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Ah, the good old days. This set was one that you could find in one of Target’s many toy aisles. Yes, the Target you might go to for groceries now and again. Back in 2006, it wasn’t uncommon for sets like this to be available in their stores as well as Walgreens and some other place in our local mall that neither me nor my mother, who took me to said store to get ‘mates regularly as a little fella, can remember what was called. Nevertheless, this is one of my favorite sets from these Target waves, partially due to the focus on the Marvel Knights line of characters and its connected aesthetic. Both Ghost Rider and Daredevil definitely deserved better than they had at this point, so this set was due doubly so.

The Packaging

This Target wave lined up stylistically with waves 12 and 13 of the regular Marvel wave, even having five of the same figures in this wave as in those waves. These two figures, along with an alternate head version of Spider Woman I from wave 10, were the exclusives for the Target wave. You can check out the set and the box design on the database here.

The Figures

Ghost Rider

A fan favorite stylistic character receives what is in my opinion still his best ‘mate. While simple and relatively lackluster, the sharp, grimy edges of his facial detailing along with the dingy color tones give him that real Knights feel, like if you found a pearl necklace in a gutter: beautiful but filthy. The Knights line was always like this, so this depiction works perfectly. He has a half torso cap that gives him room to maneuverer his arms and doesn’t make him too bulky but still gives him a presence with those wide shoulders. The hair is similar to his other previous figures but is more like the old Torch figure than anything. Inexplicably, the photo on the box depicts a belt piece on his waist while the real figure has just a printed belt piece. I prefer the latter, as his old chain belts get a bit in the way, but it’s still odd. I’m sure he’s curious how he’s going to hold those leather pants up while stomping bad guys. As a bonus, his head works as a stand-in skull for any occasion.

This is also the closest we will get to the unfortunately cancelled Ghost Rider movie wave, a set consisting mostly of civilian style figures, a Ghost Rider almost identical to this, and possibly most disappointing, not one but TWO forever lost Nicholas Cage figures. Oh, how the world would be if they were made…check them out here. Nevertheless, this Rider ‘mate is perfect in all the right ways, and the older plastic and moldings give it that filthy Knights feel that more add than detract.

MMC Score — 8 out of 10

Daredevil

One of my all-time favorite characters received some odd figures in the beginnings of Minimates. The confusion with what to do with his batons ended in this uncomfortable waist pouch piece that allowed the batons to easily fall out and be lost amongst the carpeting until your dog inevitably started choking on one. Other than that, a problem with pretty much every DD ‘mate until 2012, this figure has everything you could ask for with Daredevil. The batons are measured out well the printing on the chest is simplistic and dark, also following the Knights aesthetic. The mask is the same mold as his predecessors, and yet, the paint on it makes it so unique. There’s a look of disdain on his face that really makes you think he’s about to unwillingly go and pulverize some thug. Despite the bright look of the figure, there’s something ominous about it, a tone that couldn’t be more Daredevil if it tried. I would suggest popping the cumbersome waist piece off and either going without a belt altogether or replacing it with another if you feel he’s too barren without one.

Overall, a fantastic DD ‘mate and a welcome update from the relatively simple figures we had before. There’s certainly some better updates now, with the 2012 Sin Eater set probably being the best comic ‘mate and the Stairwell ‘mate from the Netflix box set topping out the charts of incredibility, but nevertheless, this 2006 ‘mate holds its ground in being gritty, unique and relatively groundbreaking in the terms of DD’s ‘mate life.

MMC Score —  8 out of 10

Conclusion

I really wish we had more Marvel Knights styled ‘mates with this grungy tone. I love this set more than most simply because of this (and the DD bias but even so). If you had to hunt down a retro set, I would absolutely recommend this one to go in your collection. It works for comic style ‘mate fans, it works for movie style ‘mate fans, and really, it just works.

Agree? Disagree? Why not vote for yourself below, or comment further over at the Minimate Multiverse MMC Review Forum.

Review and pictures by Dash Hauenstein.

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