For this week’s countdown, I thought it would be great to focus on wave one of the Captain America: Civil War pops. I really enjoyed the movie and there will be some spoilers below when I make suggestions for wave two (which is why I waited until now to focus on these), so if you haven’t seen it, beware.
But, before I dive right in, I wanted to tell you guys where to find me and vote on social media!
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I will be posting a video, photo, and tweet at the above places where you guys can vote! Also, I will be making youtube video reviews of the countdown and showing the pieces that I have from each line that I focus one each week, so please subscribe! Giveaways to come as well from the youtube channel! You can also vote for next week’s countdown in the comments below. I will reveal the theme for next time at the end! Now, le’s go!!!
11. War Machine
At the bottom of our list this week we find War Machine (Don Cheadle), Iron Man’s snarky, sharp-tongued best friend. No one really commented on the pop, leaving me to believe that the lack of enthusiasm is due, at least in part, to how similar it is to the original War Machine pop from the Iron Man movie line. That being said, there is definitely variant potential in this character based upon his fate at the end!
10. Agent 13
Next, we have the gorgeous and fiesty Sharon Carter/Agent 13 (Emily van Camp). Any love interest for Cap has to be able to hold her own and kick some butt and Agent 13 does not disappoint. I especially love the stance of this pop, perfectly capturing the essence of how she fought in the scene. Very good job, Funko! I’m SO glad they included her in the line!
9. Giant Man
The line’s only super-sized pop, Giant Man (Paul Rudd) comes in next. I’m surprised this did not fall a little higher, but the line is so solid that it really comes down to splitting hairs. I like the look of this pop, though it is just an enlarged version of the Ant-Man pop. I definitely will look into getting this one for my collection, since it’s only one of the two I need!
8. Scarlet Witch
Up next, we have this movie’s problem child – Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen). In my opinion, she got the raw end of the stick in this movie. While she was to blame for the most recent destruction that prompted the government to intervene with the Avengers’ process, she is not the first Avenger to screw up and destroy something. In fact, Age of Ultron was all due to Iron Man’s mess up in creating Ultron, but I disgress. I love this Scarlet Witch pop and how she used her powers in the movie. Quickly becoming one of my favorites!
7. Iron Man
Iron Man’s three different pops come in next. These include the standard pop, the Hot Topic exclusive raised helmet version, and the Collector Corps exclusive, which is posed to fight Cap in a 2-pack. All three pops are solid, but the clear favorite here is the one with the raised helmet. It was such a cool idea to make a pop like that and I think it resonated so well because it was different from the kind of pops that came before of Iron Man. The 3-pop spread we have here is very good, but I think in wave two, Funko should focus on characters that do not have pops in this wave rather than make an extra Iron Man. These aren’t the first Iron Man pops and they won’t be the last.
6. Winter Soldier
Perhaps the character with the most relevance as to why this ‘Civil War’ is going on within the Avenger’s ranks, Winter Soldier/James “Bucky” Buchanen Barnes’ pop is next. While it is just a standard pop with a gun, he looks very good and the hair is perfectly sculpted. However, we need to talk about the Bucky that NEEDS to be in wave two. SPOILER*** Missing arm Bucky pop needs to happen. That was freaking awesome! Who agrees?
5. Black Widow
Next we have this countdown’s highest ranking female, and double agent, Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff. Black Widow played perhaps my favorite role in the Civil War plot and I left having a newfound love for the character. I think her pop is plain here, but captures her likeness better than any previous ones. I just would have liked to see a different outfit, perhaps the trench coat look that she began the film in.
4. Crossbones
Next, we have another 3-pop spread. Crossbones/Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo) is a villainous threat to the Avengers who is partly to blame for the destruction they cause that gets the government on their tail. His three pops include a standard, masked version, a Barnes and Noble exclusive unmasked version, and a Target exclusive version with a piece of his mask torn off showcasing his scarring underneath. By far the most detailed and praised of the bunch is the unmasked version, and for good reason. The jagged, scarred skin on this pop nails the character’s likeness. The hair sculpt is sheer perfection. Frank Grillo has this awesome, not-really-trying-but-trying slicked back hair that Funko nailed on this pop, and it makes it potentially my favorite from the whole entire line.
3. Black Panther
Another newcomer to this movie, Black Panther/T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) has two pops. A masked version and a Walgreens exclusive unmasked version. I have a thing for unmasked pops, so that one is my favorite, but both are equally cool. A lot of people are praising his role and characterization in the movie, which I think is why he is so high on this list. My one critique would be that I wish his masked pop showcased his claws more because I thought that was his coolest feature, but I like them both a lot and so do you guys!
2. Captain America
The final 3-piecer and the headliner of this movie comes in at number 2. Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) has a standard pop with his shield on his back, a Gamestop excluisve kneeling/action pose version and a Collector Corp exclusive variant shielding himself from Iron Man in the two pack. I think my favorite is the standard here, but they’re all very nice. Nothing, well…. almost nothing can beat Cap’s coolness….. but one pop did!
1. Falcon
This Hot Topic exclusive pop creamed the competition. Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is seen in a flying action pose. The wings on this pop are to die for and the fact that he’s floating with a stand is amazing. My eyes popped out of my head when I saw this one and by the sound of it, so did all of yours. He’s a really cool character in the movie, too, so I’m sure that doesn’t hurt!
There you have it! Falcon reigns supreme! We already have new versions of Hawkeye and Spider Man to look forward to. As for more ideas for wave two, I would like to see a Vision variant holding paprika the most, I think. A missing arm Bucky is also a must. Funko could also opt to include characters without prior pops, so I think Maria Hill is a possibility. Who do you want to see in wave two?
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Matt Norris