The XM Studios hype train is out of control.....

[Spidey976]

Originally Posted by loricstone

While not a stinker...and I know the QC will be there when it's released, the ELEKTRA.... I can't get with that one. I don't know...maybe it looks better in person (as they usually all do). Sisko....what did you think about it at the show? No one ever mentions it, and honestly, it's my least favorite XM statue. It's not the quality that is the problem, it is the original concept.

This to me is like SS's She-Hulk statue from several years ago. The sculpt by Mark Newman is amazing...but GOSHDAMN if that's not one of the worst concepts to choose from with that skinny bean pole She-Hulk, then I don't know what is.

LOL... Dude okay I will give you that one... lol

[loricstone]

Originally Posted by Mamba

These are my assessments of all XM statues (Marvel and DC 1/4 scale full statues only) that have been released and upcoming products that have been printed and painted.

Amazing: Magneto, Blackbolt, Phoenix, Electro, Venom, Ghostrider, Cable, Punisher, Iron Fist, Batman, Iron Man Classic, Black Panther, Lizard, Mysterio, Catwoman

Great: Iron Man Mark 7, Wolverine, Thanos, Dare Devil, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Captain America (Flag), Captain America (Honarary), Thor

Good: Medusa, Kraven, Hulk, Sandman, Antman, She Hulk, Quicksilver, Dr. Strange, Vulture, Kingpin

Ok: Ms. Marvel, Electra, Spiderman&MJ, IM Mark 42

Did I miss anything?

Yes, Darkness! Even though you may not get him...it is an AMAZING piece of art!!!

I would move everything in the Good category to Great except Antman and Kraven.

I would move the everything in the OK section to GOOD except.....FRIKKIN ELEKTRA MAN!!! What the hell happened there??? She stays in the OK section.

Oh...and hey bro...how the hell did you miss NAMOR??? IMO...he is easily going in the AMAZING section to me. In fact, I think he is one of the top 10 statues from the STGCC booth! When I get NAMOR in hand, I will more than likely put him up there with Magneto, Black Bolt, Thor and Phoenix. He looks that great to me...he really does!!!

[Mamba]

Originally Posted by loricstone

Yes, Darkness! Even though you may not get him...it is an AMAZING piece of art!!!

I would move everything in the Good category to Great except Antman and Kraven.

I would move the everything in the OK section to GOOD except.....FRIKKIN ELEKTRA MAN!!! What the hell happened there??? She stays in the OK section.

Oh...and hey bro...how the hell did you miss NAMOR??? IMO...he is easily going in the AMAZING section to me. In fact, I think he is one of the top 10 statues from the STGCC booth! When I get NAMOR in hand, I will more than likely put him up there with Magneto, Black Bolt, Thor and Phoenix. He looks that great to me...he really does!!!

Well I just did it for Marvel and DC only, so I did not include Darkness.

Namor, yeah I totally forgot, wow nobody really talked about it, I just watched Sisko video, the base is humongous. I think I will put him in great category, but that's just me

[It's Sisko]

Originally Posted by loricstone

While not a stinker...and I know the QC will be there when it's released, the ELEKTRA.... I can't get with that one. I don't know...maybe it looks better in person (as they usually all do). Sisko....what did you think about it at the show? No one ever mentions it, and honestly, it's my least favorite XM statue. It's not the quality that is the problem, it is the original concept.

This to me is like SS's She-Hulk statue from several years ago. The sculpt by Mark Newman is amazing...but GOSHDAMN if that's not one of the worst concepts to choose from with that skinny bean pole She-Hulk, then I don't know what is.

I'll be honest, Elektra was one of my least favourite pieces at the show. Though that's not to say she looked 'bad'. Her costume and weapons looked really nice, and the stain glass window was amazing. But as you said, conceptually she wasn't really working for me. I didn't love either portrait, but I liked one of them much better than the other. I guess the pose and concept felt kind of 'middle of the road', which is uncharacteristic of XM. I think if they had done some kind of action pose that still incorporated the stain glass then that might have been a winner. She may pair up nicely with Daredevil though, so we'll see.

