Review of Erik Killmonger - Black Panther
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

With some recent speculation on the distant Black Panther 2, including who the villain might be, it seemed good timing for Hot Toys to finally...finally...get their Erik Killmonger shipping worldwide. While I've lost interest in the multiple releases of the same old characters in most of the MCU, the Black Panther figures are still high on my list, and getting Killmonger was a treat. He rounds out the current releases of Black Panther, Shuri, T'Chaka, and the Throne.

This guy will run you around $235, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***1/2
I really like what they've done with the covers for the Black Panther releases, and Killmonger's might be my favorite. You could cut these box tops out and frame them behind the characters, and it would look far better than using the rather lame cardboard backdrops they include. The interior cover card isn't particularly exciting however.

It's all collector friendly too, with no trouble getting the various bits of plastic and foam off the figure. The plastic tray keeps everything safe and sound, and the design allows you to easily remove the figure and accessories without any damage to the package itself.

Sculpting - ****
There are two head sculpts included with the figure - masked and unmasked.  Swapping is relatively easy, although the masked head does fit a bit better on the neck post.

The Michael B. Jordan portrait is stunning. The realism is off the charts, which we've come to expect from Hot Toys. The subtle skin texture is just random enough to look natural, and the hair texture is astounding. I compared him to photos of course, and the lips are slightly off to me...but it's so slight as to not deduct anything from the score.

I also love the hard, serious expression, and the hooded eyes, looking up at you with violent intent, are perfect for staring down Black Panther or sitting on the Wakanda throne.

The armored mask has a ton of surface detail as well, with sharply defined edges and clean lines. The mask (and uniform) are quite distinct from Black Panther's, making him stand out nicely on the shelf.

He stands about 12 1/2" tall, and should fit in nicely with the others in the line.

Paint - ****
We expect nothing less than perfection from Hot Toys when it comes to production paint work. They deliver.

The best work is on the unmasked portrait, where the natural skin tone, life-like lip color, and subtle transition at the hairline combine to create a truly realistic human portrait. The eyes are spooky real, catching light and having depth. You can easily mistake a portrait like this for a real person at first glance. There's a little bit of bleed into the eyes, but it's minor.

The work on the mask and costume is also well worth noting. The small gold stripes, dots, and lettering are impeccable, and the eyes on the mask reflect the light so much they almost glow.  There is a smidge of slop along the edges of the bone colored pieces on the collar, but you have to use a macro photo to see it.

Articulation - ***1/2
There are some instructions that come with this figure, but normally I'd tell you there's not much to be gleaned from them. There's nothing to assemble with this figure, you know how to swap heads and hands, and you know to be careful with the suit.

Ah, but you might not know about the half foot joint or the unique hips if you don't read them this time. Let's start at the top and work our way down to them.

The ball jointed neck allows for turning, tilting, and leaning at the jawline, as well as a little tilt and lean at the torso. While the tight costume can be a bit restrictive, the shoulders, elbows, and wrists can take natural arm poses, especially with the weapons. The hands and heads swap easily, but stayed in place while I was working with him.

The torso crunches forward and leans back quite a bit, but the suit does restrict much of the turning movement. You can break up the straight lines of most poses though with a little effort.

The knees and ankles work great, with plenty of rocker movement in the feet. And there's that hidden half foot joint too, which allows for some deeper stances.

But how do you get deeper stances when the hips are restricted by the body and suit? These hips can pop out and down, much like what they did with some of the Iron Man figures. That gives the legs a lot more mobility, and you can achieve more natural stances. It's a little weird since you can't really see what you're doing thanks to the suit, but with a little care (and reading the instructions) you should be fine.

Accessories - ***
Considering the price point, he's a tad light in this category.

Of course, there's the extra head, and that's critical, particularly with a figure like this. It helps boost this score, thanks to the high quality work.

There's a total of eight hands. He comes wearing fists, and there's a set of gripping hands plus two sets of grasping poses. They swap easily, but there's a couple extra wrists pegs just in case.

He also has two weapons, straight from the film. The sculpts and paint work are excellent, and they fit perfectly in the gripping hands.

There's a standard display base as well, with the appropriate logo. As I mentioned earlier, they also include a cardboard backdrop (they've done this with quite a few of the recent releases), but the graphics are pretty basic, and the small size means I'll be leaving it in the package.

Outfit - ****
The tight fitting outfit looks fantastic, and allows more mobility than you might expect.

The various lines and dots are added to the surface of the material, glued in place (I'm assuming) with tremendous care. Clearly some sort of machine seals these to the cloth, but it's still amazing. The printed pattern is subtle, and the various symbols look terrific. It's a complex piece of work, and they executed it flawlessly.

Now, will it retain its perfection? Will the surface details pop or loosen over time, particularly with bent limbs in various poses? Hell if I know.  Only time will tell, but right now he looks amazing, and with proper conditions, I expect him to remain that way.

Fun Factor - ***
I had a lot of fun working with him, and I expect he'll be one - in concert with the other figures from the movie - that I'll re-pose quite often. I did deduct a star however, because I know a lot of collectors will be afraid of damaging the suit, and end up leaving him in a pretty static pose on the shelf.

Value - **
Unfortunately, you won't get all this beauty for an average price. At $235, he's about $15 more than the average Hot Toys figure, and sadly, they seem to be creeping up to that level more and more. Considering the number of extras - even with the second portrait - it's a high price tag. Shuri was under $230 most places, and included a light up feature. The second Black Panther was $260, but had both the light up feature and that funky printed outfit. The first Black Panther was just $220, but lacked the second portrait. Based on all that, this guy is a good deal at $225, average at $230, but starting to slip at $235.

Things to Watch Out For -
Read the instructions before trying out those hips. Otherwise, you should be good to go.

Overall - ****
I waffled around a bit on my final score for this one. There's no doubt the portrait and paint are outstanding, and I love the costume. But he does seem light in the accessories department, and I was having some trouble justifying the higher price point.

But after spending some more time with him, the four star categories outweighed the others. He really is an amazing figure, and will look fantastic set up with the second Black Panther and Shuri on your shelf.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other Hot Toys Black Panther figures include Shuri, the second version of Black Panther, the first version of him, T'Chaka, and the Throne.

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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