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Old 07-19-2014, 02:39 AM   #1
Bmutha
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Bmutha's J Scott Campbell Spider-Man Exclusive Review

J Scott Campbell Series: Spider-Man Exclusive Comiquette

Product Size: 19" H (482.6mm) x 11" W (279.4mm) x 8" L (203.2mm)
Product Weight: approx. 5 lbs.
Artists: J Scott Campbell (Design), Zane Yarbrough (Design), Steve Schumacher (Sculpt), Earl Ellis (Sculpt), Kat Sapene (Paint), The Sideshow Collectibles Design and Development Team
Originally Released: July 2014
Edition Size: 1750

Spider-Man Fun Facts:
First Appearance: Amazing Fantasy # 15 (August 1962)
Real Name: Peter Parker
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 167 lbs.



Since his very first appearance way back in Amazing Fantasy 15, the Amazing Spider-Man has evolved into one of the most recognized and marketable characters worldwide. On top of comic books, the web head has been seen in movies, cartoons, toys, fruit snacks, cereal boxes, t shirts, pajamas, hats, sunglasses, underwear, coloring books…I could go on forever. Face it, most of you reading this, and including me, were not even born yet when Spider-man debuted...many of us collectors may not know a life without Spider-Man in it. And now, Marvel’s flagship character is the subject of the latest release in Sideshow’s J Scott Campbell comiquette line.

Jeffery Scott Campbell is one of the more popular artists on the scene today (checkout his awesome Deadpool variant cover for Siege # 3…one of my favorites). He has worked on a variety of books, but in 2006 signed an exclusive contract with Marvel and began working on the Amazing Spider-Man. JSC is perhaps best known for his depiction of the fairer gender (man, does he know how to draw some curves!), but he also lends his signature style to the web slinger, giving him a unique look all of his own.



First off, being a comiquette, the piece is 1:5 scale. When I measured it, it was pretty bang on and I would consider it true to scale. If you’re hoping that this Spider-Man will blend in with your 1:4 scale collection, it will depend greatly on the pieces surrounding it. He looks good displayed with more monstrous characters like the Venom comiquette or various Hulk pieces, but can look small next to 1:4 human pieces.

The pose on this piece is quintessential Spidey…effortlessly clinging to a wall, hands outstretched in the iconic “thwip” gesture. Although the pose is very similar to Sideshow’s Olivietti comiquette, there is a bit more nonchalance about this piece, giving Spidey that cocky, “I got this” vibe. I find the sculpt is very representative of Campbell’s work on the Amazing Spider-Man, notably the longer, pointier fingers, the lean leg musculature, and the blocky knees. The one deviation I find is perhaps in the eyes on the mask…I always think of his art depicting the eyes larger and rounder (closer to a McFarlane style), and these eyes are more narrow and stretched. The shape of the head sculpt looks slightly odd when viewed from the side, with the back of his head being quite round and bulbous. Overall, despite my minor nitpicks, this is a superb sculpt that captures the essence of the character.



The exclusive version of the statue comes with a switch out portrait with the mask pulled part way up, revealing a cocky smirk on Peter’s face. This portrait is a fine addition to the piece, and really sets it apart from other Spider-Man statues on the market.



The base is like a section ripped from a brick wall (also fairly similar to the previous comiquette), and has great attention to detail in the brick work and the drain pipe along the back side. It is a very nice environmental base that suits the character.



The paint on this piece is where things slide downhill a bit. Spider-Man is notoriously difficult to paint, given the detailed webbing throughout his costume. There is a bit of sloppiness on the black webbing lines in various locations, in particular between the eyes and on the back of the neck. Also minor areas of color-bleed are found around the statue, the most obvious being between the skin and the upturned mask on the exclusive portrait. These issues are pretty minor on the piece being reviewed here, but based on the photos that have surfaced thus far, the quality seems to vary substantially piece to piece. On mine, there was some kind of sticky black residue on the back of the right shoulder. It wiped off easily with some Windex (the secret weapon vs. that residue left behind by stickers and price tags…try it, it works like a charm), but it’s not something you expect to see on your brand new statue.


(^some sloppiness on the neck area)

Although it does not show up well in the photos here, there is quite a bit of shading applied to the blue areas of the costume. This shading really gives the piece more of that “comic book” feel, and helps it fit in nicely with the Mary Jane and Gwen comiquettes in this series.

The graffiti on the wall is a decal, but it is hardly noticeable, and blends nicely with the paint application. One cool feature on the decal is that Spider-Man’s shadow is shaded right on it…a simple thing, but it’s a very unique detail, and strangely, maybe my favorite part of the base.


(^neat shadows incorporated onto the base decal)

Although the paint is acceptable overall, one can’t help but notice the difference between the production piece and the advertised prototype, especially when compared to the piece that was displayed at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con. That prototype had a slightly different color tone and a noticeably more matte finish that did not seem to translate fully to the piece that customers received.


