Daredevil Life Sized Bust
by Sideshow Collectibles
Product Size: 23" H (584.2mm) x 14" W (355.6mm) x 10" D (254mm)*
Product Weight: about 9 lbs.
Artists: Mike Najera (Paint), Armen Balyan (Sculpt), David Igo (Design), The Sideshow Collectibles Design and Development Team
Originally Released: October 2012
Manufactured By: Sideshow Collectibles
Edition Size: 500
I will admit off that bat that I am not much of a bust collector, but, being one of my favourite characters, this piece here intrigued me from day 1. But, being a bust, I passed on this piece initially. However, years later, I finally succumbed to the appeal, and picked up my one and only life sized bust: the Man Without Fear…Daredevil!
Sculpt: 9.5/10
Sculpt-wise, this piece is top notch. This bust has incredibly detailed and lifelike facial features. They gave him a very distinctive cleft chin, which I have read some people dislike, but it is a very prominent feature in people when you start looking around for it (including Ben Affleck, who of course played the role of Matt Murdock/Daredevil in the 2003 movie). The furrowed brow and forehead, strong jaw line, and the prominent neck muscles really make ole horn head appear like a man not to be messed with. The suite is also very realistic, with the sculpted stitching on all the seams, the leather-like finish, subtle folds and stretched material on the chest and mask, and of course the embossed double D logo on the chest.
Paint: 7.5/10
The paint is very well executed with no signs of paint bleeding, even around the edges of the mask opening. The skin tones are very pleasing with very subtle shading, and a slightly different color used on the lips. At the 1:1 scale it’s tough to achieve a true lifelike paint application, and I would say this piece is no different. One thing that typically throws me off of busts is the eyes, as they often just do not look life-like enough. But, no problem with that here, as DD’s eyes are of course covered by his mask (yet he still looks like he could be staring you down!). The suit is nothing spectacular, although being a single color, Daredevil’s suit is one that does not usually translate well to statues. There is a nice usage of shading throughout, though. As I said, there are very few, if any, mistakes with the paint, but there is nothing here that will really wow you (again,perhaps that says more about the single color of the suit).
Design: 7.5/10
Being a bust, there is not a ton to discuss for this category. I like that they went with the previously mentioned cleft chin, as it is fairly prominent, especially in actors that play super heroes (Henry Cavill is another example). The seams and details on the mask are features that do not typically get drawn in the Daredevil comics, but add some realism to the piece.
Production & Build Quality: 6.5/10
The statue comes as essentially one piece; however, the “Daredevil” name plate is a separate piece that connects to the front of the base with a magnet. The bust is extremely light, though. Like, very light…you’ll have to be careful not to toss it over your shoulder accidentally when you pick it up (“Kick his ass, Seabass!”…I always think of that classic scene whenever I move this piece). There is always the adage that you can’t tell how much it weighs as it’s sitting up on a shelf, and it’s true to an extent, but as collectors, we can just feel it in our guts, can’t we? A few extra pounds would have went a long way to making this look AND feel like a high quality item.
Overall: 7.75
At the end of the day, the Daredevil Life Sized Bust has a tremendous sculpt and a quality paint application. Daredevil, and Marvel fans in general, should be pleased to include this one in their collections. However, if weight is a big issue to you, you’ve been warned as this one probably doesn’t even reach double digits on the scale.