This is such a bittersweet moment.
On the positive side, it's absolutely gorgeous. I love that they incorporated the pumpkin bombs into the base, and have the bridge exploding in order to give it the width it needs to support the statue. It's also clear that the balance issue has gone through some testing with all the various twists and turns the piece takes.
And if they nail it...man, as it was mentioned before, this could go down as one of the best statues around. It captures Spidey's agile nature perfectly, tells a story, and just suits the character so much. If the paint apps are on par with statues like Deadpool, Joker, and a few other recent hits then it'll be a homerun. Just looking at the back I can picture the shading they did with Deadpool, and if it's all done right this will be stunning in person (which we'll all see come SDCC...well, in video at least!
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The EX web-shooting hand is great, and while I agree the "Take Aim" sculpt is neat to have, I think saving $20 or whatever would've been preferred by most. The easiest alternate head was just changing the eyes up a bit, to a more shocked or angry look; however, they went really simplistic, almost to the point where it's hard to notice a difference at all. Still, if you're getting the EX, an extra head is always a bonus -- especially since the $20 probably wouldn't have come off anyway!
And while pictures this close (closer than you'd ever really look at the piece) tend to normally show issues, it's clear that the factory will really have to take its time and get the lines right. That's almost the key to the entire piece, so hopefully Sideshow ups their game there in terms of watching QC...especially with the up in cost.
Which brings me to the price...the main reason why this is bittersweet and not just amazing. I'd hoped that it'd come in at under $450, and I think jumping right to $470 is a mistake. Instead of everyone saying "Insta-PO!" which would be par for the course -- especially on a piece like this -- most are holding out, debating, flat out not ordering, or cancelling other items in order to get this one.
While people will definitely still order, I do think Sideshow will feel this price jump in the long run. I believe this will knock many out of the game, or bring them down to one select piece a year. While it used to run rampant, I think the days are, "Oh man, I don't know much about that character, but that statue is amazing! PO!" are fading away quickly -- if not already gone.
There are loads of things still on deck...Aquaman still hasn't been revealed, and it'd be pretty odd for him to be $470 while Superman and Batman were $399.99...but look at the blue Batman variant, which was $30 more, and then Red Son, which went against all logic and is going for $470. It's pretty sad that it's jumped up so quickly...especially for international customers. The Canadian dollar is terrible right now, and I know those in Australia and elsewhere can pay in the triple digits for shipping it in, not to mention customs.
But I do love this piece. In my opinion it's the perfect 1/4 embodiment of Spider-Man. I've got some rewards points and gift money that will knock this down to a more reasonable level, but as far as statues go, this will probably be one of my last ones. Bittersweet...and somewhat sad day indeed.