Thor-rific!

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Based on Norse mythology's thunder god of the same name, Thor is a well-loved character and one of Marvel's front runners, famously played in the movies by Chris Hemsworth. The character was born in the 60's in the minds and hands of comics legends - Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Larry Lieber. The trio geniuses made Thor one of the founding members of Avengers and has since then starred in several series.

His identity is tied with his powerful hammer weapon - the Mjolnir. We've seen him depressed without his hammer, for it is like his soul, his thunder. There are variations in his character, but mostly they are familiar because it is taken from mythology - so is all the other Asgardians who surround him.

Thor in Avengers Infinity

Product
Brand/Model: Unbranded
Condition: Bought without box, parts in clear plastic bag, with no separate build instructions

Character
Name: Thor Odinson
AKA: Thor
Species: Asgardian
Comics: Marvel
Affiliation: Avengers, God Squad, Thor Corps
Weapon: Mjolnir (hammer)
Superpowers: Superhuman strength, superhuman durability, electric manipulation

Thor minifigure has a lot of unique parts which depart from the standard bricks, hence there are compatibility issues, but nonetheless, this is an interesting buy.

The unbranded Thor brick figure has 10 pieces - 1 tan spiked hairpiece, 1 nougat head, 1 pair of nougat hands, 1 black, printed torso, 1 black, printed legs, 1 pair of black arms, and 1 pair of black shoes.

(L) unbranded brick (R) standard brick

The unbranded brick has no hip joint, showcasing a single piece for hips ang legs. If you notice the lower part seemed cutoff. The brick has customized shoe parts to fit the missing lower part. In the standard brick, there are two round pins which connect the torso; in the unbranded brick, there is a single, square pin in the middle which snaps to the torso. 

(L) unbranded brick (R) standard brick

unbranded brick - leg side view

The legs of the unbranded brick are smooth and rounded, whereas the standard brick has straight and edged legs, but are articulated.

unbranded brick - leg top view

The holes are for fitting the shoes.

(L) unbranded brick (R) standard brick

The arm of unbranded brick is straight, whereas the standard brick is bent.

(L) unbranded brick (R) standard brick

The hands of unbranded brick have shorter pins than that of standard brick. The end of the pin is rounded compared to the edged end of standard brick.

(L) unbranded brick (R) standard brick

(L) unbranded brick (R) standard brick

The torso of the unbranded brick is angular, whereas standard brick has straight, sloping side, making it sharper.

unbranded brick - shoe top view

unbranded brick - shoe side view

The shoes of the unbranded brick connects with the legs through a single square, holed pin. The heel of the shoes is compatible with standard baseplate.

On to the verdict!

  

Print Quality - the matte printing gives a nice sheen and detail to the front torso and legs. Sadly, the back has no print at all.

Parts - a few notable unique parts - detachable shoes, no hip joint, and angular torso. While they are not compatible with standard bricks, this minifigure stands out in your collection.

Articulation - limited articulation due to uniqueness of mold, specially of the legs.

Material - snap and fit! The material is as durable as the standard bricks. 

Affordability - as cheap as regular knockoff bricks.

Design - it could be a worthy contender in minifigure favorites, had there been side and back printing. A dual head printing would be great too. It will not hurt to add an accessory. After all, Thor is lost without his Mjolnir (hammer).

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Thor built brick figure

That's not the Mjolnir, Thor! And it's just a harmless dog!

Gladiator Hulk

Marvel fans around the globe are already anticipating the third installment of the movie Thor. Entitled Thor Ragnarok, the trailer boasts of a newly-dressed cast, which to brick fans mean a whole set of collectible Marvel characters in new elements.

The movie is set to adapt the plot line of Planet Hulk, where Hulk crash landed to Sakaar when his allies banished him from earth; coincidentally, Thor was held captive in Sakaar without his mighty hammer Mjolnir, and has to face his "friend from work" head on.

Undoubtedly, Hulk's gladiator form is an exciting twist for brick fanatics. Being used to Hulk's bigfig in various colors (Red Hulk, Gray Hulk, Yellow Hulk, etc.) and in various pants, the character suffered from inflexibility and commonness. In this new form, all is not lost; it seems that creators have stretched their imagination in replicating the movie version of Hulk. Although the bigfig used the old mold, the left arm mold and face-torso printing are good signs of investment.

(L) Hulk from Planet Hulk 2010 movie and (R) Hulk bigfig from Thor Ragnarok

Product
Brand/Model: Xinh 654
Condition: Bought without box in a clear plastic bag

Character
Name: Hulk (version from Thor Ragnarok movie)
Comics: Marvel
Affiliation: Avengers (banished)
Superpowers: superhuman physical ability, berserker strength, agility, healing
Paraphernalia: hammer

(L) bird's-eye view
(R) overhead shot

Hulk bigfig consists of 28 pieces – 1 head, 1 torso, 2 arms, 2 hands, 1 standard baseplate, 1 helmet, 1 panache, 16 hammer parts, 1 head connector, and 2 arm connectors.

I'll give you an arm!

Gladiator Hulk bigfig features a bad ass left arm. The brown, layered form replicates the leather feel of the animated version, while the blue layers in the shoulder area are supposed to match the theme of the much-awaited film. Take this arm and give it a red and silver look, then you will get a bad ass Colossus bigfig arm.

