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You've got red on you.
Skilled in martial arts and espionage, the ninjas of the Hand are a force to be reckoned with.
Yes, and they're also more dextrous than the ninjas of the Foot. It's been a while since we've gotten an army-builder figure in a main line: they're much more likely to come in a multi-pack or even one of those nifty new plain releases than to show up in the middle of an actual series. Ah, but ninjas are sneaky and masters of infiltration, so of course they'd manage to find their way into the Into the Spider-Verse line-up, despite not having anything even remotely to do with the movie. Six-figure series, four of them are movie-based, and the Hand ninja manages to find a way to infiltrate the group. They truly are everywhere!
The last time we got a Hand Ninja,
it was a third-party stand-in a repaint of Ronin. Since we just got a Ronin in the Endgame line, it seemed like Hasbro might do the same thing again. Or at least reuse some of the parts. But no, this is a new mold. The sleeves and pantlegs are baggy, with wraps around the forearms to keep them from getting in the way. He wears shin-high tabi boots, with the separate big toe, and has a black belt holding his top closed. A large sash runs over the right shoulder, serving to hold the scabbard for his sword, as well as a few (sculpted) shuriken.
The ninja is wearing both a mask and a hood, leaving only the skin around his eerie green eyes exposed. The combo of having two head coverings does make the head feel a little too tall, but that would happen in real life, as well. The uniform is two shades of red: one color for the shirt and pants, and a darker one for the wraps and mask.
With a new body comes new articulation. Well, fairly standard articulation, but still technically new. The Hand ninja has
a balljointed head, hinged neck, swivel/hinge shoulders, hinged pecs, swivel biceps, double-hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists (up/down on the left, side/side on the right), a balljointed chest, hinged waist, balljointed hips, swivel thighs, double-hinged knees, swivel shins, and swivel/hinge ankles. The only thing keeping him from full, unencumbered ninja poses is the lower edge of his tunic, which is at least PVC so it won't be in the way too much.
We already alluded to the fact the figure includes a katana, but he also has a pair of deadly sickles and an alternate pair of open
hands for martial arts poses. The sword is a new mold, a straight blade with an angled tip. Technically the scabbard should be flipped the other way - the sharp side should be up, not down. Oh well!
The Build-A-Figure for this series is Stilt-Man, and that brings us to why the Hand Ninja is in a real series and not some minor release. The Hand Ninja is an army-builder: fans are going to want multiples. Well, each one comes with Stilt-Man's legs, which are modular pieces, so the more Hands you buy, the more legs you get. Several feet worth, at least! Face it, that's a lot to shoulder, butt it will put you ahead. So yeah, bigger ninja army = taller Stilt-Man. Which is a brilliant move on Hasbro's part, except...
A lot of fans want as many legs as they can get - I know someone whose stated goal is to build a Stilt-Man tall enough
to reach his third-story attic window. And that's awesome, but it also causes a problem: there are two Hands in each case, and a lot of fans will buy them both upon finding them. That's just rude. We'd have had these reviews months ago if I could have found even a single Hand Ninja online or in stores. In situations like this, we all have the choice to selfishly fulfill our own needs or to think of our fellow collectors.
We're not saying you should undercut your own collection; not by any means! You just need to be considerate. You know you want 12 ninjas, because you're going to put half in your Wolverine display, half in your Daredevil display, and build a giant Stilt-Man. So you walk into the store and see a fresh case, with two Hand Ninjas right there on the peg. Do you buy them both and think "just 10 more to go"? No, stop that. It's rude. Buy one. Leave one for the next fan to come into the aisle. BUT! If it's still there the next time you go shopping? Absolutely, it's yours. This isn't about self-denial until the boxes are gathering dust, it's just about giving everyone a fair chance. If you clean out the store, no one else is getting the chance you just got, because you yourself have taken it away from them. In toy collecting, just like in the rest of life, only a-holes reach a level of success and then pull the ladder up behind themselves. Even if it takes you longer to meet your own goal, sharing is the right thing to do.
But if Hasbro were really smart, they'd offer solid cases of this figure through their website, so the crazy army- and stilt-builders can get as many as they want. You're missing a market, guys!
-- 05/15/21
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