Kool Kollectibles content

20 Jun 2014

Kotobukiya ArtFX+ Avengers Now Hulk

Late in 2013 Kotobukiya completed the release of their new ArtFX+ New 52 Justice League statues, which all looked sensational. At that time, I had no Marvel related statues, so was wondering if they would also start releasing Avengers or other comic characters.

Almost as if reading my mind, Kotobukiya teased the first photos of their Avengers Now line of statues, starting with Hulk. As more and more prototypes were shown, it was pretty clear that the Avengers lineup would be just as awesome as their Justice League statues, so I preordered all of them! Recently Hulk was the first to be released, and he is an incredible statue to have in any collection!


Packaging:
The New 52 Justice League packaging was a stand out in that the boxes together formed a nice mural with artwork of the characters. I have to say that the Avengers Now packaging for this new line is not as nice, but still has some decent artwork. And being the Hulk, this first box is huge!



Love the group artwork above, which I assume will be formed with the boxes once all the statues are released. Similar to the New 52 boxes, I think these will make for a very nice backdrop to the statues on display.




Assembly:
The statue comes packaged in 3 separate parts - the head, upper body, and legs. I'm not sure why they had to package it like this, but perhaps the separate pieces are for ease of manufacture and painting. Either way, the assembly is pretty straight forward, with the pieces click together very easily.




Statue:
Once put together, the size of Hulk really becomes apparent, and he is most impressive! The ArtFX+ line of statues is done in 1/10th scale, and Hulk stands about 22cm, resulting in a very impressive presence on display.

He's so big in fact that this time Kotobukiya have included two of their magnetic stands, where normally their statues fit onto a single stand. The magnets in the feet hold firmly to the base, although he has a wide enough stance that the stand isn't strictly needed.




The sculpting of the muscles on the statue are just phenomenal! The poses of the New 52 statues were all fairly museum-like and static, but it looks like Kotobukiya have gone for a more dynamic style with their Avengers line. It really pays off for the Hulk, with a pose that shows he is definitely ready for action.

The paint app too is a standout, giving the awesome musculature the shading and nuance to really show it off. The proportions are just right too with everything you'd expect in a Hulk statue. The veins too are very nicely done and result in a sculpt that depicts the strength of the character in a nice subtle way.




The only real complaint about the sculpt that I have is that the mold lines just above the biceps, extending around to the triceps, are more visible than if the arm were one solid molded piece. This is a shame, as the prototype photo (as shown on the box art) does not have these mold separation lines.

Similarly, the mold separation is visible just above the knee, however they are mostly covered by the torn pants. It's strange that they decided to mold these as separate pieces, but then glue them in place to be packaged, considering some assembly was still required anyway.

Either way, it is a pretty minor quibble, and one that is easily overlooked when looking at the statue from a normal viewing distance.




The head sculpt is beautifully done, with a great fierce grimace with Hulk ready to smash. The teeth are nicely done, and the paint app in the face really brings out the detail in the teeth, eyes, and hair. Overall, another fantastic job by Kotobukiya sculpting a comic book likeness.

For the size, sculpting detail, and sensational paint apps, these statues are actually really great value! I was hoping these would be as good as the New 52 statues, and Kotobukiya has exceeded all expectations. Highly recommended!




Here's the link below to the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel video review of the statue. Hope you can check it out, subscribe, like, and comment with your own thoughts! :)




18 Jun 2014

Lego 21108 Cuusoo / Ideas Ghostbusters Ecto-1

Got my Lego Cuusoo Ghostbusters Ecto-1 set last night, and it's a great looking set! Looks like Lego caught onto the fact that noone knew what Cuusoo meant, so they've changed the brand to be Lego Ideas now. I hope creative people keep submitting awesome ideas because I would love more sets like this in the line!

I ordered this from Amazon for $50, which is a decent price now since the price seems to be increasing already. So if you're still in the hunt, I'd definitely get in on the action ASAP before ebay scalpers become your only option.

I've uploaded the video review onto the Kool Kollectibles youtube channel. Click the link below to head on over - hope you can check it out, subscribe, like and comment with your own thoughts!



Also have some photos below of this awesome set.

Packaging:





Mini-figs:

Love the mini-figs and the little details they all have on them!



Best thing is definitely the stand that you build for the mini-figs. I always wished they did something similar for the Back to the Future set, so really happy they did this for Ghostbusters.





ECTO-1:

Beautifully designed set with lots of little details, especially in the roof. Overall design is a huge improvement on the Delorean set.

















It doesn't get much more 80s iconic than these two vehicles :)



Perhaps the two best number plates from the 80s :)



14 Jun 2014

Kotobukiya Men In Black Bishoujo Agent G

I got my first Kotobukiya Bishoujo statue recently with the new Chun-Li from their Street Fighter line, and that got me looking into their past releases. I knew they did a lot of DC and Marvel related characters, but I found out they started a movie line where they created characters from movies such as Ghostbusters and Men In Black, with more planned now for Star Wars and the Freddy/Jason horror flicks.

I managed to get the Ghostbusters Lucy and the Men In Black Agent G statues for the very cheap price of $65 combined, brand new!! And with Jaina Solo and Mara Jade on the way, I'm definitely glad to be getting these now.

Agent G is a beautiful statue, with a great display base. I wont be writing too much of a review here, since all the info is pretty much in the YouTube review. Hope you can check out the video, subscribe, like, and comment with your own thoughts!


 Also scroll further down for some photos too :)

Packaging:
Love the Kotobukiya artwork that they have on all their Bishoujo statues!





Statue:
Sculpted beauty from pretty much every angle!! The awesome display base is the highlight, with a great layout including the fire hydrant and alien tentacle bursting through the pavement :)



If you've seen some Japanese anime/hentai, you know exactly what that tentacle wants to do ;)



Great paint app as always with Kotobukiya, and love the little details.



Skin tone is perfect. There's also a swipe out forearm holding the memory wipe tool, so a couple of display options.



No idea what's she holding in her left hand, but I assume it was in the movie? May have to rent that third movie to see how good (or bad) it is! :)



Looks great with the previous Ghostbusters Lucy statue! Can't wait to get the pair of Star Wars ladies in Jaina Solo and Mara Jade, and then the horror chicks in Freddy and Jason!



If you're looking to get into Kotobukiya statues, look no further than Big Bad Toy Store! They ship worldwide, so definitely check them out! :)