REVIEW: Marvel's Ares

Finally featuring the 'God of War' himself, no not Kratos, but rather Marvel's very own Ares!

      It's been a long time now since Hasbro released the Dark Avengers lineup, with the old 2-packs and the Moonstone, Dark Hawkeye single. By that time, people were quick to speculate that an Ares figure may be the next one to be included on the list. However, as waves went on, no signs of Ares were to be found until Hercules sported a new buck, which perfectly fits Ares' built. During the announcement of the upcoming waves for MIS, fans of the series went nuts for Wave 3 which included, Ares, Ant-man, Valkyrie, Deathlok, Cyclops and Omega Red. With that being announced, MUllectors including me, dubbed this as the 'best wave' of the year! Pre-orders were made available here locally which were quickly filled up right away. I had a slot reserved for, however I just can't resist not getting them, since they are readily available in one hobby shop here. So I got the 3 essential characters in the wave which were Ares, Ant-man and Valkyrie! Will just have to wait for Deathlok and Cyke, and probably just sell/trade my Ares, Ant-man and Valkyrie once they arrive.

Wave 3

Just a starting note, this would be the first time I'd be doing a review without the use of a cyclorama, the white background that I always use. I just want to try this new setup out and see if it works. I personally feel that with this, it feels more 'organic.' Also, do check out the new section (Playtime Pics) of my review below! :)

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Where did I acquire it?:  Local Store Pre-order
How much?: Php 699.00
Condition during acquisition: MOC

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Packaging:

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Accessories: 

comparison from World War Hulk's accessories (left: Ares, right: WW Hulk)

       Ares comes with two weapons which he can wield. One is a sword, which is a repaint of the one which came with World War Hulk. The other is an axe which seems to be a new original mold for him. The only thing that bothers me with these, is that the sword doesn't fit well with Ares' hands! Handle's too slim, that it slides down whenever I place it on his hands. However, those accessories look bad-ass and fits him well in terms of aesthetics! The weathered look on the sword and axe makes it even more great!

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Sculpt:
PROS:

• Loving the head and face sculpt on Ares! It's pretty much on point with that tough looking expression on his face.  

•  His helmet is pretty much well done. It would have been great if it was removable, but that's just me asking for too much.   

•  Add on details such as the belt and shin armor are quite detailed as well.

 CONS:

• One noticeable thing that we all saw, even from the preview of this figure, is that something looks off at first glance. He looks plain. The reason? his missing his arm straps!!! How could Hasbro miss on that? 

•  As stated, hands don't fit well with the included sword.

Paint:
PROS:

•  Loving the dirty metallic finish on his legs. 

•  Great dark wash on the belt and his abdomen. 

•  Neatly painted helmet. 

CONS:

• Shading on his face could have been much better. 

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Articulation:

          PROS:

• Uses the Hercules mold, which has the modern articulation included, such as ankle rockers, thigh swivel, hinged wrist and the likes.

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Size Comparison:

MU Hercules, MIS Ares, MU Sentry

MU Dark Wolverine, MIS Ares, MU WW Hulk

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Angle View:

Click to enlarge.

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Playtime Pics:

That skull..

Dark Avengers.. badly needs Moonstone though :|

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Overall Grade

Ares is definitely the winner in this wave. Fans alike were clamouring for this figure, and now that it's out I see no reason that that would change. I can say it's a must have for MUllectors, and definitely worth the price! It just looks so bad-ass on the display shelf despite him lacking those straps on his arms. Nothing a quick custom remedy can't fix. So if by chance you stumble upon on one, I'd say grab it! You won't regret it by any means.

Accessories - 5/5
Sculpt - 3.5/5
Paint - 4.5/5
Articulation - 5/5
Value - 5/5
Final Grade - 4.6/5