Superhero Times: a service of Action Online
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The Marvel Select line is all about being "deluxe". Where Marvel characters at mass retail usually come barebones, DST throws in the extras, from large dioramic display bases to bonus accessories, including other figures. The Marvel Select Ultimate Venom is no exception, a hulking figure of Spidey's archnemesis packed with the web-crawler himself, unmasked and stuck helpless to a wall.
PACKAGING: This collectible figure sports the same unique book-like blister packaging used throughout the Marvel Select line. Backed with heavy cardboard, the package features a thick side panel on its left side with a dynamic graphic of Venom’s face. It looks great unopened and lined up on a shelf with other figures in the series, but proves too large to display hanging on a wall. Needless to say, I'm an opener, but those who prefer their toys mint-in-package will be pleased.
SCULPT: This Venom is designed after the Ultimate Spider-Man look and is constructed of both hard plastic and rubber-like materials. The majority of the body is molded in a solid plastic with scattered rubber symbiote membranes protruding out. It is a pretty cool effect. The sculpted details and engineering of the toy is of very high quality and Venom’s larger scale compared to that of Spider-Man is precise.
While adding more bang for your buck, the wall base accessory is rather plain. Depicting a bland stone bank wall with an opening vault, the piece lacks any real depth or detail. Spider-Man, aka Peter Parker, comes across much better, the look of hopeless horror perfectly captured.
PAINT: Venom and Peter Parker are painted fairly well, with some misapplications here and there. The most noticeable paint error is on Venom’s eyes and spider emblem. There are some parts of the eyes that should have been painted black but were covered in white instead and the detail on the spider emblem is pretty sloppy as well.
Venom’s body is mostly painted in a solid matte black, though purple highlights dry-brushed around the body accent the figure rather nicely. His spider emblem’s front and back also has a nicely blended shade of light blue which adds depth to the muscles on Venom’s hulking body.
ARTICULATION: This toy has a lot less joints in comparison to its Marvel Legends counterpart, but makes up for it with its unique crotch and ankle joints. The figure features ball-socket joints at the shoulders/head, swivel joints at the wrists/waist and unique joints at the ankles. The joints on the figure allow for some limited posing variations that interact well with the victimized Peter Parker accessory.
OVERALL: Venom has a nice sculpt, his protruding rubber membranes being a highlight. He also has decent articulation and the inclusion of the captive Peter Parker accessory is a welcome bonus. It is one of the more unique Venom figures that has been produced and there's no mystery as to why he has been re-released by Diamond. For those collectors who did not know about this really cool figure, this is a great opportunity to snatch it up before it’s gone forever.
For more images of the Marvel Select Venom figure, CLICK HERE.
Review and Photos by Jorge Pelaez
Review Sample Courtesy of Diamond Select Toys