Review of Deadpool Exclusive Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

Last I knew, there were eight - EIGHT - DC or Marvel movies scheduled for 2016. Yes, that's crazy. There's a fair amount of variety in there too, and everyone is going to have their most anticipated.  Being the Batman fan that I am, you wouldn't be wrong if you assumed I'm very, very much anticipating Batman Vs. Superman, but there's a second film that I really can't wait to see, and it's not a heavy hitter like Age of Apocalypse or Civil War. No, it's a little film hitting in the worst month of the year, February, called Deadpool.

Sideshow got a jump on the wise cracking character with their release of a more comic based version. I'm sure we'll see a movie version - if Hot Toys skipped that film, it would be their own loss. But until then, we have this Sideshow comic book figure to keep us happy.

There were two versions, as is often the case.  The regular release and the exclusive release, both selling for $230.  The exclusive release included an extra accessory (Headpool), and that's the version I'm reviewing tonight.

Packaging - ****
While they went with a basic shoe box design this time around, they also classed things up quite a bit.  The exterior graphics look terrific, and the interior includes a soft foam tray to hold the figure and head sculpts.  There's a second high quality plastic tray to hold some of the other accessories.  I do wish they had included some instructions, but you'll be able to puzzle out most of it on your own.

It's all collector friendly of course, and it also includes an interior cover over the foam tray.  While it's not the most unique package, it is very well executed and adds something to your first impression of the figure.

Sculpting - ****
There are two different head sculpts included, not counting Headpool. More on that guy in the Accessories section.

The two portraits vary in cowl style and expression. Fans will recognize these, and I've included a shot from the side to show the different styles.  They also altered the expression, with one having a wider open left eye, and crooked jaw line (more whimsical) while the other has squinted eyes and a deadly look.

The heads are designed to slip on and off a large neck post quite easily, and they don't interfere in any way with the articulation. There's lots of nice detailing in the stitching and wrinkles, and both expressions are very useful with this figure no matter which accessories you outfit him with.

They've also included a nice variety of hand sculpts, all of which work with the accessories or with classic goofy poses.  They aren't quite as over sized as we usually see in this scale, and swap easily.

There's no Wade Wilson portrait, which I'm fine with. I'm assuming we'll get something like that from Hot Toys, but until we do, this comic based look works great.

Paint - ****
Since there's no 'human' portrait here, there's less complexity with the paint job than usual. Still, there's plenty of small details, particularly on the costume and accessories, and everything is super clean and sharp.

They've done some nice shading in the red cowl, adding in some black to give depth to the sculpt. The work around the eyes is great, although the eyes themselves is where I had a very minor nit. The whites have some bleed, darkening them up slightly, and while this may be intentional, I wasn't thrilled.  Still, the overall application is excellent, including some very appropriate aging on the armor.  It's particularly impressive because they didn't go overboard, but captured a very realistic amount of natural wear.

Articulation - ***
The underlying body is very tight, with all the articulation you expect.  The ball jointed neck is particularly important for this character, since it allows you to add just the right amount of cockiness to any pose.  The double ball works well, thanks to the large post they used to support the head.

The rest of the articulation is relatively good, although the tight suit does restrict it a bit.  Much like Captain America, this all over heavy clothing can be cumbersome, but it's as good here as it is with the best releases of Cap from Hot Toys.

The lower body is the most restricted, particularly in the ankles thanks to the big boots. The feet do move more than I expected, at least side to side, but the front-to-back movement is limited. It can make deeper stances tricky, but he is quite stable when you find the right pose.

As I mentioned earlier, the hands swap pretty easily thanks to a soft rubber material. The hard plastic bracers can get in the way a bit, but you should be able to work with them. I found it easiest to swap the hands by removing the whole wrist joint with the hand (or removing the hand then the wrist joint) and putting it back in as one.

Accessories - ****
There's a ton of extras here, more than we've seen from any Sideshow or Hot Toys release in quite some time.

As I mentioned earlier, there's three heads, but only two are intended to swap onto the body of Deadpool. The third is the exclusive extra, Headpool. This guy comes from an alternate universe where all the Marvel heroes ended up zombies, and this undead version of Wade did have a body at one time. Now he's just a head, and our Deadpool keeps him around as part of the Deadpool Corps. This second head includes a third smaller wire to allow him to 'float' alongside Deadpool when using the stand.

