Green Goblin

When ToyBiz started its Spider-Man & Friends line, nobody really paid attention - well, nobody over the age of four, anyway. The line did okay for itself, as evidenced by the fact that it's still around years later, but then somebody had a brilliant idea: expand the appeal of the line by including characters that older collectors would want, too. Different heroes, at first, then the introduction of villains. A scientific genius who's as smart as he is strong, crafty Green Goblin calls on both of his amazing abilities whenever he needs them. Unafraid of injury thanks to his super quick ability to heal, Green Goblin isn't afraid of a bit of reckless showing-off. In fact, it's not uncommon to find Green Goblin using his one-of-a-kind glider to swoop into situations simply to stir up a little trouble! You know, what's really impressive isn't that they made a Green Goblin in this line, but that the bio they put on the back of his card is 100% accurate to the character without portraying him as a violent psychopath. Pretty impressive trick, that. The fact that ToyBiz turns in such consistently good sculpts on what are truly children's toys never ceases to be surprising. In Gobby's case, the wrinkles on his boots and gloves are overdone, but the rest of him is great. He's got his man-purse slung over his shoulder, and since they're not going to make it a removable accessory, it's sculpted onto his torso and hip. His arms and legs have a diamond pattern that manages to look like the scales of his comicbook costume, but also looks like woven leather. Not plastic sculpted and molded to look like woven leather, but like actual woven leather. So cool! The paint apps are pretty good. The purple and green they chose are nice and vibrant, and while the lines aren't razor sharp, there aren't any major errors, either. The brown of his belts doesn't really stand out against the purple, but that's just a fact of color theory. The yellow buckles are bit fuzzy, but not terrible. Gobby's bright white teeth draw attention to his maniacal smile, and his eyes are yellow. Even the stitches on his elf hat are painted. Li'l Greeny is articulated at the hips, shoulders, elbows, gloves and neck, and stands 6" tall. The fact that there are no knee or ankle joints ensures that even those with the most undeveloped of motor skills will be able to get him to stand securely. There isn't a huge amount of movement in those elbows, either. Not sure why. The figure doesn't really have any "accessories," per se, but there is an adorable pumpkin bomb sculpted into his right hand. So cute! What he does have, however, is his Goblin Glider, a purple, wheeled scooter that's just as cutified as the man himself. 5 1/2" long and with a 7" wingspan, the glider has forward-swept wings and the usual goblin-head shield on the front. There are two pegs to allow Gobby to ride on the glider, and a bracket on the underside allows you to store it on his back. The prototype pictures showed the glider as a combination of purple and silver, but the final production model is one solid color - a good choice. So, Spider-Man's deadliest, most sociopathic villain is now all cute and cuddly, with no overt indication that he was ever evil at all. And you know what? It works. ToyBiz did a really nice job bringing this iconic baddie into the Spider-Man & Friends line, and if you've already been suckered into buying any of the other figures, you'll want this one to join them. What one villain would you desperately want to see before this line ends? Tell us on our message board, the Loafing Lounge.

Tweet