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Old 11-20-2016, 01:10 AM   #1
Bmutha
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XM Studios Mysterio Review

Mysterio 1/4 Scale Statue
by XM Studios



Released: November2016
Edition Size: 800
Product Size: 26" H x 16" W x 14" D
Product Weight: approx. 30 lbs.
Design Team: Studio HIVE (Design and Concept), Marthin Agusta (Sculpt), XM Studios Design and Development Team
Original Retail Price: $890 SGD plus shipping

Please watch the video review HERE

Mysterio Fun Facts:
Real Name: Quentin Beck
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 175 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Typically bald
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #13 (June 1964)
Trivia:
Mysterio has no real super powers, but as a former Hollywood special effects wizard, he is a master of make-up, disguise, special effects, illusions, and also an accomplished actor...he has the ability to mess with your mind and make you think he has amazing power! Some of his tricks include smoke ejectors in his boots to help him appear or disappear in thin air, he can shoot specially formulated acid from his gauntlets to dissolve Spider-Man's webs (making it seem as though they disappear at the wave of a hand), and he has spring loaded boots that make it seam as though he can leap great distances. Mysterio has also been known to hire out of work actors to help with his elaborate schemes. Couple that with his master disguises, and you never really know who or what is real or not when battling Mysterio.

I really believe with good writers, Mysterio would make an excellent movie villain...could be a real 'psychological' thriller!


**Stay tuned for a write-up...for now, please watch the video review at the link posted above.**

Sculpt: 9.5 / 10

Marthin Agusta, whom also sculpted the XM Wolverine, did a great job on this piece. Mysterio has a great, muscular physique without having an unrealistic amount of muscle definition. Smoke is a very difficult thing to replicate in a sculpture, but the smoke on this piece is fairly pleasing.

The cape seems to be a love or hate thing with some collectors. It does have a great billowy look to it; however, some added texture or additional folds/wrinkles would have been welcome. Overall, though, I have no major complaints about the cape.

Marthin did a really nice job with the unmasked portrait...probably one of the better human portraits on an XM piece. The one problem with the unmasked that I have is that I probably will never use it! Let's face it, this is Mysterio, the fish bowl is just too iconic not to display.

Despite a relatively small base footprint, the piece is deceptively large. The height and the billowing cape add a ton of presence...this statue looks great on display.

Paint & Mixed Media: 9.0 / 10

Nothing to complain about in the paint department. Highlights/shading on the body are fairly subdued, but the typical clean lines you would expect from an XM piece are present here. Perhaps the cape could have used some additional shading and a bit more of a reddish hue to the purple to more closely match the classic comic book look, but those are nitpicky things. The smoke has a purple/gray hue to it, giving it a bit of an artificial smoke look to it...which is fitting for the character since he creates the smoke himself...a dark grey/black smoke look would not have worked here.

Colours throughout the statue are generally crisp and vibrant...overall a very solid paint job.

Design: 10 / 10

Although a fairly simple on the face of things, the concept for this piece is totally suitable for the character. One of Mysterio's tricks is appearing or disappearing spontaneously in a cloud of smoke, and that is exactly what I envision happening here with the swirling smoke. Imagine going about your daily business, and BAM! out of nowhere appears this dude in a crazy costume...I think this statue captures that moment perfectly.

As XM typically does, they have modernized the suit with their own original take. However, there are still enough classic elements drawn in to the design to give it that nostalgic feel. The boxy gauntlets with the clamshell pattern, for example, are straight up classic. The diamond pattern on the body is a nod to the typical square/checkerboard pattern from the old-school comics. Gold accents are added throughout to give Mysterio more of a regal feel that really suits the character. Of course, there is also the switch-out skull portrait, which gives the illusion of smoke inside the dome forming a menacing skull...a very cool idea.

The concept and design on this Mysterio statue are what put it over the top for me.

Production & Build Quality: 9.0 / 10

Generally, this statue has the "XM quality" feel to it...big, heavy, superb packaging. Parts fit securely with either metal rods or magnets. Note that there is a printout included in the box with assembly instructions that indicate to assemble the smoke trails on the base first, then place the body onto the base, then the cape. I had trouble doing it this way because the cape wraps under the smoke trails...it's doable, but fairly tricky to pull off. Fellow SF ember Loricstone has suggested putting the body and cape onto the base first, then working the smoke trails into place. This method seems like a really great idea, although I have not tried it myself. The cape does slightly touch the smoke in a few areas, so be careful not to scratch the cape when installing it.

There are a few locations where the two smoke trails are intended to touch each other, and similarly there is a spot where the bottom of the cape is intended to touch the back of the base. In these locations there are thin, white rubber pads to help prevent scratching. A great idea, but initially I thought my smoke was broken as these pads have the look of broken polystone! So, be mindful of these pads as you unbox the piece,

There has been some noted variation in clarity on the "skull dome" portraits. Some pieces have good clarity, others are fairly "frosty", partially obscuring the skull. As of now, it's too early to know how many statues are affected...but, it's still somewhat a matter of personal preference...you may prefer a smokier look to the skull portrait.

Overall: 9.4 / 10

The XM Studios Mysterio statue is a fantastic representation of the classic Spider-Man villain. Thankfully XM has taken it upon themselves to visit these sorts underappreciated characters, as prior there were no companies willing to take the risk (aside from Bowen who did every character under the sun). Tremendous sculpt, excellent presence, top notch quality, flawless design and concept, and crisp paint make this statue a winner. I cannot recommend this statue enough to Spider-Man fans.
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Old 11-20-2016, 01:10 AM   #2
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Old 11-20-2016, 01:10 AM   #3
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Old 11-20-2016, 07:21 AM   #4
GrumpyBear
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Can´t see the pictures Kris.
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Old 11-20-2016, 08:51 AM   #5
risingstar
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I can't see the pics either - but great video!
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Old 11-20-2016, 12:51 PM   #6
Bmutha
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GrumpyBear View Post
Can´t see the pictures Kris.
Quote:
Originally Posted by risingstar View Post
I can't see the pics either - but great video!
Pics should be visible now.
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Old 11-20-2016, 01:07 PM   #7
SONICobra
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beautiful pics brother, which "portrait" is your favorite?
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Old 11-20-2016, 01:30 PM   #8
Bmutha
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SONICobra View Post
beautiful pics brother, which "portrait" is your favorite?
I think my favourite is the plain dome...that's the classic look I love. Skull dome is nice, too...and the unmasked turned out great...but, plain dome will probably spend the most time on display.
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Old 11-20-2016, 02:55 PM   #9
loricstone
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Great review as usual! Definitely one of my favorite statues from XM.
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Old 11-20-2016, 03:20 PM   #10
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Hi Kris,
I still can't see the pics using the Microsoft Edge browser but I loved your video review!
Congrats with this amazing statue and thanks for your formidable review!

Rainer
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