I remember that there was a weird point in the 90's when second string comic characters suddenly became popular. Inexplicably, guys like Ghost Rider, Silver Surfer and Moon Knight picked up in popularity and no one could explain it, so we all just sort of went along with it. Ever since then, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Ghost Rider. Possessed stunt rider Johnny Blaze or geeky teenager Danny Ketch transforming into the spirit of vengeance and riding a flaming motorcycle while flailing away at bad guys with chains of fire really warm the memory box. I never tainted my memories of those fantastically bad years of reading comics by watching that Nick Cage atrocity, so maybe that's why I have fond memories still. Anyway, I heard that there's a new Ghost Rider in the upcoming season of Agents of Shield. What a perfect time to release a set with Ghost Rider, except the one in the show drives a Dodge Charger and not a motorcycle. That's a disappointment. At first blush, this set looks cool, so let's get into it.
REVIEW: SET DETAILS
Set #: 76058
Name: Spider-Man: Ghost Rider Team-up
Theme: Marvel Super Heroes
Parts: 217
Price: $19.99
BOX CONTENTS
Some people may wind up picking up a set that is open box or, want to verify the box contents before beginning a build. For this set, there are 2 numbered baggies, a sticker sheet, a comic book, and an instruction book.
BUILD AND EXECUTION:
BAG 1: We start off with the minifigures because the instructions tell us to, and because honestly, that's where most people would go immediately anyway. (apologies to anyone reading this who doesn't want to read my dialogue, but I think that the Super Hero sets are infinitely more amusing if you make them talk.)
Hobgoblin: Hey Spider-Man, coming to my party later?
Spidey: What the? Dude, you need to moisturize, maybe get a little eye drop action,
Spidey's got his new web net in this set, along with the new piece used to allow him to shoot it out in front of him. You begin building Hobgoblin's glider. I don't think he's got a special name for it, but since he's just a ripoff of Green Goblin, we'll call it the Hoblin Glider.
Hobgoblin: That was incredibly hurtful. Now, I'm not going to let you play with my new drone.
Spidey: I'm getting out of here before the FAA cracks down on that unlicensed drone. Oh, crackers, that wasn't the button for swinging webs.
The Hoblin glider is actually starting to actually look good for such a small build. The use of the sloped piece and the teeth to make its horned "face" actually carries through well.
Spidey: Well, dukes, I caught myself. It turns out my arch nemesis is gravity and the wrong button.
Hobgoblin: I'm going to illegally modify my drone so I can ride on it.
Spidey: But, that voids the warranty!
you finish off the Hoblin Glider with a couple flick missiles and a couple spoilers. In my opinion, it looked better in the previous stage. Now, it just looks bulky.
Hobgoblin: Ha ha ha ha ha, you said that I could never do it.
Spidey: I literally never said that.
Hobgoblin: What have you ever made in your miserable life webhead?
Spidey: Well, while you were messing around with that thing, I made a web teepee.
Now, because the Hoblin Glider is so small, you've got to pad the build with some environment, just not too much of one. Let's have a street corner. We almost never, errr sometimes see these sets with street corners, so let's start with a sidewalk.
Hobgoblin: I should kill you foryourimpertinence!
Spidey: That is literally the dumbest reason anyone has ever had for trying to kill me.
I find amusement in dumb things sometimes like the newspaper vending machines. The red one is for the classic Daily Bugle which has a sticker showing the current headline as "Spider-Menace."
Spidey: Spider-Menace? What's Jonah's problem? I've saved his life dozens of times. He even almost thanked me once.
Hobgoblin: Where's the fly button on this thing?
What is a street corner without a traffic light? Well, in the world of LEGO,it's a missed opportunity. I like the inclusion of the black streetlamp piece. The stickers on the street signs place this street corner firmly in New York, or anywhere else that has a Bleeker and Second Ave.
Hobgoblin: I did it! Rise, RISE my Hoblin Glider!
Spidey: Why can't I have a real villain instead of a lame Halloween costume? Hey, Gobby, you're going to get in trouble flying an unlicensed craft in the city.
The trash can just has some random trash and the newspapers have 2 different sticker decorations reflecting which newspaper it is. I really dig the pumpkin head and wish I could get a bunch for a Halloween display.
Hobgoblin: You knowwhat happens when a spider catches fire? The same as everything else. HA HA HA HA HA
Spidey: TIme to be a jumping spider and bounce before that idiot's drone modifications blow in his face.
BAG 2: Again, we start with the minifigure.In this case,it's Ghost Rider.
Ghost Rider: The souls of a thousand bureaucrats cry out for vengeance at the voiding of a warranty. I must ride.
You start forming the motorcycle much like any other. I made a big deal about pink pieces in Batman's motorcycle before.Interestingly, Ghost Rider has a big yellow piece in the middle. Yellow makes sense if you go with the flame motif. Moreso than the all black Batman.
