Hasbro Marvel Legends Spider-Man Retro Line: Rhino Action Figure Review

Marvel Legends delivers another deluxe version of an older Build a Figure. Under the flag of the Spider-Man Retro Wave, the Rhino makes his newest appearance in figure form. I was not really collecting at the time the original BAF was released, which is disappointing because I'd love to have the masked head version. If anybody has a masked Rhino head laying around, let me know.

Aleksei Sytsevich was nothing more than a common thug in the Russian Mafia, and a rather dumb one at that. He willingly chose to undergo treatments that would ready him for the artificial skin which gave him superhuman strength. Upon completion of the treatments and the suit bonding, Sytsevich betrayed the Eastern Bloc organization that gave him his powers. He destroyed their laboratory and went rogue. He is hired to kidnap Colonel John Jameson, but is soundly defeated by Spider-Man. In spite of his intellectual shortcomings, Rhino continues to be a (t)horn in Spidey's side and has, on numerous occasions, worked with other villains to try and defeat the web-slinger. Rhino's first appearance is in "The Amazing Spider-Man" issue #41, created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr.

For newer readers, Dan's ToyBox bases our reviews on the four A's of Accessories, Appearance, Articulation, and Affordability. Once discussed, those four categories combined lead us to a final overall score of one to five Toyboxes, with one being the worst and five being a "must add" to your collection. So, let's get cracking, shall we?

Most of the Hasbro Marvel Legends Retro Wave figures come with very few accessories and Rhino is really no exception. He comes with two fisted hands, two grasping hands, one snarling/teeth gritted head sculpt and one somewhat neutral looking head sculpt. I really wish they'd included the masked version that was part of the original BAF, but I suppose the two versions of his bare face were meant to help differentiate the figures. Point of transparency... I do not have the original BAF, so I cannot compare the two in terms of paint scheme or applications. The plus side to the grasping hands is that he can hold Spider-Man up and the figure has a stout enough base with the feet to maintain it's balance while doing so. I can't say that I'm disappointed with what Rhino comes with, I just wish it were a bit different. I don't think the neutral head sculpt makes enough of a difference though, to give him an A for Accessories.

Once again, in my opinion, Hasbro makes up for a lack of accessories with out of this world detail in the appearance! Rhino is molded in gray, but has washes/shading throughout the figure which gives the sculpt depth and brings out the details very well. The suit sculpting is incredibly detailed, right down to the pebbled texture and dry/cracked look of a rhinoceros' tough hide. What is even more impressive is the paint detail on the horns on both head sculpts, the shading and depth really sets the horns apart and gives them a very realistic look. Of special note are the glossy black rhino eyes on the sides of his head piece and the detail around his teeth and gums. I am impressed with the paint applications. I was also stunned when I realized that his eyes aren't just black but have brown irises around the pupils too. The lips are given a different tone from the rest of his face flesh... and this just shows the amount of care that went into creating this figure. I know he's simply a re-release, but the look, to me, feels like Hasbro is trying to up their game, trying and succeeding. I was even pleasantly surprised to see the different colors on his finger and toenails. The hands and feet aren't just painted with a uniform look and that is impressive. The sculpting in the toenails gives them a cracked look, very much like what we'd expect to see from a real rhino as well. The artists that crafted this figure did their homework and were very thorough. All in all, this is a mighty sharp looking figure and looks fantastic posed in pictures. Easily earns an A for Appearance!

Now, just because he looks great in some poses, doesn't necessarily mean that the Hasbro Marvel Legends Retro Wave Rhino figure has excellent articulation. Let's jump in and discuss how well Rhino moves. Starting at the top, the head and neck are a single unit set on a hinged peg. The peg ports easily enough in and allows you to turn the head and neck left or right, but the design of the body prevents a full 360. The hinge does allow for a great degree of downward looking, but the head sculpt itself, coupled with his body design won't allow for much upward tilt. The shoulders can raise out to about 45 degrees from the body but will rotate a full 360. Coupling that with the hidden bicep swivel will allow you to have the illusion of a T pose. The elbows are single joints and can bend roughly 90 degrees. Both pairs of hands swivel and hinge decently. The upper diaphragm joint allows for forward crunch and very limited back bend. My least favorite part of these bulky figures is the waist pivot which leaves these horrible awkward looking flat "landing platforms" at the hips when turned sideways. His legs, surprisingly, can split reasonably well, maybe a bit past 45 degrees and the upper thigh cut is very well hidden! The legs can kick forward somewhat well, but not backward and the knees are single jointed and bend less than 90 degrees. The ankles though, help for solid posing by hinging and displaying that awesome ankle rocker. The ankle pivot, coupled with the ability to do limited splits helps get some cool poses and makes balancing him on one foot much easier! Overall, in spite of the limitations, the articulation works for this figure. I'm pleased enough with it to give Rhino an A for Articulation.

I had originally pre-ordered mine on Hasbro Pulse. Imagine my surprise when I saw it dropping on all sorts of other online sales sites, while Pulse kept telling me he'd be released in early fall. Nope... not going to wait another three or four months when I can get it for the same price elsewhere. Thank you BBTS for providing me with yet another solid figure at a reasonable price. The Hasbro Marvel Legends Spider-Man Retro Wave Rhino retails online at $39.99, which is about the right price for a deluxe figure. Granted it would have been nice to have more stuff with him, but the sheer bulk and heft of the figure makes for a very satisfying purchase. I do think, perhaps, he could be a couple dollars fewer, but have come to expect to pay this price for a figure like this. I'll give him an A- for Affordability.

After taking our four categories into consideration and having posed around and played around with the figure, I am comfortable with giving the Hasbro Marvel Legends Spider-Man Retro Wave Rhino a solid...

Three and three quarters Toyboxes out of Five.

There you have it folks, this is definitely a figure that you should add to your collection if you don't have the original BAF. As always, thank you for stopping by Dan's ToyBox and until next time... GEEK OUT!!!