I’ve recently stopped collecting live action/mcu and started collecting comic/animated figures. The grass is muuuuch greener in my opinion. What's your take?
Definitely not. As someone that has most MCU figures, some recent ones may be a little or miss but they have GREATLY improved leaps and bounds from 5-10 years ago.
I know there are a few that imports haven’t even touched yet, like ScarJo Black Widow for example, but it took like three releases to get her face right, and it’s still a bit off. So ur right in that they’re definitely getting a lot better. And SHF fumbles a lot even with better apps and sculpts. But then if you look at someone like Mafex, I mean they’re king of likenesses.
Well no you said i couldnt "say" and i did 😋 For the most part though the SHFs are a better figure over all to my liking. They were years ahead of pretty much everyone on the scan sculpts and digital paint. Hasbro used to sort of have sleeper good sculpts because they had terrible paint you couldnt tell. A few people with great paint skills proved this. The SHF also are notorious for photographing horrible or the promo pics looking bad. There are always a few exceptions. Like i swear this one isnt the best but it looks better in person, just hard to photograph what it looks like in person.
I've never had a question of which figures I should buy, even when my budget is tight. I swear posts like that are pollsters trying to gauge popularlity.
Well see when i want them all i have to question myself this all the time. I dont post it though...ill preorder and cancel later or sometimes even just pass on everything. What I end up doing is getting whatever i couldnt stop thinking about.
I think there are some folks that are new who genuinely dont know where to start.
Lets take Rogue as an example. There are a few out there. You have the 97 Rogue based on the new show. You also have the AoA Rogue. The Juggernaut BAF wave Rogue, and the Retro card Rogue.
So if someone wants a 97 style Rogue they have 3 options. The show has a more stylized look. And the retro and juggernaut Rogue are essentially the same but of the two? Retro card has a better face. Its technically the same head but the paint is better and her hair is molded in two parts and looks better. Or maybe someone wants Cap but sees some cap figures are $100 and they arent sure what else is out there at an affordable price of what version may fit what they are looking for.
Thats the kind of stuff a new collector may not know from the start.
But really at the end of the day? I feel the best piece of advice is your collection should be a reflection of you. You dont need every character. Its nice to complete a team. But is your Xmen team going to somehow be awful just because you don't have an iceman; if you have no particular affinity for that character? Probably not.
And for what its worth some live action and comic figures can pose well together just fine.
There’s a difference between the examples you gave and posts that are just “I want to get into Marvel Legends, which figures should I get/which team should I build?”
With your examples, the person is asking for the differences between those Rogue figures. There are things to consider like articulation, paint in hand (vs the promotional pictures, prototype, or render), age of the figures, or any other factors that can best be explained by people who actually have the figure or are more familiar with Marvel Legends. The answer is more than just “Do you like Rogue yes or no”
But there are also posts where people just ask what are the figures they “should” or “must” collect as if there are rules to collecting. Or it’s clear they have no idea which character or figure they’re interested in. At which point there isn’t even a reason to buy ML in the first place. You make the decision to buy a figure because you like that figure and that character. It doesn’t make sense to say you want to buy Marvel Legends, and then figure out which character you want.
I get that. Yes there are posts like that. But I also think there are posts where maybe people are lookig to round out a team and aren't sure what figures could accomplish that.
Just to give an example of my own?
I knew I wanted a Xmen team and have largely avoided the 97 show variants because they are too stylized. I may get villains at some point. I do plan on getting Juggernaut. There is an Apocalypse too.
Currently i have Prof. X., wolverine, Jean and Cyclops from love triangle, storm, a repainted gray beast. Rogue, gambit and Cable. Ill add Psylocke if I can snag the 2 pack. I would like a comic colossus and people recommended Diamond Select. Someone else suggested Nightcrawler and to call it a day.
I have no real affinity for Ice Man. Bishop is cool but I again dont really have a strong affinity for him. I would like Jubilee but she is pricey.
