Medicom Symbiote Spidey review

Michael Crawford · Jul 4, 2006

Medicom makes some mighty purty action figures. Sideshow does as well. Now Sideshow is distributing some of Medicom's 12" figures here in the U.S., including several of their Marvel releases. I received my Symbiote Spider-man last week, and he's sweet. Not $125 sweet, but he (and the other Medicom Marvel figures) certainly blows away any other sixth scale Marvel work.

The guest review is from Brandon Miller, and covers a Sideshow figure (see the synergy?), Kurgan. He's the big bad from the original Highlander film. You can check out all the reviews at the usual:

https://www.mwctoys.com

Last but not least, it's Tuesday, so that means an update at Quick Stop Entertainment as well. This week it's one for the anime/mecha/robotech fans - Garland, from the new Yamato Megazone 23 series!

Thanks for reading!

Michael
MWC

TheObsoleteMan · Jul 4, 2006

Four stars for sculpting on Kurgan? :google

Michael Crawford · Jul 4, 2006

Hey, Brandon likes his Sideshow. I was pretty surprised that the end result was only three stars!

Darklord Dave · Jul 4, 2006

Kurgan's not that bad.

Michael, just one issue with your review - you say the hands on Spidey pop in and out without too much trouble. But on mine I broke a post on one of the hands on the first time changing them. I may be a klutz, but I think these posts are kind of fragile.

Michael Crawford · Jul 4, 2006

Wow - I wouldn't consider them fragile at all. Very solid plastic, and I'm surprised you managed to break one!

pjam · Jul 5, 2006

Darklord Dave said:
Kurgan's not that bad.

Michael, just one issue with your review - you say the hands on Spidey pop in and out without too much trouble. But on mine I broke a post on one of the hands on the first time changing them. I may be a klutz, but I think these posts are kind of fragile.

I have had 2 Medicom hand posts break on me and have never had that happen with any other company, they are too thin and fragile with some figures. On one I had to drill out the lodged broken piece (12" Kato) and it pissed me off to no end.

It's not uncommon at all from what I have been hearing...

galactiboy · Jul 5, 2006

Hmm, I haven't had that problem and I have 7 Medicoms, current and as old as the mid-90's and they've been using the same hand posts for all of them. But if one did break I'd be sorely po'ed about it.

I got this figure from Sideshow and because of finances and not really liking the difference between plastic head and costume I think I'm gonna get rid of him. I already have the comic version and I think because of the reds and blues the plastic-to-cloth differences aren't as stark.

WEAPON X · Jul 5, 2006

Darklord Dave said:
Kurgan's not that bad.

Michael, just one issue with your review - you say the hands on Spidey pop in and out without too much trouble. But on mine I broke a post on one of the hands on the first time changing them. I may be a klutz, but I think these posts are kind of fragile.

Darklord Dave & pjam,

Like galactiboy, I haven't had that problem and I personally own, 11 Medicoms, as old as year '2000 and they've been using the same hand posts for all of them.

The technigue that I use in removing a "hand" is by first, rotating the hand without any pulling. That releases what's called "set-static" which accurse in plastic with limited movement.

Then second postioning my fingers (thumb & index) at the base of where the universal ball joint and post meet together and then with pulling ever so gently with increasing effort until the first post groove starts to show, then allow to rest for several second. Then restart the gentle pulling with very little ever increasing effort and the rest of the "hand" ball joint and post assemble will come free without any problems. I hope this helps for all your future RAH figures

Be Well

-Ben

galactiboy · Jul 5, 2006

I was gonna add one point you your review Michael... this isn't actually just the same body that Medicom always uses. For the comic figures (spandexed ones at least) Medicom has actually added musculature to the base body to make it look more like a comic-book character. If you compare the shape of his thighs to other Medicom's they are much more defined looking. So, I still agree the price is high, but you do get a little bit more than just the same RAH 301 body.

Michael Crawford · Jul 5, 2006

I mean this is the same general base body used for Marvel figures - obviously, it's not the body for characters like Luke

I'll be interested to see how much beefier Venom ends up.

galactiboy · Jul 6, 2006

I understand he is quite barrel chested... but unfortunately shorter than Spiderman

I've heard pretty underwhelmed reports on him so far... and that he has some kinda funky wrist joint (different that the norm) that falls out easily.

