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FANTASTIC FOUR Mini-Busts (Triple-Pack) |
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Written by super_convoy
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Wednesday, 20 August 2003 |
[MARVEL: FANTASTIC FOUR]  | More statues and busts reviewed today, as BOWEN DESIGNS' FANTASTIC FOUR TRIPLE-PACK gets a lowdown. This package consists MR. FANTASTIC, INVISIBLE WOMAN and HUMAN TORCH. Check HERE for the full details. |
Reviewed by: super_convoy
Pictures by: super_convoy
Date: 20-August-2003
Product: FANTASTIC FOUR Mini-Busts (Triple-Pack)
Series: Marvel Character Mini-Busts
Company/Country: Bowen Designs/USA
[INTRODUCTION]
Statues have always been a more under-rated form of collectible in the local market. The lack of mobility and tendency of high prices for these products probably contributed to the very niche following of these products. Nevertheless, collectors of statues and busts follow their conviction religiously, and there was no surprise the number of fans going into them is increasing. Today we review an older release from BOWEN DESIGNS, namely the FANTASTIC FOUR TRIPLE-PACK.
After the highly popular THING bust, Bowen took the initiative to complete the Fantastic Four mini-busts series with an audacious triple-pack release of MR. FANTASTIC, INIVISIBLE WOMAN and HUMAN TORCH, limited to 5,000 pieces worldwide. The mini-busts on review here are designed and sculpted RANDY BOWEN, and are numbered 1,989/ 5,000.
[MR. FANTASTIC]
   
REED RICHARDS, or Mr. Fantastic as he's more commonly known, is one of the most popular comic icon ever. His ability to elongate his body at will makes him one of the superheroes with the most innovative powers. It was no surprise that this mini-bust attempted to capture his malleable nature. As such, we see Mr. Fantastic sculpted with little level of proportion, with his neck and both arms being elongated.
On this aspect, I won't put too much blame on the sculpt work, as this should be how Mr. Fantastic should be portrayed. Standing at about 6" tall (half-body), Mr. Fantastic is quite an awesome mini-bust to behold. I particularly like how his facial expression is done, with a slightly fierce/ frustrated look. Together with his pose of holding a cell phone on his right hand, and pointing a finger on the phone with his left, it gives an impression of Richards shouting "Hey, it's yout call!" to whoever he was shouting at. A point to note here is that the cell phone looks extremely fragile and suspectible to cracks. If you're interested in purchasing these items, when checking their condition, do take note of this area.
 
I'm also impressed by the nice blend of colors on him, and being quite comic-accurate at the same time. A positive point would be how nicely his hair colors blended in without any traces of paint-bleeding. The brown and white lines mixed well and his hair didn't produce the rigid appearance, which I absolutely detest on any collectible, statues or non-statues.
Going back to the point of his elongated nature, this mini-bust also provides Richards with some form of steel, by giving him a tougher main body sculpt, particularly on his chest area. As such, he doesn't appear like he is too thin.
Overall, Mr. Fantastic is an above average effort. However, if you'd like to display a more dynamic Mr. Fantastic (at an affordable price point, too!), I'd suggest Bowen's Mr. Fantastic mini-statue, which also has an elongated main body.
[INVISIBLE WOMAN]
   
I must admit I was first attracted to this boxset when I saw SUE STORM on the shelves of one of the comic specialty stores. I was amazed by how nice the "see-through" effect has on a bust. Credit must be given to Bowen and his team for adding this nice touch to elaborate her powers, which is, well, being able to make herself invisinle at will. Personally I find the translucent effect extremely well done, and is the most unique point on this collectible.
 
Sadly, it is the only positive point I found on her. Standing at about 5" tall, she's the smallest among the Fantastic Four busts. That itself is not really a negative point. However, I was appalled by the poor sculpt work and paint application in some areas. While the translucent paint works is cool, the work on her face and hair were atrocious. There're a number of areas with some drop of paints, and her hair was sculpted and painted so badly it is reminiscent of those old Marvel Superheroes action figures from TOY BIZ. The way her hair was done alsod led to a large portion of her face being suspected to dust-trapping, since her side-fringe is swept towards one side of her face. Her facial expression was also quite lifeless, as she appears to be looking into nowhere.
In a nutshell, the Invisible Woman is the worst mini-bust out of this triple-pack. It appears Sue Storm is a difficult character to sculpt, as she was also the weakest among the Fantastic Four mini-statues.
[HUMAN TORCH]
   
For very long, I believe that the colors red and orange are very difficult colors to do on a collectible, whether is it on statues, busts or action figures. I was plesantly surprised to see JOHNNY STORM, or the Human Torch, so nicely-painted on this bust. I still believe that, due to the nature of the colors, bleeding and lack of definition are main problems for products with these colors on. So I must commend the creators of the Human Torch mini-bust for painting him so well.
 
The Human Torch stands at about 5 1/2" tall, aided by the additional "flame" on top of his head. Apart from his nice paint application, I was also impressed by the sculpt work, as his body is proportioned, and his pose highly displayable. With his head tilted slightly downwards, the Human Torch raised both his lower arms as the flames on his body surfaces. This gives him an "all-ready-to-attack" impression, which I find, personally, a satisfactory effort. However, the details and colors on his flames could be improved if more quality checks are done.
Once again, Bowen managed to highlight the powers of this character on this bust, that is, being able to control ambient heat energy and to cover his body with fire without hurting himself. I like this best from the three, because he surpasses my preconceptions.
[FAMILY POTRAIT]
  
Above are some images of these busts in comparison shots. As you can see, they look quite well when displayed together.
[CONCLUSION]
Overall, I'm quite satisfied with this triple-pack, as they performed their main function, that is, to be displayed nicely. The Invisible Woman could be improved drastically, but overall these items are a nice addition to your collection. I like the way Bowen allowed the expressions of the characters' powers on these busts, as it takes away the dullness of their lack of mobility.
In conclusion, the ratings for these mini-busts are as follows:
Mr. Fantastic: A-.
Invisible Woman: B-.
Human Torch: A.
Generally recommended.
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