Packaging - ****
Hot Toys continues to amaze with their cool packaging designs. This time what could be a rather basic shoe box stye is enhanced with the black spider on the chest. This is actually a separate piece, giving the box a three dimensional aspect. It's glued on tight, but you will want to be careful handling it to avoid snagging the edge on something and damaging it.

Inside, there's a cardboard flap with info that covers the interior trays. The trays hold all the goodies in place tightly and require no cutting, tearing, or general mayhem to get the figure and accessories out.

Sculpting - ***1/2
There's not a ton of sculpting here, since there isn't a specific portrait of an actor. That's always been Hot Toys strong suit, of course.

Instead, there are the hands, all done well but in that slightly oversized scale that is standard for the Hot Toys body, the large hunk of masonry with a rather basic sculpt, and the underlying head that forms the base on which the mask rests.

The underlying head shows very little nose or chin through the costume. In the film, the nose was pretty well smooshed down, but there was still at least a little shadow. Here the bump is almost lost.

That isn't a huge issue for me though, since it's close to the film representation and is probably as good as you can make it in this scale. The chin bugs me a bit more, because it's also quite hidden, especially in person. You can create enough of a shadow in photos to make the chin clear, but in hand you notice how small it really is.

Again, this is a real costume and not some painted on comic art, so getting the chin and jawline extremely well defined is simply not possible. Still, I would have liked to have seen something slightly more Leno-esque underneath so that covered it looked more natural.

Paint - ***
There's not a ton of paint here, since the costume covers the entire body. There's some work on the hands of course, and that's clean enough. There's also the work on the large hunk of building, but I have to say that the air brushing here doesn't create quite as realistic effect as we usually get from Hot Toys.

Articulation - ***1/2
The underlying body might have a couple proportion issues, but it doesn't have any articulation issues.

This body has very buff arms and legs, but is slightly shorter than the standard characters. He's bigger than someone like Bruce Lee, but shorter than the Joker, for example. I've included a shot with both figures to give you some idea.

This scale approximation works alright, especially in terms of the characters height. He does seem a little buff for Spidey, at least to me, but your mileage may vary.

The only real reason this body loses the half star is because of the restrictions caused by the outfit. The soft rubbery webbing is very cool, but the instructions do warn that excessive angles at the joints could result in damage. I don't know how easy it would be to tear the webbing loose from the cloth, but I don't really want to find out.

Accessories - ***
Spider-Man doesn't have a belt of toys like Batman does, making it a bit harder for Hot Toys to add relevant extras. And yet, they manage to fill the plastic tray nicely.

His best addition is the extra hands. There are five full sets in total: he comes wearing an open relaxed set, and there are four more sets in the box. These include fists, a web shooting pair, a gesturing or grasping pair, and a pair that are designed to grip the included plastic webbing.

There are 7 pieces of thin, translucent plastic webbing. Three pieces have small black circles attached at one end. These circles fit over the wrist pegs (or more accurately, the pegs fit through them), holding them in place on his hands. The two that have rounded tips work pretty well, but the third has an opening web at the end and is very heavy. It droops because of this, ruining the look.

The other four pieces are designed to work with the tight gripping hands. The instructions say to place the small piece inside a hole at the underside of the fingers, and insert the longer piece on the top side, near the thumb. While I was able to get the small piece to fit in the hole on the bottom, I simply couldn't find the proper spot near the thumb, try as I might. I can see no hole there, so either a) mine is missing the holes or b) the paint filled them in. I was able to get the fingers to hold the longer piece for a photo, but it's not something that would work for a longer term display.

Even if you do have the holes, the longer pieces are likely to wilt as well. If you get creative, you'll be able to use these with your display, but it's going to take a little work to attach them in a way that doesn't weaken and droop over time.

They included extra pegs for the wrists, as well as extra black rings for the web strands.

Of course, there's the standard display base for those looking for consistency, but you won't need it unless you live in an earthquake zone.

For those not using it, there's a hunk of architecture that comes in two pieces. Pop them together and you have an outcropping for him to pose upon. The paint work isn't quite up to the usual Hot Toys standard though, and the sculpt is fairly basic.

