Jedi Order
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Habs Nation
Posts: 28,094
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Sculpture: XM did a remarkable job portraying the malevolent and sinister aspects of Thanos. The sculpture utterly embodies the character’s malicious nature. He stands ever defiant, ready to crush anything or anyone who might stand in his way of reaching his objective. This is a definitive Thanos – evil, psychopathic, and terrifying.
The statue ships with three distinct and nicely detailed portraits. Fans of the helmeted portraits should be very pleased as they are presented with two versions (i.e., a maniacal-smiling and a snarling portrait). While I admit to having a preference for the maniacal-smiling portrait as it best depicts the character’s fearlessness and arrogance, I'm certainly pleased with the snarling interpretation as well as it depicts his evil nature very well. The unmasked portrait is a refreshing new addition to the Thanos mythos. While nice, it seems to lack the horrifying despotic alien presence of the other portraits. Still, it's certainly a fine addition for fans who want to experiment with Thanos' look.
Once again, XM Studios provides its devoted fanbase with an unparalleled series of interchangeable parts. There are 4 left arm display options (each of which feature the infinity gauntlet) and two right arms. One display option allows for a left closed-fist victory-pose option. The second and third display option features the open-hand sinister pose (i.e., to hold or not to hold the cosmic cube). The final option allows both hands to hold the cosmic cube. Of course, each of these display option may be employed using the various portraits. It’s amazing how XM manages to get the most of its statues. My personal preference is the maniacal smiling portrait with either the victory-fist or open hand holding the cosmic cube.
At first glance, this appears to be more of a museum-pose than an action pose, which works perfectly here. The omnipresence of this sculpture is so captivating and colossal, it promises to center stage your display no matter what pose you choose. The only slight I can point out in this otherwise amazing sculpture is in its simplicity. It isn't very detailed, but then again, the character isn't very detailed in the comics either. Yet, in comparison to other XM releases, it is noticeable. There is also some plausible argument in suggesting this might look like a ¼ scale Bowen piece. I'm conflicted as I'm not sure how XM could have improved all that much in this area. Thanos is a simple looking character, and something might have been lost had they sophisticated his look.
The base features a concrete meteoric pedestal designed to worship Thanos’ betrothed, Death. On the base, we see numerous crushed skulls on the side, Death’s portrait, and what appears to be the cloaked ferryman who transports the souls of the dead into the Underworld via the river Styx. This isn’t a strong feature of the piece for me as it looks a tad too cartoony. I preferred an earlier design of the base which featured skeletal fingers protruding out of the base. In any event, it’s not a deal breaker as the sculpt itself is phenomenal, however, the base does leave something to be desired, especially when compared to other XM releases like Wolverine, Phoenix, Magneto, and other pieces in the same price range or less which featured phenomenal bases.
The statue comes in 15 pieces: The Thanos body, three portraits, one shoulder/chest plate, base, two full right arms, one full left arm, one half left arm and two change-o-forearms (i.e., one close victory fist, one open hand to hold cosmic cube, if desired), two cosmic cubes, and a print. Some orders shipped with a coin.
Rating: 8.5/10
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Paint/Mixed media: The paint applications on the polystone are certainly above average. While there are some paint-over-the-line spots, and perhaps a somewhat flat appeal to the paints in general, it isn't a huge deal. However, as XM wishes to present itself as a quality above the rest in every aspect of the production process, it does fall a bit short here, that is, if compared to earlier releases. It’s still a beautiful piece.
Rating 8/10
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Production and Build quality: This is a strong and sturdy piece and quite possibly one of the heaviest statues produced in recent memory. The pieces slip into place relatively easy. There’s no tilting or imbalance to the statue or cause to be concerned about long term leaning issues. The one area of concern may be the somewhat weak magnet on the left arm. While there’s no danger of the arm falling off (i.e, because the chest plate forbids/blocks that from happening), I think fans would have felt more secure with a more powerful magnet.
Rating 8/10
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Design: This piece looks great displayed at any angle. From a design standpoint, this is a fabulous piece. While I think some fans, including myself, would have preferred a Jim Starlin portrait, I think the fanbase should be thrilled with this one. This piece has 12 different display options. That is simply astounding.
To add: The print is absolutely stunning. If possible, get it signed and frame it. The coin is always a nice touch too. If you didn't get one, it shouldn't impact your enjoyment of the piece at all. The packaging, as always, is the best in the business.
Rating: 9/10
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In closing, I think this piece is a success, although it does fall a bit short when compared to some other XM releases. All this to say that XM has set the stage for what the fanbase expects of them. If it wants to be the best, it needs to produce the best.
Overall rating: 8.38/10
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