Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

Release Date: March 2023

RRP: 8800 yen

The Multi-Verse is set to play a big part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forwards, but arguably it's already peaked by bringing together three different eras of web-slinger together in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The climax of the film saw both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's iterations of the hero join Tom Holland in a battle against Spider-Man's enemies from across the Multi-Verse, renewing interest in both actors and their respective films. Of course it also means brand new merchandise too, with Bandai Tamashii Nations among the first to announce all three versions as part of the S.H. Figuarts line. Kicking off with the original, S.H. Figuarts Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (also dubbed "Peter 2" in the film) was released as a Tamashii web exclusive.

The S.H. Figuarts Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man comes in a red and blue box, the colour layout of which has of course been designed to match up with that of Spider-Man's costume. This is something we've seen on previous Spider-Man S.H. Figuarts releases, but here it's been specifically done in a way that represent Peter #2's suit – right down to printing the basketball-like texturing across it as well. There's a nice big window on the top half to get a look at the figure itself, and then below there's a CG render of Spider-Man alongside the Marvel Studios, Spider-Man: No Way Home and Bandai Tamashii Nations/S.H. Figuarts logos. The sides and back sport numerous images of the figure in various poses, with the back changing the box colours up to a light blue back drop featuring the suit's spider logo. Open it up and the figure, along with all its accessories, are all present and accounted for on the tray.

Clearly knowing what the fans wanted, the look of the Raimi-era Spider-Man suit barely changed at all in No Way Home and this is also reflected in the figure, so it's just as much the perfect modern update to the Raimi films' Spidey as it is No Way Home's Peter 2. The colours are perhaps a little darker here than they were in the Raimi trilogy (particularly the blue), but it is accurate to how it looked in No Way Home. The figure has a surprisingly lightweight feel but everything is nice and sturdy, with no signs of loose joints or anything out of place. Getting the sculpting down on this figure was arguably the most important aspect of all, given both the pattern of the fabric and the raised web pattern – it's been a running joke for years about how the hell Peter was able to afford the material, let alone make the suit. Both have been applied to the figure wonderfully, with the whole body sporting textured detailing and the web pattern moulded and painted onto the suit. Despite that there's still a simplicity to this suit compared to the MCU offerings, particularly with the mask lenses being static rather than animated. But it's also extremely nostalgic, not straying too far away from the classic comic costume but instantly recognisable as the suit from those films.

By this point Tamashii Nations have released a multitude of Spider-Man figures (both from the MCU films and the PS4 game), with the articulation gradually getting refined along the way. Peter 2 sports an excellent range of movement, his body featuring; 

- Ball jointed head, neck, torso, waist and wrists 

- Swivel hinge shoulders, hips and ankles 

- Butterfly joint shoulders 

- Double hinge elbows and knees 

- Single hinge toe sections 

- Bicep and thigh swivels 

While there are some collectors out there who aren't a fan of the "diaper" look of the hip joints Tamashii are using on their Spider-Man figures (as well as Dragon Ball and several other range), you can't argue with the results they give when it comes to poseability. Thanks to the way the butt plates are able to slide around and into the crotch section this Spidey has an excellent range of motion in his legs that neither feels like it's at the risk of breaking or completely spoils the fluidity of the sculpt. The combination of the butterfly and swivel hinge joints in the shoulders along with the bicep swivel and double hinged elbows also provide plenty of movement in the arms, making those acrobatic web-slinging poses an absolute dream to pull off.

The accessories with Spider-Man figures seem to be fairly standard no matter which company is producing them, so despite a pretty good accessory count there shouldn't really be anything here that surprises anyone. Altogether Peter 2 comes with five pairs of alternate hands (to compliment the default closed fists), four web shot effect parts (two long and two short), one longer web role, two alternate unmasked heads (neutral and smiling expressions) and finally a removed mask accessory. The hand selection is the usual array of open and web shooting hands, although a pair of pointing fingers have been included to recreate the iconic meme when posed with the Integrated Suit and Amazing Spider-Man figures. The webbing effect parts are made of translucent plastic and pretty much identical to what both Figuarts and MAFEX have produced previously, with the web shot parts looping around the wrist joints and the web rope being held by a specific pair of hands. That brings us finally on to the unmasked heads, both of which have a great likeness to Tobey Maguire. Actor likenesses can be pretty hit or miss in this line, but this pair are definitely among the better ones. Sure the smiling head is a little creepy, but honestly that just makes putting him in the iconic Spider-Man 3 dance poses (which EVERYONE who buys this figure is going to do at some point, let's be honest) all the better.

There's been a fair few Raimi-era/Tobey Maguire Spider-Man figures released over the years, but given that it's been 16 years since the release of Spider-Man 3 naturally there hasn't been any in some time. Spider-Man: No Way Home has allowed all this new merchandise of the Maguire and Holland Spideys, and in S.H. Figuarts Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man we finally get the Spider-Man figure those films have always deserved. While it may not too anything especially different to previous S.H. Figuarts Spideys, the quality of the sculpt and articulation alongside that added nostalgia factor just make it something really special. It's a release that'll appeal to a multitude of different Spider-Man fans and collectors, and I don't think any of them will be disappointed.