Outfit - ****
The costume is the most important aspect of this figure, and it is wisely where Hot Toys spent most of their effort.

This is not a costume you'll be removing, since it is sewn in place. The stitching is quality work, and very sturdy, necessary to maintain the tight fit.

The colors are bright and clean, and the tailoring is the usual high quality. But what makes this outfit truly standout is the exceptional rubber webbing on the red sections.

This fine rubber makes up both the webbing and the spider symbol, and is tightly affixed the the underlying material. It gives a depth and definition to the outfit that simply can't be obtained with any sort of printed pattern, and sets this figure apart from all the others. This is the sort of realism that Hot Toy is known for, 

There is reason for concern though, at least in terms of long term wear and tear. Hot Toys has had issues with some recent figures and rubber deterioration, most notably on the Comedian, and worries that this fine, spidery material could degrade over time are not unreasonable. How long the webbing will remain affixed to the fabric is also a concern, especially around the boots and neck where it's going to be twisted the most in just about any pose.

Only time will tell if these things are an issue however. Right out of the box I didn't have any trouble at all, and the webbing is not loose or detached anywhere so far.

Another aspect of the costume well worth noting is the reflective eyes. Considering the scale, I'm amazed at how well the bug-like lens match the movie version. Again, using separate materials for them, and such high quality materials at that, adds a tremendous amount of realism to the overall look of the figure.

Fun Factor - ***
You'll have fun with this guy, but remember that the rubbery webbing can get damaged. If you're looking for a Spider-Man for your eight year old, this is not the one to go for.

Value - ***
Most Hot Toys figures are edging up to $200 these days, so when you can snag one in the sub-$150 range, you're getting a pretty good deal. While I'm not sold on all the accessories, the outfit is outstanding and the overall figure is well worth the original price tag.

Things to Watch Out For -
Pay attention to the restrictions mentioned on the instructions - be careful with bending the ankles at too great an angle, and take care handling the rubber webbing on the suit.

Also be extra careful putting the plastic webbing into the intended hands. Even when the holes are there, the fit is quite tight and the strands are easy to break.

Overall - ***1/2
I waffled around a bit on this score, largely because of the annoying plastic webs. I didn't find them particularly useful, and trying to create good poses with them was simply frustrating.

In fact, I almost dropped it down to three stars, but the outfit is really outstanding, and putting him on top of the outcropping in a battle ready pose looks great. I'll be skipping the web strands in my display, but they aren't really necessary for a very cool set up.

I was going to go for the classic poster pose in one of my shots, but two things held me back: he was in the black costume in that pose, and I was concerned that bending the ankles that far just might pop the webbing loose.

The instructions warn you not to over do it with the ankles (as well as the arms and torso), and it's plain that enough bending back and forth could have an effect. Hopefully any concerns that the outfit will have problems down the road will prove to be unfounded.

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

Where to Buy -
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Capstone Comics still has their pre-order up for Spidey at just $135, but I'd hurry if I were you. He's disappearing fast!

- Sideshow originally had Spider-Man for $150, but you have to get on the wait list now. The Goblin is still available at $170.

- Alter Ego Comics doesn't have the man himself, but they do have the Hot Toys Green Goblin for $153.

- Fanboy Collectibles ... yep, no Spider-Man, but Goblin is $153.

- Things From Another World is also sans Spidey, but has Goblin for $153.

- Big Bad Toy Store is sold out of Spiderman, but has Goblin at $155.

- Super Power Collectibles has Goblin at $162, no Spidey.

- Urban Collector is in the same situation, but Goblin is $170. Seeing a pattern here?

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've reviewed dozens of Spidey related goodies over the years, but when it comes to the third film there wasn't quite as much. I did look at the Hasbro versions of Spidey and Venom, and if you're looking for something else in the 12" scale, there's the Medicom 'symbiote' version as well. And one of the best spideys ever produced was the 18" version from Toybiz, but don't forget the cool room guards as well.

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