Packaging - ****
The packaging is absolutely wonderful. You're first greeted with a shiny metallic slipcover with some of DC's artwork that has been seen all over and over from blankets to birthday cups. On the back is three full body shots of the figure itself and close-ups of the details. Once removed is a matte window box with a large head shot on front, and more views on the back. the inside of the window cover is a nice posed shot right out of the movie.

It's also completely collector friendly, you can remove Superman and replace him without any damage, tape removal, or twist ties.

Sculpting - ***1/2
The main attraction is, of course, he head sculpt. The likeness to actor Brandon Routh is definitely there. I think more so than I have seen from any other company to date. Perhaps the eyes are a bit larger than they need to be, but there's something about capturing Routh that has escaped every head sculpt and scan on all the action figures.

The hands also fall into this section. They are very realistically sculpted and proportioned.

Something that Hot Toys knows very well is the proportions on their own 1/6 scale body. The head and hands look perfectly in proportion the the size and height of the body.

Paint - ****
The paint is pretty much confined to the head, hands, belt, chest emblem and boots.

The paint on the head is very, very clean. No bleed, no drip, nothing of the sort. There are brown highlights in the hair. the lips seem a little too red, but not distractingly so like the Medicom Batman Begins. The eyes however, I feel are not blue enough. They're blue, but not the enhanced CGI blue that went over Routh's blue contacts in post production.

The belt and chest emblem are also painted plastic. Very clean as well, with no spill whatsoever.

There's not a lot of paint, but what there is is perfectly applied.

Articulation - ****
This is my first Hot Toys body I am ashamed to say. It is one of the finest body designs in this scale I have ever played with. While keeping wonderfully accurate human proportions, this body can pretty much do it all. I counted 28 points of articulation and among them ball jointed wrists and ankles, along with the usual 1/6 points. The joints are strong too, this especially comes in handy coupled with the softness of the boots letting the ball jointed ankles flex to handle some dynamic poses.

Accessories - **
While it would have been nice to get a complete three piece suit and glasses for a Clark, it's unrealistic to hope for that from a small company that spent a lot of money for the opportunity to just make a Superman.

What we do get is a pair of karate chopping/flying posed hands, a character specific display stand, and a pack in certificate of authenticity.

Outfit - ****
What sets this costume apart from other attempts? It's all in the details. Hot Toys has given us a very form fitting costume. The cape is big! It's also two toned, just like in the film. A textured crimson color on the back with the interior lining being a brighter, primary red that silhouettes the body nicely.

The boots are equally just as fitted and are sculpted with all the little textured details and "S" emblemed soles.

Hot Toys even included the blue "piping" that runs down the sides of the arms, legs and torso. Going the extra mile to make sure we know this is the Superman Returns costume and not just Superman.

Fun Factor - **1/2
While doing the photo shoot, I was posing this guy and playing around. I don't think he'll get that much play in the future. Like the rest of my high end 1/6 scale items, he'll find a space next to Ultraman, Kamen Rider and Solid Snake.

Value - **
I pre-ordered very early and ended up spending about $109. I've spent a lot more on 1/6 scale figures and a lot less. The quality is definitely here, and in no way do I feel cheated or guilt ridden for spending that on this figure.

However it's not anything a company like Sideshow couldn't do and price at $50-$60. The price I paid is based on limited production numbers, from a HK company, and going through an import retailer.

It also makes me happier to know that many online retailers are having trouble fulfilling pre-orders on this bad boy and have it backordered with an even higher price! So I'm glad I got mine already, and it's value has momentarily increased.

Things to Watch Out For:
Make sure you know where the joints are facing when you get this guy out of the box. You'll want to position arms and legs forward if need be and then you're good to go.

Overall - ***1/2
You will not find a better Superman Returns item in terms of quality. Medicom has one coming, but the body they're using has me turned off. If you are just looking for a traditional Superman, DC Direct's 13" monster is a good choice. I just wanted something I could really enjoy and display next to my Mego Chris Reeve Superman and say, "Wow, look how far this scale of action figure has come."

Where to Buy:
Like I mentioned earlier, many retailers were not able to fufill pre-orders and now have backordered the figure. I got mine through Action HQ.