[It's Sisko]

Originally Posted by Mamba

These are my assessments of all XM statues (Marvel and DC 1/4 scale full statues only) that have been released and upcoming products that have been printed and painted.

Amazing: Magneto, Blackbolt, Phoenix, Electro, Venom, Ghostrider, Cable, Punisher, Iron Fist, Batman, Iron Man Classic, Black Panther, Lizard, Mysterio, Catwoman

Great: Iron Man Mark 7, Wolverine, Thanos, Dare Devil, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Captain America (Flag), Captain America (Honarary), Thor

Good: Medusa, Kraven, Hulk, Sandman, Antman, She Hulk, Quicksilver, Dr. Strange, Vulture, Kingpin

Ok: Ms. Marvel, Electra, Spiderman&MJ, IM Mark 42

Did I miss anything?

Great work, this list reflects my personal feelings fairly closely. I would actually put Vulture into the Great category, as he was extremely impressive in person at STGCC. I also loved Namor, so I would put him into Amazing. There are maybe a couple I would swap around between Good and Ok, but everything else is pretty much spot on for me.

[VS1976]

Hulk was not good and I think XM made a huge mistake with Elektra. Didn't like the black on her costume.

There are hit and misses on face sculpts with XM.

To commit to a preorder and lay down a deposit before the the statue is a huge risk. Sometime you have to use your gut feelings. I wanted Elektra and Witchblade but I was hesitant to put down money for it. At the end I didn't do it and have no regrets.

Others like Mysterio was a gamble. Before even seeing it painted, I gambled and put money down on it, and it turned out great.

My only comment to XM is don't make changes after the preorder is up (though Phoenix bird was a good change but not the hair change).

[COI]

Originally Posted by NorthernLadMSP

If it's based on the awesomeness of the piece, I would say Darkness. Unfortunately, he's not a very well known character.

The flip side of that is not very well known characters don't get made often, sometimes not at all, so when one does get made that is of exceptional quality, it often becomes highly sought after over time.

I have zero interest in statues as investments, but if I did, my money would be on second and third rate characters done incredibly well.

[COI]

Originally Posted by immortalblade

Any statues that are definitive versions of popular characters which you won't have to replace. So Hulk Buster Iron Man (you're never going to get this from any other company), and Punisher on motorcycle (definitive version).

Thing is, no matter how amazing a piece is, it can always be topped, especially as the technology behind this stuff gets better and better. The stuff being made today was unimaginable 10 years ago, and I think we're gonna say the same 10 years from now. Declaring any piece to be "definitive" now is optimistic, to say the least. Just 3 years ago, XM didn't exist, and the Batman PF was the large scale Batman statue this hobby was starved for. Now everyone is sick to death of Batman. Only 3 years.

So for super popular characters, I think it's a matter of time before even the best pieces get outdone. And with characters like Batman and Iron Man, it could even be a yearly thing.

[MrJones]

Originally Posted by COI

Thing is, no matter how amazing a piece is, it can always be topped, especially as the technology behind this stuff gets better and better. The stuff being made today was unimaginable 10 years ago, and I think we're gonna say the same 10 years from now. Declaring any piece to be "definitive" now is optimistic, to say the least. Just 3 years ago, XM didn't exist, and the Batman PF was the large scale Batman statue this hobby was starved for. Now everyone is sick to death of Batman. Only 3 years.

So for super popular characters, I think it's a matter of time before even the best pieces get outdone. And with characters like Batman and Iron Man, it could even be a yearly thing.

3 years... I just started collecting I think 3 1/2 years ago and geeze the changes that I'VE seen, the OG's must be really in a daze, things have gotten crazy.

And for what it's worth I would place Thanos in the amazing category due to my bias. He is my crown jewel.

[Mamba]

Originally Posted by It's Sisko

Great work, this list reflects my personal feelings fairly closely. I would actually put Vulture into the Great category, as he was extremely impressive in person at STGCC. I also loved Namor, so I would put him into Amazing. There are maybe a couple I would swap around between Good and Ok, but everything else is pretty much spot on for me.

I think you're right Vulture is more than good, I agree with you he should be in the "great" group.

I am still not convinced about Namor, great but not amazing, maybe it would be different if I can see it in person