I have not been a big fan of Wolverine’s son.
Of course, the only stories I’ve read that featured him were his first appearance back in Wolverine Origins and the part he played in FrankenCastle. I wasn’t crazy about Daken initially, though I did sort of appreciate what went on in the Punisher story. And from what I hear the character has developed quite a bit since then.
Side Note: I was curious enough to look Daken up later and it sounds like they have fleshed him out in the last five years. I actually want to read the stories. Except for the Romulus stuff. That sounds fucking stupid.
Despite not really liking the character I knew I was buying the figure because of the Arnim Zola piece. And besides, he’s wearing Wolverine’s good costume.
First Glance: Daken is a solid-looking figure. Nothing I’m disappointed to have to buy.
Sculpt: Dark Wolverine has all of standard ML articulation, with a couple of bonuses. He sports the extra shoulder joints that allow forward and backward movement, as well as the toe joints.
The
shoulder joint is a bit unsightly, but the additional flexibility it
provides is worth it to me. You might not need Cyclops or Iron Man to
have the same range of movement, but I want certain guys to be able
to throw their hands way back or cross them in front of their chests.
The
toe joints, on the other hand, offend me slightly. Unless they’re
meant to be a tribute to the late, great Don Martin. The toe joints
almost always seem to be loose and they don’t really serve a
purpose. I’ve rarely been able to pose a figure using those joints
in any significant way.
Daken’s
head looks much better than I initially thought. In the original
pictures I saw I thought it looked a bit cartoonish – like a
throwback to the old 90’s Toy Biz toys – but it actually looks
very serious and good. The expression isn’t overdone and the hair
is excellent. The mohawk looks very natural and cool.
The
hands look good, though the claws are a bit too bendy. I’m sure
this is a side-effect of American toy laws. And to be clear, they are
just a bit bendy. Nothing on the scale of the rubber weapons Mattel
likes to sell.
The
rest of the figure is an accurate representation of the character.
The boots are unique and there is even a separate sculpted hood
pushed down on his back.
I really liked finding this, as I didn’t know about it beforehand. It’s always nice to open up a toy and find a little more than you expected. Which – to give them credit – Mattel is also good at.
The
belt is the one thing I’m not crazy about. It looks good and is
accurate, but it doesn’t seem to want to stay put. I wish they had
glued it in place.
Design: The head looks very good. The mohawk is a separate piece, so no bleeding concerns there. The eyebrows and eyes are accurate and well-placed.
The
costume is painted accurately and the application is tight. The hood
even has detailing on it, with the black and brown portions
represented. I know that’s how it should
be and not just some neat extra, but I was still impressed.
Daken’s
stupid tribal tattoo also looks fine. I would prefer if it weren’t
so dark, as that’s not what tattoos look like, but since it is
based off of a comic character and not an actual person I can forgive
it. The important part is that the lines are clean and they are.
The
belt has a nicely detailed buckle and looks good.
Accessories: Dark Wolverine comes with Arnim Zola’s left arm and 1/6th of a narrative about everybody's second-favorite big-headed evil scientist. I suppose they could have thrown in detachable third claws, but whatever. We're good.
Packaging: The good ol’ taped blister card. It’s fine and I do believe the art for the second wave is a bit nicer. Still no bios, though. Even a stat sheet would be welcome.
Overall: I like this guy. Portions of him might be just a bit too knobby, but he is solid. Even without the Arnim Zola piece I might’ve bought this one once I saw it on the pegs.
4
out of 5
I gave you my price breakdown in the last post. I’ll just say that this one is worth buying if you want.
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