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Sculpting - ****
Did you like the appearance of the armor on the Mark III? Then you
should like this one - they are basically the same.
It's
not exactly the same, however. The major difference is that they've
added the many small rivets that would hold the real suit together. The
newer, more streamlined Mark III did not have these rivets on the
surface.
Personally, I like the addition.
It adds an additional tactile feature to the figure, and ups the
realism all that much more.
It
might look in the photos like the silver helmet is a little wider and
more squat than the Mark III version, but its' not. In person, side by
side, they look to be identical in size. I suspect any perceived size
difference is a bit of an optical illusion being caused by the
difference in color.
The rest of the armor is
identical to the MKIII version, but that's not an issue. Hey, when it's
perfect, why mess with it?
The
additional head is Tony again, but this time in the helmet, with a
movable mask. I'll discuss more around the movable aspect of the
helmet later, so let's stick to the likeness here.
I prefer this
likeness to the first Tony portrait that came with the Mark III. The
nose is a little thinner here, and even in person it's obvious when you
hold the two side by side that this is an improvement. It's still not a
dead on Robert Downey Jr. as Stark likeness, but I think it's much
closer.
It's also very realistic in
appearance, as is always the
case with a Hot Toys head sculpt these days. It does appear a little
stretched top to bottom to me, but that's due in large part to the fact
that it is designed to be exactly the same size as the normal helmet.
With the mask closed, you'll have a hard time telling them apart.
Paint - ****
As well done and attractive as the red and
gold armor was, I like the silver even more. A large part of this is
simply personal preference.
There's absolutely no quality
issues
on the armor's paint work. The silver is bright, consistent and very
metallic in appearance, and they've added a wash and/or air brushed
black in key areas, bringing out appropriate details and shadows.
Once
again, the small detail work on the fine wires, pistons and other
mechanics inside the arms and calves is fantastic, and certainly
matches your expectation for this price point.
I also like the
paint work on the second head a bit better this time around. The extra
Tony head with the Mark III had a bit heavier work on the eyebrows and
facial hair, where here it seems a bit more realistic. As you'd expect
these days with Hot Toys, the eyes and lips are simply amazing in their
realism.
Beyond that, it's merely a
matter of taste. For me, the
silver looks more like actual armor, and also has a more dangerous,
deadly and imposing appearance.
Articulation - ****
This figure sports the exact same exceptional articulation as the MKIII.
The
ball jointed neck (a true ball and socket joint), works fantastic, and
the heads swap fairly easily. Even with swappable heads, the neck joint
isn't loose or wobbly, unlike some of the SS Prometheus figures or the
Enterbay Bauer.
There are several other key
areas that make the
articulation on this figure exceptional. Much like their previous
Robocop and Endoskeleton, Hot Toys employed some ingenious designs to
maximize the poseablity of the figure without sacrificing any aesthetic
value.
The shoulder pads, which consist
of two separate pieces on
both sides, move on hinges independent of each other and the arms, so
that they can be posed in multiple ways in any single arm position,
and do not interfere with the shoulder articulation in any way.
When
I was discussing the MKIII, I said there was no waist or chest joints.
That's actually wrong, and I was able to get the waist to turn on the
MKII. However, it doesn't move a whole lot, and I'd be very careful
trying to force it if yours is stuck.
The pin/post ball hips work
fantastic, allowing for extremely natural stances, including very deep
ones. These poses are aided by the excellent knees, which have a very
unique design. The plastic knee actually retracts into the leg, and
slides out as the leg is bent. This gives it a terrific range of
movement, and looks extremely good even when fully bent.
The
ankles are another engineering feat. Each of the small flaps at the
front and back are on metal hinges so they can move out of the way of
the foot itself, and the foot is designed so it can lay flat on the
floor, even in deep stances. There's also a pin joint at the half foot
point, adding even more to the posing potential.
Armored
characters are rarely articulated well, due to the perceived
constraints around designing joints that can work with such confining
gear. Hot Toys proves that if you ignore the perception that it can't
be done, you can do far more than others might expect.
As an
additional feature, his extra masked head can open and close. I didn't
know for sure how this was going to work, but the final design works
pretty well.
The front of the mask is an
independent, separate piece. It's
held in place with strong magnets. When it is fully down over the face,
and the chin guard is pushed up against it, it stays in place. Pull the
chin guard down, and the theory is that the strong magnets at the top
of the helmet pull the face plate upward.
It sorta, kinda works.
The simple fact is that it doesn't really have to automatically open,
at least not for me. You can easily position the mask yourself at the
top of the helmet, and the magnets hold it in place reasonably well.
Yea, bump him and you can knock it out of place, but it doesn't droop
or slide down on it's own. Like
the MKIII suit, this one has opening sections on the calves, as well as
pop up missiles on the forearms. Since I already provided photos of
them with the MKIII, I didn't repeat it here. Check that review for more details. The flight flaps on the back are also here, with several pin joints to allow you to pose them in various ways.