(^SDCC 2013 prototype)

The statue comes in several separate parts. Each arm and portrait connects to the body with magnets. Spidey’s left foot has a metal peg that slides into the base, and there is also a magnet here for good measure. The right foot fits into a slot on the base. The base itself is a single piece. The base is sturdy, the magnets are strong and the pieces seem to fit well together, although the metal foot peg was a very tight fit. It took some time to slide him completely onto the base and ensure that the right foot fit correctly into the slot. Some buyers have reported the feet not fitting correctly, with gaps between the feet and the base, but both feet on mine fit flush to the wall surface.

The Verdict:

Sculpt: 9.5/10: An excellent sculpt that captures the distinctive aspects of J Scott Campbell’s artistic style, and well represents the cocky nature of the character.

Paint: 7.0/10: Some messy areas on the black webbing lines and minor paint bleed that seems to vary greatly piece to piece. The blue areas of the costume are well shaded to give a comic book feel. Overall paint scheme differs noticeably from the prototype.

Design: 9.0/10: Very Spider-Man-esque pose, cool base with nice attention to detail. Fits nicely with other pieces in the series.

Production & Build Quality: 7/10: Some sloppiness from the factory (sticky black residue on mine), and quality seems to vary significantly from one statue to another. The statue is true to scale, magnets are strong, and the statue as a whole feels sturdy.

Overall: 8.1
A great sculpt and great design make this a worthy piece for your collection. Some paint and production issues keep this from a higher rating.

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Old 07-19-2014, 05:43 PM   #2
JP Sarri
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Excellent review, my friend! You hit it right on the nail on every single category. I love the information you provide and your distinctive writing style. The pics are cherry on the cake. Great job!!

By the way, congratulations on this fantastic looking piece.
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Old 07-20-2014, 04:47 AM   #3
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Hi Bmutha,

thanks for sharing this great review. I really like it and also feel the pictures you have added are fantastic!

You truly did a magnificent job I'd say!

Rainer

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Old 07-20-2014, 05:50 AM   #4
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Hello Bmutha first off excellent Review also I'd like to know if you own what I like to call "the real comiquette". and if so what are your critiques on the comparison between the two pieces. Thank you.
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Old 07-20-2014, 08:00 AM   #5
Sithlord32
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Nice work sir. I was on the brink of ordering this but I held off as I wasnt fully vested in it till I could see the actual product.
I dislike some of the sloppy line work and prefer the prototypes paint scheme and painted lines on his suit vs the carved in lines on the product. The decal on the wall is kinda of cheesy as well in terms but at least it does not have any peeling issues. Unless XM can knock a red and blue comic version Spidey out of the park ill hold out based on this.
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Old 07-20-2014, 09:10 AM   #6
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Nice set of pics!
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Old 07-20-2014, 12:17 PM   #7
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Thanks for all of the kind comments, guys!

Quote:
Originally Posted by StatueHunter75 View Post
Hello Bmutha first off excellent Review also I'd like to know if you own what I like to call "the real comiquette". and if so what are your critiques on the comparison between the two pieces. Thank you.
I do indeed own the Olivietti comiquette, and I really like both.

Although the poses are very similar, I get more of a sense of power and strength from the Olivietti, and this new one just seems more casual and light hearted.

The bases are pretty similar...not much to choose between the two.

I think I prefer the deeper blue and the shading on the new one, and the sculpt is excellent (I am really digging all of Schumacher's sculpts these days).

I think many people will prefer the original due to its size and presence, and I love that aspect as well. My biggest critique of the original is the shape of the head...I don't love the way it looks when looking at it straight on (looks great from and angle, though). The JSC has a bit more pleasing head shape (more realistically shaped), but I don't love the shape of the eyes (I think Steve McNiven draws the perfect Spidey eyes, so I wish they were shaped more like the way he draws them).

As far as size...well, neither display great with normal 1:4 sized pieces, but the old one might look a little worse because it's so big.

I don't know, man...it's honestly splitting hairs between the two. Maybe I'm caught up in the "shiny and new" one, but if someone twisted my arm, I think I actually prefer the JSC (with the EX head).

If we're comparing "sets", though...I prefer the Spidey, Venom, Carnage trio to Spidey, MJ, and Gwen.
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Old 07-20-2014, 12:38 PM   #8
JP Sarri
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I totally agree with you, Bmutha.
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Old 07-21-2014, 12:50 PM   #9
grphyx1
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Nice review bmutha. keeping my fingers crossed. I get mine tomorrow and it'll be my first and only spiderman statue.
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Old 07-21-2014, 05:44 PM   #10
wolf-brother
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Your review is on the money buddy!!!
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