Gladiator Hulk Premium Format Figure
from Sideshow Collectibles
Product Information
Product Size: 30" H (762mm) x 19" W (482.6mm) x 15" D (381mm)
Product Weight: HEAVY
Artists: Mike Najera (Paint), Bernardo Esquivel (Paint), Martin Canale and The Gore Group (Sculpt), Avinash Hedge (Sculpt), Martin Demonte (Sculpt), Matt Beutler (Sculpt), Brayton Carpenter (Costume Fabrication), Ariel Olivetti (Design), The Sideshow Collectibles Design and Development Team
Originally Released: July 2014
Edition Size: 3000 (there is no exclusive for this release)
Hulk Fun Facts:
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk # 1 (May 1962)
Real Name: Bruce Banner
Place of Birth: Dayton, Ohio
Height: 5’9” as Banner, 7’8” (Savage Hulk), 6’6” (Gray Hulk), 7’8” (Merged Hulk), 8’8” (Green Scar)
Weight: 128 lbs. as Banner, 1,040–1,400 lbs. (Savage Hulk), 900 lbs. (Gray Hulk), 1,150 lbs. (Merged Hulk), 2,400 lbs. (Green Scar)
Our friend the Hulk has gone through numerous changes since his first appearance in 1962. He’s been gray, then green, then gray, then back to green. He’s been Incredible, Indestructible, and Savage. He’s gone from a monster unable to string together a sentence to a merged “Professor” to a “Maestro”. “What was left to do?”, Marvel asked themselves…and they came up with this: “Give him some badass armor, lead a slave uprising in space, and become king of his own planet”*.
*May not be an exact quote
Thus was born the Planet Hulk storyline, an epic series spanning Incredible Hulk # 92 - # 106 back in 2006/07. The series, written by Greg Pak and pencilled by Carlo Pagulayan, is beloved by many fans and obviously Sideshow took note, because it is the inspiration for the subject of this review: the Gladiator Hulk Premium Format Figure.
I will start off by giving this piece of advice. Find a spot you want to display this beast of a statue ahead of time because moving it around will be a chore. This statue is LARGE and HEAVY! I have moved is a couple times, and each time I took it completely apart and moved it piece by piece…and there are a few pieces here: the head, right hand with sword, shield, left shoulder armor, and base are all separate pieces (and the base also has two small pieces…the pointy robot thing at the back, and the round utility pipe at the front below the right foot…that attach to it). Oh, and don’t forget about the obedience disk, I almost forgot about it and left it in the box (it is buried under some grey foam). The disk connects to the right pectoral with a magnet…well, actually the magnet appears to be in the sculpted leather strap that runs horizontally across the chest. Note that only one small portion of the disk edge has a magnet, so make sure you feel that magnetic grab before letting go…it can easily fall off if the magnets are not aligned.
At 30” tall (Hulk himself is around 24 to 25” from foot to top of helmet, not including feathers…making him in the 8 ft. tall range at 1:4 scale…about right), this piece will require some careful consideration on where to display. So, don’t say I didn’t warn you!
All of the pieces have good heft here, giving that superior quality vibe that many collectors desire. Everything fits together nicely, although there is a visible seam along the jaw line if you look closely. Hulk stands snugly in the base, with no worries of potential tipping or leaning. There really is not much to complain about here in terms of build quality, but one minor gripe: the feathers on the helmet are made of plastic. It’s only noticeable at very close viewing distance, but the plastic look does slightly cheapen the otherwise amazing quality feel of the statue.
(^Plastic feathers in the helmet cheapen the overall feel somewhat.)
The sculpt here is, in a word, BOSS. The armor is almost ripped right from the pages of the Planet Hulk storyline, and the details on it are impeccable, with scratches and dents giving a gently…errr…make that heavily used battle damaged look. The sneering facial expression screams Hulk…I can practically hear him saying “Puny Humans”.
(^ Ready to SMASH!)
The musculature is what you would expect from Hulk (and Martin Canale)…many and large!
(^ Check out the muscle definition on that back!)
The base is actually surprisingly highly detailed as well, with the buried utility line running through it, the partially buried robot in the back, the detailed edging on the steps, and the broken swords strewn around Hulk’s feet.
(^ The base has some great sculpted detail)
(^ More base details...the round utility piece is actually attached to the base with a magnet.)
My favorite part…this will sound weird…is the boots! Yes, the boots! The strapping and lacing up the sing/calf, front and back, is astounding in detail.
(^ Excellent details on the boots.)
This piece is absolutely brimming with detail…the sculpt is perhaps one of the best I have seen. Top notch job here by all involved.
The paint on the piece is very close to what was shown in the prototype photos. Hulk’s skin is a lush green with yellowish shading, the fingernails are a dingy yellow (as they should be), and the armor has a nice paint job, too (although, you could argue some of the gold hues and shading on the shield are much more subdued on the production piece).
(^ Nice painted detail on the fingernails.)
(^ Excellent details on the shield, but lacking some o the gold highlights apparent on the prototype...still looks amazing.)
One cool aspect is the green shading on the underside of the sword, meant to be a reflection of Hulk’s skin…very cool detail there. The boots also have dirt/dust painted on around the soles...because, hey, slaves don’t typically get a brand new pair of shoes. The paint on the base does not appear too far off from the prototype either; however, I feel the base overall would benefit from a bit more love in the paint department. As noted above, the base is actually incredibly detailed, but the details are somewhat lost by an ordinary paint job here. Some collectors have reported cases of “googly” eyes, but mine turned out well. Overall, a very nice paint job, with no obvious errors or sloppiness.
The “skirt” around the waist forms the mixed media aspect of the statue. The leather strips are given a dusty worn look with added paint, and the red/burgundy cloth behind is frayed along the edges. These mixed media parts do fit in nicely with the overall look and tone of the piece (scratched/dented armor etc.). One minor quibble is that the leather material used here looks to be thinner than the prototype photos, giving it a slightly “cheaper” look.
As far as design, pretty much what you expect from a Sideshow Premium Format. It’s a pretty standard pose, but Sideshow really paid attention to the source material here…as noted above, the armor and weapons is basically pulled right from the pages of the comics.
The Verdict:
Sculpt: 10/10:
Excellent detail all around. The exaggerated Hulk musculature, the massive shield, the battle damaged armor, the badass sneering expression…everything on this sculpt is right up there with the very best.
Paint/Mixed Media: 9.0/10:
Great overall paint applications; however, some additional shading and detailing to the base and shield could have gone a long way. The leather skirt material doesn’t look as high quality as the prototype, but still looks good and fits with the rest of the statue.
Design: 9.5/10:
Although it is a plain pose, fans of the Planet Hulk series will notice the awesome attention paid to the source material. The Green Scar looks BOSS. ‘Nuff said.
Production & Build Quality: 9.5/10:
This dude is heavy! Looks and feels like a high quality statue. Pieces fit together nicely with strong magnets, very sturdy on the base. But, the plastic feathers on the helmet do cheapen the overall look slightly.
Overall: 9.5
One of the best, if not the best, statues I have ever personally laid eyes on. I can’t say enough good things about it. It has incredible size and presence, great paint, and a solid feel. This piece came out extremely close to the prototype and is worthy of any collection. I am extremely glad to have this piece on display, and kudos goes to Sideshow and the team involved in the production for a true home run.
