Red Hulk vs. Red Hulk

In honor of the release of The Incredible Hulk, I thought I’d toss up a Hulk-related post.

In the aftermath of the popular Planet Hulk and World War Hulk storylines, Marvel needed a way to capitalize on that success while offering something interesting for new fans who picked up the comic after seeing the new movie. The answer, it seems, was the Red Hulk, a villainous, ruby-colored version of the Jade Giant. So far, Marvel has not revealed the Red Hulk’s alter-ego, but he does appear to be as intelligent as the Smart Hulk of the 1990s. He’s also already killed the original Abomination with a giant custom revolver (shades of another big red superhero), so his motivations are as much a mystery as his identity.

I’m enjoying using the Red Hulk skin in the new Sega game for the 360. I’m not sure why, exactly, but red really works for the Hulk.

Hulk artist Ed McGuinness based the design of the Red Hulk partially on the look of the Red Bull from the animated film The Last Unicorn, a childhood favorite of mine. You can definitely see it in the face, particularly the glowing eyes and the way the hair spikes up.

Peter Beagle, author of the novel of the same name upon which The Last Unicorn was based, got his idea for the Red Bull from a plastic toy his child was playing with on the beach. And so a very strange circle closes this fall, when collectors can now choose between two different Red Hulk action figures.

The first to be announced was Hasbro’s Red Hulk, which is the BAF for a Target-exclusive wave of Marvel Legends due out in September. While I’m not a regular collector of Marvel Legends, this wave is pretty good (it features a great Wolverine variant I’ve wanted for years), so I’m considering getting them all.

But wait! You don’t have to spend $80 to get a Red Hulk action figure. Diamond’s Marvel Select will be offering an exclusive variant of their upcoming Hulk figure, featuring–you guessed it–a red color scheme and a unique head. It’s a BigBadToyStore exclusive and costs $25.

So which one to get? Let’s break it down.

Hasbro Red Hulk

Pros:

• Sculpt is accurate to McGuinness’s bulky, slightly cartoonish style
• Extensive articulation, including bicep swivels and ab crunch

Cons:

• Sculpt is accurate to McGuinness’s bulky, slightly cartoonish style
• Part of a Target exclusive wave that can’t be bought online
• Requires purchasing either $80 of toys or paying a significant price on eBay

Marvel Select Red Hulk

Pros:

• Detailed sculpt
• Larger size
• Comes with a base
• Not a BAF

Cons:

• Lack of bicep swivels and ab crunch
• Small head
• Sculpt not as accurate to McGuinness art

Obviously, which one you buy will be based entirely on your preferences. I suspect, though, that if most collectors were holding both figures in their hands, they’d choose the Hasbro version.

Here’s the thing, though: I think Diamond is missing the boat by not getting their figure out now. Many collectors find it hard resist instant gratification–including me. If BBTS were shipping the Red Hulk right now–instead of September, the same time the Target wave is scheduled to hit–that might tip the scales in its favor, especially since I’m not relishing the prospect of having to haunt my local Targets for weeks to find all those figures.

What do you think? If you want a Red Hulk, which one will you get?

UPDATE: I just discovered you can order the Target wave online–for $130, and at BBTS, no less. Link

UPDATE II: Oh, and here. And here.