Marvel Legends SDCC 2017 Battle for Asgard figure exclusive set

Hasbro always delivers the goods when it comes to its Marvel Legends San Diego Comic Con exclusives. They’re true 6-inch works of art. With Thor: Ragnarok being one of the more anticipated films this fall, it made sense for a Thor focused SDCC 2017 set. The Battle for Asgard is another really spectacular set that’s a must have for Thor fans.

Packaging:  The packaging is always a highlight for these sets and this continues the fantastic presentation. These ML SDCC exclusives are always the hardest figures for me to open because they look so great.

There’s an exterior cover with an amazing painted Asgardian battle underway feature the set characters. I really dig the text on each section. Jane Foster Thor, Odinson and Malekith get more personalized write ups with Bor and Ulik getting simpler text.

The presentation looks very classy with am Asgardian style font and emblems on the top. Black and gold makes for a great color scheme here and the inner lining colors give me always welcome GI Joe flashbacks.

Likeness:  Thor makes her debut in the line with this figure while still providing enough differences for folks waiting on her solo release. It’s hard to blame Hasbro for wanting to get this figure out to as many customers as possible. The sculpting is excellent from the helmet to the hair splayed on either side of her shoulders, the metallic chest piece, skirt, left arm gauntlet and wrapped shins and metallic boots. This is an impressive looking figure that I think will earn some converts even for those not fond of the female Thor gimmick.

Odinson features Thor in his fallen look. He lacks a shirt, freshly starched cape and even a decent belt. This is vagabond Thor and it’s a fun unique portrait of Odin’s favorite son. I really like the metallic Destroyer style arm, which replaced the one Malekith lopped off. Odinson’s beard is nice and full. Maybe the only off thing here is the resemblance to the previous Hasbro Thor isn’t quite there. Or the skin tone, but that’s more because that Thor was seeing no sun whatsoever.

Bor is Thor’s grandfather, whom mainstream viewers saw previously in Thor: The Dark World. In a lot of ways, this is the Thor apology set from Hasbro. Bor also returned in the comics to unknowingly battle his grandson. Bor is an imposing Build a Figure size figure with a ton of great detail. I like the shell style armor, braided beard, furry skirt and boots and that terrific helmet. Bor does not look like someone you’d want to see across you on the battlefield. He’s probably the character I’m least invested in, but Hasbro quickly turned me around on him.

Ulik is a longtime Thor tormentor. He fills the necessary slot of brute villain, but he’s got one of the best designs around. A lot of Ulike is the reused BAF Rhino and Abomination base with some slight changes, like that beautifully done chest armor complete with chain mail. That’s an impressive looking bad guy. I would have preferred a fuller hairstyle and screaming expression, but that’s a minor issue.

I’m basing my impressions of Malekith on Walt Simonson, who drew him slighter. He’s stockier here looking like an actual physical threat for Thor. That’s my lone gripe though as Malekith looks very impressive with all the necessary sculpting elements like his chest piece, shoulder pads, belts and frayed skirt. The expression is perfect as the schemer looks like he’s enjoying seeing another plan come together.

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• Action Figure Reviews

Scale:  Thor is about the same height as the standard Marvel Legends figure. That’s about right based on her appearances in the comic book.

Odinson is smaller than the previous Thor. You could chalk that up to him not being worthy anymore and that also applies to his height. Actually, that’s acceptable enough for me. Where’s my No Prize? This is probably the ideal height for the next hopefully classic Thor.

Bor is massive and huge. That seems to be in line with his portrayal in the comics. I really wish Hasbro would go back and redo Odin to be more in scale with Bor and Thor.

Ulik is a character that’s been portrayed a ton of different heights. My rule though is when in doubt on scale, always go with Jack Kirby. The King drew him the same size as Thor so that’s good enough for me.

Malekith again seems a bit too tall and big. Ideally, he’d be smaller to show the physical difference between him and Thor.

Paint:  Overall this is a very clean set. Bor has a nice wash effect along his armor. Even the bags under his eyes have coloring.

Thor has a glow effect in her eyes and Mjlonir. This is the biggest difference between the set and the single card version.

Odinson was solid as well. I like the work all around and all the details like the straps, rope belt and hair wash looked great.

Ulik wins this category though thanks to his metallic green and how it contrasts with the duller orange skin tone. I honestly had to look real close to see any flaws with any figure. That’s important for an online only set, which is a credit to Hasbro’s efforts to keep the paint quality at a high level.

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Articulation:  Thor is one of the better recent ML figures thanks to the much welcome addition of bicep cuts. This allows for more articulation than normal, which is very welcome in this case. Bor was the most annoying on this front as his right leg continually fell off. He has the BAF style setup making his legs a lot looser and prone to falling off when I tried to position him in certain poses.

I was most excited that Thor had the bicep joint. That’s something only a handful of female figures have and it was definitely needed for her. I didn’t take as much pictures of her in action as I should have, but I really like how this figure turned out.

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The figures have:

• neck
• ball-jointed shoulders
• bicep
• elbow (double jointed)
• wrist
• wrist hinge
• waist*
• hip
• thigh
• knee (double jointed)
• ankle

(* = Besides Thor)

Accessories:  Unlike most sets, just about every figure here comes with at least one accessory.

Thor comes with a glowing Mljonir. The cape is also removable, but it’s not something I plan on constantly taking off.

Odinson has a removable tattered cloak and axe.

Bor gets the most with a shield and axe. I love the design on the shield as it looks like it’s been through many battles with cracks and divets in the wood and chipped metal portions. He comes with a longer axe that has plenty of personality thanks to its long handle and jagged blade.

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Ulik comes up short in this category, but as a bruiser, he doesn’t need any weapons.

Maleith gets a sword that’s just about his entire length. It looks impressive with its serrated portion and golden handle.

Worth it?  Hasbro charged the standard price here of $20 per figure. That’s an even better price if you’re not double dipping and getting the Build a Figure Gladiator Hulk Thor and Odinson.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

This is another home run exclusive set from Hasbro. Thor has always been under served on the figure front so it’s nice to get a set that brings some much needed depth.

Where to get it?  Hasbro still had some sets available at HasCon. Maybe some will be on hand at New York Comic Con as well, but I’d recommend getting the set sooner before the demand spikes after Ragnarok.