Marvel Legends Obsidian Surfer // Review
In the dark and distant future where Thanos rules supreme, most of the forces of good have become extinguished. However, one hero has shouldered the mantle of another in a last, desperate attempt to stop the Mad Titan’s whims. That man is Norrin Radd, the Obsidian Surfer.
This Marvel Legends release is a Walgreens exclusive, and can only be found in those stores and other similar retailers outside the United States (or from online scalpers). He looks to be based on the previous Silver Surfer in the Marvel Legends line, himself also a Walgreens exclusive. He does come with a different set of accessories, but the body and board stem from that release. The real question is, how different is the Obsidian Surfer from his Silver modern-day counterpart?
The previous release of Norrin had come with splayed, closed fist, and straight hands. Along with the board, Radd also had the generic circles of energy that can be used to show channeling of mystical forces, as also seen with Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch. This current release has closed fists and open fists, the latter of which can hold the legendary hammer Mjolnir. The hammer used is a fantastic accessory, with the included detail of the mantra of Mjolnir printed along one side. Seeing the surfer wielding Mjolnir with the band of the hammer along his arm is really something, and replicating that in figure form is fantastic. The figure also comes with a pair of generic energy wraps for closed fists, used to show him powering up for some kind of energy blast.
The biggest difference, though, is the paint used for the body. The Obsidian Surfer looks plain amazing, with the dark grey metal sheen looking like it would feel right at home in an MCU movie. It’s very close to the same representation we had in The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer debacle, and it’s a real attention-getter on the shelf. The only real downside to the surfer himself is that he’s got the standard Marvel Legends flexibility, leaving him not quite able to pull off the same poses his comic counterpart can, and the lack of more than one peg on the surfboard. This can make for posing with flight stands awkward, as the board likes to listen to gravity more than the rule of awesome.
If you don’t already have the Silver Surfer in your collection, this is something you should consider picking up. The hammer is a fantastic additional accessory to have in your collection, even if you’re going to just give it to Captain America or Superman to recreate some of the best crossover scenes in recent fictional memory. It’s probably not worth more than the MSRP of $19.99, but this is a spectacular release that feels almost like a crime that it’s just a store exclusive.
