Ghost Rider (Redux)
I have never read a Ghost Rider comic. My exposure to the character is mostly limited to the 200X movies and the rare cameo on the few Marvel Comics titles I read sporadically. That is why the character does not have a significant presence on my shelves, except for the Marvel Super Hero Showdown version made by ToyBiz years ago.
However, Hasbro saw fit to re-issue the character once again as part of their fifth and final series for the Marvel Universe line, with some changes I found significant enough to warrant the purchase.
First off, this is the exact same mold they used for the 2010 Ghost Rider release (reviewed by Engineernerd here). Since I did not have that version and decided to pass on the A.I.M. Soldier that shared the same mold at the time, I did not realize right away that this body mold incorporates a number of the improvements seen later in other characters in this line.
The outfit is not overtly detailed. It consists of comfortably loose garments sculpted onto a thin but fit body. It is a fairly generic set of garments that can be accessorized to convey a number of clothing styles, as long as the design incorporates a wide chest lapel and jodhpurs.
The most notable element is the flaming skull head, of course. The flames are attached to the skull like a wig, and the effect is fairly well accomplished, in my opinion.
The articulation is very good and reasonably well integrated into the costume. Ghost Rider has:
• Ball jointed head.
• Hinged peg neck.
• Pegged hinge shoulders.
• Upper biceps swivels.
• Hinged elbows.
• Swivel wrists.
• Barbell mounted torso.
• Swivel waist.
• Ball jointed hips.
• Upper thigh swivels.
• Double hinged knees.
• Pegged hinge ankles.
Some of these articulation points may seem redundant but trust me; they all serve their purpose really well. The neck joints are slightly odd since the piece that forms the base of the neck seems to serve only to hold the collar in place, but this does not impede Ghost Rider to look up an to the sides.
The paintjob of Series 5 Ghost Rider is what really drew me to buy him in the first place. The figure’s body is molded from a nice glossy black plastic, with even glossier paint applied to boots and gloves.
The trim on the chest lapel was painted in a very intense royal blue color, while the belt was given a metallic blue finish. The end result is very striking and looks much less dusty than the 2010 release.
The paintjob on the skull is not significantly different from the previous version (maybe it has a slightly higher contrast), but this time the neckpiece was painted in a bright orange color that helps sell the illusion of daemonic fire a little better, in my opinion.
Ghost Rider comes with the same accessory as the 2010 release,a short length of rubber chain. This piece was molded from the same translucent rubber as the flames on his head, but painted 2/3 of the way with gunmetal gray to simulate an incandescent effect on the weighted end..
Overall, I am very happy with this Ghost Rider repaint. When the figure came out I was set on having primarily movie versions of the Marvel characters that interested me, but this comic-inspired rendition really made me change my mind.
Errex Score: 90/100
Category: Featured, Marvel, Toy Reviews
thats a nice GR, I most likely won’t hunt too hard for it, since I have the first incarnation, but if I get the opportunity I’ll pick it up