The stand is pretty basic, and includes the usual crotch support post. However, this post has a rubber top and includes two more metal posts (the third being the one for Headpool) that are used with the two word balloons. This arrangement allows you to position the thought/word balloons above and to either side of the figure, and there is a sticker sheet with 18 different stickers that can be applied to either word balloon. It's a pretty cute idea, and one I suspect that most collectors will take advantage of.  If you don't go crazy when you put the sticker on the balloon, it can be removed and re-used as well.

Wade has a nice assortment of weapons, including two handguns that fit neatly in holsters on either hip (and have cool logo grips), two swords with sheaths that attach to his back, a huge gun with large view screen scope, two grenades with his logo painted on, and a large dagger with scabbard. The swords and dagger are metal, and there's some metal used in the handguns as well. You'll notice when the holster strap, which is held in place with magnet, attaches itself to the gun when you insert them or draw them out.

The scabbard, sheaths, and grenades attach to various spots on his body with metal clips, and this works pretty well. I did have to reattach one of the clips to a sword sheath, but it was easy enough to do. The knife is supposed to go on his left boot, but it's a bit long, and both the buckles of the belt and the holster get in the way. It's not a major problem though, and a little adjusting should get you a look you'll like.

Then there are the hands, five sets in all.  First, there's the usual pair of fists, pair of sword grips, and pair of gun grips. All work well, thanks to the soft rubber material. It's soft enough to put the weapons in and out without damage, but it's tight enough to keep them there.

The other two sets include an OK gesture, an V gesture, a thumbs up gesture, and a wider gripping hand perfect for the grenades.

And then there are pouches - oh, there are pouches. I counted 20, assuming I didn't manage to lose any. They do pop off the harness pretty easily, especially on the shoulder straps, but they are quite easy to put back in place as well. They are made from soft material, with metal hooks to attach them to the various straps of the harness and rigging.

Outfit - ****
The outfit is tight, but not so tight as to completely remove all posability. It's well tailored, and made from high quality material. There's also armor at key spots, including removable knee pads. They've included lots of detail using different materials, like the patches on the back of the forearms, or the small canvas straps on the front.

The harness and belt looks great too, including the logo buckle. Everything blends together nicely, from pouches to belts to holsters to armor, all making a complete, consistent outfit. And while the boots are a bit restrictive, they are a terrific sculpt, and I love the WWI military feel to the uppers.

Fun Factor - ***
While you should have no trouble finding plenty of good poses, you'll find it a little annoying when the pouches drop off, or you have to switch hands. Nothing major here, but it will make posing and re-posing slightly less enjoyable.

Value - ***
We have started to become accustomed to prices in the $220 - $250 range for high end sixth scale figures.  When we get something for $200 or less, it seems like a miracle.

This guy comes in at about the current normal - $230. However, you're getting far more extras than is normal, and all of them are very high quality and very useful. There are some deals out there too, and I even have one sponsor as cheap as $210, where you can add another half star to this score.

Things to Watch Out For -
Remember - those pouches fall off pretty easily, and since they are soft, they won't make much noise when you drop them. If you're carrying him around, be sure to keep track of them all. You'll notice in the photos that the number and placement varies from shot to shot, and that's because I got tired of putting them back on every time.

Overall - ****
I have no problem saying this is the nicest figure we've gotten from Sideshow in quite some time. While other figures came close, this is the first one to put together the complete package.

With figures like Snake Plissken and Jango Fett, the sculpts weren't the real problem - it was the costume and accessories, which seemed to take a turn backward. Here, we are getting the sort of outfits and extras that we expected from Sideshow years ago, when they were the leader in those categories.

Tack on great sculpting and paint, and you have a winner all around. Unfortunately, it's not cheap, and to get this quality you're paying the premium price, but at least they are delivering what's expected.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- if you want the exclusive, you'll have to get on the wait list at Sideshow for $230. They also have the regular release at $230.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
This isn't the first Deadpool i've bought, but it's the first sixth scale version. There's the small version from the awful X-Men Origins: Wolverine line, as well as the larger Marvel Legends wave 6 version.

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

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!