Venom 1/4 Scale Statue
by XM Studios
Released: May 2017
Edition Size: 999
Product Size: 23" H x 23" W x 18" D
Product Weight: approx. 33 lbs.
Design Team: Alejandro Pereira Ezcurra (Sculpt), Studio HIVE (concept), XM Studios Design and Development Team
Original Retail Price: $950 SGD plus shipping
Please watch the video review HERE
Venom Fun Facts:
Real Name: Eddie Brock
Height: 6'3" as Brock, variable as Venom
Weight: 230 lbs. as Brock, variable as Venom
Eyes: Blue as Brock, white as Venom
Hair: Reddish blonde as Brock, No hair as Venom
First Appearance: As Brock: Web of Spider-Man 18 (Sept 1986), as Venom: Amazing Spider-Man # 299 (April 1988), first full appearance Amazing Spider-Man 300 (May 1988...this is the one worth all the $$$)
Trivia:
The famous alien symbiote has bonded to many hosts throughout the years. Most famously, Peter Parker (aka Spider-Man) and Eddie Brock served as its original hosts in the comic books, but it was recently revealed than none other than Deadpool was the symbiote's first human host...yes, Deadpool,
Other hosts include Anne Weying (Eddie Brock's ex-wife), Angelo Fortunato (a mob boss' son, only briefly carried the symbiote), Mac Gargan (aka the Scorpion), Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel), Groot, Samson (a German Shepherd dog), Red Hulk, a gorilla, Otto Octavius (aka Dr. Octopus), Flash Thompson, Rocket Raccoon, Drax, Mercurio, and most recently, Lee Price.
Sculpt: 9.5 / 10
Alejandro Pereira Ezcurra has been sculpting for XM since the very beginnings of the company. His XM resume includes Hulk, Hawkeye, Thanos, Dr. Strange, Kraven, Medusa, Cable, and now we can add Venom to the list.
Alejandro has really done a great job with this popular Spidey villain, giving him that bulky muscular body type which helps create a very menacing appearance. The outstretched arms and the slightly hunched shoulders really give the impression that an attack is imminent.
All three portraits are very well done. The modern portrait with the long tongue, although perhaps slightly too thin for the hulking body, should satisfy collectors that prefer the "tongue out" look. The unmasked portrait is, in fact, a mid transformation representation...it really is creepy (in a good way) in person. Maybe the one knock on the Brock portrait is the angle, as he is really looking more noticeably downward than the other two portraits, making it necessary to display this portrait up on a higher shelf. The crown jewel of the piece for me personally, though, is the third, Todd McFarlane inspired portrait. For me, this is the look that I prefer on Venom, more of an origin style where Venom is more simply a larger version of Spider-Man with a mouth (rather than a slobbering alien with teeth jutting out all over the place...nothing wrong with that look, just not my preference). This classic portrait really captures that more subdued, yet incredibly sinister appearance from the early Venom comic appearances.
The one area I see for improvement on this sculpt is the spider logo on the suit. The spider-s body is a bit too elongated and the legs are quite thin and don't quite have the right pattern to them based on what is typically shown in the comics. The logo looks ok in person and doesn't detract too much from the amazing presence of the piece, but a more comic accurate logo could have elevated this to a 10/10 score.
Paint & Mixed Media: 9.5 / 10
Another incredibly clean paint application from XM Studios. Nice clean lines between the white and black areas on the suit, teeth have a slightly grungy look, the mouths have a nice we/glossy finish, and the body has just the right amount of blue highlights mixed in for a comic book feel. There are glossy black lines running over the body, to help give that "it's alive!" feel to the symbiote suit. Again, nice clean application to these lines, with no gloss spilling out onto the body where it shouldn't. The lighter colours on the base really help the Venom figure to stand out.
Design: 10 / 10
One of the Venom symbiote's weaknesses is sound and vibration, thus the clock tower base represents this weakness...and the fact we see Venom emerging above the ruined clock tower shows his great strength in overcoming this vulnerability. As mentioned above, the pose has a very menacing feel about it. The statue was adjusted slightly from its originally intended position (he was initially lunging forward much more drastically), and this adjustment was enough to give the statue a more slow and methodical look, compared to a desperate lunge.
The "baby Venoms" on the base may not be for everyone, which is why it's great that they are optional. XM included a small plug for one of the holes that would be left behind when removing the baby Venom on his right, and the hole left behind by the baby Venom on the left (on the large gear) is so miniscule and well hidden that you will never notice it. The versatility of display options for the base is welcomed.
The overwhelming size of Venom himself is really going to please a lot of fans of the character. I believe one of the key character traits of Venom is the absolute size advantage he has over Spider-Man, and this piece definitely has that.
Production & Build Quality: 10 / 10
XM quality is always top notch, and this statue is no different. The statue itself is fairly easy to assemble. The body, aside from the heads, is one piece and fits nicely onto the base with a metal rod under the right foot. Each had secures into place with a strong magnet connection. The base is also largely one piece; however, the two gears, the large upstanding clock face shard at the back, and of course the two baby Venoms are all separate pieces.
The statue has a high quality, weighty feel to it, weighing in at a little over 30 lbs. Although the statue has great size, the actual footprint of the base is relatively small compared to other XM pieces, such as the Lizard. The base size is welcomed because it fits nicely and completely onto my display shelves, and should fit nicely on yours (although it likely will not fit into the ever popular Besta with closed doors).
Of course, packaging is top notch. The statue comes very well protected in it's "bulletproof" box. Included in the box is the assembly guide (which includes registration information at the back, and the packing layout for the various pieces) and a great art print from Studio HIVE.
Overall: 9.8 / 10
Despite a few areas for improvement (notably the spider logo), this statue is truly a great representation to this fan favourite villain. It's massive size, incredible muscle detail, three unique portrait options, and quality paint is sure to please all future owners of this piece. I highly recommend this piece to all Venom fans.
