Thunder Axe Thor (Avengers Assemble)
Marvel’s Thor is one of the characters released by Hasbro as part of their toy line associated to the Avengers Assemble TV show.
The figure I got was released in the SHIELD Gear assortment, which is the one closer in articulation design to what we are used to see in other Marvel inspired lines.
Thunder Axe Thor wears a tunic design very similar to the one from his Marvel Universe Series 2 release, although this time around he doesn’t have chain mail on his legs, thus giving Thor a less archaic appearance that better reflects his appearance in the new cartoon.
The figure has a lot of simple detailing, in the form of geometric patterns and decorations etched onto his garments and armor, all sculpted over a suitably powerful physique underneath. Thor’s cape is rather bulky and glued in place; he also wears as a small rubber skirt piece that hangs loosely at his wais to simulate a heavy belt and the hem of his tunic.
The head sculpt came out really well, with a sharper, thinner face and long flowing locks of hair escaping the winged helmet.
Having already reviewed a number of figures from the Avengers Assemble line, I was expecting Thor to have a somewhat reduced articulation scheme, but instead I found:
• Ball jointed neck.
• Pegged hinge shoulders.
• Pegged hinge elbows.
• Swivel wrists.
• Barbell mounted torso.
• Pegged hinge hips.
• Upper thigh swivels.
• Pegged hinge knees.
• Pegged hinge ankles.
This is a really good articulation model, even though the cape does limit somewhat the range of movement at the shoulders and the skirt piece tends to get in the way of the hip joints.
The only part that turned out to be something of a disappointment was the paint job. Thor is made mostly from red, dark blue and silvery gray colored plastics, with only minimal paint applications used for smaller details. The overall paintjob is very clean and precise on my figure, but the final look feels unfinished, as if they had skipped one paint operation.
As far as accessories, Thor comes with yet another version of Mjölnir molded from silvery gray plastic and with a painted on handle. In addition to the magical hammer, he also comes with another weapon they call a Thunder Axe, which in fact is the exact same mold as the accessory included with Battle Hammer Thor.
I actually found a lot to like about Thunder Axe Thor. Part of it is the articulation, of course, but I also like the update on the classic costume despite the rather simple decoration.
Errex Score: 81/100
Category: Featured, Marvel, Toy Reviews