Marvel Legends Maximum Series

[Damien]

I probably could have gone for the OG 90s look more and get those critiques or wanting more heads. I have no authority to tell people what's good or not, just reacting to a common negative vibe (across all media platforms). I saw a YouTube video about how the Hydra Bob set is a way better value...and some of the comments. It's not everyone, but for fuck's sake people are happy with 2 figures on generic bodies (from a decade ago) because there's accessories?? While totally ignoring the dedicated and vastly superior figure...that still has accessories. It's maddening.

I just think you need to add some nuance to the way you're looking at it. I would argue to you that the people complaining about 50 dollars for Maximum figures are the same people that have also complained about the various price hikes in regular Legends figures. It's not 'I'm okay with endless re-use and no accessories for 25, but not okay with more at 50.' It's more like 'I recognize the regular figures -already- are not a great value, and Maximum isn't adding enough value on top of the missing value to justify a doubling of the price.' You have to consider that.

I'd also push back on the perception that this is the only way we get this type of Deadpool figure. We have new bodies in Legends. It actually happens pretty often. What makes this Deadpool so special compared to just any other new body Marvel Legends figure on a regular card? Is Doop and a couple of extra hands a legitimate way to turn a 25 dollar item into a 50 dollar item? Only the buyer can really answer that. But I don't think it's out of line or overly negative for the answer from some people to just be 'no.'

X-Men '97 Cable is also entirely new, as far as I can tell. That figure is half the price of Deadpool. The major difference? No extra hands and no Doop. So again.. are the extra hands and Doop worth 25 dollars on their own? Up to every collector to decide for themselves. Value, in this sense, is very subjective. I'd pay 50 bucks if it were v2 Shatterstar with some extra hands and nicely painted swords and an effect part. But it would be like... me and 'berto and that's about it, I suspect.

 

[Schizm]

I never liked being restricted to Target or Walmart, as a comic geek I am all for having a different supply chain making better figures. People need to consider the huge Disney tax and likely smaller production runs as well.

We have considered exactly this - it was DST's Marvel Select line. Completely original sculpts, covered in paint (front AND back!!!), with tons of accessories, heads, hands and sometimes bases, all one inch more of plastic and still the MSRP was $25-$30 all in (minus like the one that was $35). And those definitely had the Disney tax and smaller production runs.

Now tell me how this Deadpool is worth $25 more than Power Princess with her unique sculpt, accessories and BAF part - which is basically all Doop is.

 

[TheSameIdiot]

I’m not personally disappointed in Maximum, but yes it’s quite obvious that they are doing with Maximum what they do with the “regular” line: doing not-quite-iconic looks out of the gate so that you will buy McFarlane Spidey AND Romita Spidey AND symbiote Spidey AND Ditko Spidey AND AND AND . . .

Man, I'm lining up at the door with my wallet open and cash visible for a Romita Spidey on the Maximum body.

Same for Coipel Thor, if that's the version they go with. I'll try to be one of the first 10 pre-orders on that one.

 

[PantherCult]

Now tell me how this Deadpool is worth $25 more than Power Princess with her unique sculpt, accessories and BAF part - which is basically all Doop is.

Did you SEE how many hands he comes with?

 

[yojoebro82]

I think this whole sub line is a test of what they can push the price to.

I personally haven't looked at any Maximum release and said to myself, "That's worth the asking price". They got me on Spider-Man using one of the very few tricks that would work on me, the McFarlane nostalgia bait. Haven't been tempted since.

I'm looking for more from this line than a lot of extra little pieces that end up as bin fillers. Hands don't impress me, (and it costs them nothing). Big old ice slides for Iceman, a lot of unique stretchy pieces for Mr. Fantastic, stuff that's specific to the character and will really enhance their presence on the shelf, that's something I might be interested in for $50. So far they have demonstrated that this line is leaning more towards the former (the bin fillers) than the later.

 

[Damien]

For any Canadians that actually want in on these - Amazon currently has Hulk and Spidey each for about 10 bucks off.

 

[Resilient]

I’m not personally disappointed in Maximum, but yes it’s quite obvious that they are doing with Maximum what they do with the “regular” line: doing not-quite-iconic looks out of the gate so that you will buy McFarlane Spidey AND Romita Spidey AND symbiote Spidey AND Ditko Spidey AND AND AND . . .

I'd argue that for many people McFarlane Spidey and this Deadpool are the iconic looks. Not for me.. But for plenty of people I'm sure.

 

[AceofKnaves]

I'd argue that for many people McFarlane Spidey and this Deadpool are the iconic looks. Not for me.. But for plenty of people I'm sure.