(L) side view of the helmet
(R, T) front view
(R, B) back view

The common Roman helmet adapted for this bigfig looks so Gundam-y and Alphonse-y (the latter from Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood) to me, which is cool. It could be the head to shoulder attachment, without too much room for neck, that gave this illusion.

(L) weapon in upright position and facing front
(C) upright and lateral position
(R) inverted

Harley Quinn would actually love this lamp post-looking hammer. Its beauty lies in the slanted sides of the hammer, where a brick with three connectors holds the elements together.

(L) torso with tattoos of digital or alien writings and printings of  straps connecting the armor elements
(R) baldy Hulk's face with similar tattoos and angry face

Hulk bigfig's printings in the torso and face are thematically-aligned with Thor Ragnarok. No arm printings, no alternate face, no printings on pants, and no printings in the back.

Get ready to rumble!

In three to five years, this bigfig might get extinct, so do yourself a favor and get a set. It's definitely a must-have! ;)

Sky-rider of the Spaceways

Sacrificing himself for the good of planet Zenn-La, Norrin Radd became Galactus's herald to search for new worlds, in exchange for sparing his world from Galactus's consumption. Reborn from the power cosmic, he assumed a silvery form (patterned from his memories). He controls a surfboard from which he travels, out of the same cosmic material he's made of. It is telepathically connected to him. Thus, the Silver Surfer was born.

This is the interesting fiction he was born with, that I've read in a wiki page. I remember Silver Surfer hazily from childhood in a film/tv. But I remember him mostly from the Fantastic Four movie in 2007, where Captain America is still Human Torch (played by actor Chris Evans).

The most interesting fact, specially for Netflix fans waiting for Marvel's Defenders, is that Silver Surfer is one of its founding members.

While wandering the earth, Silver Surfer formed Titans Three with Namor and Hulk.  They were joined by Doctor Strange later on, forming the Defenders. None of them will appear (at least, principally; they may be guesting) in the series.

While surfing for Silver Surfer logo (pun not intended!), I found out that his battle with Thor in the comic series has avid followers. I'm saving the reading for later,  maybe in February.

My version of 1969 cover of The Silver Surfer comics, featuring Thor against the Sky-rider

Product
Brand/Model: Shengyuan 167
Condition: Bought without box in a clear plastic bag, inside a red emoji cannister
Price: ~0.50 USD

Character
Name: Norrin Radd
AKA: Silver Surfer
Comics: Marvel
Affiliation: Defenders, Titans Three, Heralds of Galactus
Superpowers: Holds Power Cosmic
Paraphernalia: Surfboard

One of my exciting finds in Shengyuan's a-dozen-a-box emoji cannisters - Silver Surfer! 

The yellow box containing the cannisters has pictures of various minifigures, from Marvel and DC Comics to Ninjago and Chima.  The effect is to give easter egg surprise to the customers. For collectors of knockoff bricks though, Shengyuan is employing a marketing strategy of cleaning up their closets with these blind packs. The minifigures are probably excess production which cannot be combined with standard models or sets.

You'll never be happy with all the cannisters as a few of the minifigures are duplicates or already in your collection.  Fortunately, Silver Surfer is in my "for acquisition" list.

Silver surfer minifigure consists of 25 pieces – 1 red head cannister with 1 red cover, 1 head, 1 leg connector, 2 legs, 1 torso, 2 arms, 3 hands, 1 surfboard, a surfboard holder with 7 various bricks, 4 individual studs, and 1 6x4 basic baseplate.

The baseplate has the Shengyuan logo with the words "WORLD MINIFIGURES Collect Them All".

The red-faced cannister has a weird, funny expression, looking like it's ready for a duck face selfie. 🐣

Duck-faced Red Hood? 

The head and torso (back and front) sport body and facial lines, owing to Silver Surfer's non-costumed entity. The head has no dual face printing, perhaps due to his singular emotionless expression.

Armless Surfer

There are no prints in the arms, legs, and waist.  The bluish dark gray is lacking the brilliance of silver, but I realized I wouldn't opt for a chrome-plated Silver Surfer. It will give him the quality of being metallic with facial and bodily lines like a mirror-man or a shiny tin-man. In my opinion, the chrome finish better suits Colossus or the arm of Bucky the Winter Soldier.

Silverado

There is no official Silver Surfer minifigure but most custom build of him has silver chrome finish. Shengyuan's non-chrome model is close to the video game version so I settle for this.

He's got smile and a surfboard booster! 

The surfboard is the piece that defines Silver Surfer. In Shengyuan's model, the board is of the same bluish dark gray color.  The only thing I don't like about it is the loose connection of the bottom section to other parts like the baseplate.

The extra parts for surfboard holder, though standard to most knockoff models to provide scenery parts, are unnecessary. The non-chrome golden studs are also unnecessary, appropriate for Iron Man models only.  Nonetheless, these extra parts are useful for scene set designs and moc's.

Gasoline stop

In the next review, perhaps I should take on Hulk or Doctor Strange to complete the original Defenders. 😹 (See previous post for Namor.)

Hall of Silver Surfer in Marvel Museum
No flash please. I mean no bike in the room, Flash,  please. 

Until the next issue!