What a week. This week somehow wound up being the week about five of my preorders or Waitlists converted and were shipped out. I was curious which one would arrive first. The lucky winners were HONO Brown Suit Wolverine (and Clone Wars Obi-Wan).
Now, as with any figure I get, I have a "list" I created before I ever got started in 1/6th collecting. A wishlist of characters and costumes I knew I wanted, whether they existed yet or not. Having an ideal comic-accurate Wolverine - specifically the Brown Suit - was certainly on that list. The nostalgia I have for Logan in the costume is strong, as it's what I started with in his comics in the 80s, the arcade game, and the first action figures of him I ever had.
(My original figure is long gone, but the memories remain)
I didn't want to compromise. I wasn't going to grab just any Wolverine over the years. So I waited. And waited. Sideshow's versions just didn't quite look right to me. Hugh Jackman's version never got there (until THIS YEAR). There seemed to be an aversion and difficulty in tackling comic-accurate figures at this scale with no major compromises.
... I'll be damned if HONO didn't pull this off.
I only just got him (and I'm amazed I was able to jump in during the short window he was available). I'll say bluntly, I have paid a lot more for figures I'm a lot less happy with. He's pretty darn impressive.
Others have mentioned it, but he's a hefty figure. Despite being a shorter size, he's DENSE. It almost feels like a guy with a metal skeleton. The costume looks great. The outfit fits great. It has a perfect blend of materials, showing off the musculature wonderfully. The seamless silicone arms really push it over the top and impress me. They feel durable and hopefully have longevity. The details - from muscles to veins to arm hair - all is done well. The Muramasa blade looks great too - glistening and radiant in a very catching candy-red sheen.
Obviously, at $160, the "entry grade" price, it's not as decked out as some higher-end figures would be. No unmasked headsculpt is a bummer, the claws probably should have been diecast and interchangeable, the trunks should have been cloth, and... well, honestly, it already feels like I'm nitpicking.
This is my ideal Wolverine from my favorite period of time in his history, one that's endured. They still bring this costume back from time to time in the comics. It's timeless, just as the Tiger Stripe is.
My greatest complaint thus far is that HONO should never have made him a Limited Release. He's great and I know so many collectors would love to have him in their collection. And, unfortunately, me saying that HONO overdelivers for me as a fan won't help. What amazing bang-for-the-buck. I'm sure I'll be happy with Hugh Jackman's yellow suit figure next year, but even now I can predict that as the movies' luster fades, this comic incarnation is going to remain strong, years and decades from now.
So as my first taste of HONO's comic offerings, yeah, I'm extremely excited to see what they do with this line. The list of comic characters that deserve this treatment is long, and they did Logan justice.
