Review of Hodor, Bran Stark - Game of Thrones statue

Introduction

You can always tell when you really, really enjoy a show - the wait for the next season to start seems to drag on and on and on...poor Game of Thrones fans are only a couple months in, and it already seems like forever.

To help the time go by, Dark Horse is continuing with their line of 8" scale statues, and tonight I'm checking out the latest release: Hodor and Bran.  The line looks to be building up a pretty good head of steam too, with Dark Horse showing off Oberyn, Sansa, Ygritte, the Hound, Brienne, and more as part of their 2015 SDCC display.

This guy just started shipping, and will run you around $30 - $35, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***
The boxes are a little thin, but the big window does show off the contents nicely.  There's a couple twisty ties, but other than that it's all collector friendly as well.  The graphics on the side are a convenient way to measure the quality of the sculpt and paint against what was actually seen on the show.

Sculpting - ***
It's always handy to check out a few show stills for reference - here's one of Bran on Hodor's back, as well as a more straight on shot of just Hodor. Both Hodor's weight and beard length have fluctuated quite a bit over the course of the show.

The level of detail is quite good, particularly in the hair and beard. Lots of stranding and texturing, and they even sculpted some of the transition between the beard and bare skin on the face. It's not a perfect character likeness, but it's a step up from a cosplayer.

His outfit has plenty of detailing and texture as well, making the dull brown clothing more visually interesting.  The woven basket he uses to carry Bran is very realistic, and has a very rough, hand made look. As I mentioned earlier, this line is generally around 8", although scale has been a bit of a problem for them recently. Hodor stands 9 1/2" tall with the base, which seems about right.

Paint - **1/2
90% of the work here is great - sadly, it's that 10% in an important area that hurts.

Let's start with the young Bran, whose eyes are straight and clear, with even brows and good skin tone.  The lips are a little dark, but it's a minor issue overall. Details on the clothing are great, and there is no real bleed or slop between colors. The matted earth tones in the clothing and pack add to the realism of the overall sculpt.

Hodor also has good eyes, eyebrows and skin tone, but something went very wrong with the hair. The front of the hair and top half of the beard are much darker than the rest, almost as though they placed a round mask around the face and added the darker color. The break between the two shades is very sharp and abrupt, especially on the chin and top of the head. Thankfully, things improve immensely on the clothing, but this weird circle around his face is so obvious in hand that it impedes your ability to appreciate the rest of the figure.

Articulation - Bupkis
This is an information only category this time, since these are really statues. There's no intended articulation, and if you were looking for action figures, these won't do it for you.

Accessories - Bupkis
Again, information only with no effect on my overall. As a statue, you really don't expect 'accessories', and they meet that expectation.  This statue is all one piece, and you can't remove Hodor from the base or Bran from his back.

Value - ***
This guy went up about $10 - $15 over the regular releases...but you are getting two characters in one. While Bran isn't quite as big as an adult figure, he's still a complete figure, making him an expensive inclusion. At $35 he's a three star value - get him for $30 or under, and you can add another half star here.

Things to Watch Out For -
If you're buying in person, you might want to check for that painted face circle, and avoid it. Otherwise, you should be good to go.

Overall - ***
This series of Nerd Hummels, perfect for Game of Thrones fans, has quite a few more figures planned, and has already hit up all the major players. Combining Hodor and Bran together was a smart move, and while it's more expensive than a single character design, it's not out of line.

The sculpts and design match up with the rest of the series fairly well, but I am a bit disappointed about the paint work on the hair and beard of Hodor. Hopefully you'll be able to find one without this issue, making this an even better deal.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has him for $30.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've covered a number of Game of Thrones figures, statues and props. Perhaps the best of the bunch is the new sixth scale Tyrion and Ned Stark from ThreeZero. They have Jon Snow coming next.

Most recent from Dark Horse was the Joffrey, Tywin and Petyr; in this Dark Horse series, I've covered Cersei, Jaime, the White Walker, Robb and Arya, as well as their Daenerys, Drogo, Ned Stark, and Tyrion Lannister. They've also done Jon Snow, but I don't have a review of him.

Funko has also done Jaime and Brienne, Arya and Robb, and the second release of Danaerys, along with her beau Drogo. Before that we had the Walgreen's exclusive Tyrion, Daenerys, and I reviewed the first wave of figures in three sets, here, here and here.

Other Game of Thrones collectibles I've covered include the Daeny bust from Dark Horse, the Hand of the King pin, and the Catspaw Blade from Valyrian Steel.

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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