As is typical for toys from the "Flip and Attack" subline, the vehicle mode for this version of Spider-Man (man, does he have a huge garage for these things or what?) doesn't really resemble a vehicle much. It's supposed to be a "battle hauler", whatever that is, but despite it being slightly more bulky than Spider-Man's other toys from this subline, it still looks inescapably like his mech mode on its back with the legs bent over the chest. Still, that aside, the "reversed" color scheme of dark blue with some silver/white and red is definitely a unique one for Spider-Man, and the toy pulls it off quite well, with all the lighter colors contrasting well against the dark blue. Heck, Spider-Man has all sorts of paint apps, so they certainly didn't skimp on the toy in that respect. The white-and-red paint apps on the missiles, the silver paint on the four guns (two of which can only be see in this mode, being behind the legs in mech mode), the gray treads-- it alll keeps Spider-Man looking like he's got a lot of artillery at his disposal, even if they're all simply mold detailis. (The yellow cockpit windows are also a very nice touch.)
    As for the mech mode-- to transform him, wind Spider-Man back in his vehicle mode on a flat surface until you hear a clicking sound on the wheels, then let it go-- the legs will flip forward abruptly a couple seconds later, the weight and torque of the leg shift theoretically making Spider-Man stand up into his mech mode on his own. It only seems to happen about 1/3 to 1/2 of the time in my experience, though-- the other times he just unfolds and rockets forward a bit to clatter around on his front or backside. It's pretty neat to watch when done right, however. In mech mode, the toy's much more recognizable as Spider-Man, what with the red coloration more apparent on his lower legs and chest, as well as the obvious Spider-Man symbol on the chest. The mold detailing on many of his vehicle mode parts was rather sparse beyond the weapons, but for the parts that are more visible in this mode, he's got plenty of mold detailing, most of it replicating the "spider web lines" across his costume. The missile pods on his chest are a nice extra touch, giving Spider-Man some long-range artillery in this mode. There's also some pretty intricate "cybernetic" detailing on the back side of his head, making it clear that this toy is a Spider-Man mech, not some weird alternate robotic version of the character. Unfortunately, like the other figures in the "Flip and Attack" subline, Spider-Man only has back-and-forth articulation at the shoulders in this mode-- not even his head can move. I get why the legs have to stay in place due to his gimmick, but I don't think asking for neck and elbow articulation is too much.
    The Battle Hauler Spider-Man figure for this subline is an above-average toy when compared to the various other "Flip and Attack" toys, mostly due to all the sculpted-in weaponry and the amount of paint detailing on him. His color scheme ain't too shabby either, though of course he suffers from all the posabliity and odd vehicle mode problems that plague the rest of the subline.

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Review by Beastbot

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