.

Standard Marvel fare. A large cardboard carton with windows through which the Minimates can be viewed. Minimate Spidey is as always a large presence on the packaging though this time around he somewhat obscures the Ultimates logo that has been placed on top of him. Under the windows is the usual control art of the characters as well as a background of pages from the comic book. The side flaps carry photos of the figures.

The back of the pack features photos of the entire wave and bio boxes relating to the figures within.

There’s not really much difference between the regular and Ultimate Iron Man. Tony Stark’s still driving, and drinking!

Although recognisably Iron Man there are a few differences to the armour. To me the helmet always looks a bit manga inspired. I’m not entirely sure why that is – maybe it’s because there’s no mouthpiece apparent? The helmet follows the same colour scheme of gold against red. I really like the gold paint DST use these days. A far cry from the days where yellow was used in place of gold. Like all previous Iron Man Minimates the helmet is removable though in somewhat of a departure from the usual this Tony Stark has some kind of green goop all over his face. I believe this is some kind of interface between pilot and armour, though it’s also possible that it’s a simple shock absorber. There’s a hairpiece included to give Stark an alternative look. More on that later. 

There’s a large chest piece that slips over the shoulders but doesn’t cover the entire chest. This piece, like the rest of the armour is red on silver. I like the way the red paint on the armour flares out away from the centre of the chest and over the shoulders helping to give Iron Man a very dynamic look. There’s an electric blue ‘omni beam’ device in the centre of the chest and two tiny touches of the same colour just below where the helmet sits. At the back of this armour piece is a hinged section. I’m not sure what it represents? Possibly a power pack? More likely two pre-prepared Martini’s for just in case.

The rest of the suit is silver with red highlights. Slipover pieces on the upper thighs give some bulk as do the boots, which I believe are all new pieces. There are some pleasingly chunky gauntlets that appear to have weapon pods on the back of the hand, again highlighted in red.

Like most Iron Man ‘mates DST have seen fit to include enough parts to make a whole new figure. As well as the aforementioned hairpiece there are alternative hands and feet. Remove the chestpiece and beneath you’ll find a half naked Stark torso with elements of the green goo that’s all over his face. All in all you can make a decent looking, if slightly gooey Tony Stark. 

In conclusion, an excellent representation of the source material and a very good figure to boot!

MMC Score – 9 out of 10

Ultimate Hulk is kind of the glue that binds the Ultimate Universe together. If it wasn’t for Bruce Banner’s low self-esteem issues and desire to replicate the Captain America Super Soldier serum there’d be no Hulk and very little need for the Ultimates to have gotten together in the first place.

There are a lot of nice touches on this Minimate. The hairpiece is inspired. In the Ultimate Universe, Banner’s hair stays the same length when he Hulks out so it ends up as a rather stupid looking tuft on the top of his head. Well done DST for absolutely nailing this! Then there’s that absolute bonkers expression on his face. The rage, the absolute insanity… It’s a joy to behold. I love the expression on this guys face. 

Hulk’s been given a chest piece to bulk him up. It looks fine from the front but there’s something skewed about the rear view. For some reason the piece doesn’t sit properly across the back and looks a bit wrong. Just as well we tend to display these things facing forward then! In a departure from every other Hulk Minimate this Hulk has been given huge forearms. It’s something fans have wanted to see for a while now, after all, if the Thing can have them then why not the Hulk. The hands look great and help make Hulk appear even more bestial, though I would like to see at some point a way to bulk out the upper arms too, even if it’s with slip over pieces. 

As always Hulk is wearing purple strides. It doesn’t matter what colour trousers Banner wears, when he Hulks out they’re purple, must be the Gamma Radiation that does it. There’s a suitable amount of damage to the trousers too. It’s worth noting that this Hulk has made use of the same height extender that’s found on the modern BSG Cylons. This has helped to raise Hulk’s height to above that of most regular Marvel ‘mates. It’s a welcome change but does look very jarring when the ‘mate is viewed from the side as the gap in the chest piece means you can see straight onto it. Again though, these things are meant to be viewed head on.

Hulk’s finished off with those lovable ol’ duck feet. I’m kind of warming to them now. They serve a purpose, and while not as aesthetically pleasing as a regular Minimate foot it’s hardly the end of the world. And just in case you’re one of those duck feet haters then don’t panic; DST have seen fit to throw in some regular feet. And regular hands. And even, beneath the chest piece, a regular chest. That’s right haters. If you don’t like Ulti-Hulk as presented then you can create your own alternate version and sleep the sleep of the sated toy fan. As with the alternative Iron Man pieces I’m impressed to see the inclusion of these parts. 

In conclusion, this Minimate is slightly flawed in execution but a lot of fun regardless.

MMC Score – 7 out of 10

Review and pictures by Rad Kerrigan

[starratingmulti id=”1″]

[starratingmulti id=”2″]