Spidey: Ghost Rider Motorcycle Heeeeeero! Riding along with his head on fire! Where's your motorcycle?
Ghost Rider: I summon my mystic mount from the depths to once again ride for vengeance.
Most of these super hero motorcycles (and Ninjago for that matter) have a big bulky block right in the middle. It's what you build everything else onto.
Spidey: So, do you have the burning, itchy feeling of dandruff and dry scalp?
Ghost RIder: You have no idea what this feels like.
I like the decorative aspects of this build. THe multiple stacked fins and Trans orange pieces really sell it to me.
Spidey: This is a cool flame chain that you have here. Where did you get it?
Ghost Rider: Each link is forged from the soul of a criminal that sought to evade justice,but has since been sent to Hell.
Spidey: So, not Home Depot?
I like the appearance of that Nexo Knights pentagon. It gives a more unique shape to the chassis. Looking at the picture though, I feel like I needed to angle it differently.
Spider-Man: So, it takes a while to summon your mystic motorcycle.
Ghost Rider: You might want to put that chain down, your gloves are starting to smolder.
Yet again, I find myself second guessing the motorcycle wheels. I feel like this installation might cause it to ride too low. I was right on the Ninjago set, as I had to flip a wheel when my kids played with it. The bottom of the cycle has 2x2 rounded bottom pieces to allow it to glide easier. That tends to tell me that the designer also felt it would ride too low. THis was also the first time that I noticed how big the tire was.
Spidey: Wow, that's a big tire. Can you get those at Costco, or are they custom order?
Ghost Rider: I use them to drive up buildings, or squash those deserving vengeance.
The front wheel seems pretty tiny by comparison. I'm actually slightly underwhelmed by the appearance here. It seems somewhat puny.
Spidey: Hey GR, I thought that your mystic motorcycle was a bit more flame-y.
Ghost Rider: FLAME ON!
Spidey: Wrong hero.
Once you attach the flames, it does look a bit better, They fill in a bit of the skinny struts.
Ghost Rider: Commence conflagration.
Spidey: I wish I had some marshmallows to toast.
Ghost Rider: The flames of vengeance are really good at roasting hot dogs too.
REACTION:
As far as this set is concerned, it's not a bad deal at $20. The inclusion of Hobgoblin makes sense when you consider that he's a demon possessed bad guy who has been literally twisted into a hobgoblin. Ghost Rider is a demon possessed hero that rides a motorcycle (or Dodge Charger.) The fact is, Hobgoblin's just lame. He's a dumber version of Green Goblin, and I am sick of this Spider-Man. I couldn't be happier with Ghost Rider, but I felt like the design of the motorcycle was lacking at points.The thing that bothers me the most is that the wheels and tires are standard black. The wheels of the classic motorcycle and even the new Dodge Charger are usually depicted as flame. I would be a lot happier if the wheels and tires were at least orange, or red. I'm not a fan of street corners. I'm wishing that they had made it something different, Maybe a wall that you could stick Spidey to.
You may remember that I say the same things about all Super Hero sets. I keep saying how they always have a fire extinguisher, and based on the amount of flame in this set it needs one. This set, however, does not have one. Most SH sets have a truck, motorcycle, helicopter or plane. Obviously this one does have a motorcycle. I'm only at 50% for this one then.
For the minifigures, I'll start with Spider-Man. This is the same boring Spider-Man that we get in almost every set. It's not even the one with the 2 tone legs. He's going straight to the extras bin. Hobgoblin does have 2 tone legs and he has 2 faces. The front and back printing is nice. With a cape and a hood, he's got a lot of accessories. Ghost Rider has anew headpiece with an attached flame. His torso has nice front and back printing, but his legs, arms and hands are all basic black.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
As a $20 set, and a super hero set, I wouldn't lay a lot of stock on its future growth. Ant-Man and the Wolverine Chopper Showdown seem like the exceptions. I kind of doubt that this set has a short shelf life with the big Spider-Man push recently. On the plus side, I highly doubt that Ghost Rider will make another appearance anytime soon. Look for it to drop to about $15-$16 in the summer. I wouldn't buy a lot early. For a personal collection, it's a good set. If the appearance of Ghost Rider in Agents of Shield sparks renewed interest in this character, or if he appears in one of the upcoming Avengers films, I can imagine interest in this set causing a bit of a spike.
EXTRA PIECES:
I am including the Super Jumper as an extra piece, because I dislike the piece so much. It's got an extra piece that fits in the hand. It's a fairly new piece.
If you like Super Hero sets, please check out these other reviews:
76065 Mighty Micros Captain America Vs. Red Skull
76037 Rhino and Sandman Supervillain Team-up
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