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.
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.
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 mini-bust(s) also included in the review.
Alright then guys, let’s have a go at it!
Have fun with the pics and please let me know which of these three mini-busts you think rules the most!
Background Information
-1.
Hyperion
Number: 004/500
Sculpted by: John Cleary
Release Date: September 2009
Edition Size: 500
Order Of Release: Phase IV (bust #238)
Height: this bust is 6.5 inches tall
As the planet Earth within the Marvel Universe has seen the emergence of thousands of Super Heroes, so too have alternate Earths from other dimensions given rise to extraordinary beings whose powers exceed those of any human.
One of the foremost of these super powerful men is Hyperion (Real Name: Mark Milton), who hails from the other world known as Earth-712.
Found as a baby by a Mr. And Mrs. Milton, the infant was adopted and raised by the kindly couple, and given the name Mark. As the lad grew, it became evident that he was no normal all-American boy. Among the powers and abilities that Mark developed was vast superhuman strength, as well as the ability to levitate and, via his atomic vision, to emit eyebeams of intense heat/energy up to 12,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Calling himself after a mighty sun-based titan of Greek mythology, Hyperion (First Appearance: The Avengers #85, February 1971) later joined forces with a group of other super-beings in his world – among them Power Princess and Doctor Spectrum – whereupon the mighty Squadron Supreme was formed.
As a hero, Hyperion drew from the teachings of his adoptive parents by using his great gifts for the betterment of mankind, while at the same time allowing humanity to find their own way.
The moral dilemma was put to the test in perhaps Hyperion’s greatest adventure, the epic recounted in the landmark Squadron Supreme mini-series. After many thrilling battles, both on the physical field as well as in the philosophical realm, Hyperion and the rest of his team dedicated themselves to fighting for the cause of freedom for all peoples, and to champion anyone under the wicked yoke of oppression.
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-2.
Kang the Conqueror
Number: 201/2000
Sculpted by: Mark Newman
Release Date: December 2006
Edition Size: 2000
Order Of Release: Phase III (bust #150)
Heigth: this bust is 7.5 inches tall
Kang is an expert in travel through and manipulation of time, and has mastered his future's advanced technology. He is an expert strategist, a veteran of armed and unarmed combat, and has an indomitable will to succeed through struggle.
Kang is over 70 years old chronologically, but has managed to stop his aging completely using his far-flung futuristic technology. Thus he appears to be a man in his mid-40s.
Though it is hard to gauge Kang's intellect given his futuristic origins, his genius is nothing short of super-human by modern standards. He commands technology beyond the most sophisticated designs of Stark Industries and Doctor Doom, and has made breakthroughs in time travel and robotics. Kang is the only known time traveler (other than his counterpart Immortus) who has the ability to travel through time without creating divergences.
Kang is a brilliant military tactician and a peerless general. Using his considerable charisma, Kang was able to raise an army and conqueror his first world within weeks of building his armor. He has conquered everything within 100 light years from Other Earth, including the counterpart Badoon and Shi'ar empires of his reality. Though he considers it a chore, Kang is also a capable statesman.
Kang is a master of both armed and unarmed combat.
He has managed to go toe-to-toe with Captain America, and single handedly held back Immortus's time-tossed army for several minutes during the Destiny War.
Through sheer force of will, Kang managed to separate himself from his future counterpart Immortus. Kang is absolutely fearless, and will stop at nothing to accomplish his own goals.
Kang typically carries various weapons, such as an anti-matter defense screen generator, a "vibration-ray" projector, an electromagnetic field-amplifier, neutrino-ray warheaded missile launcher (hand-gun size), electrical paralysis generator, nerve gas sprayer, and a molecular expander. Kang commands a vast armada of warriors from across the galaxy of his future era. He uses numerous robots, most notably his Growing-Man stimuloids, packed with the "Growth Pollen" of the world Kosmos, which causes them to grow in size and strength by absorbing kinetic energy.
Kang's primary base in 40th-century Other Earth is the Center, but he also maintains a secret dwelling in the realm known only as Purgatory, as well as strongholds in various alternate realties. His former base Chronopolis, powered by the Heart of Forever, served as a crossroads into virtually every era in human history, but lay just out of phase with the timestream and was therefore undetectable. Its palace and inhabitants were unaffected by temporal divergence or the passage of time. Kang formerly employed a 20' long space-worthy vehicle housing his time machine, which could reach all eras of all timelines by accessing the transtemporal realm of Limbo. Kang has used a number of other vessels, such as his Sphinx ship and Damocles Base, an immense sword-shaped orbiting headquarters.
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-3.
Tiger Shark
Number: 173/1500
Sculpted by: The Kucharek brothers & Randy Bowen
Release Date: March 2008
Edition Size: 1500
Order Of Release: Phase III (bust #200)
Heighth: this bust is 8 inches tall
A champion Olympic swimmer, Todd Arliss earned nearly half million dollars in advances for public exhibitions, but his dreams came crashing down around him when he injured his back and legs while rescuing a man who had fallen overboard from a private craft. He was told that he would never be able to swim again, so he spent his fortune in seeking any kind of medical help. Dr. Lemuel Dorcas promised Arliss he could help, and, despite the pleas of his sister, Diane, Todd agreed. As part of the process, Dorcas hoped to use his "morphotron," which could imprint the genetic pattern of an animal onto a human. In seeking tiger sharks to use on Todd Arliss, Dorcas accidentally captured the Sub-Mariner as well, and Namor’s genetic pattern was transformed as well as the sharks’, transforming Todd into a superhuman, amphibious creature with shark-like abilities.
Dorcas, a criminally-motivated marine biologist, gave Todd the costume and codename of Tiger Shark, hoping to use him in his own criminal ambitions. Tiger Shark, however, had other ideas. Even though he was weak from the morphotron, he bested the Sub-Mariner and escaped for the open sea.
As Tiger Shark, Todd now possessed the same superhuman strength, stamina, water speed and durability as Namor, although he must be immersed in water to achieve his full strength; on land, he must wear his special costume containing a water circulation system which bathes him with a thin layer of water, to retain his strength.
Tiger Shark also possesses an innate hunting instinct inherited from his shark genes, as once he locks onto prey he cannot stop tracking it until it has been captured or he has been forcibly repulsed. He has the ability to survive indefinitely underwater, and has gills on his cheeks and razor-sharp pointed adamantium teeth.
His augmented fish can withstand the pressure of the deep ocean and therefore other forms of damage. His skin is particuarly resistant against cold. He possesses superhuman strength and endurance and can swim up to 60 miles per hour.
More recently, Tiger Shark’s body has mutated further into a monstrous form, heightening his superhuman strength and speed.
You can find my verdict about these three mini-busts in post number 7 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.
Get ready to rumble!
Rainer
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Nothing can stop The Juggernaut... NOTHING!
