Review of Black Panther - Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

It's been forever since I reviewed a Hot Toys Marvel release. Hey, it's not for lack of trying, but I've stopped buying the endless sea of Iron Men figures, opting for only new characters and really, really, really unique variations. That means the MCU is pretty slim pickings right now.

It also doesn't help that some of the shipments have been pretty slow to the States. Case in point, tonight's review - Black Panther from Civil War.  He's been shipping internationally for awhile now, but BBTS just recently got theirs in stock.

This guy is sold out at a lot of places, but you can still find him around for about $220.

Packaging - ***
While it's a cute idea to mirror the comic cover design of the Civil War books, it's also a tad dull. I have to say the Black Panther design is perhaps my favorite so far, with some very dynamic artwork above the center line.

Everything inside is collector friendly of course, and you'll find lots of protective foam padding around the suit.  There's not a lot inside the single plastic tray, but what's here is well protected. There's even a brief instruction manual, although it's mostly about what NOT to do, rather than how to do anything.

Sculpting - ***1/2
There is no human portrait here, no unmasked glimpse at the true face of the Panther. That's too bad, and I think Hot Toys is just trying to improve the odds that you'll buy the next release. 

That means this whole score is about the texturing, the ribbing, and the detailing on the suit itself. By creating an intricate, finely detailed exterior on the soft costume, they've added a ton of realism to the overall appearance of the figure.

It all starts with the head of course, and the work here is exceptional. Even the eyes have a tiny, bug-like grid pattern and the mask has a battle ready expression, even without a mouth to emote.  It's all in the squint of the eyes and determined countenance of the mask.

This overall pattern and texture continues on from the neck down to the toes. There's a ton of different patterns going in different directions, and the added barbed collar and arm bands adds a little depth to the overall look.

There are various hands sculpted with and without the extended claws, and the scale and proportions are great. They work with a number of poses, even if there are so few. He's a pretty beefy hero, coming in at 12.5 inches tall.

Paint - ***1/2
There's not a ton of paint here, with the majority of the suit a basic black.  But the fine silver highlight lines are neat and clean, and there's a reddish tint to the eyes that is visible on very close inspection.

The best work is on the silver claws, which look as deadly as they are sharp. This is one of those paint jobs that won't win awards, simply because it won't wow anyone on first glance. But its subtle cleanliness is what gives the overall suit its visual quality.

Articulation - ***1/2
I expected the suit to be fairly restrictive, but the stretchy, springy material allowed for better posing than I had anticipated.

The neck is completely unrestricted of course, and you'll get plenty of lean and tilt. That's particularly important to create those hunched, cat-like poses.

The feet work in concert, with excellent ball joints at the ankles. They have an terrific range of movement, and you can crouch him and still keep both feet flat on the floor.

While the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, waist, and ab-crunch are more restricted by the suit, I was still able to get plenty of movement out of all these joints. Of course, the suit bunches up as you twist and turn, but that's realistic. I am concerned about the material though - will it sag and bag in spots where it's under too much pressure to stretch? Only time will tell, and it's no fun having a figure like this on the shelf if he's not in a dynamic pose.

Accessories - *1/2
Here's where you'll feel seriously let down.  He comes with two extra sets of hands to go with the pair of fists he comes wearing. The pose of both open handed grips is the same, but one set has the claws out, one has them in. They swap easily enough, and there's a couple extra wrist pegs just in case.

There's a standard display stand of course, with the Civil War logo on the top. Pretty much required for any Hot Toys release, and with just the stand and the hands, you're going to have a tough time justifying the cost. This is about as light in this category as any Hot Toys figure, and it's a disappointment.

Outfit - ***1/2
Unlike most sixth scale figures, I've already discussed this outfit in quite a bit of detail. That's because it's really the focus of the sculpt, paint, and articulation sections, so there's not a ton more I can add here.  The quality is quite good, the material is stretchy and flexible, and there was no point at which I was worried about damaging it.  I don't know how well it will snap back to a tight fit after holding a pose for a long period of time, but we'll find out.

One thing that is worth noting is around the wrists. The suit material comes up far enough to cover the ball joints completely in most poses, which is a very nice touch. Just take some care when swapping the hands not to pinch the suit down inside the joint.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
Thanks to the greater flexibility of the costume, you'll have plenty of ways to pose and re-pose this figure with the other Avengers on your shelf. It might be a good thing too - the more you change up the pose over time, the less likely the suit will get stretched out in one way.

Value - *1/2
Black Panther is going for the average rate this days - $220. But he comes with almost nothing extra at that price point, and while the costume is relatively complex, it's still really hard to justify the cost. Had they thrown in an unmasked portrait, this score (and the Accessories score) would have shot up, really helping the overall appeal of the figure.

Things to Watch Out For -
As I mentioned earlier, when you're swapping the hands make sure the ball post stays inside the longer sleeve cuff. This will cover up the ball joint nicely.

You'll need to remove the feet when you first open him up, to get rid of some plastic coverings on the ankles. When you pop the feet back on, you need to push til the second 'pop'. You'll feel them pop on, but they'll be very loose - a little more pressure and you'll get the second pop, and they'll be tight again.

Overall - ***
I really liked this character in the movie, and I have high hopes for his stand alone film.  There was no way I was going to pass him up in sixth scale - I'd much rather have a new character than the 357th version of Iron Man.

But not getting an unmasked portrait is a bummer, and there's no doubt this figure is WAY over priced. Still, because he's a new character we've never gotten in sixth scale before, because he was very cool on screen, and because collectors want a complete set of Avengers, he's selling out at most retailers. I'm certainly glad I picked him up, even if I do end up replacing him down the road with a new version based on his look in his own film.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - *1/2
Outfit - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - *1/2
Overall - ***

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Sideshow had him for $220, but now you'll need to get on their wait list.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
It's been awhile since my last MCU Hot Toys review - that was the Civil War Hawkeye. Other Hot Toys Marvel characters include Deadpool, Ultron Prime, the very cool Stan Lee, the Winter Soldier version of Nick Fury, the Iron Legion, Ant-Man, Vision, Quicksilver and his sister Scarlet Witch. And don't forget Pepper Potts and the MK IV set. Other related characters include Maria Hill, AoU Captain America, the Winter Soldier, Red Skull, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, Agent Coulson, Hulk, and Bruce Banner. I've also covered a ton of Iron Man releases, and one of my favorites is the die cast MK43.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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