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The latest San Diego Comic-Con provided a multitude of exclusives by Hasbro. Last year, fans were able to get a Stan Lee Legend and/or She Hulk in business attire, but this year, Marvel Legends would see something even more obscure: The Savage Land Box Set.
The Savage Land is a tropical region created 200 million years ago located somewhere in Antarctica; a comic book Jurassic Park, if you will. While there are many stories told and many battles fought, the figures in this box set focus not on the various tribes or species that can be found there, but on Kevin Plunder, otherwise known as Ka-Zar.
Ka-Zar was very young when brought to the Savage Land and rescued by Zabu the saber-toothed tiger. Shanna the She-Devil comes into the story later but is featured in this box set as Ka-Zar’s wife, even though there has been some love drama prior to that.
Released at the Hasbrotoyshop booth in San Diego for $31, this exclusive is still available at www.hasbrotoyshop.com priced at $29.99.
PACKAGING: The packaging for this set is elegant and far better than many of the Marvel Legends exclusives in the past. The front flap artwork is attractive and depicts the three characters in illustrated form. The front panel is held together via Velcro and opens up to reveal a window display of the figures. The backside of the front flap reveals more artwork of Savage Land creatures as well as a brief description of the characters and how they became a team.
The window displays the figures nicely with the very front back photography showing the figures in a fantasy situation. The box is both great for display and collector friendly if you choose to return the figures to the packaging.
SCULPT: Sculpting on Ka-Zar and Shanna are very well done... as well as they could probably do for half naked figures. Ka-Zar has a small resemblance to Thor, but it’s fine. The sculptors have done a fine job with his anatomy and musculature, with the small exception of his feet, which are a tad too small. He still stands up very well though so it’s more of a personal preference.
Shanna is proof that Hasbro knows how to sculpt beautiful women. With Emma Frost and X3 Jean Grey, I was frightened of any female superhero to come based on those sculpts, but fortunately for us, they have gotten much better. Shanna is a fantastic sculpt, but her flowing hair, though it looks great, tends to hinder her articulation.
Zabu the saber-toothed tiger looks a bit out of place. And if you thought so too, it’s probably because the original mold is from the G.I.Joe Sigma Six line of toys. Stylistically, it’s not quite right next to Marvel Legends, but as a saber-toothed tiger toy, it looks good.
PAINT: Paint isn’t necessarily Hasbro’s strong suit, but they’ve managed to at least get the plastic skin tones right. With the addition of a very light wash, these figures look better than most Hasbro Marvel Legends. They could have done more with the hair, but I suppose that would be asking for too much wouldn’t it?
The lines are clean and facial features are done very well.
ARTICULATION : If you buy Marvel Legends, you should know what to expect by now. Ka-Zar is similar to the classic Marvel Legends articulation where double jointed knees and elbows are featured. Ka-Zar has a total of about 28 points of articulation, which isn’t bad. What’s gone are the articulated fingers, toes, and even a lack of articulation on the left hand wrist. Either that or mine is insanely stuck, it just won’t budge... not even a little.
Shanna is similar to many of the female figures that Hasbro releases using a more simplified assortment of articulation. And even though I say simplified, she still has 26 points, only 2 shy from Ka-Zar. What’s missing that I really wish was included is better neck articulation. Currently, the snap-on ball joint heads allow for decent 360 degree motion but forbids the option of looking down or looking straight up. A great pose cannot be achieved without good head movement.
Zabu has 28 points of articulation which is fantastic. The only sad thing is the range of motion on his head. He can turn his head upside down, but can never look left or right.
ACCESSORIES: The three figures come with three accessories total which can be used by Ka-Zar or Shanna. There is two knives and a rifle weapon. The smaller knife can fit into Ka-Zar’s leg strap.
VALUE: At $30, you’re looking at $10 a figure, which is pretty good considering that Marvel Legends at the time cost $10 at retail and this is an exclusive. Of course the $10 at retail also included a build-a-figure part so that gives an edge to the retail figures. But since then, Marvel Legends are costing $15 at retail, making this set an even better value.
OVERALL: Hasbro’s treatment of Marvel Legends has been a real hit and miss with me. Horrible paint, anatomically incorrect articulation, average sculpts, poor character selection, and high prices have finally pushed me to quit the line. But the Savage Land is a randomly nice treat. Unique figures with strong sculpts make this set worth getting. Even if you don’t know who they are, they’re passable as random jungle characters too.
CLICK HERE for more images of the Savage Land box set!
Review and Photos by David Yeh