Review of Deathstroke - ArtFX statue

Introduction

Regular readers know I'm not a huge fan of the New 52 designs overall, but there are some that are very nice. One that I think has maintained enough of the original look with a modern twist is Deathstroke, the mercenary of the DC Universe.

His popularity is helped a bit right now with the regular appearance of Deadshot, wearing an awful Deathstroke-like outfit, on the tv show Arrow. If you're watching Agents of SHIELD, and are lamenting the lack of a really good comic book show on television right now, then you are clearly not watching Arrow. Give it a view if you can - it's a much better take on a classic character.

Kotobukiya's ArtFX statues have always been a favorite, with their excellent quality and cool designs. The scale helps too, coming in around 1/7th to 1/6th, making them larger than a lot of other statue lines.

Deathstroke isn't shipping quite yet - this is a bit of an early review. He should be at retailers in the next couple weeks, and will run you right around $100.

Packaging - ****
Kotobukiya uses different boxes for their ArtFX line - sometimes there's no window, sometimes there is. This is one of those times where there is, probably because there's not a lot of assembly necessary with this release. Other statues often require assembly, but there's only four pieces here, so using the window allows you to see what you're getting in advance.

The graphics are excellent as well, and boxes like this work well for MIBers who want to store it. It's also completely collector friendly, with no need to damage either the box or the interior trays in getting the figure out.

Sculpting - ****
This is a terrific looking statue, a great combination of a sharply defined sculpt and excellent design.

Deathstroke is 1/6th, coming in at 12" in the crouch and with the base, and because he's made from a very solid plastic, he has lots of nice heft. There's no real assembly, unlike some of the ArtFX statues, and all you have to do is put the figure on the base, the sword in his hand (the pommel pops off to make that easy), and the mask on his face.

Speaking of his face, that's a big drawing point here. Slade's portrait is grizzled and harsh, with a weary determination. There's a lot of small detail work in the skin texture and the hair strands, and a nice realism to the eyes.

The masked look is great as well, and the mask is held in place with a small magnet at the top. You can remove the mask pretty easily, and the magnet is nice and tight. I do wish they had painted the magnet though, since removing the mask completely exposes it. However, you can carefully place the mask on top of his head as though it's been pulled up, and still see the face. I included photos all three ways.

I love the designed pose too, although some people may complain that the position of the sword tends to hide the cool face, masked or not. I like the dynamic look though, a ready pose that says "you're about to die".

The base is interesting, with the name in raised chrome letters. You'll definitely remember his name.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint operations are clean and sharp, with almost no slop and almost no fuzzy cut lines.

The bight colors of the suit really makes him stand out on the shelf, but it doesn't look silly of goofy. They are muted just enough to still look like a deadly killer, not a clown.

I think the work on the eyes, lips and skin tone are particularly good, but the clean, crisp look on the uniform shouldn't be overlooked.

My one complaint is with the hair, where the hairline is a little sloppy, and the wash used to bring out the details is a little weak. But that's a minor nit in an otherwise excellent job.

Value - **1/2
You'll pay about $100 for this statue, and compared to other similar releases out there (like the DC Comics Bomb Shells), and you'll see that the price is pretty much in line, but this statue is slightly bigger in size. For me, that makes this an average value. It's also worth noting that the ArtFX statues have been in this price range for a very long time now.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***1/2
While the ArtFX statues could never be considered 'cheap', they are on the lower end of the price range for what truly are high end quality collectibles. The sculpting and paint are top notch, and they have a consistent quality from release to release.

It all comes down to the character and design. If you're a Deathstroke fan, then this is right up your alley. The design has a dynamic feel, without being silly, and it impresses you with the characters personality and attitude. Fortunately for Deathstroke, his costume didn't get trampled on too much with the New 52 reboot, and this statue is a fantastic representation of his modern look.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ****
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth comes in at $105.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
If you're a fan of the character, but prefer your figures smaller, check out the DCUC version.

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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