Diamond Select Toy’s newest addition to the 7” scale Marvel Select line has hit shelves with their latest incarnation of the Incredible Hulk. The figure is simply called Barbarian Hulk and is based on the character’s appearance from last year’s Hulk comic series written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Marc Silvestri. In the story, the Hulk and his alter ego have been split apart with the help of Dr. Doom, and the Hulk has gone off to Subterranea to hang out with Mole Man’s people the Moloids until a new character known as Amanda Von Doom and her men come looking for the green goliath. We take a look at this new figure to see if it’s one worth adding to your collection.

Check out hi-res images for this figure in our GALLERY below.




Packaging - The packaging for this figure is similar to other Marvel Select figures. The figure is displayed on a large cardback featuring Marc Silvestri art from the comic book containing the figure. The figure clearly is displayed in blister packaging so you can get a good look at it without opening it. On the right side is a cardboard wraparound that features the figure’s name and more Silvestri art. One thing I want to point out is that under the figure’s name it says “Special Collector Edition Action Figure With Highly Detailed Base”. Now I know most Marvel Select figures do come with bases and this is probably something standard they print on all the Marvel Select figures, but this particular figure comes with no base. So it is a little misleading in that regards.

The back of the packaging provides some background on the character as well as featuring a picture of the actual figure and some images of other Marvel Select figures.

Overall, I like the packaging because it allows you to display the figure nicely without having to open it if you are a mint in package type collector.

Sculpt - This figure primarily uses the same body as the Disney Store Exclusive Unleashed Hulk figure, and that’s okay because I think Sculptor Jean St. Jean really outdid himself with that one. The details on that one as well as with this one are incredible. Everything from the veins in the muscle tone to the detail on the hulk’s strange skull necklace are near perfect, and the new head sculpt sports an incredible likeness to Silvestri’s interpretation of the character as seen in the comic. Looking at this figure, you would almost think it leapt right out of the pages of the comic book.

The look and feel of this figure is great and will immediately will draw your attention to it when you first see it at the store.

Paint - This is another area where the figure really stands out. The washes used for the skin tone really help flesh out the muscles and again mirror the inks seen in the comic to a tee. I found no blemishes or errors on my figure and think this is about as perfect as one can get on an action figure.

Articulation - Articulation has come a long way over the years for the Marvel Select line. I remember the early figures in this line where the articulation was horrid, like the first Spider-Man and Punisher figures released. This new Hulk figure however has a fair amount of articulation giving it a wide range of motion. The figure’s head, though I was unable to remove it, appears to be on a ball socket giving it a nice range of motion left, right and down. Because of its longer hair, the figure’s head is somewhat restricted when you try to have it look up. The figure also has ball-hinged shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees, with cut swivels at the wrists and waist. It also has hinged ankles. The figure is missing any kind of ab crunch type joint and ankle rockers would have been nice, but overall the figure can do what it should do best and that is SMASH. I should point out that the skirt thing he wears doesn’t really hinder the figure’s movements too much because it is made from a soft type plastic which is nice.

Accessories - The figure doesn’t come with much in the way of accessories. You can remove the skull necklace from around the figure’s neck if you want but other than that, the figure is about all you get with this one. As I mentioned before, even though it says the figure comes with a detailed base on the package, it really doesn’t so be aware of that.

Fun - Though the Hulk didn’t really sport this Hawaiian native look for too long in the comics, I think it’s a very nice looking and detailed piece which will displays nicely on your shelf. Just be careful if you put it next to any of your Wolverine figures because Logan might make fun of him for wearing a skirt.

Overall - Though I enjoyed the story which this figure is based on, I can’t say I am sure it really warranted a figure. That being said, DST did a really nice job of nailing the Marc Silvestri look and feel of this one. If you’re a fan of Marc’s artwork I think you will definitely enjoy it, and besides can you ever really have enough Hulk’s?

Score: 3 1/2 out of 5


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