AVATAR FAN'S Art/Poster Collection & Figure Reviews (Update 9/24)

[AvatarFan]

Thanks everyone for stopping in and taking a look at my collection thus far! I've been inspired by many of your display threads and decided it was time to share my own. I am new to collecting and have focused my collection exclusively on Hot Toys and art giclee's and screen prints.

I will be providing pictures and reviews of the figures I acquire within this thread. As I do so, I'll update this first post with the names of the figures and the post #'s that they apply to!

Feel free to comment and make suggestions! I'm always looking for new ideas! Thanks for looking!



Cheers!

1. Hot Toys Kevin Flynn - TRON (p1, post 2 & 3) SOLD
2. Hot Toys Iron Man Mark IV: Secret Project (p1, post 6 & 7)
3. Hot Toys Thor (p1/2, post 10 & 11)
4. My display methods and detolfs (p2, post 12)
5. Dave Perillo d23 exclusive Pixar 25th Anniversary Variant #35/150 (p3, post 24)
6. Acme Archives Avatar Neytiri Giclee signed by James Cameron #5/50 (p3, post 25)

7. Tyler Stout - Mondo - Captain America Variant (at framing shop)
8. Ken Taylor - Mondo - Thor Screen-print (coming soon)
9. 2010 SDCC Exclusive Thor and Captain America Concept Art (coming soon)
10. Acme Archives Tron - Last Man Standing Giclee #9/82 (for sale)
11. Tom Whalen - It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown Variant (coming soon)

Looking For:
1. Tyler Stout - Iron Man 2 (variant or non-variant)
2. Mondo Tron pieces

 

[AvatarFan]

Kevin Flynn Review

Hot Toys Art Box:

FRONT

BACK

OUTER SLEEVE REMOVED

BASE

BASE IN DARK

INSERT

OUT OF BOX (WHITE)

CHANGED TO BLACK

 

[AvatarFan]

More Kevin Flynn

JEFF BRIDGES FACE SCULPT

PLACED IN DETOLF WITH IDENTITY DISC

PRODUCT REVIEW:

I have to state before I provide my review that I'm new to collecting and am just providing my honest opinion of what I see and feel, but I hope that will be useful to someone! To begin with, I was on the fence about buying Flynn. After all, there are a lot of great figures out there and this one isn't exactly "jump off the page awesome" like some of Hot Toys better pieces, such as Batman or Iron Man. That said, I loved TRON and Kevin Flynn is the penultimate person in the TRON movies. Obviously, the light cycle will be an easy sell as its flashy with the blue LED's, but this isn't light up or flashy. What it is is a very good figure with a great head sculpt of Jeff Bridges. It's a much cooler figure in person.

For what it is (a simple figure), Hot Toys put in a lot of detail, and then gave it a very fair price at MSRP of $149.99. I was able to purchase it from Alter Ego in Ohio for $134.99 and it took about 3 days to ship to me with the Labor day weekend thrown in there. It comes out of the box in the white outfit, but I chose to change it to the black outfit immediately. I wanted to display it with a Sam Flynn deluxe identity disc, and have MAXX Replicas making me a special light-up LED stand. The stand that comes with the figure does have a cool blue light up feature through gaps in the black base. It's very cool and "spices" up the figure a bit, but as you can see in the pictures above, in the dark you can see flakes in the stand where light shows through in spots it shouldn't be. I don't know if this is something standard to the figure or the field in general, but I can easily look beyond that as I'm going to be putting it on a custom stand anyway.

The clothing is well made and the art box is super cool. The best part about this figure is clearly the head-sculpt. If this figure were $200 I'd have likely passed on it, but at $135 it looks really cool on the shelf in my detolf and will look really cool when paired with the Sam Flynn light cycle coming at some point in 2012 from Hot Toys. If you're a TRON fan I think you'll be very pleased to have this in your collection. It really does look better in person than the pictures give it credit for.

If you want to make the figure a bit more flashy, I'd talk to MAXX replicas about building you a custom base or selling you one of his already designed pieces. It changes this piece from a 7 to a 9.

