So on a whim I decided to crack open some Marvel-Legends-style Iron Man 3 figures that I had bought way back last early Spring. I opened-up my classic Iron Man, comic version Iron Patriot, and Modern Iron Man. I'm really bad to buy figures like that and just box them up in storage, and I guess I had just kind of forgotten about them. I also think I've been desensitized somewhat to them since they're quite common in stores these days, but I just got a wild hair this evening and decided to dig them out and open them up.
I have to admit to being rather wary, because my only experience with ROML has been from having the Commander Steve Rogers and Bucky Cap figures. I was even just a little bit underwhelmed by them. I mean, I like them well-enough, but...the reason I've been wary of ML figures in general is because my Steve Rogers was rather loose right out of the package, and Bucky Cap had some wonky rubbery knee-joints that made him feel kind of flimsy.
Well, I'm happy to say I was very pleasantly surprised by these figures. Initially I was just gonna open the Modern Iron Man, but I was so impressed with it, I decided to open the other two. I was pleased with how solid this figure felt in-hand. I halfway expected it to have loose or rubbery joints, but it had neither. It sports very solid plastic, and the joints are nice and tight. The knee and elbow joints might be a softer plastic than the torso and limbs, but it's not as noticeable as on the Bucky Cap. I just love how solid, poseable, and overall well-done this figure is.
Next was the classic Iron Man. Now this is the version of the character that I grew up on. I didn't read the comics as a kid, but I would see him in those old Hostess ads comics used to have back in the day (you older guys know what I'm talking about), and I liked the character. I knew even then as a kid I could have been a big Iron Man fan. I just never got around to getting any books until the early '90s, and even then I didn't read them regularly. But I've always loved the classic yellow and red design. I even have one of those wooden signs out in my toy building with a classic Iron Man comic cover printed on it. It's made to look really worn and retro, and it's the comic cover where he's breaking some shackles and a chain, and along the bottom it says, "BIRTH OF THE POWER!" I suspect it may be the first issue where he sports that classic design, but I wouldn't know...
But ANYWAY...I've always been partial to this design, and I absolutely love this figure. You can pose him in the classic hand-repulsor-blast pose, and he just strikes a great dynamic pose in general.
I was equally pleased with the Iron Patriot. I realize it's simply a repaint of the ROML Extremis Iron Man, and I always felt that this mold looked rather short and somewhat flimsy-looking, but in-hand it's quite nice. His joints are just as nice-and-tight as the other two, and he can be posed so well.
The only issue I have with these figures is the fact that the plastic on them has a swirly opacity to them; in a certain light they almost look translucent even. It should bother me, but it doesn't a whole lot. It actually looks kinda cool really.
One other thing that excites me about these figures is that I've begun building my very first BAF. I now have an armless, headless Iron Monger figure. (lol) Actually this figure is gonna look awesome when I complete him. He has the same opaque-looking plastic as the Iron Man figures, but again it doesn't bother me all that much.