Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not.
- Yoda, the Jedi Master; Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Hi guys,
With all those spectacular, grail like full size statues which are released on a very regular basis by more and more companies, it is easy to overlook the art, beauty and appeal of mini-busts.
They are much smaller than full size statues or PF’s, they do not have mixed media attributes or fancy light-up features and are, because of this, often considered to be less sexy and funky.
I think it’s would be fair to say that in general mini-busts are less popular and less sought after than their bigger polystone brothers and sisters.
In my humble opinion mini-busts deserve much better however. For starters much more known and less known comic book characters have been captured for the centuries to come in mini-bust format than as full size or Premium Format statues. Characterwise you have a much broader choice in mini-busts than you have when looking at the larger statues or busts.
Furthermore mini-busts are also much more practical and economical since they are (far) less expensive and demand far less real estate in your display room.
Just like there are real gems and grails amongst the bigger pieces, there are also treasures to be found amongst mini-busts and I think they can easily be a very important part of any collection and any display.
The way I see it, mini-busts have a lot going on for them and as such they deserve much more time in the spotlights.
The beauty is that this hobby should not, and fortunately also is not, only about the large legendary scale figures or premium format statues.
No, there is beauty and pure art to be found in mini-busts as well and a mini-bust can just as much be a proud part of someone's collection as a large piece can.
After all it's not the size of the piece but rather the quality and presence of the piece that matter, would not you agree?
That’s why I have decided to to start a series of reviews under the ‘BUSTed!’-moniker in which I will regularly review two or three mini-busts and in this second edition we will have a look at the Mini-Busts released by Bowen Designs of The Gladiator, Thor Battle Armor and The Mandarin!
I will try to focus mainly on the pictures and try to avoid long pieces of tekst. In my verdict I will not judge each mini-bust on its own but in comparison to the other two mini-busts also included in the review.
Alright then guys and girls, let’s go!
Have fun with the pics and please let me know which of these three mini-busts you think rules the most!
Background Information
-1.
Gladiator
Number: 733/2000
Sculpted by: Erick Sosa
Release Date: October 2006
Edition Size: 2000
Order Of Release: Phase III (bust #145)
Height: this bust is 6.5 inches tall
Kallark is a member of the Strontian race, and was born under Shi'ar rule. All Strontians are born with the capacity for great strength and various superpowers, but can only use them when they are completely devoted to a purpose. Fearing a Strontian rebellion, the Shi'ar emperor ordered Kallark, among other Strontians, to kill the Strontian elders. Only Kallark was devoted enough to carry out the order, and the others were killed when their wavering commitment rendered them weak. As a reward for his actions, Kallark was named the Praetor (leader) of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard.
The fiercely proud Gladiator is the leader, or praetor, of the Imperial Guard, a multi-ethnic group of super-powered alien beings who act as enforcers of the laws of the Shi'ar Empire. Gladiator was amongst the first of the Imperial Guard encountered by the team of superhuman mutant adventurers known as the X-Men who sought to rescue the Princess-Majestrix Lilandra from her insane brother, then-Majestor D'Ken. Following the orders of their emperor, the Guard clashed with the X-Men and were on the verge of winning when the band of interstellar freebooters known as the Starjammers arrived to turn the tide of battle in the X-Men's favor.
The Guard and the X-Men subsequently clashed once more when the Shi'ar sought to end the threat to the universe posed by the cosmic entity known as the Phoenix, which had assumed the form of X-Men member Jean Grey. As praetor of the Guard, Gladiator was an obvious choice to be one of eight Guardsmen chosen to battle the X-Men. The Guard defeated the X-Men on this occasion, but the mutants were allowed to return to Earth after Phoenix seemingly committed suicide.
Kallark has not always been an adversary however and he later aids the X-Men against several renegade Imperial Guardsmen serving a Shi'ar traitor, Lord Samedar.
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-2.
The Mighty Thor Battle Armor Edition
Number: 1654/3000
Sculpted by: The Kucharek Brothers
Release Date: May 2005
Edition Size: 3000
Order Of Release: Phase II (bust #105)
Height: this bust is approximately 8 inches tall
Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, is one of several powerful ancient beings who dwell in a magical realm called Asgard. Through history, these beings have been revered and worshiped as gods. Ages ago, Odin, lord of the Asgardian gods, desired a child who would one day exceed him in power. Odin wooed Gaea, the earth goddess, and from their union Thor was born in a small cave in Norway on Earth. Odin took him to be raised in Asgard by his wife, Frigga.
The young Thor grew up alongside his adopted brother Loki, the trickster, who was always jealous of his more favored sibling. Thor grew in power and popularity and on his eighth birthday, Odin had the hammer Mjolnir created for him, enchanting it with powerful magic. Odin decreed that Mjolnir would be presented to Thor when his son had been proven a worthy warrior. After spending the next eight years training and performing heroic deeds, Thor was given the hammer and declared the greatest warrior in Asgard.
Thor still lives on in our daily lives since his name is the origin of the weekday name Thursday.
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-3.
The Mandarin
Number: 159/1800
Sculpted by: Rick Force
Release Date: February 2007
Edition Size: 1800
Order Of Release: Phase III (bust #157)
Height: this bust is over 6.5 inches tall
The Mandarin's late father was one of the wealthiest men in pre-revolutionary mainland China (and a descendant of Genghis Khan), while his late mother was an English noblewoman. Their son was born in an unnamed village in mainland China before the Communist revolution. The boy's parents died soon after his birth, and he was raised by his (paternal) aunt, who was embittered against the world and raised him with much the same attitude. Every last bit of the family fortune was spent obsessively training the Mandarin in science and combat, with the result that he was penniless by adulthood. Without the wealth to pay the taxes on his ancestral home, the Mandarin was evicted by the government.
Hoping to find a means of avenging himself upon the civilization that had taxed him and rendered him homeless, the Mandarin explores the forbidden Valley of Spirits, where no one has dared to set foot for centuries.
There he finds the skeleton and starship of Axonn-Karr, an intelligent dragon-like alien from the planet Maklu IV, who had come to Earth centuries ago and died. Over the following years, the Mandarin studies Makluan science until he masters it. He also learns how to use the ten rings he found within the starship, which are apparently its propulsion source, among other things.
The ten rings which the Mandarin found have the following powers respectively: ice blast, mento-intensifier (hypnosis), electro blast, flame blast, white light, sonic blast, impact beam, vortex beam, disintegrator beam, black light.
The Mandarin uses his newfound power to become a conqueror. He subjugates the villages around the Valley, and through his advanced science, rapidly becomes a power that not even the Chinese Army can successfully challenge.
He then embarks on a long series of attempts to achieve world domination. The Chinese, though fearing him, ask for his help, but he will not become subservient to them.
The Mandarin sees technology as the surest means to achieve his goals. Over the years, he frequently attempts to turn the weapons of various nations against them. Among the Mandarin's earliest schemes is the sabotage and theft of American missiles and spy planes built by Tony Stark. To restore public confidence in his workmanship, Stark dons his Iron Man armor and flies to China to investigate.
Iron Man soon became the Mandarin's principle obstacle against his plans for world domination.
You will find my verdict about these three mini-busts shortly in post number 9 down below; for each of the four criteria I will mention one winner and also explain why the bust in question outranks the other two busts in this regard.
Have fun and get ready to rumble!
Rainer
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Nothing can stop The Juggernaut... NOTHING!
