#86: Hot Toys Civil War - Captain America

Since Hot Toys figures are so expensive, I very rarely buy one. But it was inevitable that I'd get a Captain America since he is basically my favorite part of the MCU. Naturally it's a very good looking figure, Hot Toys rarely disappoints there. I really like what Cap's costume has evolved into in the movies. Basically it's his Winter Soldier STRIKE suit, but in colors that are based on his classic costume. The Age of Ultron version had the white part on the sleeves as well, but that became blue for Civil War. I think Cap is the only Civil War figure from Hot Toys who doesn't include a tiny Ant Man accessory. What he does include is a selection of different hands, two expressions for the masked head (the lower part of the face is held on by a magnet), an unmasked head, the broken mask of Crossbones, a display stand, and of course his mighty shield. The shield is made of metal (probably not vibranium, sadly. Definitely no adamantium as that doesn't exist in the MCU) and can be either worn on his arm or hung from his back.

#88: Hot Toys Star Wars - Stormtrooper

The Hot Toys Stormtrooper was originally scheduled to come out in August. As luck would have it, it was actually released in March. In a first for me, there was a quality control issue with mine, where the leg was cracked so that the foot would not stay connected. Fortunately, I was able to get a replacement, but managed to not get around to blogging about it for way too long. So this is my first Hot Toys Star Wars figure. He's got the usual stand, and extra hands, as well as a trusty E-11 blaster (that can be holstered), and a blaster pistol.

#82: Hot Toys Captain America The Winter Soldier - Black Widow

The Hot Toys version of Black Widow from The Avengers was almost my first Hot Toys figure, but I held off, getting Joker and Loki instead. From what I've heard, it was an improvement over the Iron Man 2 version, but the costume itself was a bit fragile. But when the Winter Soldier version came along, I felt it was time to take the plunge.

The box isn't anything super crazy, since this isn't one of the deluxe figures, but it's got a picture of Scarlett Johansson on the front, and it looks nice enough. Underneath the lid is a cover which has a picture of the actual figure on it, and then underneath that is the tray holding the figure and the accessories.

So here it is. It's perhaps not the most perfect likeness I've seen on a Hot Toys figure, but it's still pretty good. This is my first Hot Toys figure with rooted hair, so we'll see how that works out long term. The instructions advise that the hair arrives with product pre-applied to it. The great thing about Black Widow's costume is that it is so easy to adapt to live action. Just add some "tactical" detailing, and boom there you go. This version has a mix of cloth and leather-like material, with most of the costume being cloth. It's got more give than the leather stuff, which is good for moving the figure around. She's only in her costume for the first 20 minutes or so of the movie, spending the rest of it in civvies or disguise. While they could have opted for a casual look figure, the costume is definitely more iconic looking.

#34: The Avengers - Hot Toys Loki

When I pre-ordered the Hot Toys Joker with my tax refund money, I used the rest of it to pre-order the Hot Toys Loki as well. I figured getting into 1:6 scale figures with the antagonists from two of the biggest comic book movies of all time would be a good way to start.

Unlike the Joker figure, Loki is not a DX, so he comes in a less fancy package. There's a nice looking slip cover over a window box. Also, he only gets one head, and no moveable eyes. And there's no giant accessory like the Joker's interrogation table, and no backdrop.

Here he is, Loki the trickster god in all his glory. Loki's costume is more ornate than the Joker's, and it looks really cool in toy form. His long coat and flowing cape help give him the regal air he is going for.  The armor pieces have a nice matte finish that make them look really good. Naturally, he includes the magical staff with a soul gem in it.

His helmet is removable, of course. It fits pretty snugly on the head, so it splits into two pieces for more ease in putting it on or taking it off. I am on record as being very much a fan of the epicness of Loki's helmet, so he will definitely be displayed wearing it. Either way, here is a closer look at the head sculpt. As you expect from Hot Toys, it looks great. It's a fairly determined expression, with the hint of a smirk. I'm glad it's not a completely neutral expression, because that would have been boring. If he had a second head, it would have been cool to get a screaming face, for action poses.

In addition to the staff, he also includes the collapsed version as well. He is also armed with a couple of small daggers. I'm not sure if they are supposed to be secretly stored somewhere in the folds of his costume, but they work well for me in the belt/strap thing across his chest.

He also includes the muzzle and handcuffs he wore in preparation for his return to Asgard. The muzzle slips on and holds itself in place. The cuffs are non-functional in that they don't open up. To place them on, you have to remove the hands then slip the cuffs over the wrists, then replace the hands. The chain on those cuffs seems negligently long.

Speaking of hands, Loki has four pairs of them, plus an additional left hand. It's a flat open hand, and I like to think of it as a supervillain speechifying gesture hand. His accessories are rounded out with a display base.

Loki triumphant!

Loki's revenge!

Here's a group shot of all my Lokis, also featuring the six inch Hasbro Loki, the 3 3/4 inch Hasbro Loki, the Minimate Loki, and LEGO Loki.

#20: The Dark Knight - Hot Toys DX 11 The Joker 2.0

I did it, I finally took the plunge. Here is my first ever Hot Toys figure, Heath Ledger as the Joker from The Dark Knight. Hot Toys figures have always been a draw because they have such lifelike headsculpts, as well as highly accurate outfits and accessories. Unfortunately they are also really expensive. Ultimately, I decided that since the latest version of the Joker would be released around tax time, that maybe it would be a cool way to use my refund.