Review of Spider-Man Homecoming
S.H.Figuarts action figure

Introduction

One of the leading manufacturers in 1/12 scale figures is Bandai. Working under various brands, including S.H.Figuarts and Tamashii Nation, they have been producing extremely articulated high end figures that collectors from around around the world adore. And they have covered their share of licenses, including the big three: Marvel, DC, and Star Wars.

Tonight I'm checking out one of their latest releases, hot off the truck from Entertainment Earth. This is a Spider-Man Homecoming release, and includes the cool "Tamashii Option Act Wall", a diorama and display stand. It's just started shipping, and will run you around $100 at most retailers.

Packaging - ***1/2
The packaging is long and deep, requiring quite a bit of space for the wall diorama inside. It shows off the figure pretty well, and the lines draw your attention to the key features.  The graphics are good, and they've included decent instructions to help with the figure and diorama assembly. It's relatively collector friendly too, although putting all that stuff back in the package might be more work than it's worth.

Sculpting - ***1/2
There's only one head, but he does come with three sets of eyes to mix things up a bit.

It's important to remember that this guy is tiny - he's 1/12 scale, and comes in at about 5 3/4" tall. The texture of the suit looks terrific, and the small details like the web shooters and belt are sharp and well defined. He's lanky, but the general musculature is appropriate for the movie character.

This is a very articulated figure, and that articulation does affect the sculpt. You can have ultimate realism, or you can have ultimate posability, but you can't have both. Those willing to compromise some of the appearance, particularly in the elbows, wrists, and shoulders, for the ability to create extreme poses will be the happiest with the overall look.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is well above average for this scale, especially on the webbing of the costume. The darker lines are highlighted against the lighter, textured section, creating a very complex pattern.

The black details are generally clean as well, and the blue and red are consistent in finish and coverage.  My one nit is with some of the silver eyes, where there's a rub mark or two and the  slight slip onto the black mask.

Articulation - ****
While it requires giving up some of the realism, the hyper-articulaton does allow for some terrific, natural poses.

There are joints upon joints with this figure, from the neck line to the half foot. There's a ball joint at the top and bottom of the neck, double pin joints at the knees and elbows, rotating hinges at the wrists and ankles, a cut waist and rocker chest, and unique shoulders and hips that allow for a huge range of movement.

Many of these joints have metal pins, rather than plastic, making them sturdier than the usual 1/12 figure. The hands swap easily, and even the removable eyes are simple to change up. Add in the multiple support options provided by the diorama/base, and you have an almost unlimited opportunity to pose and display.

Accessories - ****
He has plenty of extras, although a bunch of them are related to the diorama wall.

Like almost every figure these days, he has extra hands. Unlike most, he has a bunch. There's the fists he comes wearing, plus a tight grip set, a 'hang ten' set, a wide grip set, a splayed 'wall crawling' set, a web shooting set, and a relaxed grip set.  They swap pretty easily, and stay in place while posing.

He has three slightly translucent plastic webs: a short one, a longer one, and a long piece that can be gripped in the tighter hands. The short and long 'missiles' have a loop on one end that slips over the wrist, before the hand is attached. We've seen this design before (Mezco uses it with their One:12 Spideys), and it's a reasonable concept. You do have to take extra care when attaching the hands though, to avoid bending or breaking the webbing.

I mentioned the eyes earlier, and there are two extra sets. He comes wearing a wide eyed pair, and there's a normal set, as well as a very squinty set. There's a small plastic tool included, and you can use it to pop the eyes out from the inside. Swapping was easy, but be very careful not to drop them - they are tiny!

Peter needs some everyday gear too, and he gets a backpack and cel phone. The phone fits neatly in the wide grip hands, and the backpack can be attached to his back via a peg.

The whole in his back is covered by a removable emblem. Once taken out, you can pop in the post on the pack, or you can pop in a small red adapter that allows the figure to attach to the larger, clear support rod. Using this rod - which can bend in a variety of ways - you can display the figure leaping or jumping.

This clear post also has a couple different attachments. These can wrap around his waist or support his crotch, and you can use whichever best works with the look you're going for. This clear post can also attach to the wall diorama in a number of ways, increasing the number of poses exponentially.

Finally, there's the wall diorama.  You can create a corner by stacking six short and one long brick pieces, and using the corner and interior support.  You can also create one tall wall, and another long support is included to keep this higher assembly upright. Or you can mix and match, and even attach the PET effect (a small circular disc with the Spidey face logo) on the wall.

Fun Factor - ****
This is a really fun figure, with a ton of articulation, some great accessories, and a diorama that adds even more possibilities. You'll spend hours coming up with your favorite stances, and revisit the figure over and over again.

Value - *1/2
This is the one spot where he really takes a hit. At $100, he's a very pricey 6" action figure.  While the One:12 Collective has gotten to the $80 mark (without light up features), this guy tops that by $20. You'll have to decide if the plastic wall pieces make up the difference - for me, it's a tough sell. For big fans of the character (or S.H.Figuarts in general), the price is going to be far less of a factor.

Things to Watch Out For -
When popping the hands on after the web 'missiles', take care not to bend or break the thin plastic.

The rest of the figure, including the joints and various accessories, are very sturdy considering the scale, and you should have no trouble swapping parts or posing him safely.

Overall - ***1/2
The articulation junkies are going to love this figure, but most of them already know that. They are familiar with the terrific work Bandai has been doing with their collector lines, and this Spider-Man is another hit. Super poseable, with a very detailed suit, good paint, lots of accessories, and plenty of fun for adults and kids - it's only real issue is the price tag.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has him for $100 with free shipping.

Related Links -
If you like this guy, you should also check out some of the cool stuff Bandai is doing with the Star Wars license, like the Movie Realization series.

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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