This was previously posted in the Judge Death thread, but I have moved it here and adjusted the rating to be consistent with the StatueForum universal system.
Judge Death "Death Sentence Edition" Review
Well, I got my replacement Judge Death in recently, and I am happy to report that it arrived without any issues.
I'll admit that this one was a bit of an impulse buy. I don't know much about the character or the Dredd comics...well...at all really. I bought Dredd last year after watching the amazing Dredd 3D (if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and go buy a copy right now). I like to have a hero and his arch enemy in my collection, so when Death came up for PO, I jumped on it.
The packaging on the piece was good...almost too good. Each piece was wrapped in paper and foam, each of which was taped on. It was actually rather difficult and time consuming to get this guy unpacked. But, better safe than sorry, so kudos to PCS for doing their part to make sure this piece arrived at collector's doors damage free. I'm not going to bother describing the art on the box because, well, I generally don't give a **** what the box looks like...they all just get stored anyway.
The pose is...well...kind of ordinary, but hey, most statues are, I guess.
The regular edition comes with the open mouth portrait and one open hand for each arm. I got the Death Sentence Edition, which comes with two alternate switch out right hands (one is the impaled Judge helmet, and the other is the impaled gang member head) and one alternate head (mouth closed in a menacing grin). This piece definitely gets bonus points for the ability to customize your display in a number of ways.
I really like this piece. The details in the sculpt and the paint application turned out great, and this piece is definitely on par with the glorious Judge Dredd. The utility belt and belt buckle look amazing, the dragon on the shoulder (which is a separate piece) is very detailed, and the two exclusive hands have immense detail (the Judge helmet is all cracked where death's fingers poke through...amazing attention to detail!). The paint on Death's suit is a bit shinier and is a darker shade than Dredd's...I don't know if that is comic accurate, or if they should be the same. Other than the shade, I can't find a flaw in the paint anywhere on mine. Solid job there.
The one thing that holds this piece back, in my opinion, is the base. It's just kind of plain and boring looking. It kind of looks like he's standing on a big brown turd. Considering how much attention to detail they put into the figure itself, I think PCS could have put in a bit more effort to spice up the base, and make the piece even more visually appealing than it already is.
Overall, it's a very nice piece, and if you are a big fan of the Dredd universe, I imagine it's a must have. Even if you're like me and don't know much about the character, he'll look great on display in your collection. I'll be displaying mine with the closed mouth grin and the impaled Judge helmet.
Sculpt: 7.5/10
Great, great attention to detail on this figure. Death's emaciated figure, huge claws, and menacing grin all came out great. The base is lacking detail, though, and drags this score down. The figure is a 9/10, base is a 6/10.
Paint: 10/10
I honestly can't find a single flaw on mine. When reviewing the paint app on any other piece, "Is it is as good as Judge Death" is the question I will ask myself. This paint app is going to be my reference point for quality from now on.
Design: 7/10
The pose on this guy is kind of ho hum, and this is where this piece loses the 0.5 point. The likeness to Judge Death is spot on. The switch out parts give it several display options, and really make the piece shine. Figure is a 9.5/10.
The base is just rather bland and boring, though...could have been done MUCH better, especially when you consider the attention to detail on the figure. Again, the base is lowering this score. Base is a 4.5/10...I think PCS mailed it in on this base.
Production & Build Quality: 9/10
Solid cast, and surprisingly sturdy considering the thinly sculpted legs and arms. Pieces fit together nicely. Seems to be true to scale.
Overall, this piece gets a score of
8.4/10.
**April 10, 2014: Updated scoring based on new consensus rating system**