Ratings:

Head-Sculpt: 9/10 - One of the better head sculpts I've seen
Clothing: 7/10 - Cool they gave you a second outfit; buttons are very difficult to put together
Stand: 7/10 - Quality control could have been better
Art Box: 9/10 - See pictures above
Accessories: 5/10 - Light discs and alternate black outfit

Overall: 7/10 - If you're a TRON fan and can pick it up at $150 or less shipped then don't hesitate. If you're not a big Tron fan then I would invest your money somewhere else. This is a great figure for the right collector.

Recommendations: Put the black outfit on and pair him with an accessory, such as a light-up identity disc, or commission a custom stand from MAXX Replicas.

Enjoy!!

 

[KneelBeforrSmallville]

Re: AVATAR FAN'S Collection & Figure Reviews

Looks good! Love the name and the collection!

 

[Y4NK33 PL4N3T]

Re: AVATAR FAN'S Collection & Figure Reviews

And away we go!

Congrats dude on your Flynn pickup and looking forward to seeing your collection grow. I like the ratings thing you're doing too, great idea

 

[AvatarFan]

Hot Toys Iron Man Mark IV: Secret Project Review

Shipper

Art Box Front

Opened Up

Classic Hot Toys Stand

Deluxe LED Light-Up Stand

Requires x3 AAA Batteries (Not Included) and a #0 Phillips

IM Suit Head-Shot

Tony Stark/RDJ Head Sculpt (No Sunglasses)

Tony Stark/RDJ Head Sculpt (w/Sunglasses)

Close-up Head Shot (w/Sunglasses)

 

[AvatarFan]

More IM MK IV Secret Project

Lots of Arm & Leg Armor Accessories

Light-Up Hand Thruster

Fun w/ Side Angle (tell us how you really feel Tony...)

Example of Scratches in the Paint

First Shot in the Detolf

Review

The Hot Toys Iron Man Mark IV: Secret Project is one of the coolest pieces I've ever seen. There is so much detail in the figure and it comes with a phenomenal Robert Downey Jr head sculpt. While the figures are always pretty amazing, a really well done head sculpt takes any figure form a 7 to a 10. This one is no exception to that.

From the first moment you open the shipper you'll notice a classy and futuristic (almost archival) like art box. This differs quite a bit from the gunmetal grey IM III crazy box that was out awhile back (which I'd still love to add to my collection). Right away your head will be drawn to the attention to detail in every way. This stems from the head sculpt to the ability to open flaps and weapon slots. It comes with quite a few add-on accessories to spice it up even more if you're into accessorizing quite a bit.

But...what really makes this figure are the sunglasses. It takes the figure from cool to...well...badass. Hot Toys did the paint job with a bit of metal/paint damage and you can see that in the paint throughout the figure and in my pictures above. I like this look, but if you're into really "clean" figures, this may annoy you. It's certainly nowhere near the damage seen in the IM MK III:BD or the battle-damaged pieces in the MK VI. It's enough to be there, but not enough to make it look like it's just been through a battle.

The paint is REALLY well done with varying shades of grey throughout. It feels quite hefty and durable. Another cool feature of this figure is that it comes with 2 bases. The first is the classic Hot Toys base with the figure title on it, but the real prize is the grey w/ white LED light-up base. You'll need 3 AAA batteries and a small phillips screw-driver. I used a #0 detailer. You can make it appear as though his feet are locked into the base. It's quite cool.

Pricing wise you either already have this (as one of the lucky ones) or you're going to pay for it. Personally, I paid $330 + shipping for mine from a board member (dijin ) Even at that price, I still feel like its an incredibly awesome figure. It's my first Iron Man, but after having this, it won't be my last!

Head-Sculpt: 10/10 - I'm not sure if it gets any better than this
Clothing: 10/10 - The grey slightly battle-damaged paint is perfect
Stand: 9/10 - I appreciate they provided 2 stands for display choice
Art Box: 7/10 - Archival classic and simple. Doesn't match the awesomeness of the figure. I think they could have done more
Accessories: 8/10 - Lots of little weaponry and armor. Sunglasses are one of the coolest accessories out there and makes the figure

Overall: 9/10 - If you're an Iron Man fan at all then this is a MUST own. It stands awesome on its own. The Tony Stark/RDJ headsculpt is one of the best Hot Toys has done to date. You get the feeling looking at this figure that it's just the perfect amount of Tony Stark badass.

