The line that I thought I had to wait until the spring for has popped up at Walmarts this weekend. Check out the first two figures.  

I was unsure how I would like the new line of Spiderman figures, though after seeing them at SDCC I was hopeful. The main point of this line appears to be to get us more Spiderman characters without taking up space in the Marvel Universe main line. Last year’s Wolverine line gave us a bunch of X-men, and different versions of Wolverine, and was a great companion to the Marvel U line. This year Spiderman and Iron Man will both have lines, though Spiderman is the first to hit shelves.  

The main complaint about the Marvel U Spidermen have been the lack of articulation for such a dynamic character. This new figure feels sturdier than the Marvel U version, but has its own issues. On the package the new Spiderman is billed as Super Poseable, but he lacks some articulation. When comparing the Marvel U Spiderman and the new SP Spiderman there are additions and subtractions of articulation points. The ankles and wrists are similar as well as the shoulders. The elbow and knee joints lose a point from the Marvel U version, only allowing a 90 degree angle. The new Spiderman loses the biceps point, limiting arm movements. 

While it appears that there has only been subtraction of articulation points there is one area that the new Spiderman has that the Marvel U version does not, the hips. There are ball jointed hips with upper thigh swivels, which is something that Marvel U collectors have been asking for because the only way you can move the stances of Marvel U figures is by moving the ankles. The only problem is that for this figure who should be thin and streamlined, those ball joints make the hips stand out and break up the overall look of the figure. The colors of the figure are bright and this figure would fit in well with the Amazing Friends or the Secret Wars figures. He comes with a fly swatter like web structure, which does not fit well in the open hand.  

The second figure in this line is the Green Goblin. This figure is what I expected when I bought the six inch version, but in a small size. The figure suffers from the same articulation problems and additions as the Spiderman above, but also loses 2 more points, the ankles and the mid torso joint. He is slightly shorter than the Marvel U Green Goblin, but feels more solid. I think the face on the Marvel U versions looks somewhat scary, but this versions looks more expressive. The figure comes with a pouch, pumpkin bomb and a glider, just like the Marvel U version. 

The figures also come with a card game, that for me will end up in a box to be thrown out some time down the road. There are both positives and negatives in this line.  We will gain more Spiderman characters without taking up spots in the Marvel U main line, but we lose some articulation points. It can be a fair trade off for some characters, but if the Marvel U line continues to improve, these types of figure could be left in the clearance aisle.  

Spiderman Gallery