I mentioned in my post about the Bowen Exclusive Blob Mini-Bust that there is a network of collectors that help international fans collect the Bowen Designs web-exclusive products which are only available to the US. I’ve been taking advantage of this great support system, but only discovered it after the exclusive version of the Bowen Designs Ant-Man Full-Sized Statue, featuring Ant-Man in “shrink” mode (three sizes) had sold out. I decided against crazy eBay prices for the exclusive and went ahead with the standard statue, which I ultimately decided I preferred anyway. Since the statue is meant to be displayed as a part of my Avengers display and the space for it isn’t limitless , there’s actually enough happening visually without having the additional versions of Ant-Man present.Upon opening and displaying my statue, I was totally satisfied with my decision to stick with the regular release. It’s impressive enough as it is without the extra pieces!
As much as I tend towards completism, I have never added the original Bowen Ant-Man bust to my Avengers bust collection. This isn’t just because the bust is one of the earlier, armless editions, but also because there’s always been something a little off about the head and helmet on that piece, to me at least. The antennae seem a bit too long and there’s a bit too much face visible underneath Bust-sized Ant-Man’s helmet. Thankfully this has all been rectified with the statue version – this is a truly classic Ant-Man sculpt from head to toe. The helmet is just perfect.
The paint is perfect on my statue, although for my tastes I would have liked a slightly lighter shade of red on Ant-Man’s outfit. Red can be a hard colour to show shading on, but I often find the darker reds or washes that are used to create shade make the red look a bit too murky. There is a nice use of different paints in place, with the black feature piece in Ant-man’s costume being painted in a glossy paint to contrast the matte of the blue and red and the metallic of the helmet.
One of my favourite things about this piece is the base. It’s designed to be a US 25 cent piece, also called a quarter, and the detail on it is fantastic. It’s on the bigger side as bases go, to accommodate the smaller figures in the exclusive version, but with a clever design like this I don’t mind the display space consumed.There has been an ongoing discussion / debate amongst Bowen fans (and Randy himself) about a Wasp Statue, and whether or not it should be a full-sized statue or a smaller piece to best compliment an Avengers display. I’m glad that Ant-Man was made in the full-sized format and am very hopeful for a Wasp in the same mode. A smaller version might be a nice addition or separate piece, but I really wouldn’t be satisfied with this as the only way to have Wasp in the FS Avengers display. Hopefully I’ll be reviewing a FS Wasp (preferably a Buscema or Perez BA version) soon!
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Also, don’t forget to check out the two contests we have going at the moment: the “That ‘70s Custom” Custom Contest and the second round of our first “Toy Lines!” Caption Contest!
Until next time!
2 comments:
They've done him justice. I hope Miss Van Dyne comes out equally well.
I thought the big debate with The Wasp was the presence of realistic butt creases in her outfit. You mean there's more to gnash teeth about? The Hank is impressive though, and I'd agree the paints could be a bit brighter.
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