.

The colour palette and layout of the packaging for wave 20 is exactly the same as wave 19. Fair enough they were released at the same time but it would have been cool to have had a slightly different theme. Having said that the figures stand out well against the blue background but that’s no doubt helped by the ‘glow’ that surrounds them. Neither figure looks particularly dynamic on the front of the box. Vision looks positively withdrawn.

The back of the box features a group shot of all the characters from Wave 20 though interestingly (and this was also true of Wave 19) the characters are unnamed. The usual biography boxes are also present.

Vision is a synthetic being who I believe is based on the same technology as the original Human Torch. though his powers of flight, intangibility, and diamond hard invulnerability are very different from his predecessor. Not only is his body ‘borrowed’ but so is his personality which is based on that of Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man.

There’s something a bit off about the skull cap and jewel combination. I think Vision would be far more aesthetically pleasing if the skull cap and jewel were painted on. Or even if just the jewel were painted on, as from the side the jewel sits away from the ‘mates head. Facially the features are bit too heavy. Vision’s an android, a synthetic being. His features should appear chiselled but this little guys face is just a tad too human. Nice shade of red though.

Vision’s costume is very true to his comic book counterpart. DST have given him a semi-transparent cloak and appendages to give the impression of him having turned intangible. It’s a bit of a rubbish way of trying to convey this power. It was wrong on Kitty Pryde from wave 13’s Astonishing X-Men and it’s wrong here. Having said that, it’s not ruined the ‘mate at all as Vision’s yellow and green costume is very eyecatching and the ‘disappearing sections do make for a very cool looking Minimate.

Vision has no accessories.

In conclusion: Flawed but all the same a welcome addition to the ranks of the Minimate Avengers.

MMC Score – 8 out of 10

Second outing for Clint Barton in Minimate form; the first being Ronin from wave 12, but that was back before we even knew who Ronin was. Let’s face it, Clint Barton will always be Hawkeye, even when he’s not wearing that costume.

I have to say I’m disappointed with Hawkeye’s mask. It just doesn’t seem to have suited being ‘mateyficated’. The upswept wings of the mask just look wrong on this figure which is weird considering how the various permutations of Wolverine’s similarly shaped mask always look just right on the Minimate. The ‘H’ on the forehead doesn’t stand out at all well, with the lines that continue the ‘H’ across the top of the mask being far more noticeable. Engineering wise the mask is well done. The eyes are clearly visible through the eyeholes – quite important when a master archer’s reputation is at stake. I can’t say I’m all that enamoured of the expression, it’s a bit too neutral. One thing that is missing is a blonde hairpiece. It always strikes me as odd when characters are given removable masks but there isn’t the option to display the figure without them.

As for the costume, well it’s fine. In fact design-wise it’s a very fine rendition of Hawkeye’s duds, unfortunately the colours seem a bit off. The costume seems to have a very muted colour scheme and the fine details get somewhat muddied. Light just falls into the dark blue chestpiece and the light dusky purple of the equipment pouches and detailing on the tunic bottom do not give enough contrast to make the ‘mate stand out. Don’t get me wrong I like the ‘mate, I’m one of the many fans who’s pleased to finally see him make the light of day. It’s just that *in* the light of day Hawkeye doesn’t ‘pop’ visually.

Another problem is that Hawkeye’s been given a chest piece. This seems to have been done so that his equipment pouches and quiver can be added to the body. It doesn’t bulk the figure out too badly as the tunic piece matches up with it, but the figure would have looked so much cooler if the equipment belts and quiver were on a die cut piece that sat over a regular chest block. I guess the tooling expenses would rule that out though. Shame! I’m also a bit disappointed in what appear to be sloppy paint apps both to the boot tops and the wrist bands. There’s some nasty bleed on the boots, and the black lines on the wristbands are too low on the right arm and too high on the left. It’s all these little niggles that spoil what has been a long awaited ‘mate.

Hawkeye is quite obviously accessorised with his signature bow and what looks to be a sonic arrow. Both pieces are nicely engineered. The grip on the bow fits Hawkeye’s hand perfectly and there’s a clip to fit the arrow into for posing purposes. It’s a shame then that the chestpiece further limits the already limited Minimate articulation, meaning that it’s impossible to pose Hawkeye as if he’s drawing on the arrow.

In conclusion: Another welcome addition to the Minimate Avenger ranks but it doesn’t stand out and that’s a crying shame.

Review and pictures by Rad Kerrigan

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