Recommendations: Swap the out-of-box IM headsculpt for the Tony Stark/RDJ and put on the sunglasses. This figure was born for that pose.

 

[cplhicks]

Re: AVATAR FAN'S Collection & Figure Reviews

Looking good so far!

I like the reviews.

 

[xjamiex]

Re: AVATAR FAN'S Collection & Figure Reviews

Awesome collection! Congrats!

 

[AvatarFan]

Hot Toys Thor Review

Shipper

Front of Art Box

Back of Art Box

Opened Up

First Look

Hot Toys Classic Stand

Head Sculpt w/Helmet

Thor's Hammer

Rock Accessory

Thor's Cape

 

[AvatarFan]

More Hot Toys Thor

Standing in the Detolf

The Mighty Thor #156 September 1968

The Hot Toys Thor figure is an absolute must own if you are an Avengers fan or a Thor fan. I didn't know a great deal about Thor until the movie, but have started reading some of the back comics and grabbing a few as I come across them at my local comic shop (Earth World Comics in Albany, NY). It was an easy sell for me to decide to get Thor as there is a great deal of excitement coming up over the Avengers movie.

I really enjoyed the art box as it mirrors the films official poster. Once inside the box, I noticed the crazy amount of detail on this figure. The helmet and the hammer are a lot of fun, and it comes with a few accessories, including the awesome cape. It also comes with a rock display for the hammer should you choose to display that way.

The head sculpt is pretty good. It could be better, but its certainly accurate. The one complaint I have is that Thor's helmet looks a bit cheap. I think they could have put a bit more time into getting the look right. I also would have liked to see a bit more detail out of the stand. That said, I do realize that there are a lot of people who love these classic stands. I also think they could have made Thor more muscular. He doesn't look all that intimidating, and he's Thor, he should be intimidating!

Overall, it's a great figure. Price is fair and you'll love having this in your collection. So far, this is one of my favorite figures!

Ratings:

Head-Sculpt: 8/10 - Accurate, but could be better
Clothing: 8/10 - Cape is cool and the armor is awesome
Stand: 5/10 - Standard issue Hot Toys stand
Art Box: 8/10 - Mirrors theatrical poster
Accessories: 8/10 - Thor's hammer is awesome. Rock display is cool. Helmet could have been better.

Overall: 8/10 - For Avenger and Thor fans this is a must. I don't think pictures do it justice. I have a Secret Project IM in my second detolf and I still keep checking out the Thor figure. He's too cool!

Recommendations: Make sure to push the cape down under the shoulder armor or the cape will keep falling out.

 

[AvatarFan]

My Detolfs to-date & Collecting/Display Methods

Hey Everyone!

You've had a chance to take a look at my first 3 reviews, so it seems like a good time to show some pictures of my display set-up and display methods.

Truth be told, like many others on this board, I was worried IKEA had discontinued the detolf lines. I was at my IKEA in New Haven, CT and the display model was gone off the floor. I didn't bother to ask anyone at that time about it, but from this board and others read that they were being discontinued. Being new I really wanted these. A woman locally was selling 1 for $40 used, but it was white. I wanted the black ones. So I made a project out of it and sanded the entire thing down, primed it with a grey primer, and put two coats of a hi-gloss black on it. It came out looking a lot nicer than the IKEA stands normally do.

Well, a few days later I read that some stores had small quantities of detolfs in stock. I called IKEA and talked to a guy who said they had a few and that they were getting maybe one more shipment. My first reaction was negative as I had just spent $100 to get the white one and turning int black. Further, it wasn't going to match the other black detolfs so it was a one-off. BUT, I was glad I could grab a couple more. So I have 2 each that sit on each side of my TV and one in my dining room.

The Sanded and Hand-Painted Custom Detolf

Collection Focus & Display Methods​

I am new to the collecting game, and admittedly was drawn here from the movies and not the comics. That said, I've made it a personal point to go back and read a few of the old comics so I can at least begin to understand the heritage behind these characters. To pay homage, with each figure in my detolf I place an older comic book to play off the new vs. old theme. In my opinion, it gives the character depth and helps those viewing my collection to see just how long most of these characters have been around.

From spending time in my local comic shop, I've read a few comics and graphic novels I wouldn't have read previously. Just today, I picked up the first edition of the new "The Ultimates" by Hickman, Ribin, and White.