I think I'm gonna see what these Marvel Icon figures end up like, their Venom looks like he might be a good match. And at $15 you really can't go too wrong.

The Mike · Jul 9, 2006

I'm just praying that someone over at SST was able to talk Marvel into giving them a 12" license but that dream is probably misplaced....

EVILFACE · Jul 9, 2006

I would love to get both of the Medicom Spidey, but those Famous Covers boots are horrid. they are WAY to big, and the feet are too big. Why could they not just give him some booties or sculpt the feet like they did the hands and end the fabric at the ankle?

Mookeylama · Jul 10, 2006

i'm pretty sure the body on the Spidey is called a Medicom Massive or Cro Magnon body. i like it since it's not so short.
i agree the boots/feet are too big, but i think they didn't sculpt them because they wanted to retain ankle movement. they'll still hold a pose inside the boots.

nash · Jul 11, 2006

Michael Crawford said:
Medicom makes some mighty purty action figures. Sideshow does as well. Now Sideshow is distributing some of Medicom's 12" figures here in the U.S., including several of their Marvel releases. I received my Symbiote Spider-man last week, and he's sweet. Not $125 sweet, but he (and the other Medicom Marvel figures) certainly blows away any other sixth scale Marvel work.

The guest review is from Brandon Miller, and covers a Sideshow figure (see the synergy?), Kurgan. He's the big bad from the original Highlander film. You can check out all the reviews at the usual:

https://www.mwctoys.com

Last but not least, it's Tuesday, so that means an update at Quick Stop Entertainment as well. This week it's one for the anime/mecha/robotech fans - Garland, from the new Yamato Megazone 23 series!

Thanks for reading!

Michael
MWC

Why the High price tag for the figure? Well you forgot to mention that it is a Limited Edition of only 1000 figures worldwide, that's probably why. Also it's supposed to be an exclusive mail away item for those who bought the comic spidey and not available to any old joe.

SolidLiquidFox · Jul 11, 2006

Mookeylama said:
i agree the boots/feet are too big, but i think they didn't sculpt them because they wanted to retain ankle movement. they'll still hold a pose inside the boots.

For better or worse, they are very accurate to the Todd McFarlane style of drawing.

Michael Crawford · Jul 11, 2006

nash said:
Why the High price tag for the figure? Well you forgot to mention that it is a Limited Edition of only 1000 figures worldwide, that's probably why. Also it's supposed to be an exclusive mail away item for those who bought the comic spidey and not available to any old joe.

That was only true in Japan - the US distribution of these was on top of the 1000, and to get the price down to $125, I'm betting it was a pretty big run.

galactiboy · Jul 11, 2006

It was also available on Sideshow's site for a pretty long time. I've heard as many as an additional 500-1,000 were released to Sideshow... although there still doesn't seem to be any official word. But really $125 for a figure of Spiderman limited to 2000 is still not too bad.

screamingmetal · Jul 13, 2006

Darklord Dave said:
Kurgan's not that bad.

Michael, just one issue with your review - you say the hands on Spidey pop in and out without too much trouble. But on mine I broke a post on one of the hands on the first time changing them. I may be a klutz, but I think these posts are kind of fragile.

You know I bought a Cro-Magnon body back when they were first released and as soon as I got it out of the package the ball joint hip broke, then a week later the plastic in the waist broke, and soon after, the shoulder. Medicom used really bad plastic on their earlier figures, not sure if they still do since the modern ones haven't broke on me yet (knock on wood).
I also fully agree with Michael on the price issue, Medicom figures are way over priced for what you get. The only reason I buy the Medicom Marvel figures is because I'm a Marvel junky, and no one has put out quality 1/6 Marvel figures at a reasonable price yet (although the new $16 Marvel Icons are close

).

nash · Jul 14, 2006

i thought half were mail-aways for japan (500) and the other 500 were sold via Sideshow?

Medicom Symbiote Spidey review

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