Hot Toys Valkyrie (Thor Love and Thunder)

[Spanbauer]

As usual, looks way better in the Sideshow video.

 

[noheddardstark]

As usual, looks way better in the Sideshow video.

Agreed, looks better here. But still something off about those eyes...

 

[noheddardstark]

Is it possible this is due to the bloggers having bad lighting or overdone photoshop effects?

Padme looked worse in the blogger photos compared to the 1st hand videos from SSC and MrC.

Even with ROTJ Han Solo, the Secret Base videos looked better than Hot Toy’s own official promo photos.

You're not wrong. Who are they getting to take these blogger photos though? And why? I see better pics in eBay listings.

 

[Bls221]

I don't even look at the blogger pics, I always look at the first review.

 

[sabin23]

Agreed, looks better here. But still something off about those eyes...

No PERS or whatever Hot Toys is calling them now.

 

[sabin23]

You're not wrong. Who are they getting to take these blogger photos though? And why? I see better pics in eBay listings.

I think they are same 2 or 3 bloggers, not sure if they’ve changed over the years. I could have sworn they used to better in the past.

The whole purpose was to control the message with pristine photos using their hand picked photographers but that obviously is not being communicated well anymore.

At least the blogger pics are better than those early leaked photos from the factory with lens distortion and image quality that looks like it was taken with a phone from 10 years ago.

 

[Spanbauer]

You're not wrong. Who are they getting to take these blogger photos though? And why? I see better pics in eBay listings.

I think they are same 2 or 3 bloggers, not sure if they’ve changed over the years. I could have sworn they used to better in the past.

The whole purpose was to control the message with pristine photos using their hand picked photographers but that obviously is not being communicated well anymore.

At least the blogger pics are better than those early leaked photos from the factory with lens distortion and image quality that looks like it was taken with a phone from 10 years ago.

Sometimes figures just look better in videos where you can see it 3-dimensionally. Some figures are just tough to photograph, especially when tasked with doing action poses for figures whose sculpts are just a blank stare.

I think they’ve got some great photographers doing these shots, but they’re cranking out a ton of images in probably a short amount of time before the next figure shows up at their door. And making the sculpt look its best (which is really what we’re all looking for) sometimes takes a back seat to the photoshopped backgrounds, colorful lighting, dynamic poses, etc.

I will say I think movable eyes would have gone a long, long way on this one. In some of the images it doesn’t even look like her eyes have been painted both looking in the same direction.

 

[Dino_Ranger_White]

I personally think she looks awesome, hoping my LCS gets her, since she's been stuck in my waitlist hell for a couple months now.

 

[skizzoid]

That Sideshow video definitely does the sculpt some favors, but the typical HT female thousand-yard stare kills it. I had considered preordering this but held off because of the eyes, and HT didn't do anything to improve that. It's probably for the best because I'm trying to thin out my collection, and I don't need a whole shelf dedicated to Thor anymore.

For those who are picking this up though, here's hoping the figure looks much better in hand.

 

[Starfleet Captain]

In Hong Kong, HT collectors fondly refer to those as “Dead fish eyes” LOL…

 

[TonyD15]

Didn't Jingobell unofficially become Hot Toys photographer, yet they call it blogger photos as if to imply multiple bloggers. It's completely commercialized, it's about presenting it as the best possible product and then it'll likely begin breaking down in a few months with posing.

 

[Spanbauer]

Didn't Jingobell unofficially become Hot Toys photographer, yet they call it blogger photos as if to imply multiple bloggers. It's completely commercialized, it's about presenting it as the best possible product and then it'll likely begin breaking down in a few months with posing.

They have a rotation of photographers, so not everyone shoots every figure. The images all have a small watermark indicating who shot what; Jingobell did some of the Catwoman and Padme photos but none of Valkyrie that I saw.

 

[ThorRagnarok]

geez people are really sleeping on this line huh? hopefully we see some massive discounts on the line in the next couple of months

 

[rocbolt]

They're all waitlisted except deluxe Thor

 

[Dino_Ranger_White]

Yeah, not seeing "massive discounts" going on with the Love and Thunder figures, lol.

 

[More Battle Damage]

Just got this figure in from Kit yesterday

Overall, I am pleased, but there are a few nits: The 30 yard stare is too much. I wish they had given her an angrier expression. The hair is amazing.

the magnet used to connect the sword to Val is less than amazing. Super weak, in fact, and I used part of her costume to hold the sword close to her leg. Several of those chrome studs fell off in the process

I would have really liked it if all the pieces here were diecast instead of plastic. Maybe I am getting used to the 303 toys and others that incorporate a lot of metal in their outfits, but this plastic gives off a cheap vibe

Patterns in the outfit are all amazing, and her valkyrie symbol is used very well throughout the packaging and her outfit

 

[choombaz]

Can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m not getting this figure. It just doesn’t look good enough. I don’t like the costume and I don’t like the film. And that stare, man, I’m so sick of that. Sigh. I just want the scrapper look. True to form for HT with that tease they did years ago.