Well today's the day. Spider-Man: Homecoming has hit theaters and today's review has absolutely nothing to do with it, other than it's another Spider-Man toy. (I did see it this morning and I'll talk about it at the bottom) This time it's Marvel Legends Ben Reilly Spider-Man. He's a clone of Peter Parker who took up the role of Spider-Man for a time, as well as being the Scarlet Spider. His costume is a new take on an old favorite, and even though there's nothing better than the original, I like it.
Woohoos!
This guy is growing on me. Sure he's not Peter Parker, but he comes packed with goodies. Three sets of hands - check. Great articulation with good range - check. Good coloring and well applied webs - check. Carnage head and claws?!? - yep. Hasbro has given us an update on one of the classic Toy Biz figures, Spider-Carnage. Other than being cast in a translucent red plastic, this toy is a great update to an old favorite. I told myself I wasn't going to get every Spider-Man toy Marvel Legends had to offer, but I found this one at a Gamestop on clearance for $4.97. I've been lucking out like that lately. At twice that price it still would have been a good deal.
D'ohs!
I saw this one sit on the pegs for a while, just like Scarlet-Spider and pizza Spider-Man, and like those figures they all sold through eventually. $20 for a figure that's really similar to few I already own is tough. I would have passed if I hadn't found him on clearance, even with the Carnage bits. No real downsides here, it just boils down to how many versions of Spider-Man can you (and your wallet) absorb.
Packed to the gills with accessories, I can't think of anything else Hasbro could have included with Benny here other than an unmasked portrait. With his blonde hair, I'm sure some people would have been confused. It was best to release him the way that they did.
Finish Him!
So yet another Spider-Man review has come and gone, and all I got was a bag full of rocks. (As in, these figures really do rock!) We'll take a break from the webhead for a while, as most of the ones I have left to do are of the same classic costume. (You're welcome.) Get this guy if you're a fan of all things Spider-Man, Carnage crazy, or if you just find him on the cheap. 4 out of 5 clones for Mr. Reilly.
At the Movies (minor spoilers)
A funny thing happened to me on the way to see Spider-Man: Homecoming. I actually ran into my sophomore year homecoming date who was there with her husband to see the film. Crazy. No good trailers were shown, as I expected at least The Last Jedi or an Avengers Infinity War teaser. 25 minutes to sit through before the feature started, but those new reclining seats do make it nice. This new entry in the MCU was different. It really let go of some of the serious undertones all the other Spider-Man films seem to rely so heavily on. Don't expect a backstory here, but it was a nice change of pace just to hit the ground running. We still aren't sure about the fate of a certain uncle. Peter still has girl troubles, but it's not what drives him the most here, or at least as much as pleasing another father figure or joining the Avengers. There are some major rule changes in this universe. (Some rules are completely broken.) As a longtime fan, I wasn't sure how I would deal with the differences, but It was fun to watch and I liked how the tech suit filled in the gap left by the absence of a certain spidey-power. For a serious Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield may still be my favorite, but for a lighthearted, more comical Spidey, Tom Holland did great! He's not the wise-cracking web slinger (yet) in this one, but it was enjoyable to watch him fumble through the film. Michael Keaton did a good job of playing the bad guy, but I wished they had used him more. RDJ was fun as usual, and I was glad to see Jon Favreau back as Happy and one other player from Iron Man's past. The one who I really enjoyed when she was onscreen was Marisa Tomei. Her Aunt May (or just May) was far different from the her comic book counterpart, but she still came across as caring and worried for Peter. (and yes, I still have a crush on Marisa) The last scene before the credits roll may be one of my favorites of the whole film. Other cameos you'd expect (and some you don't, if you watch close enough) show throughout and one main character of the Spider-verse is revealed towards the end and possibly the next villain in the first post credit scene. Definitely stay until the very end of the credits but don't expect anything but a good laugh.
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