Packaged Review: Play Arts Kai Marvel Universe Variant Venom

Marvel's infamous 'mouth with a face' gets no cooler than this...

He's the personification of the word "sticky"

Play Arts Kai has recently introduced their rather interesting 'twist' to the characters from the two 'big guns' of the comic book industry, namely DC and Marvel. As a comic book fan, I have always been more on the Marvel side than DC, but strangely enough my current collection of Play Arts figure consists almost entirely of the latter. Perhaps it's because DC came first instead of Marvel in their 'Variants' line, or I gradually became more interested with the brainchildren of Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson than Michael Goodman's, I'm not sure. Anyway, moving along, when I heard of Play Arts having their own take on the Marvel characters, I made a personal vow not to get any of such figures to limit myself, considering the sweat-inducing price tag. Then along came this image:

Brock's got the mother of all tongues

Let's put it simply, this is one of those promo/prototype pics that made me say "Oh sh*t!". Venom, a.k.a. Eddie Brock, is one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Comics, and him being rendered by Play Arts (particularly by Hitoshi Kondo) is an eye-candy that I certainly wouldn't want to miss out on. As a brief character background, in the comics Brock is a journalist who exposes the identity of a certain 'serial killer', only for the real suspect to be caught by Peter Parker's alter-ego, Spider-Man. This left him disgraced and suicidal, and eventually he came into contact with an alien symbiote (an amorphous extraterrestrial parasite known as the 'Klyntar') which Spider-Man previously rejected. Sharing a mutual hatred for the web-slinger, Brock and the Klyntar bond together, resulting in the ugly MoFo known as Venom. Though he repeatedly clashes with Spidey, he also tries to redeem himself, becoming some sort of an anti-hero who protects those he considers innocent. This earns him the moniker "Lethal Protector".

Along came a spider...

The figure comes in a standard PAK Marvel Universe Variant packaging. which is comprised mainly of a black/red motif (excluding the obligatory package labels). The magnetic front cover/flap of the box shows Venom in an arachnid-like pose, wherein he menacingly crawls on his obsidian webbing, seemingly stalking an unsuspecting prey/enemy/whatever.

Bad-ass extraterrestrial poses

The back of the packaging shows the figure being placed on several nifty poses, mostly with his alternate hands which I will discuss later in detail.

Open Sesame!

Opening the flap of the packaging, there's the detailed description of the action figure itself, which I could say is somehow longer than the ones seen on the packaging of the DC variants. The window of the packaging sports a horizontal red bar striking across the lower section.

Figure/package description:

Venom

"Spin your webs, little spider... Venom is always watching, always waiting... always hungry!"

- Eddie Brock a.k.a. Venom

Disgraced reporter Eddie Brock discovers a corrupting alien Symbiote and the result of their bonding is Spider-Man's greatest nemesis: Venom.  Brock has inherited knowledge not only of Spider-Man, but also of Peter Parker, from the symbiote's brief bond with our web-slinging hero, understanding his opponent literally inside out. The thirst for vengeance is twofold, since both Brock and the Symbiote despise Spider-Man. That hunger is expressed in the distortion of Spider-Man's iconic emblem on Venom's chest, and the hulking exaggeration of Brock's already considerable physique. 

Venom has adopted various inhuman traits displayed prominently on this figure. Tightening its skin to protect itself during combat or extending its form for intimidation is just the beginning. Brandishing multiple, powerful webbing nozzles atop each clawed hand, this Symbiote is a formidable foe. Once venom has prey in sight, its mouth unhinges like a serpent, revealing a frightening vision of innumerable teeth and a terrifying tongue unraveling from within its maw.

A constant, looming threat to any who would cross its way, MARVEL Variant Play Arts Kai Venom is always right where you least expect. 

A jolly inmate

In a typical Play Arts tradition, the core figure is stored within a sticky clamshell packaging along with the accessories, which include the following:

1) A pair of closed nozzled fists: [If he chooses to beat the crap out of Spidey the old-fashioned way!]

If Brock's in the mood for fisticuffs...

2) Three hands sporting some webbings: [Though it is a sensible way to depict how Venom shoots his webs, I'm not particularly impressed with the representation of his predominant ability. I mean, the webbing-symbiote combination that springs from the nozzles of his knuckles is kind of short (literally). They could have made it a bit longer, or they could have added another fist that shoots a single long webbing, as he usually does in the comics. Anyway, it's a 'variant', so what are you gonna do, right?]

Oozing with extraterrestrial snot!

3) An open-mouthed head: [In my opinion, this is where the figure shines. According to some online reviews that I've seen, the alternate head features a removable tongue, which is something that I would look for in any type of Venom action figure. Even the jaw is articulated, which is also kind of cool. Furthermore, the tongue is designed to be shifted sideways, which allows for more option when it comes to posing the head.]    

He's making that nasty face again...

Now, let's get on to the core figure:

Tall, dark and never mind

Looking at the actual figure itself, I'm happy to say that I'm impressed with it overall. It's one of the best designed variants produced by Play Arts Kai, just like this figure, It is truly a unique take on the character, which is comprised of neatly meshed black and violet/purple hues. Standing around 10 inches tall, Venom sports over 20 points of articulation, which is typical being a PAK figure.

Brock never gets tired of smilin' that damn smile

The default head features the signature "Venom smile" seen in the comics, and I'd say it is well-executed through the sculpting - the teeth, gums, and the lips are chiseled to perfection! The eyes are a bit thinner as compared to its comic book counterpart, but blends well with the overall facial design. Another nifty feature of the figure is the emblazoned (and twisted) metallic 'spider' insignia, which is somewhat spread all over the upper half of its torso.

He's got the groin

The figure's default hands are the opened ones, which again show the nozzles on the knuckles. The lower torso is not adorned with any of the metallic 'residue' from the spider insignia, rather it is sculpted with lines and in overlapping patterns as well.

Alien fungus

The figure's foot are sculpted nicely also, as the toes are visible underneath the black symbiote. This is another factor that makes the figure stand out above the other renditions of the character, as most of them (if not all) only depict his foot like an almost triangular shoe.

Final thoughts: Initially, I was planning to get the figure out of the box and then do a full review of it. However, when I was carefully examining the figure's packaging, I found that it's in a 100% flawless condition - without dents, folds, and other elements. I tried to look for the slightest imperfection, but to no avail. So, I ultimately decided to only do a packaged review. I must admit that a 'perfect packaging' is my personal Kryptonite as a collector - once I get my hands on it, it will stay that way forever. Taking everything into account, Play Arts Kai's Variant Venom is certainly a must-have, especially for those who consider him as one of their all-time favorite characters in the Marvel Universe! It's superior sculpting as well as the effective combination of colors make it one of the line's coolest offerings. 'Nuff said!

Ehem! How's about a Carnage, Play Arts?

So who's your favorite Marvel character that you'd want to be rendered as a Play Arts Kai variant? Let me know in the comments below.