Guardians of the Galaxy will be unleashed into theaters on August 1, which is just under a month! So for July’s toy reviews I will be taking a look at the recently released Marvel Legends Infinite action figures based, mostly, on the characters from the movie. There are a couple of comic based characters in the set, Nova and Space Armor Iron Man, but for these reviews I will be reviewing the main team.

I have been avoiding the recent line of Marvel Legends. I was an avid collector of the old Toy Biz line and I even bought some of the figures when Hasbro took over, but after a while the line stopped holding interest to me. Recently, Hasbro has revamped the series and now they are under the Marvel Legends Infinite banner. So far, we have seen three different series; The Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America, and now Guardians of the Galaxy. Each series features figures from both the comics and the movies. Marvel Legends has featured characters from the Marvel films in the past, some dating back as far as Daredevil and Blade. Hasbro did some based on the X-Men characters from The Last Stand. So this is not a new concept when it comes to Marvel action figures. They are just doing things better now.

I started picking up the Infinite Series when the Captain America figures hit shelves, and I’m glad I did. Hasbro has locked down the collector market, and I am looking forward to the X-Men wave due out soon. Not to mention the exclusive Agent Venom coming later this summer.  My love of the Legends line has been reignited once again. Unfortunately, I am not the biggest fan of action figure based on actors, but I was going to pick up these anyways and had these on pre-order the minute they were available. The Groot build-a-figure is worth it, trust me.

WHO IS STAR LORD?

What impressed me the most about this series is the packaging. The figures come in a classic window box, one of my favorites, which allows for great display of the figure if you choose to keep it intact. Each character is represented on the side of the box, which is a great touch when it comes to storing them side by side, like books. The back gives you a background on the character and also shows you who else is available in the line. Also, it tells you which characters come with which Groot pieces. When I say this is super-collector friendly I mean it. There are no pieces of tape to cut when opening, and you hardly have to manipulate the box or shell to get all of the figures out. With ease I was able to open it up and take each one out and review. Then, as easy as they came out, they go back in. I am MORE than impressed by this feature and I recommend this to anyone who likes to save the packaging. Also it helps the resale value down the road.

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Unlike some of the figures and pics I have seen of the Guardians, the Marvel Legends come in various costumes. I know that at one point they all have a similar uniform on, as comic book movies love to dress their heroes up the same, but I like that these figures are more individual looking. Star Lord is very dynamic in color and look, he is featured wearing his trench coat with a basic shirt and pants underneath. I like that Star Lord has more of Earthling look as it separates him from the rest of his rag-tag alien crew.

 

Marvel Legends Guardians of the Galaxy Star Lord 01

 

The paint on this figure is pretty dynamic, and I love the variations of color that make him standout. The trench coat has a really nice “worn” look to it, which I think sets him apart from the clean look a lot of superhero costumes have. The only paint app problem on my figure was on his neck, but that is covered up by the head, so it doesn’t standout too much. Other than that Star Lord is a really clean and well painted figure.

Marvel Legends Guardians of the Galaxy Star Lord 04

 

Here’s what you get for articulation:

  • ball-joined head
  • ball-hinged shoulders, swivel biceps
  • double-hinged elbows, ball-hinged wrists (side-side swivel)
  • swivel and hinged torso
  • ball-hinged hips, swivel thighs
  • front-back hinged higher and lower knees, and ball-hinged ankles

All I have to say is the figure delivers when it comes to this aspect. That’s all you can ask. There are no “sticking” issues, which always scares me when trying to pose a figure. Things are nice and tight, and you can do some great action shots!

Marvel Legends Guardians of the Galaxy Star Lord 03

Star Lord comes with two alternate heads. One is his spaceman helmet which I love the look of. It reminds me of a WW2 gas mask with a sci-fi twist. The detailing on Star Lord is very nice, from his trench coat down to his boots. He even wears a backpack that can be removed if you choose to do so.


Marvel Legends Guardians of the Galaxy Star Lord 05

Then there’s the alternative head, and while I think the likeness is decent when compared to actor Chris Pratt, the coloring is way off! It looks like the guy has a tan, and I’m not sure how he would accomplish that when he wears that helmet most of the time! His hair is ok, it is part of the head sculpt, which isn’t my favorite. As you can see there’s a clear line of difference, especially on the helmet-less head.

Marvel Legends Guardians of the Galaxy Star Lord 07

Star Lord comes with the most accessories of all the figures in the set. I believe that the yellow box is supposed to be his walkman, since this is an item that is featured in the trailers. Also included are headphones so he can rock out to classic Earth tunes, and the orb that will end up being one of the Infinity Stones. Remember this is one of the mcguffins that ties all of the movies together, and will lead to Thanos becoming the ultimate bad guy by the end of Phase 3!

Marvel Legends Guardians of the Galaxy Star Lord 08

Marvel Legends Guardians of the Galaxy Star Lord 09

I love this figure, it is my favorite out of the regular releases from the set. The Groot BAF is the best, but we’ll talk about that in a couple weeks. From the great colors on this guy to the awesome articulation, Star Lord is one of the best looking figures I have bought in a long time. I think the mask helps because once you try to emulate the actors’ faces, they can sometimes end up looking a little funny. I love that this is Star Lord’s look in the comics now as well, so this figure can crossover with my more comic accurate Marvel Legends.

Star Lord Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel Legends

Marvel Legends Infinite Star Lord gets 4.5 outta 5 stars. 

 

~CynicNerd