{"id":15439,"date":"2014-05-04T00:45:57","date_gmt":"2014-05-04T04:45:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oafe.net\/blog\/?p=15439"},"modified":"2014-05-29T04:30:06","modified_gmt":"2014-05-29T08:30:06","slug":"minimate-mini-review-150-marvel-series-45-the-avengers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.oafe.net\/blog\/2014\/05\/minimate-mini-review-150-marvel-series-45-the-avengers\/","title":{"rendered":"Minimate Mini-Review #150 - Marvel Series 45 (The Avengers)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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#150 - Maria Hill\/Chitauri<\/h3>\n

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NOTE: Since this is #150 in the Minimate Mini-Reviews, we decided to make it something special: instead of just reviewing one set from Series 45, we're going to look at the entire thing. The review is is on three pages, a page for each set. There's a little \"next\" button on the bottom of the page to take you to the next page (and you can navigate between them by just clicking on the little 1, 2 and 3 at the bottom, as well).<\/p>\n

What is Loki's<\/a> plan for humanity, and what does it have to do with a race of beings from another world? If the trickster god hopes \"Chitaurito rule Earth, he'll need the advanced power of another planet to subjugate mankind to his will.<\/i><\/p>\n

For whatever reason, everybody seemed to have trouble making a good Chitauri action figure. The Marvel Select<\/i> version didn't have any weapons, while the Hasbro versions didn't have any elbows or knees. The Minimate doesn't have any of those problems, though: he has all his joints, and<\/b> is armed with a rifle (perfect for Black Widow<\/a> to steal from him). Though he has the \"tall\" feet, he could have used new hands to make them more alien. He has an ornate new chest cap, while the armor on his arms and legs is simply painted on.<\/p>\n

\"MariaAn agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), Maria Hill reports directly to director Nick Fury, and is among the key support staff to the Avengers Initiative.<\/i><\/p>\n

Kids, in the summer of 2012, your Aunt Robin joined the Avengers<\/a>. Cobie Smulders makes a great Maria Hill, and this Minimate really looks like her. She's wearing a SHIELD uniform, with logos on the shoulders, and apps to suggest there's a human body underneath, not just a plain block. She has a utility belt and a holster on her right leg, plus of course a gun to fit in it.<\/p>\n

A lone Chitauri may be no match for a mighty Avenger, but a legion of these extra-terrestrial invaders presents a bold challenge to the newly assembled \"Chitauriteam. Will Earth's mightiest heroes be able to hold the line against the Chitauri fleet?<\/i><\/p>\n

Robert Downey Jr. improvised the \"Galaga\" line in Avengers<\/i>, but it completely foreshadows the end of the film. Galaga<\/i> is all about fighting off wave after wave of alien invaders who appear from the top of the screen, then go flying around; the Chitauri pretty much do the same thing through their portal, don't they? The Chitauri General wears a more ornate chest cap than the Footsoldier did, with heavier armor that covers more of the body, and has a small cape hanging off the back. He also has a fancier helmet, and more armor painted on his thigh. Instead of the rifle, he has the shorter, chunkier style of gun. Sure, his arm should go into<\/b> the gun, not hold a handle beneath it. Oh well. Also, it would have been nice if they'd painted faces under the helmets.<\/div>\n
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#150 - Captain America\/Thor<\/h3>\n

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Injected with a super-soldier formula during World War II<\/a>, Steve Rogers used his enhanced strength and agility to fight for the Allies until his plane \"Captaincrashed in the Arctic Ocean and he was frozen in the ice. Thawed out 70 years later, he was asked to serve his country once again as part of the Avenger Initiative.<\/i><\/p>\n

The Avengers<\/i> Cap costume wasn't as good as the one in his solo movie, but it looks better in Minimate form than it did on screen. It does look very comicbook-y here, with red and white stripes around the waist, wings painted on his temples, and red boots and gloves. The star on his chest is silver, matching the stripes on his shoulders and the zipper on his stomach. There are also white patches on the inside of his arms, but they should be on the upper arms, not the lower. The gloves, boots, belt and mask are new molds, and his shield can plug onto the left arm. If you choose to remove his mask, the figure includes the same hair<\/a> all the other movie Caps have had.<\/p>\n

Banished to Midgard (Earth) for his recklessness, the hammer-wielding \"Thor\"God of Thunder returned to his home of Asgard to protect it from the machinations of his adopted brother Loki. Believed dead, Loki's<\/a> re-appearance on Earth bodes ill for humanity, and Thor joins the Avengers to stop his nefarious plan.<\/i><\/p>\n

Thor's costume in Avengers<\/i>, meanwhile, was only minorly tweaked from his own movie<\/a> - bare arms, different bracers, simpler boots, etc. The chest armor was the same basic shape, and instead of simply being painted on, this time it's a part of the same shoulder cap that gives him just a little bit of cape. It's a neat idea that makes him look armored, but not overly bulky. He doesn't have a helmet, just beautiful blond hair, and he comes with the same Mjolnir as the other Thors.<\/div>\n
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#150 - Iron Man\/Hulk<\/h3>\n

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Tony Stark built his first suit of armor<\/a> in a cave, out of salvaged missile parts. He has since upgraded<\/a> his<\/a> armor<\/a> numerous<\/a> times<\/a>, using his scientific genius \"Ironand personal fortune to create the most advanced piece of technology on the planet. The MK7 model is the one he uses as a member of the Avengers.<\/i><\/p>\n

Yeah, so we can't get a Mark VII armor in the 6\" scale, but Art Asylum comes through and delivers a Minimate of it. The most substantial, notice-it-at-a-glance difference between this armor and all the other red and gold ones is the inclusion of big bars that run over the shoulders. Yeah, that's it. The boots, gloves, belt, and \"shoulder pad\" style armor are all new as well, and the thighs and biceps are unique molds, as well. It's just that none of those are immediately evident. The figure has the usual two helmets<\/a>, a yellow exhaust flight stand, and replacement hair for his Tony Stark face. No shawarma, sadly.<\/p>\n

\"Hulk\"When a scientific experiment went wrong, scientist Bruce Banner was dosed with gamma radiation, triggering an uncontrollable transformation whenever he became stressed or angry. After years on the run from the U.S. military, Banner was tracked down and recruited to the Avengers Initiative.<\/i><\/p>\n

Hulk gets a lot of extra pieces to make him look big and bulky: a chest cape, bicep covers, large hand\/forearms, a big waist cap, thigh pieces, and massive feet\/shins. All his details are painted on, which is mostly fine: the only problem is that the tampo for his chest was applied pretty severely askew, so it's nearly sliding off the body. Whoops!<\/p>\n

Joss Whedon understands that Hulk's story isn't an entirely heroic one, but rather about the way people choose to handle their anger: so when Banner changes accidentally, Hulk is vicious and brutal; when Banner chooses<\/b> to change, that's the calmer, more useful Hulk. To that end, we get two heads: one reserved, and one furiously angry.<\/p>\n

I didn't plan to buy Marvel Minimates<\/i> Series 45 (other than Maria Hill<\/a>): I already had plenty of Caps, Thors, Iron Men and Hulks, you know? But a really good deal at Luke's Toy Store<\/a> changed my mind, and it turned out this entire series was really neat.<\/p>\n

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