INTRODUCTION
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle) is a fictional character published by Marvel Comics, and was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru, with publisher Stan Lee green-lighting the name.
The Punisher made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (cover-dated Feb. 1974).
The Punisher is often portrayed as a vigilante, an anti-hero who employs murder, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, threats of violence, and torture in his war on crime.
Unlike other heroes in Marvel comics like Captain America or Spider-Man, the Punisher has no qualms in killing his targets in cold blood in order to exact his idea of justice.
Driven by the deaths of his wife and two children, who were killed by the mob for witnessing a killing in New York City's Central Park, the Punisher wages a one-man war on the mob and all criminals in general by using all manner of conventional war weaponry.
He is an expert marksmen, and a master of martial arts and has been known to be survive multiple gunshots, stabbings and attacks by his enemies.
A cult fan favourite, the Punisher has been featured in three movies, one bootleg fan video by Adi Shankar as well as the ongoing Netfliz series Daredevil And Punisher.
I did not pre-order this figure, but saw leaked images of it earlier this year. I found out that one of my local suppliers had the figure, and I went on a whim and bought it- and was pleasantly surprised. Hands Down it may be one of the most comic-book accurate depictions of Frankk Castle ever, even more so than the Mezco Toyz versions.
PACKAGING- 8/10
The Punisher comes in a classic clamshell Marvel Legends packaging for the deluxe figure lines- we’ve seen this before with the logan, Squirrel Girl and World war 2 Captain America figures. Front packaging showcases Frank, his bike, as well as the accessories that come with it. The back packaging highlights some nice preview shots. (which I believe were the same ones leaked on social media a few months back)
Accessories-9.5/10
marvel Legends spared no expense in fleshing out the goodies with this figure. Punisher fans will be satisfied as there are quite a few ‘new’ additions that come with this figure- most notably the cleaver, baseball bat, helmet, uzi and machine gun. The sawed-off shotgun is a brilliant addition and most probably my favourite accessory for this figure.
FIGURE- 10/10
In the name of Stan lee, this Punisher is probably my most favourite figure of the year (I’d even tie him close to the Mezco Toyz Punisher Loaded figure).
Why?
Bloody hell, its Frank. There is no two ways about it. The height, build, muscle mass, scowl, scars, receding hairline, costume. Its an almost perfect, faithful recreation of Frank.
Take a look at the two headsculpts that come with the figure.
For the price of a Marvel legends figure, you’re definitely getting more than your money’s worth. the pain job is almost flawless, and dare I say rivals even the best releases from Mezco or Mafex.
Here’s a few pics of how he looks like without the accessories.
My only gripe is that he should have come with handgun and a removable holster. But no biggie, nothing a little kitbashing can’t handle.
ARTICULATION- 7.5/10
Frank’s articulation is what you will likely expect as with most Marvel legends figures, with perhaps a welcome addition to some pronounced wrist swivel- the right wrist swivels upwards while the left one sideways. This really helps for poses with guns etc.
POSEABILITY-9/10
Frank makes for really sweet poses and playability. Its been a while since I’ve actually appreciated a figure‘s offering, especially from Hasbro.
Frank’s fully loaded and ready for some hurting.
My daughter wanted daddy Pig to hitch a ride with Frank, HAHAHA!
side-by-side comparison with the Mezco fully loaded Punisher and the Netflix Punisher. You can see how imposing the Marvel Legends version is.
VALUE- 10/10
I cannot state this enough- for the retail price, this figure is a must-grab for any Punisher fan, and especially since many of the accessories (Guns, bike) can be used for other figures.
Its releases like these that strengthen Hasbro’s position for value, especially in an environment where their would-be competitors are churning out figures with exorbitant prices, and so-called ‘limited’ releases.
OVERALL SCORE-9/10
Like my review? Please share, like and subscribe to the Abah-geek!
Comments