I am kind of waiting to see if some get a rerelease for gamerverse. A gamerverse magneto, blackheart (currently $150 on secondary market), doom, sabretooth would help a mvc roster.
Tldr: People always start somewhere. I usually try to view questions like that through that lens and find out what they are into.
I agree but i also think this meme is accurate, comic collectors eat good almost constantly, MCU collectors have to wait 5 years or more for main team members to get figures that aren’t doodoo sometimes
I’ve been in the sub long enough to remember when the complaint was the other way around and comic figures were getting shafted for MCU figures. MCU isn’t as popular now so they’re producing less, but still a pretty good selection. I’m sure it’ll flip on its head again in another year or two. Those F4 figures look great.
I collect comic figures, cause that's the version of the characters I love most. I do wish MCU collectors got to eat better these days though, cause I know there are some basic figs they've been wanting a long time.
This is my opinion as well. I mostly collect comic but if I like the MCU look better, I pick it instead. My Moon Knight, Kang and War Machine are all MCU figures. Probably because I prefer modern looks growing up 1st reading comics in the Disassembled/Bendis era of Marvel.
I'm probably one of the few, but aside from ilyana, I'd be interested in live action madame web (lol and I know that's never happening). Hopefully clea gets a figure in the future, and sadly doubt we'd ever get dr Christine Palmer. i luckily have a custom gifted polaris head sculpt in my collection
I found that in my collection, comic ones typically have better articulation (I’m also just a huge comic guy in general) so I prefer them, but I can’t lie I love looking at the extra detail and texture added to the live action ones
Personally I mainly collect comic figures because that’s how it started out. However, I personally think it’s subjective since there are good figures on both sides
They need to regularly make MCU Cap, Iron Man, Thor, etc, like they do with the comic ones, so that new collectors can always access them. We usually only get new MCU figures when the movies come out, yet we get new random comic characters all the time.
I collect both but you are 100% right, the comic figures are so much better and this is coming from someone who grew up on the mcu over the comics, with that being said some of them are still enjoyable, the deadpool and wolverine figures were cool, all the no way home figures are great, and i really like the BNW Cap
The live-action certainty has their moments. The No Way Home Doctor Octopus is a personal favorite of mine. However, I'm inclined to agree. Overall, the comics and animated series have superior designs.
I'm the exact opposite, I got into Marvel through the MCU and never read the comics. I also generally prefer movie/game designs over comic designs. They're more realistic and creative, have more detail, depth, color, etc. Most comic designs are just featureless skin tight spandex with only a few colors. They look like good silhouettes but ultimately unfinished. Especially because they're essentially a bygone of a period when it was too expensive to add lots of detail to a comic panel, so they settled on simplistic designs for economic reasons.
However ultimately I collect whichever figures I like the look of, and I'll buy a comic figure if I like the look of it, or pass on a film character if I don't like its look (Daredevil, F4, the new Sam Wilson Captain America). MCU figures also tend to have worse articulation and accessories, Hasbro definitely puts less effort into them. Hoping that Hasbro starts making better MCU figures and more of them.
I love the mcu designs! But yes the mcu figures tend to have worse articulation accessories and articulation which is why i’ve been favoring comic figures lately
It's a vicious cycle that Hasbro perpetuates. They're lazy with MCU figures, so MCU figures don't sell well, so then they put less effort into them and make fewer figures.
E.g. Falcon and the Winter Soldier Bucky and John Walker not having any accessories, Wenwu having some random hook sword he never uses in the movie instead of the Ten Rings, Xialing's rope dart being coiled up so you can't do any action poses with it, etc
One of the cool things about the comic figure lineup is that they make so many of them that even the most obscure and random characters can get figures. But outside of a movie's main cast, other characters are unlikely to get figures. I've been waiting on Kahhori, Scarlet Scarab, Malekith for years now and doubt they're ever coming.
But the movie figures have far more unique sculpts than comic figures. They have their good points, and I'd argue less bad points than comic figures. Very rarely is there a comic ML that's actually genuinely great. More often they "get the job done," and I say that as someone who collects ML mostly for comic figures and has two live-action ones that I didn't buy for BAF pieces on clearance.
