat blue-reactor paint, but whatever. He comes with two fists, two open-shooting hands(Which aren't mirrors of each other!), two gripping hand and... yes, the mini comic.

 Look at how cool this hand came out! The fingers are in different positions from the left hand too!

 The articulation hits all the Marvel Legends standards: Double jointed elbows and knees, swivels on the biceps and thighs, with ball jointed ab crunch and waist. The pauldrons on his shoulders rotate alongside the arm, so they don't hamper the articulation in any way. The ball joints are the biggest suspects, I didn't get much range out of his waist and torso articulation, as the figure likes to sorta recoil into a more neutral position. I mean, you can get some ab crunch, but not as much as you'd expect from the ball joint. Another thing to take into account, is that due to the sculpt on his legs, in order to get the most out of the hip articulation you will have to rotate his thigh swivels to let the smaller parts of the legs get inside the hips, thus allowing for a broader split. It's very simple. While he is beefier and bulkier than other Iron Man figures, he is as tall as any of them, as well as tall as Bucky Cap.

 Honestly, leaving the small issues with the torso articulation aside, this is a fantastic representation of Ultimate Iron Man. The sculpt and paint is spot on, and he is fun to play with. And while I don't particularly like his design, I do like how he stands out from the other Armors while still being recognizable as Tony.... can we get Ultimate War Machine next?

9.0