Pulp Arcana Studios: Mighty Marvel March- Crossing Your Path

Spider-Man 2 Felicia Hardy Black Cat

We’re deep into Mighty Marvel March here at Fanboy Planet and today, we have something fun for you. We return to not only Marvel Legends Gamerverse line, but to another figure from Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 video game. We already took a look at the absolute unit that was the Gamerverse version of Venom. Now, we are going to take a gander at a decidedly smaller figure. Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat.

A thief with a heart of…well, not quite gold. But her mischievous personality and her ongoing flirtatious relationship with Spider-Man makes Black Cat a favorite.

A PULP ARCANA FIGURE FIELD REPORT Mission Brief:

Artifact Identified:

Felicia Hardy Black Cat

Marvel Legends Gamerverse Edition

Hasbro

OUT OF THE CRATE:

The box for Felicia Hardy has a slightly different color scheme than your mainline Marvel Legends. Part of the Gamerverse sub-line, the packaging has white accents across the top and bottom to emphasize this. Further, the logo for the Spider-Man 2 game where this particular version of Black Cat comes from is prominent on the front. Combined with a dark red scheme to the rest of the box, the overall impact is effective, if nothing truly special.

We get the usual window on the front of the package to show off Black Cat and her accessories. The figure looks good and the packaging works. This is not a show-piece box by any means, but it also is not something that is going to look bad on the shelf, and differentiating the Gamerverse sub-line is a nice bit of distinction.

THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS:

Once freed from her cardboard prison, Felicia Hardy looks great. The overall look of the figure is solid, with the black costume sporting some nice, contrasting white accents. This does a lot to break up what could have been a fairly monotone costume. Combined with her distinctive white hair, the figure goes from dark and forgettable to sharp and eye-catching. This is the design from the Spider-Man 2 game rather than her traditional comic costume, and I have to say, I really like most of the designs I have seen from the game. They inhabit a really nice middle ground between the overtly comic book styling of a lot of Marvel Legends and the more realistic look of the figures Legends does for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I really like this compromise, and would love to see more figures in this sort of design space.

The portrait is very good. The pain on the face is excellent, but the key feature of her face are the small goggles she is wearing. They look really good, and give a distinctive feel to this character. One small downside, however. In taking the shots for this review, I noticed that the lenses in the goggles are really reflective. They pick up the light quite a bit and hide the actual eyes. On a shelf, this likely won’t be a problem for people, but if you are a photographer, trying to get the lighting right for a shot is a bit of an adventure. Still, a great look for a fun character.

The only other nitpick I have is the paint application for the white on her gloves was a little messy on mine. It’s not something I usually see on a Marvel Legends, and I had to look a couple times to make sure it wasn’t an intentional part of the costume. As such, definitely not a big deal, but something I did at least want to mention here.

MOBILITY AND MANEUVERS:

Articulation-wise, Black Cat moves really well, absolutely fitting for an acrobatic character like her. The joints are smooth and allow some great poses. Double-jointed, pinless knees and elbows should be the standard for any figure from the line now, but unfortunately they’re not, so I always like to celebrate them when I see them. Especially with a sleek and simple costume design like this, the lack of pins to break up the costume is something I like to see.

A special shout-out for the figure’s hair is also needed. The ponytail posts into a hole on the top of the head and allows you to spin it. While only a limited bit of movement, I was pleasantly surprised to discover just how much more dynamic her poses became when I could pivot the ponytail into the direction of movement. A little touch, but it goes a long way.

The neck on my figure was a little stiff, and even once I got it moving, it didn’t quite have the range of motion I really wanted from a character who is going to need to hit some pretty extreme poses. It is good, but falls short of great. With a more static character, I likely wouldn’t have noticed. Here, it did leave me wanting a bit.

Also, I know it plays into her femme-fatale character, but I continue to remain unimpressed when Marvel Legends give their female figures high heels. Even with an actual stand, it makes standing them a bit more of a chore, and setting up a pose for a shot is a little less fun.

RECOVERED EVIDENCE:

FINAL RECKONING:

Some small gripes here and there, but at the end of the day, this is a really good figure and a distinct look for a fun and exciting character. The costume is striking, the face and goggles look great (with the right lighting), and she poses well. This is a fantastic addition to any Spider-Man themed collection or to play off against the Spider-Man 2 Venom