REVIEW: Yamato USA's Fantasy Figure Gallery - MONICA'S AXE

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[QUOTE=JeffSaylor;51520]Stunning statue based on the fantasy art of Boris Vallejo...

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[HR][/HR]To fantasy fans, [B]Boris Vallejo[/B] is just short of a god. One part creator, one part genius, and all parts artist, the Peruvian-born fantasy artist has created some of the most recognizable, endearing, and gorgeous works of fantasy artwork in the last 30 years, including [B]Monica's Axe[/B]. Now, thanks to [B]Yamato USA[/B] and sculptor [B]Tobe[/B] of HEAVY GAUGE, the timeless warrior woman wielding her blade comes to life in beautiful three dimensions.

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[B]PACKAGING:[/B] The statue comes beautifully packaged in a massive window box which shows the individual pieces ready to be put together to form this elaborate and gorgeous warrior woman. The individual pieces are held securely in place by a pre-formed plastic sheet and are surrounded by individual pieces of plastic to ensure paint smears do not occur.

The box itself is beautifully detailed with beautifully scripted text regarding the statue and artists as well as an image of the original artwork upon which the statue is based. Impressive to behold, the packaging does an overall outstanding job of both protecting and presenting the final product prior to purchase.

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[B]SCULPT:[/B] Master sculptor Tobe has done an impressive job with capturing the overall feel of Monica's Axe, accurately detailing the figure and scaling the figure to the base, which features a good number of her cut-down enemies. The detailed golden bikini-like uniform, the sci-fi inspired plates and tubes, the smooth, graceful muscles and finally the sharp, gore-dripping axe - all are brought to life beautifully here in this 1/7th scale statue which measures approx. 8" tall (on bended knee and base).

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The base, with its insectoid-like body parts spread throughout, helps place the figure truly in a realm all its own and sets this piece apart from many within the Fantasy Figure Gallery series. That said, Monica's Axe is sightly smaller than previous pieces in the series (though no where near as small as Julie Bell's Golden Lover statue). That said, it still fits well within the collection and makes a beautiful addition to any fantasy-lovers display.

My only minor complaint regarding sculpting is the somewhat different style of Monica's face compared to the original artwork. Unfortunately, there's something just a bit off. Granted, I’m not complaining (much), but Boris' original artwork is fantasy in nature and the statue seems to be more comic book-style. It seems Tobe's sculpt comes across as a comic book-like warrior woman – specifically in the face. Again, for fans of buff warrior women, this probably won’t be a problem, but it’s worth a mention for purists.

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[B]PAINT:[/B] Amazingly detailed, the paint is near perfection. Boris' original colors which captivated fans in the original painting are replicated here and help make this a piece worth admiring. Again, the impressive sculpting comes to life when masterfully colored; the toned muscles shaded beautifully, the golden armor spot-on. Particularly (and again worth mentioning), the insectoid-base is a alone a work of art, the grotesque amputated appendages covered in glossy browns and greens.

As previously mentioned, the face, which appears much softer and smoother in the original painting, seems very comic book in style here in the statue and the paints help accentuate this through high cheek bones and sharp, angled eyebrows. Again, this is a minor complaint, but it is worth noting for purists who are looking for 100% accuracy.

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[B]OVERALL:[/B] So maybe it's not 100% accurate. It's still one of the most detailed, beautiful and viscious femme fatal statues I've ever seen. And it's based on one of Boris' best know works of fantasy art. What's not to love?

Yamato USA's [B]Fantasy Figure Gallery Monica’s Axe Statue[/B] – standing near 8" high on bended knee atop a pile of dead insectoids and a super-detailed rock base makes for one of the most impressive additions to this series of statues yet. And, with a suggested retail price of $119.99, it's a fraction of the cost of those polystone statues of the same size you were looking at last week. Plus, it's of a buff warrior woman with a bloody axe in hand... again, what’s not to love?

[I]Review and Photos by [B]Jess C. Horlsey[/B]
Review Sample Courtesy of [B][URL="http://www.yamatotoysusa.com/"]Yamato USA[/URL][/B][/I]

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