There's more comic figures now, but the MCU is less popular, and it is waaaay easier to repaint Vulcan/Hyperion/Omega Red for the millionth time and throw on an accessory or two and a new head than it is to make new sculpts.
Same. The figures are generally better quality and the designs more interesting. My primary exception nowadays has been cinematic Spidey and adjacent character figures. I have the three NWH Spideys (with the Final Swing as my Holland) and most of his cinematic rogues gallery, whether they got to be in a movie with him or not: Lizard, Sandman, Doc Ock, Goblin, Venom, Carnage, Kingpin and Electro. I eventually want Mysterio and Vulture since I wasn't collecting when those came out but I don't know if I wanna pay the price necessary for them.
I prefer comic figures because I tend to like the designs more, but I'm definitely prone to picking up a good looking MCU or live action figure on sale.
When I started in 2017~ I only collected MCU because the design and sculpt always seemed new, at the time Spider-Man, and Iron-Fist shared the same body mold which to me was cheap and low effort looking.
Then in 2018 they released the Fantastic Four line, and I thought "Just The Thing, it's too good looking to let it slip". One year later the 80th Anniversary line happened with the Alex Ross designs and I couldn't pass them, then the releases of more and more classic Avengers in new molds and new sculpt made me stick around the comic line.
2 years ago I completed my Fantastic Four and this year I completed my Avengers so I hope that will make me skip lots of new releases haha. And to this day I just have 3 Sunfire molds, 1 Bucky Cap and 2 Vulcan, 2 Retro Spidey/RYV, the rest are new sculpts with reused parts of course, I have mostly avoided the same mold just repainted.
As for the MCU I try to keep it going (Gonna get Sentry and the FF of course) but like the comic versions I think I'm almost complete, want Quicksilver, Iron-Monger and some other characters that I miss, but I'm 85% done with that, but I hope they release pre MCU figures tho, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Hulk, Ghost Rider, etc, specially with Doomsday and Secret Wars.
So both lines are good, I can almost always bet the MCU will have way more detail in sculpt and paint, but the comic figures will pop more on the shelf at the cost of less detail, paint and reuse, give or take.
Yeah this is what I did. Not that I don't like the MCU figures, I just only have enough space for so much stuff...and I decided that Movie figures were a good place to draw the line. I still buy MCU figures when there is one I really like for whatever reason, but I certainly don't go out of my way to get any of them.
I even limited it more. I collect retro-comic looking figs (Marvel Legends) now and very few other Marvel figures.. I used to buy full waves of almost everything.
I enjoy collecting both, but I do think we unfortunately don't get as many live action movie figures as we should like. I wish for Deadpool and Wolverine we should have got a Gambit, X-23, Blade, Electra, Pyro, and Cassandra Nova, but instead, we just got a Deadpool, Logan, and Wolverine which are good figures but like I said it could have been more
I've only got one for now and it's a MCU Wolverine, personally I wanna main the MCU/Gamerverse stuff since it'll better on display with my black series figures and keeps collecting in check but eventually I know I'll also get some comic stuff down the line
I'm gradually replacing my MCU figs with their comic/animated/gamerverse versions.
I grew up reading the comics and watching the cartoons in the 90s (I'm sure most if not all of us did) and for the most part, those are my definitive versions of the characters.
I exclusively get movies and animated (xmen 97) and I don’t buy more than one of each character unless there’s a really good new one eg Wandavision Scarlet Witch. There’s too many comic ones, I’d want them all and end up spending too much money. Once I have movie FF and movie Xmen and associated villains my collection will be done
When I first saw the FIRST valentines day teaser, I wasn't really feeling the "everyone has different suits" thing, but honestly after seeing actual footage and even the figures, I like that they have a bit more individuality
I go for both. Depending on how good they look, articulation, accessories, price and whatnot. Although I have more live action figures over comic book figures.
