The Avengers.
They’re Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, a team made up of some of the greatest characters in the entire Marvel Universe. They’ve faced a myriad of threats over more than sixty years of publishing history, and have spearheaded a multi-billion dollar film franchise in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thanks to their presence in different types of media, many of these heroes have become household names, with practically everyone knowing Iron Man, Black Widow, Black Panther, and countless other characters.
Those good folks at Diamond Select know these heroes too, and thanks to various collections of busts and figures, they’re always good for a great figure or three. This week, let’s take a look at three very cool and very different offerings from Diamond: a Legends in 3-Dimensions bust, a resin diorama, and a resin mini-bust.
Avengers fans… assemble.
Iron Man Mk 50 Legends in 3-Dimensions Bust
Genius.
Billionaire.
Playboy.
Philanthropist.
All of those were words Tony Stark used to describe himself, though another one certainly comes to mind: hero.
Almost despite himself, Iron Man became the hero that the Marvel Universe needed thanks to the performance of Robert Downey, Jr., giving the character a distinct personality and edginess while never once looking down on the material. His growth over the course of multiple films took him from a selfish playboy to an out and out superhero, saving the world countless times and constantly evolving his technology to take on new threats.
In 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, Stark debuted the Iron Man Mk 50 armor, an incredibly sleek suit that can transform into a variety of different weapons and enhancements thanks to advanced nanotechnology. Even if we don’t have the means to make an actual nano suit, you can still own this landmark armor thanks to Diamond Selects Legends in 3-Dimensions line.
If you’ve seen Infinity War as many times as I have, there’s a good chance that you’re pretty familiar with how this iteration of Iron Man’s armor is supposed to look, and yeah. They nailed it. The instantly recognizable red and gold helmet look like you could pop it off and place it on your own head (if it weren’t, you know, a smidge too small considering the scale), and even the neck looks like it’s meant to move to allow the wearer to look around.
No doubt to make snarky comments and the like.
The glossy finish of the paint makes the bust look like it’s truly made of some sort of metallic alloy, and the sky blue and white accents on the eyes, back, and chest help break up the color. These accents are great in theory, as they’re meant to look like they’re glowing from the suit’s power, but they aren’t quite vibrant enough to capture that feel. The bits at the shoulders and the eyes are almost there, since they’re relatively small, but the Arc reactor in the chest definitely looks like it’s just painted on. I like the idea, and the colors of the paint are very easy on the eyes, I just can’t help but wonder if this effect would have worked better with some sort of clear plastic or resin.
Either way, it still looks like Iron Man, and that’s all you can really ask.
The base on which the bust rests is nicely detailed too, though I’m not quite sure what it’s supposed to be. The design itself is some sort of alien or futuristic architecture, so maybe it’s based off a pillar or buttress in one of Thanos’ ships in Infinity War. Whatever it is, it’s all fine and good, but having the base resemble Avenger’s Tower would have made more sense (well, some sense, considering it wasn’t actually used in this specific movie) and added more character and familiarity to the piece. Regardless, it’s sculpted and painted as well as the rest of the bust, and doesn’t look out of place, even if it’s rather nondescript.
Iron Man retails for $200 and can be purchased directly from Diamond Select or at participating comic shops. A small price to pay for a guy like Tony Stark, and still reasonable enough for any Marvel fan.
Black Widow Premier Collection resin statue
The deadly assassin Black Widow arrives in a piece that differentiates itself from the others in more ways than one. Aside from being a female hero, this resin statue is a full-figure representation as opposed to the other two busts, which allows for more detail and a more action-oriented sculpt.
Natasha Romanoff has a simple, clean design that translates well to a three-dimensional piece, even with a few added elements to make her costume look a bit more realistic. There are some seams and an exposed zipper, along with some small buckles on her right thigh, but these don’t make the figure look busy or over-designed. Instead, they actually help with giving her body suit a sense of texture and dimension, which might not have been the case with the traditional single-piece costume she typically wears in the comics. That also helps her accessories stand out, with her gold belt with the red widow symbol buckle and her golden “Widow’s Bite” gauntlets providing a nice contrast to her matte black outfit.
I appreciate that her face sculpt isn’t meant to look like Scarlett Johansson, who has a very distinct look that could be difficult to capture in a resin figure. Instead, she has a decidedly feminine face that doesn’t look like anyone in particular, though I kind of see a bit of Emily Van Camp in her eyes, but that could just be me.
Maybe my favorite elements on the figure are the sculpting of her dark red hair and the details on her pistol. They’re two completely different aspects of the character, “made” from two completely different materials, and they both nail their respective looks. Her hair looks natural, flowing behind her as she’s clearly running along the ground, while the pistol looks like it’s been scratched up from frequent use.
She’s perched atop a pretty cool base, which is sculpted to look like a crumbling patch of road. It has a nice, rocky texture, looking like a bit of concrete in a battle-torn street. Much like the Wonder Woman 1984 diorama from a few years back, there are some cool “projectile effects” popping off the base, made to look like bits of rock breaking away or bullets hitting the ground. It adds a bit of drama to the piece, and helps sell Natasha’s cool and collected demeanor even in the most dire of situations.
Black Widow retails for $175, either on the Diamond site or at your local comic shop. Not too bad, considering joining S.H.I.E.L.D. and getting a plane ticket to Budapest will certainly set you back more than that.
Black Panther mini bust
While this Black Panther bust is the smallest of the lot, it is no less mighty than the other two. There’s a ton of great detail and personality packed into this miniature figure, eliciting strength and royalty from a small package.
That’s mighty impressive too, considering the whole piece is only two colors: black and gold. They complement each other incredibly well, though, with the midnight hue of Black Panther’s bodysuit, mask, and cape allowing the weathered gold details to pop all the better. It’s wonderfully sculpted from head to, er, lower torso too, with each aspect of the character’s costume matching its comic book origins. I love he way his hands are held in two different positions, with those intimidating gold claws serving as a warning to any who would dare cross his path. Even without his eyes being visible through his mask, T’Challa looks stalwart, determined, and even calm, as if he’s ever ready to protect his people, though he’d rather resort to violence as a last resort.
And then there’s his cape, maybe my favorite part of the piece. It’s simple in design and execution, yet adds so much dimension to the bust. The way it’s sculpted to follow the musculature of his arms is terrific, hanging from his left shoulder while it drapes behind his right arm as if moved by wind. It’s no mean feat to make resin look like fabric, and sculptor Juan Spitluk nails it.
If Iron Man’s base was cool, if non-descript, and Black Widow’s helped evoke an action scene, T’Challa’s completely fits the whole vibe and aesthetic of the Black Panther. A golden crown rings the bottom of the piece, with talon-like protrusions that look like panther claws or the characters trademark necklace. The rest is gold and black, with the gold segments reminding me a bit of the original “striped” gloves Black Panther wore in his early appearances. It’s a base befitting the King of Wakanda, looking regal without being ostentatious.
Black Panther can be had for a mere $90 from the Diamond site and participating retailers. Any of these three pieces would look perfect on a shelf or bookcase, be it to add some class to your collection or protect it from the likes of Thanos and Ultron and, I don’t know, Big Wheel.
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