Spider-Mobile

Spider-Mobile

Disney Toybox

As much as I hate to admit it, Disney still manages to surprise me now and then (without having to subvert expectations).  I really have no need for yet another style and scale of some of my favorite properties (until they manage to get their shit together with Indiana Jones), so the Toybox line is lacking for me in that department.  But then along comes a spider...buggy...and I needed it....badly!  It’s pretty comic accurate, goofy, colorful, comes with a Spider-Man figure, and is only $30.  And best of all...you can fudge it just enough to work with six-inch figures!

The Spidey-decaled wheel roll and are almost a thick rubber.  It’s pretty rare to get a vehicle like this that doesn’t have hollow plastic tires nowadays.  It can seat 2 figures and probably a few tag-alongs (watch out for hop-ons) in the back.  There are some foot pegs for figures to stand on the trunk.  Oh, and the trunk pops open for some storage.  This feature, along with 2 sound and light activated buttons on the hood, was a complete surprise.  The packaging did little more than show off the vehicle and left the features out.  Weird.  I scared the hell out of myself in pushing one of the buttons by accident and hearing the rather loud ignition sound fire up.  The headlights accompanying the sound are also pretty bright.  One button cycles through several “car” sounds, while the other has some of your expected Spidey catchphrases. “Friendly neighborhood” yada yada yada.  

I almost forgot about the action feature!  There is a hook and winch on the back that you can pull out and attach to things.  There is a button for quick retraction action.  Unnecessary, but another welcome bonus to this instant buy.

I dogged the Toybox figures at the start, but having one in hand, I have to say that they are quite nice.  I wasn’t expecting so much articulation for a kid-aimed line.  I might just pick up a few of these after all, especially the true Disney properties like Mickey and pals.

The only gripes I can muster about this toy is that the web detailing might look more accurate in black and the blue is more powder than royal blue.  That’s it.  So, if you’re a Marvel Legends collector, snap this up.  It’s too good to hold out hope that Hasbro will make one for the Legendary Riders line and if they do, it will cost far more.  Seriously, the most surprising toy from Disney compatible with my collections since the Star Tours Speeder.

As an added bonus to this review, I recently picked up a Hot Wheels Spider-Mobile to go with my ever-growing collection of tv/movie/comic/novelty cars.  Along with Spider-Ham and H.E.R.B.I.E., it seems to be the year for obscure comic references in the toy aisles!