It's phenomenal and I plan on picking up each new release from my local comic shop. So I'm trying to learn more about the depth and history of these characters.

My collection will consist primarily of Marvel characters. I'm really into Iron Man, Thor, and others in the Marvel family, but my absolute favorite is Captain America. I can't wait to get the Hot Toys figure! I've been working with another member of this board to get a custom Captain Shield made, and recently acquired a Tyler Stout Captain America variant poster.

I also am into the characters from the film AVATAR. That shouldn't be too surprising considering my name on this board! I do currently have a lot of the 6" figures, all of the 12" Movie Masters figures, and the Final Battle SDCC 10 collector diorama. Jake Sully is on pre-order and I hope to see more!

I'm not big into DC comics, and that's not to insult anyone at all. I am getting into Batman, and am extremely excited for the Bruce Wayne Dark Knight figure coming in October. At some point, I plan to add a HT Tumbler and Batpod. I have the 89 Batman and Joker on pre-order, and will be signing up for the batmobile as well!

I'll also dabble a bit in the Tron license as I love both films. I've already started with Kevin Flynn, and plan on adding the Sam Flynn light cycle when it comes out early 2012.

One of my other big interests is collecting giclees (pronounced zee-clays) and screenprints. I have a small collection thus far, but I'm proud of it. I'll be showing off pictures soon, but many of my pieces are at the framing shop for the next couple of weeks. Some of the pieces I have thus far are:

- Tyler Stout Captain America Variant
- Dave Perillo Pixar 25th Anniversary Luxo-Jr Variant
- Neytiri Giclee signed by James Cameron
- Original Tron Giclee by Acme Archives
- Ken Taylor - Thor by Mondo Arthouse
- 2010 SDCC Concept Art for Thor & Captain America

Once these return from the shop I'll post pictures. I'm quite excited for these!

I'll continue to post more pictures as my collection grows and display methods change! Until then...Happy Collecting!!

 

[Colossus]

Re: AVATAR FAN'S Collection & Figure Reviews

Great Collection and Pic's; Avatar, are you going to get the Bowen Action Thor aka Spining Hammer Thor?

 

[AvatarFan]

Re: AVATAR FAN'S Collection & Figure Reviews

Great Collection and Pic's; Avatar, are you going to get the Bowen Action Thor aka Spining Hammer Thor?

I haven't decided yet. I don't have any non-HT pieces so I'm not sure. Maybe if I can find one at the right price!?

 

[KneelBeforrSmallville]

Re: AVATAR FAN'S Collection & Figure Reviews

Your collections growing its EPIC!!! Whats next on your Hot Toys List?

I hope Hot Toys does the entire Avatar Series!

 

[lord-22]

Re: AVATAR FAN'S Collection & Figure Reviews

nice room and great collection

 

[AvatarFan]

Re: AVATAR FAN'S Collection & Figure Reviews

Your collections growing its EPIC!!! Whats next on your Hot Toys List?

I hope Hot Toys does the entire Avatar Series!

Remaining 2011 I have coming are the HT Bruce Wayne Batman and the HT IM Mark V. I'll follow that up with Captain America, AVATAR Jake Sully, IM Mark II Armor Unleashed.

Beginning of 2012 thus far I have the HT light cycle and the 89 batman and joker.

I'd love to see at least a Neytiri to go with Jake Sully.

My main licenses will be:
1. Marvel Avengers (Thor, Iron Man, Captain America)
2. Marvel X-Men (if they do it)
3. 21st Century Fox Avatar
4. DC Comics Batman
5. Disney Tron

Then at some point I'd like to pick up a few other pieces that came out before I started collecting. I want to pick up Leonidas, IM MK I, and the Batman Tumbler and Batpod. I'd also like to get the DX Joker.

 

[AvatarFan]

Re: AVATAR FAN'S Collection & Figure Reviews

nice room and great collection

Thanks! I'm off to a roaring start and am stoked to add Bruce Wayne Batman and IM MK V.

 

[Louis Gara]

Re: AVATAR FAN'S Collection & Figure Reviews

awesome room u have..

 

[-jay-]

Re: AVATAR FAN'S Collection & Figure Reviews

Great collection!