Marvel Legends Ben Reilly Spider-Man (2016) Review

Every Spider-Man wave needs a good Spidey variant.  Hasbro seems to be using the formula of giving us one version of Spider-Man per build-a-figure wave.  In the past year we’ve gotten pizza Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Scarlet Spider, and this wave includes Ben Reilly Spider-Man.  We’ve come quite a ways from when a Spider-Man wave would include three Spidey variants and one villain who would end up being impossible to find.  Nowadays the Spider-Man waves are probably some of the best ones Marvel Legends has to offer.

If this first paragraph is any indicator, I’m going to seriously overload the “Spider-Man” keyword.

In a matter of a year we have all three of Ben Reilly’s costumes.  The previous Rhino build-a-figure wave gave us the Scarlet Spider.  This wave gives us not one, but two costumes in one solitary package!  How could this be?  Such value is unheard of!  Well I kind of made up for that by purchasing a case that had two Ben Reilly figures in it.  I wanted the set as soon as possible, and I figured it would be great to display both Spider-Carnage and Ben Reilly Spider-Man at the same time.

For a hand enthusiast such as myself this figure is a dream come true.  Spider-Man comes packed with two “thwip” hands, two open hand, two fists, two Spider-Carnage hands, a Spider-Carnage head, and two Absorbing Man arms.  The card is completely packed with stuff, which is a nice departure from the mostly empty bubble of Beetle.  Of course it needs to be given consideration that Spider-Man is almost 100% a repaint (the wrist shooters appear to be a new sculpt), so the accessory count is fitting given the lack of new tooling.  The wrist cuffs can be removed when making Spider-Carnage.  Had they included a few Carnage tendrils I would be in heaven.

If you are into saving money but want to make the Absorbing Man build-a-figure, you can actually skip this one.  Ben comes with two Absorbing Man arms.  Morbius also comes with two.  So depending on which character you like more, or which arms you prefer one of these guys can be skipped and save you a fat twenty bucks!  That’s a tough call though.  Morbius is pretty damn fly, but I’m loving this Ben Reilly Spider-Man too.

I’ve mentioned before how much I like the current Spider-Man body, it’s fantastic.  He can hit a ton of great poses and his feet anchor him pretty damn well.  I know some people lament the lack of toe articulation on the Hasbro body, and I understand to some extent with Spider-Man.  But I always felt it was the first joint to go loose and then my figure can’t stand at all after that.  I don’t really miss it.

Edge of the Spider-Verse Ben Reilly Spider-Man is hitting some stores right now with the rest of the Absorbing Man build-a-figure wave.  He’s also up on Amazon, or you can preorder this wave by the case.  By the way the case is totally worth it if you want to be like me and get two of this figure for both forms.

And one more for the best accessory of 2015 …

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