REVIEW: Hot Toys Superman (Evil Version)

[JeffSaylor]

When Men of Steel Go Bad...

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Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of Superman is arguably one of cinema’s greatest movie comic book heroes and even in 2013, has not yet been undone exactly. But that’s probably because Sideshow Collectibles has released the man of steel, Superman (Evil Version) sixth scale figure as one of Hot Toys’ 2013 Toy Fair Exclusives. This Superman III figure is available right now and shipping immediately for $214.99. If you think the price point is a little high, you should be reminded that this is a Toy Fair exclusive and indeed produced in fewer quantities. And don’t forget that Hot Toys is a proud supporter of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to advance the research of spinal cord injury and improve the quality of life for people living with paralysis.

If you picked up the initial Hot Toys Superman, then you probably know what to expect. The sculpt is identical and nothing has really changed in that department. It really is a knock-out likeness of Christopher Reeve and if you haven’t watched SUPERMAN III in a while, you might be better off. The many Superman fans that have, will hope for a likeness that better reflects the scenes in the junkyard where Evil Superman fights with Clark Kent (yes, you read that right). In that scene, Superman’s hair is pretty messed up and his expressions are a little bit more…. Evil. The headsculpt as it stands, works well enough but the less it reminds you of Superman III, the better, I’d say. His expression is stern, eyes piercing, it all works perfectly fine but not exactly film accurate.

Taking a step back a bit, the box for Evil Superman is all new. This figure, while more modest, still boasts an attractive box. On the front, is the familiar S shield logo and on the side, “Evil Superman”. The back of the box acknowledges (and rightfully so) the talented artists and designers who worked on this figure. The amazing thing about this packaging though is the outer clear sleeve that wraps around the box has a tint that makes the colors darker, like Evil Superman! Remove the sleeve and your blues and reds are back to the classic Superman. It’s a really simple and yet clever design.

The box also features a magnetic flap that opens up to reveal a window showing Superman and some of his extra accessories. The inner flap reads: "IF THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL COMPUTER CAN CONTROL EVEN SUPERMAN... NO ONE ON EARTH IS SAFE!

Within the box is the familiar layers of plastic trays that hold all of our Hot Toys toys in place. The top layer is Superman and his hands, below is his exclusive display stand. Superman (Evil Version) also features (pulled from Sideshow):

-Authentic and detailed fully realized likeness of Superman (Evil Version) in the Superman III movie
-Head sculpt featuring authentic likeness of Christopher Reeve
-Realistic facial expression
-Approximately 30 cm tall
-Muscular body with over 30 points of articulation
-Three pairs of interchangeable palms including: 1 pair of relaxed palms, 1 pair of fists, 1 pair of fighting palms
-Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted
-One Superman costume includes: one-piece blue costume with Superman logo on chest, yellow belt, red triangular-shaped pants and red cape, one pair of red boots
-Specially-designed rocky ground figure stage

The paint on Evil Superman is solid, getting a slight tan and the four o'clock shadow. The Superman costume, also in a darker shade is actually seems slightly more realistic if it was standing on its own than the super bright normal version. Everything is pretty fitted though so there is no removing Superman's outfit at all.

If there is one nitpick about the costume, is that my super cape isn't as poseable as my other Superman figure and I'm certainly not able to position it in as many varieties as I've seen elsewhere. It just kind of falls behind him so that's rather disappointing.

The included base is detailed and sculpted beautifully but somehow doesn't seem right for Evil Superman. Everyone remembers that he had a major fight in a junkyward so that would be more appropriate. The broken up street base is still impressive, but just an interesting choice.

In the end, Evil Superman is a solid exclusive and probably the only thing we'll see come out of Superman III so if you're a fan, I'd recommend picking this one up. The quality is superb all around and as I said before, it's probably best that it isn't that film accurate.

CLICK HERE FOR NEW PHOTOS OF HOT TOY'S EVIL SUPERMAN!

Review and Photos by David Yeh

Review Sample Courtesy of Sideshow Collectibles

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To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance, the official insurance company of the Figures.com network. Say "Figures.com" to get 5% off your first term premiums.

To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, AlterEgoComics.com, Toynk.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and MonkeyDepot.com.

For hobby miniatures and all your gaming needs, visit MinatureMarket.com.

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