Packaging - ***
The packages for the Marvel Select are somewhat unique. Designed like a
book to fit right on your shelf with the others, it is attractive. But to
open it requires destroying it, and it is fairly large and wasteful.
Sculpting - ***1/2
The figure's sculpt is solid, with lots or robotic detail. This version of
the suit is more manga mecha than the one you might be used to, but they've
captured the look and feel of the Ultimate version.
I do wish the mask was removable, but that's a
fairly minor gripe. The forearm armor is removable, to allow him to be
hooked up to his base. Whenever he needs a jolt of juice, he plugs into
the base with three wires in each forearm that then attach to the back of the
base.
None of the other armor is removable. The
pegs on the forearm armor work nicely, and you can remove it and replace it with
little trouble or fear of breakage.
Paint - ***1/2
There's a lot more paint detail on this set than some of the recent characters,
and it involves two of the more troublesome colors for bleed and inconsistency -
red and yellow. However, they do a great job in the paint application,
with plenty of clean detail and very few issues.
Not that it's issue-free. The yellow on
his mask was a bit inconsistent on mine, and the silver on some areas of the
armor was more sloppy than I'd like. But the issues were fairly minor, and
certainly not a serious problem.
Articulation - ***
The articulation here is good, certainly better than most of what we've seen
with the DC Direct line. It's still not top notch, but most people will be
satisfied.
He has neck, shoulders, wrists, ball jointed
chest, hips, cut knees and ankles. Pin joints at the knees would have been
better, and a joint at the elbows would have greatly improved the possibilities.
This line isn't known for it's articulation
though, being more statue than action figure, and it's nice to see with this
release we're getting more posing possibilities. He also stands great on
his own, with no trouble balancing on those huge feet.
Accessories - ***1/2
There's only one accessory, but it's a big one. It's his armor charging
machine, with six wires that can be connected to the base and to his exposed
forearms. The base looks good, with decent sculpting and paint ops.
It doesn't move at all though, and I had expected at least the top to pivot.
Value - **1/2
If these were DC Direct price - $15 - they'd really be great. With much
better accessories, and comparable sculpting and detail, they'd be the better
value. Unfortunately, they are at least $3 - $5 more, and at that price,
the value drops.
Overall - ***
This figure was *this* close to that extra half star. If these were
available for $15, it would be a shoe-in, but considering the excellent playsets
out this month from McToys for $25 (Matrix Reloaded Chataeu and the Alien
Queen), I can't go that far with something only $5 or $6 cheaper, and with far
less detail and size.
Still, the quality of the line seems to improve
with every release, and if you're a big Iron Man fan you do not want to pass
this one up. Every time I look at him I think how great it would be if I
could get a version of Superman or Batman at this scale with this kind of detail
and accessory!
Where to Buy -
I haven't seen this particular figure at a store yet, but they should be showing
up this week or next at the latest. Comic shops should get them, and the
Sam Goody family of stores have carried the others. On-line options
include:
- Boise
River Collectibles doesn't have this guy listed yet, but since they've
carried the rest of the series, I'd bet they will. Give them a call if
it's not on the website. The price is likely to be $18.99.
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