For my first review, I thought I would tackle an underrated classic, Aspen Comics' Fathom. I will most likely refine how I will do my reviews over time. My scoring is a 5-star system over four categories (no partial points given here) with the overall score being an average of the four categories. I’m still working on my photography technique which is one of the reasons I decided to join the review team as it will provide opportunities to polish my skills. So without further delay, here’s Michael Turner’s Fathom.
SPECS
Name / Series: Michael Turner's Fathom
Character: Aspen Matthews
Scale: 1/6 (approx.)
Edition Size: 900
Year: 2010
Composition: painted resin, tinted clear resin and translucent resin
Box Size [HxWxD] (inches): 18 1/2 x 13 1/4 x 12 1/2
Max. Dimensions [HxWxD] (inches): 15 7/8 x 11 x 9
Producer: Aspen Comics
Original MSRP (USD): $300
Designed By: Michael Turner
Sculpted By: Dene Mason
REVIEW
Design: 
This statue was designed by the late Michael Turner, artist and creator of Fathom. Having the character creator also design the statue couldn’t be a more ideal situation as who else best understands the character. This design embodies the spirit of the Aspen character with a dynamic and ambitious pose showing Aspen splashing out of the water like a flying fishing, “Free Willy” style. The choice of translucent, clear and multicolored elements makes this statue difficult to execute well. I almost skipped this statue as I am not crazy about the fin coming out of her back. I’m still not crazy about the design choice, but I am glad that I did not pass on this beautiful piece of art.
Sculpt:
Mason sculpt is a nearly perfect replication of Turner’s 2D artwork and few others have come as close. The sculpture is well proportioned and flows naturally as Aspen flies through the air. While the design does not include ultra fine details, from the armor plates to the splashing water to the Aspen logo on her neck, Mason shows his expert skills with anatomy, nature and fantasy elements.
Build & Construction: 
I am somewhat surprised that no one told Turner that they couldn’t do what he wanted, but I’m glad they didn’t. The delicate nature of this statue scares many companies away from tackling these kinds of designs. When this statue was released, there were a number of reports of broken pieces from the wings and fins. Other types of less fragile media should have been considered and this is the only cause for the loss of a point. The statue is shipped in four pieces: body/base, left wing, right wing and rear fin. I’ve had this statue since release and there is no sign of stress of the body cantilevered on the base which shows solid construction. All parts fit well and no signs of distorted or warped parts. There were also some people who had the figure leaning slightly to one side which also contributes to the score.
Paint & Mixed Media:
The use of translucent and clear parts makes this statue. While it’s difficult to tell by the photos, the fins under her arms and on the side of the legs are translucent and were painted with an opalescent effect. The clear ocean is flawless with white froth touches on top. I’m not the biggest fan of decals because of being able to see the edges of the decal clear film. But the implementation here is the best way to do it with the decals covering complete parts. The large wings seem to be completely covered with decals ensuring consistent coloration and pattern which would be difficult and costly to do by hand painting. Gradient colors and fine outlines on the edges show the meticulous effort by the factory. The granite speckled effect on the base is a nice departure from the boring black bases. Excellent use of gloss for the wings, fins and armor. Although the body should be a bit glossy with her just coming out of the water (see final comments).
Final Comments:
It should be noted that the photos show a turntable under statue which is not part of the statue. I will probably exclude the turntable in future photos. And full disclosure that I did put on a protectant on the clear parts that also got on her skin and the original statue does not have this level gloss on the skin.
I am still working on the photography lighting and getting the coloration right has been difficult. The skin tones are not as orange that shows up in the photos. The first photo above is probably closest to the actual color. I color calibrate my monitor and will try to have at least one fairly accurate color representation for each statue.
This is still the only full figure statue of Aspen since the Moore Creations statue back in the Top Cow days. This is must have for fans of Fathom and the late, great Michael Turner. Such ambition in complex design is rare in even today’s mass market statues where companies tend to avoid the risks it brings.
Overall Score: 
(4.75)
