Daredevil Premium Format Figure
by Sideshow Collectibles
Released: November 2015
Edition Size: 1000
Product Size: 17" H x 12" W x 11.5" D
Product Weight: approx. 12 lbs.
Design Team: Kris Anka (Design), Andy Bergholtz (Sculpt), Scott Whitworth (Mold & Cast), Chadwick Andersen (Mold & Cast), Kat Sapene (Paint), Bernardo Esquivel (Paint), Brayton Carpenter (Costume Fabrication), The Sideshow Collectibles Design and Development Team
Please watch the video review HERE
Daredevil Fun Facts:
Real Name: Matthew Michael Murdock
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 200 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Red
First Appearance: Daredevil 1 (April 1964)
Powers: Matt lost his eyesight in a childhood accident...but, that same accident caused his remaining senses to become heightened to superhuman levels. Daredevil is an elite level gymnast and athlete, and he is trained to ninja level fighting skills.
Sculpt: 8.5 / 10
There are a lot of things to like about the sculpt on this piece. The physique is very fitting for the character...a big strong upper body and athletic looking lower body. I did not like the face in the product photos, but in hand I have changed my mind and I do now think it looks very nice. the texture on the shirt and pants adds some pizazz, and the boots and gloves have a very nice leather texture.
The base is simple, but well sculpted. The broken remnants of Lady Justice does look like an old marble/granite statue.
The scale of the statue seems to be on point. Daredevil is listed at a modest (for a superhero) 6'0" tall...he is more of an athlete than a tank...and the size of the statue seems appropriate. The semi-crouched pose will fool some people into thinking he is too small, but that really is not the case. He will look fine next to other true 1/4 scale pieces.
My biggest complaint in the sculpt department is the size of the billy clubs. They are just way too small...Daredevil could not effectively use these in hand to hand combat. More care and attention should have been paid to these iconic weapons. The term "chopsticks has been thrown around, and that really is a fair criticism of this statue.
Paint: 8.5 / 10
As far as paint goes, the piece pretty much came out looking exactly like the prototype. Daredevil's red suit is kind of a double edged sword...on one hand, it's pretty tough to screw up...on the other hand, it's tough to make it look really good. They did add some darker shading to accentuate the muscles, and shading around the eyes really helps them pop. The paint on the base is pretty generic...it does what it's supposed to do, though (i.e. make the base look like a broken stone statue). So, the paint is very simple on this statue, but overall, it is totally acceptable.
Design: 7.0 / 10
Ok, so this is the areas where this category seems to draw the most criticism. Many people simply cannot accept the pose. Sideshow's concept for this piece is that he is "charging forth to defend a broken justice system"...a very fitting concept for a lawyer-by-day, vigilante-by-night character.
However, Daredevil is known for his aerial gymnastic skills. He spends much of his time combing the rooftops, jumping off buildings, and swinging through the air with his signature billy clubs...and literally none of those things are depicted here. This statue was seemingly in development for ages, so upon full reveal, there was a general sense of, "That's it? That's the best you could come up with?" And, I understand these complaints.
That said, there is a lot of character symbolism embedded in the overall concept. I mentioned above that he is "defending the justice system". We've all heard the saying, "justice is blind", so the Justice statue certainly alludes to perhaps Matt Murdock's single biggest defining trait, his blindness. The justice statue also represents the fact that Matt Murdock is a lawyer. The running pose is really a combination of the standard museum pose and a full on dynamic alternative, and therefore accomplishes two things: it lets us see his athleticism while still allowing the iconic costume to shine.
My biggest gripe with the statue has nothing to do with the pose or the base, however (while admittedly not what I had anticipated, I find both to be completely acceptable). It's the fact that there are no switch-out parts, which quite simply, feels lazy. Easily there could have been a swap out set of hands, each holding a billy club with a posable wire joining them. Imagine how cool this would look with the classic internal cable looped around his body in unique ways...sigh, what could have been.
Production & Build Quality: 5.0 / 10
As soon as this statue was revealed, there was a lot of concern over potential leaning issues. I cannot honestly say at this time whether or not the statue will lean, but I can say that the assembly feels surprisingly sturdy. I honestly was expecting it to wobble in the base, but that really is not the case at all. The foot peg is quite a bit larger than a "normal" peg, probably around double the typical size. The statue has a weighty feel to it as well, which I honestly was not expecting. It feels like a high quality statue overall.
**EDIT (Feb 2016): With the revelation that Sideshow did not provide any reinforcing through the left foot and leg, I have revised the score in this category. Very poor, cost-cutting measure from Sideshow, and I am extremely disappointed.**
The statue comes in three pieces: the base, the body, and the head. The box itself is quite compact, which is a blessing for collectors like myself that are running out of box storage space!
Overall: 7.25 / 10
Although the statue definitely has some cons (tiny billy clubs, no switch out options, a non-iconic pose for the character), the overall product is quite good. It has a sturdy, weighty feel to it, the paint is consistent with the advertised prototype, and there is a lot of appropriate symbolism within the concept. Daredevil fans most certainly should be pleased, and even some of the heavy critics may come around if they were to see it in person. This statue is definitely one of those "must see for yourself" pieces...I truly was surprised with how much I liked it after I opened it up...and I was one of the seemingly few that actually liked it from day 1. I definitely recommend this statue to anyone looking to add a 1/4 scale Daredevil piece to their collection.
**EDIT: While I still love the statue, I can't help but feel the need to warn potential buyers that there is no reinforcing in the foot that holds up the statue. Beautiful piece, but there is a definite risk of the statue falling over in time.**