Accessories - ****
I
thought they did pretty good with the MKIII. I mean, there was an extra
head so you could make your own Tony Stark figure, plus four extra
hands.
But the MKII even goes further
than that. There's the four
extra hands again, so to go along with the basic fists you have two
slightly cupped hands (that light up) and two splayed hands (that also
light up).
And yes, there's the extra head
again, but instead of
just being a Stark likeness, it's a Stark likeness in a helmet that
opens and closes! Just how cool is that?
But that wasn't enough
for Hot Toys. You see, if they were any other company, they'd take the
opportunity for re-used parts (like the fact that the majority of the
armor here is just a repaint, or that the hands are identical to the
MKIII), charge the same they did the first time around, give you
nothing extra, and make extra profit. That's what just about any other
company would do in this situation.
But not Hot Toys. Recognizing
that certain aspects of this figure cost less because of the re-use,
they added in more stuff to give you that additional value. Part of
that additional value was the magnetic helmet/visor, and another part
is the additional encased power supply, Stark's original one he
developed in the desert.
It's inscribed "Proof that Tony
Stark
has a heart", and this inscription is actually sculpted, not just
painted or printed. The detail work on it in general is quite
impressive, and it comes in a small acrylic case with a black base. The
plastic top can be lifted off too, but the real highlight is that
there's a switch on the back of the base that lights up the power
source with another blue LED! Sweetness.
There's also a Sideshow
exclusive version
that includes a pedestal (mini-bust) stand that you can place your extra
head upon for display. I have that one on order too...and I haven't
decided if I'll keep it and sell off the regular one, or if I'll be
satisfied with this one and cancel that order. Decisions, decisions. Damn you, Hot Toys.
Light Up Feature - ***1/2
Once again, the eyes, chest and palms light up with bright LED lights.
There are three switches - one for each hand in the forearm (and the
batteries for each hand are in the biceps), and a third switch hidden
under one of the back 'wings' that lights the eyes and chest. The
batteries for these lights are accessible via a panel that is screwed
down on the back.
The
fact that these lights are done separately is worth noting, since it
cost the company additional money to give you nine batteries instead of
three. But Hot Toys doesn't skimp when it comes to the quality and
design of their figures, a point well worth mentioning.
I did
knock off a slight amount here in comparison to the MKIII, because I
did have some issues with the light bleeding down around the neck this
time. That wasn't an issue with the MKIII, and part of it might be
because of the highly reflective nature of the silver paint job. This
may make any light that does escape simply more noticeable.
Let's
not forget the aforementioned extra accessory that also lights up. More
batteries included! Color me impressed with the overall quality of
these lights.
Outfit - N/A
Unlike most HT sixth scale figures, there's no actual costume here. The
body is sculpted plastic, and while the various flaps and panels open,
nothing comes off except for the face plate on the extra head.
Fun Factor - ***
This isn't a toy, but the roots of this type of figure are clearly
evident in it's design, engineering and quality. Sure, you can find a
nice statue of Iron Man for a similar price, but then you'll never be
able to add your own personality to the stance or pose. What fun is that?
Value - ***
You can get this guy for $150. You're getting all the great features of
the first HT Iron Man, including the light up features AND an extra
head, PLUS you get an additional accessory that lights up too! Yes,
he's expensive, but you really are getting your money's worth next to
other sixth scale figures in this price range from companies like Medicom.
Things To Watch Out For
-
I didn't have any trouble with anything breaking so far, but I'd still
remind you to be careful. The armor is plastic, even if it's well designed and sturdy.
Overall - ****
In 2007, Hot Toys had a few Poppies (the Pop Culture Collectibles
Industry Awards), with one gold, a bronze and a silver. People were
noticing them, but they weren't dominating any category, even the 12"
group.
Then
in 2008, they crushed the competition, racking up multiple awards in
categories like Best Company, Best Female Figure, Best 12" - 18" Male
Figure, Best Vinyl, and even Best Bust. They ended up with 8 awards,
quite an impressive feat.
But if they keep up their
current level
of work, I am betting they do even better in 2009. With the Mark I and
rumored Iron Monger figures still to come this year, and rumors of a potential
variant for SDCC, their Iron Man series is
going to be tough to beat. And with other licenses like Hellboy and a
potential film based X-men series, fans may be rejoicing long before
the year is complete.
If the Iron Monger does become a reality, I'll have to pick one up. These
figures make an outstanding display for any Iron Man fan, and you can
be proud to display them in the nicest media room or home theater.
Bring on the Mark I!
Score Recap:
Packaging - ****
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ****
Articulation - ****
Accessories - ****
Light Up Feature - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ***
Value - ***
Overall - ****
Where to Buy -
Sponsor options include:
- Sideshow has an exclusive
version with an extra accessory, and just happens to be on second chance right now. They're
$160.
- CornerStoreComics
has him for $150.
- Alter Ego Comics
has this guy at $152.
- or you can search
ebay for a deal.
- and if your tastes do tend toward the statue more than the figure,
check out the Kotobukiya fine art statue at Showcase
Collectibles.
Related Links -
I've had my share of Iron Man
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