Packaging
It’s fairly standard fair for two packs.
You can see the comic book at the back, the two figures very clearly and most of their accessories. You’ve got some art in front and images of the other figures that come with this assortment. So yeah this is a-okay!
Sculpt
In the video, I mentioned repeatedly that Taskmaster has Captain America’s body. I was extremely wrong. He’s got Hawkeye’s body but has completely new arms and hands. Fuck me for saying he’s got Cap’s body.
The torso itself has pretty defined musculature without costume embellishments, which means it can be used for future figures. However, the legs are distinctly Hawkeye/Cap with those big hefty boots which serve no purpose whatsoever, not even aesthetic. Them’s those puffy cuffed boots. Man, I don’t even know what they’re for or when those were actually useful.
The pouches were a nice touch and are very nicely detailed, although a little extra paint would’ve made them stand out s’more. The Taskmaster symbol on his belt buckle was nicely molded in, too, surprisingly. There’s an embossed T in the middle. Attached to his almost awesome belt is his sword scabbard, which very tightly holds his sword, should you choose to leave it in there. It’s intricately crafted, as well, although it suffers from the same problem the pouches do - nice sculpt but ultimately gets drowned out because of the color.
Like I mentioned in the video, the cape is pretty cool but not exceedingly so. The quiver doesn’t become as cumbersome as I originally thought because the cape is molded in such a way that it accommodates for the quiver and any slight movement that the body would cause it. One last thing - the best thing about the figure’s sculpt would be the head and the face. That’s a creepy Taskmaster mask, yo. I’m glad it isn’t pale white or too mask-like either. The hood is molded around the head like hair would be normally.
Paint
Taskmaster’s inks are probably the worst part of this figure, but not because it’s horrible. For the most part, the apps are clean. The bib-like area is clean with no bleeding. Why he has that, though, is a different question altogether. The T logo on his belt, as mentioned earlier, is painted almost perfectly. The apps on his body and sword and shield are clean as they can be. However, the cape is a different matter. Around the neck, you don’t know where the white ends and the… orange (I guess) begins. It’s cheapo China-factory toy dirty.
While the apps are generally okay, the colors themselves are kind of weird. Sure, I guess they’re comic accurate and the use of a more vibrant orange would’ve just made him look silly. So, I dunno, maybe a darker orange would’ve done the trick? I’m not entirely sure.
Articulation
While restricted by the cape, I would have to say Tasky’s got pretty regular articulation. Nothing stands out, really, but nothing’s too loose or non-functional. That elbow I was having trouble with in the video worked eventually.
He’s got a rigid neck, some torso movement, shoulders that go 360 and move up and down, elbows, gloves that twist, (yeah, no wrist artic) standard MU hips, no cut thighs, no waist, double jointed knees, twisting boots and up and down ankles. Cape is slightly restrictive but doesn’t harm articulation too badly.
Accessories
This two pack shines because of two things - the characters in it and the sheer number of accessories each figure has.
Taskmaster has the iconic shield, which he uses to copy Cap’s moves; a bow and quiver, which he rips Hawkeye’s moves off with; a weird pistol that’s sort of the default gun for Tasky and a sword.
The shield is amazing! In the video, we saw that the joint on the shield was extremely loose, although it snaps on perfectly. But I see that, apparently, the looseness has a purpose. The shield snaps into his arm perfectly, then the joint allows you can position it perfectly in front of him, which is something you can’t do with Cap.
See? Fuck Captain America’s shield.
The bow and quiver is identical to Hawkeye’s, except for the color. Hawkeye’s quiver has individually colored feathers (?), but Tasky’s has one solid color. The pistol is nicely molded and fits perfectly in his hands. Tasky’s broadsword has two colors- the hilt is gold (LIKE A BOSS) and the blade is silver. You would actually be surprised at the intricate design on it, so that’s a plus.
Pros
- His accessories fit amazingly on his hands, except for the sword. That’s actually disappointing. But everything else fits awesome.
- All his stuff can fit on the figure, whether held or stored in holsters and scabbards.
- Most poses are possible, even his fighting stance in MVC3, which is how I have him posed on my desk.
Cons
- Because of the weight of cape, he cannot stand without it touching the floor. He probably can with a stand, but that doesn’t come packed with the figure.
- Can’t hold sword well
Verdict
4 out of 5! Taskmaster is NOT a bad figure at all! In fact, this two-pack is probably the best one out of the assortment because you get TWO awesome figures instead of one awesome figure and a rehash. Okay, Deadpool is a bit of a rehash. Despite Taskmaster’s numerous faults, he’s still a solid fig.