Fair point indeed!
That said: I would suppose they could have chosen to be “Maximum” in the truly definitive sense and dropped Ditko, McFarlane and Romita Sr heads in there and more-or-less “finished” the classic red and blue suit. That’s not sour grapes about how it was released: just acknowledgment that re-buys are built in to the Maximum concept.

 

[TheSameIdiot]

I think people will be pissed if they wind up releasing five Spidey colorways in the Maximum line.

 

[altcunningham]

I loved Spidey, but so far it's not the "value" that is tuning me out of Maximum, it's the things like head sculpts (Hulk) and costume (Deadpool). Price is whatever to me, they just aren't executions i prioritize.

And now the word is Black Spidey, which I'll bite on, but I just expected a bit more roster depth before we dipped back, especially on the back of Secret Wars.

And all of that's fine, I got other things I'm buying.

If I had to critique one thing on DP, I don't like that sheathe and stubby swords. Was fine the first time because I remember the throwback to the original Toy Biz, but with this and Bob, would have preferred the 2016 set up.

But like I said there's other stuff I'm buying, and it seems like they're just intent on assault and battery on my wallet and soul with all the Spider-Man and X-Men stuff.

Was Target Widow a precursor to Maximum? Because her package and execution (era heads) is a bit more what I thought Maximum might be.

 

[NORM]

I would say that anniversary Black Widow, Ms Marvel Carol Danvers, Dr Strange, were examples of the highest potential ML could have in one package. Pushed the limits on articulation and accessory inclusion. Updated sculpts. Some other figures were reaching that potential. For me, sets like the anniversary Iron Fist and modern Luke Cage, even the MvC Psylocke were going there. Renew Your Vows Spidey was almost there but I’ll never accept a barbell neck for that character. Astonishing Wolverine came close. I tend to forget what came with what because once they’re opened, the accessories go into storage.

 

[yojoebro82]

I would say that anniversary Black Widow, Ms Marvel Carol Danvers, Dr Strange, were examples of the highest potential ML could have in one package.

I agree and packing in more than what those examples came with almost gets to be too much. You're going to display your Maximum figure with a small fraction of what the figure can actually hold, then the majority of what they came with (were allegedly all the money went) will go in a bin and forgotten. So your Maximum figure is standing next to all your standard figures holding two out of the twenty things it comes with and it doesn't look any more premium than your 54 other figures that were $25 each. If they are going to go with a $50 model, I'd prefer to be able to display everything (or almost everything) I bought at the same time (a big elaborate Iceman base, for example).

Also, all those extra little parts that push the figure $25 higher are all going to be rereleased piecemeal with other figures anyway. These's an upcoming Spider-Man that's already getting the web shield, the next Spidey will get the web net, the next one will get the web sperm, etc. An all-in one early bird offering of a ton of little accessories isn't very exciting (with DP we're getting some stuff we've already gotten before anyway). Yeah, I want more from a $50 sub line.

 

[Damien]

I think people will be pissed if they wind up releasing five Spidey colorways in the Maximum line.

It's going to be way worse than that.

They're not even going to be Maximum releases. The body is done and paid for. Maximum Spidey will be released again with fewer hands, no accessories, and only one head on a regular card and as part of a multi-pack. It won't be this year. But it's happening.

 

[Stoopid_Sandwich]

It's going to be way worse than that.

They're not even going to be Maximum releases. The body is done and paid for. Maximum Spidey will be released again with fewer hands, no accessories, and only one head on a regular card and as part of a multi-pack. It won't be this year. But it's happening.

Not to mention there will be the various costume changes like your black suits, your scarlet spiders, your sensationals, your 2099’s, your superiors and your iron spiders. But I swear to Christ if Hasbro decides to reuse the maximum Spidey and the first costume out of the gate is like Prodigy or for one of these stupid costume upgrades from the Nick Spencer run I’m gonna lose it…


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[TheSameIdiot]

You're going to display your Maximum figure with a small fraction of what the figure can actually hold, then the majority of what they came with (were allegedly all the money went) will go in a bin and forgotten.

You're paying for the options.

It's going to be way worse than that.

They're not even going to be Maximum releases. The body is done and paid for. Maximum Spidey will be released again with fewer hands, no accessories, and only one head on a regular card and as part of a multi-pack. It won't be this year. But it's happening.

This is the best-case scenario for me. Well, not the multi-pack part. I'd like to see them released single-carded. It'll be interesting to see how Hasbro handles these going forward.

I think we'll eventually get a classic Deadpool using some of the parts from the Maximum release. I don't think there's any way they could sell that as another Maximum release. It wouldn't sell nearly as well the second time. A multi-pack is much more likely, though I think we're all getting sick of them.