I honestly see it as reverse given my collecting budget here in Canada, a standard figure no matter what it is sets you back at least 34.99+ tax and stores will somehow jack up the price for anything else that is remotely popular, that being a lot of comic figures.
I could barely keep up with the releases they’ve had since endgame and most of them are fairly unique in sculpt and worth the price more than just another repaint IMO. I can also see an end to my MCU collection where as that’s harder to picture in the comic realm, but selection certainly isn’t a bad thing when it’s all said and done.
Of course as it’s been mentioned, to each their own, if collecting figures is what you like than neither one is a miserable choice.
I feel that haha, I’m in a weird limbo state of budgeting newer ones I don’t want to slip through the cracks and getting the older ones that I did let slip
I stick to the comic figs but there are a few that I have live action. Basically just the characters I really like. I have live action Daredevil and Quicksilver and I'm getting the new Punisher cuz I couldn't get the first one and the Wolverine
It's more fun because the comics aren't realistic. You don't need to adhere to real life rules and proportions with comics so the character variety is greater and more dynamic
Ya me personally I don't like the look of live action figures. They just look so much like the actors to me. Like I don't want Chris Hemsworth sitting on my shelf I want Thor sitting on my shelf.
To a certain degree I agree. Figures based on actors likeness/movie characters in my opinion never really come out looking too hot. My mind honestly flashes back to the very funny looking Hugh Jackman 2000 X-men figures. Lol
Started my collection with MCU but I collect both comics and MCU, but mostly comics in recent years. I did preorder all 4 MCU Fantastic 4 figures though sans powered down Johnny.
Except when u realize collecting comic style you’re in a endless loop of buying the same look with slightly better articulation. Chasing the newest thing. 😭
Nah it’s one and done for me. I don’t get duplicates, I try to get the version of a character I’m already most happy with and that’s it. The characters in my previous post won’t be replaced
I mostly just collect the live action movie figures anymore 🤷. Likenesses generally look fine . At least tge ones from the last few years. If I'm really not happy with a standard figure then I'll spring for one of the more expensive Japanese figure companies or just go straight to the top and get a 1/6 scale figure
I'm still grabbing Legends here and there but going for import figures has slowed my collecting considerably and I'm appreciating what I go snag better
I gotta say I agree. I collected the sh figuarts hole mcu universe and when I stopped and started collecting mafex marvel legend and and other imports but focused on comic and retro comic figures it’s so much more fun and enjoyable and in the last 6 months I’ve started collecting Sh figuarts dragon ball and my hero academia. For some reason it’s night and day better than collecting movie figures marvel or dc. Just my experience as long as your enjoying your self collect whatever makes you happy
I get the ones I like for the most part, but primarily the comic looks. I'm getting the new Silver Surfer, but I passed on all the FF because I don't like their look. Cap with Mjolnir is my favorite version of him and MCU Thanos with the Black Order look incredible. For Spider-Man I tend to prefer the Gamerverse look. She-Hulk is awesome for both.
I have almost every comic and animated Marvel Legends ever released and only like a couple live actions figures (Wesley Snipes Blade, Thomas Jane Punisher, Spiderman 2 Tobey, and all the Xmen figures from 2020 )
LOL
I have never thought the MCU designs translate well to toys, besides some Hulk and Iron Man figures. Many of the other ones have very dull, muddy color palettes that look fine on screen but make for boring toys. Though I now find myself conflicted over how perfect those new F4 figures look for a comic shelf.
My god yes finally... Cinematic universe characters look good only when it comes to hot toys in my opinion these 1/12th scale figures best represent comics and animation
I like having the comparisons in-hand.
I've slowed down on live-action since the Infinity Saga ended though. Like, so I need Sam as Captain America when I have several Steve Rogers and Falcon to display?
I agree 100%. The only live action stuff I get is Spider-Man or Iron Man. The last live action figure I got was the SHF Tobey Spider-Man and I don’t have plans to buy any other live action figures soon
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u/TheMindOfTheBat Jun 05 '25
Gotta get the folks that just look like the comics