Oh, it has finally happened, friends. The Astonishing X-Men, one of my absolute favorite X-Men teams, is finally complete in the modern Marvel Legends line. They went and saved the best for last as my two favorite X-persons are Colossus and Kitty Pryde. So, to say I am excited for this set is a COLOSSAL understatement.
What a revelation that initial run of AXM was – the story, the art, all of it. I reread it with regularity and I never tire of it. It is right up there with the original Giant Size stories when a lot of my favorites were introduced. Sure, bringing back Colossus might have appealed to me with laser focus, so some bias is possible, but those AXM stories are really enjoyable.
So, while we have had this team kind of hodgepodged together before, this is the first time we are getting them all in a cohesive fashion, and gang – it was worth the wait. Cyclops and Emma have been out for a bit, but Wolverine started things up again, then Beast and now these two have been released in quick succession. Oh, and with the Diamond Form of Emma to boot. I like all of the figure that make up this team, but there two are special.
Colossus has certainly had a pretty solid run in Marvel Legends. From the old Toy Biz days to today, several of his looks have been covered, and a few, like this one, has now had multiple figures. That said, this the first AXM Colossus from Hasbro, and it has instantly become my favorite Colossus figure ever. The modern costume that pays great tribute to the classic part of it, but from a figural standpoint, this is by far the best.
Our guy has gone full pinless now, and the engineering of all of the joints to provide strength but some and USEFUL movement is getting to be unparalleled. I wanted to cover this as quickly as possible so I did even get to all of the poses that are possible, but he can do basically everything. He has fists (duh!), and a couple of splayed hands for grabbin’ and crushin’ sentinels. He also has a standard portrait and an sneering one, so he will be ready to head into battle.
One of the BEST parts of this figure is the shiny metallic paint used for his armored up skin. None of the previous Hasbro or TB figures come close to this, and it looks GREAT. You can see the reflection of the light in the photos, and it looks really nice in real space. I love it when my favorites get amazing figures, and that is absolutely the case here.
Kitty has not had quite the ML run as her main squeeze, but there have been a few of them to varying degrees of success. I cannot seem to find my original AXM TB figure, which is a bummer, but guys, there is ZERO comparison between the two. Kitty’s costumes have been all over the place, but this is her best one for me as it feels very “super hero-esque,” and this figure brings it to life wonderfully.
This figure is also pinless, and I am sure it borrows from a previous base, but it works well for Kitty’s size and stature. He has double knees and elbows, which is a great direction for the female figures at this point. Her two portraits are also very true to the artwork, so while I prefer the hair down version, the fighting pony tail look is great, too. Oh, she has fists and open hands, and, of course, Lockheed, who can perch right on her shoulder.
The best part about this set is that it completes a team that all fits perfectly together from figure to figure. They look, well, ASTONISHING – with each other. I have this team in its own spot in the collection space because it just works so well, and it is instantly a highlight. I am already lined up to get a second set, just because I do love it so much. So yay!
This is starting to ship now, so be on the lookout for it, and DO NOT skip it. This is a great set that competes an amazing team.
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