Sandman 1/4 Scale Statue
by XM Studios
Released: August 2016
Edition Size: 700
Product Size: 23" H x 31" W x 16" D (with sand accessories on)
Product Weight: approx. 40 lbs.
Design Team: HIVE Studio (Illustrator ,Design and Concept Collaboration with XM Studios), David Pereira (Sculpt), XM Studios Design and Development Team
Original Retail Price: $990 SGD plus shipping
Please watch the video review HERE
Sandman Fun Facts:
Real Name: William Baker aka Flint Marko
Height: 6'1" (Variable)
Weight: 240 lbs. (Variable)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #4 (1963)
Trivia:
Sandman has the ability to mentally control each individual grain of sand in his body. He can make his body rock hard or almost fluid like, making him extremely difficult to physically damage. He can mold and shape his body, and often forms his limbs into his signature spiked mace or hammer weapons. Sandman is vulnerable to high heat, if he is exposed to temperatures over 3400 F, he can actually be turned to glass. Sandman is probably best known as a founding member of the Sinister Six; however, he actually once served as a reserve member of the Avengers.
Sculpt: 8.5 / 10
Much of the statue is...erm...well, sand (I believe it is actual sand cast into the statue). So, just by that nature, this statue is not the most complex or intricately detailed piece you're ever going to see. That said, the sculpting work is solid...Sandman himself has a large, imposing physique and the sand limbs have appropriate size to make them look like a legit threat to Spidey (the spiked mace is HUGE, and could be used as a weapon if you really wanted to do so!). Both portraits are well done...the human portrait has been growing on me since I received this piece in hand. It has a very menacing grin, while the "sand mode" portrait showcases a full on attack yell. So, while not chock full texturing and details, the sculpt is appealing and there is absolutely no doubt that this is Sandman.
Paint & Mixed Media: 9.0 / 10
As mentioned above, much of the piece is painted a similar sandy colour, but nonetheless, it is well done. Sandman himself has clean, sharp lines between colours, and the colours are consistent with the comics. All "human" pieces have a nice skin tone. The finger nails have a slightly different colour than the hands to make them stand out. I am particularly pleased with the finishing on the teeth of the human portrait, and the eye colour (although, likely a decal) is a sandy brown...they look very cool in hand.
Design: 8.0 / 10
The statue has a very dynamic pose and really paints the scene of Sandman bursting forth from a construction site to chase down Spider-Man. The swirl of sand that wraps around his body (I call it the "sand storm") is a double edged sword: on one hand, it showcases his ability to mentally control the sand, but on the other hand it almost completely obscures one side of the statue. It's too bad that the sand storm isn't an optional display piece...it is removable, but the large hole/key that it fits into would be visible.
The statue is, quite frankly, one of the biggest statues I have ever owned. The arms outstretched pose really takes up a lot of space, especially with both sand arms in place. Although the human arms are certainly not as exciting as the sand arms, they do cut down on the overall size considerably...which could be an important advantage when deciding on a place to display this beast!
Sandman comes with two of his three signature sand weapons, the "big hand" and the spiked mace. The other, the sledgehammer, was originally planned, but was cut at some point during development. Too bad, but the package is already heavy enough, I suppose.
Production & Build Quality: 10 / 10
XM has established a deserving reputation for delivering top notch quality statues, and this piece is no different. The packaging is again top notch and secure (it's probably the biggest and heaviest shipping box I've ever seen...around 66 lbs. and almost too big to get your arms around), the pieces all fit snug and securely in place. The statue is VERY heavy, weighing around 40 lbs., so make sure your shelves can handle that kind of weight. If you like your statues heavy, then this one is or you!!
Each box contains an art print from Studio HIVE, which depicts Sandman in the same pose as the statue...a nice quality throw-in to the package. There is also the packing photo, which shows where each piece goes in the box...extremely helpful if you want to re-pack this statue in the future.
Nothing to complain about in terms of the production quality on this piece.
Overall: 8.9 / 10
The first and only 1/4 scale Sandman statue (to my knowledge) is a HUGE (pun intended) success, in my opinion. A dynamic piece that demands attention with top notch quality, comic accuracy...not much more you can ask for from this iconic Spider-Man villain. An absolutely massive piece, so beware of the space it will demand from your display area. If you can fit this in, it is definitely recommended.
