Marvel Minimates - Giant-Sized X-Men 6-pack Part Two
Here we have a pack containing 6 of the "second wave" of the X-Men from 1975. Fan favourite Wolverine joins Colossus, Storm, Cyclops, NightCrawler and Thunderbird in this unique set. This second part of the review will concentrate on Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Thunderbird. The first part of the review focuses on the packaging and the first 3 figures (Cyclops, Storm and Colossus).
The Figures
Wolverine
The fourth figure in the set is the ever-popular Wolverine, appearing in his tiger-stripe costume for the first time. There have already been 2 Wolverine figures in the Marvel Minimates line, with a 4th on its way in wave. However, this version is a real fan-favourite and is the only one with a mask. The detail on the mask is very cool, and it is removable to reveal his brown eyes, which, similar to the other Wolverine Minimates, are very well painted and detailed. The face is more "cartoony" than the Ultimate versions of Wolverine with a snarling expression.
Whereas the Ultimate Wolverine's costume was predominantly dark blue, this one is a lot brighter. Primarily yellow with black detailing and light blue trim, it's well painted with very clean paint apps. Unlike some of the earlier figures who have different coloured elbows when they are posed, here Wolverine has proper flesh-coloured elbows. The other addition to the figure is the use of the boots, and they are nicely done, making Wolverine look more imposing.
Wolverine also has his claws, which are a lot straighter than the ones Logan sported previously.
Overall, this figure is the best version of Wolverine that the line has produced. The other 2 Minimates were great figures, but this one has the classic look that appeals to me most.
MMC Score - 10 out of 10
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Nightcrawler
The fifth figure in the set is Kurt Wagner AKA Nightcrawler, whose character is currently undergoing a renaissance after appearing in the X2 movie. This is the first time we have had a Nightcrawler figure in the Minimates line. Nightcrawler has a very striking blue face, with his bright yellow eyes and fanged yet smiling mouth. A black hairpiece with blue elf-like ears adds to the overall coolness.
Nightcrawler has perhaps the largest number of unique pieces to give the impression of his costume. He has a V-shaped chest piece similar to Colossus, with muscular detailing painted on and shoulder pads to make him look more imp-like. He also has a blue tail, which is attached to a very thin waist piece and looks fantastic but sadly isn't flexible. Finally his hands and feet are both unique to give him his 3-fingered look. The paint on Nightcrawler is very crisp and clean with no blotches anywhere, although the white paint on the black base isn't as sharp as it could be.
Overall, Nightcrawler is a great figure, his unique look translating really well to Minimate form.
MMC Score - 10 out of 10
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Thunderbird
The last figure in the set is the Native American mutant Thunderbird, who, being a really peripheral figure in X-Men history, has not had a previous Minimate figure. Thunderbird's face is nicely detailed with somewhat evil-looking red eyes and a gritted teeth expression. His hair piece is black and has his red bandanna on it as well as his ears.
Thunderbird's uniform is a brightly coloured blue and red ensemble with some yellow trim. There is a distinctive bird motif on both the front and back of the chest block for pleasing symmetry. A nice touch sees the same symbol painted on as his belt buckle. Thunderbird also comes with a unique "shoulder-pad" which is blue with red tassles. This adds a lot to the look of the figure but does hinder full movement in the arms.
The main problem with this figure is the paint application. Because the X-Men boxset Minimates have been done in a cartoon/comic style, most of them have black outlines to emphasis colour separation. On Thunderbird, this serves to show how bad the paint job is, as areas of red paint are overrun by the blue. The upper body section isn't bad, but the legs look messy and this hurts the figure.
Overall, Thunderbird is a low-tier X-Man who can't compete with the other 5 Minimates in this set. Although he has a good look and some nicely painted areas, the general low quality of the paint job and the obscureness of the character lose it points.
MMC Score - 5 out of 10
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Overall Thoughts
With 6 unique Minimates in this set, and 3 of them gaining top MMC scores, the Giant-Sized X-Men boxset comes highly recommended. Add it to your Minimate army today!
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