- Manufacturer King Arts International LImited
- Distributor Hobby Island (Local)
- Contruction Material Various (Includes Diecast parts)
- Size / Scale 1/9 Scale (41 cm)
- Release Date 2016
- Where we got our copy Smallville Comics
- Where to buy Smallville Comics , Hobby Island
- Darth Zady Bun
- Published March 6, 2017
- 0 0
“Veronica, could you lend me a hand” – Iron Man
Remember how we were talking about how the Iron Man franchise is arguably one of the best things that has happened to collectors?
Well today’s review item is another very good piece of evidence that validates that argument.
The so-called Hulkbuster Armour was something fans have loved over the years. I remember losing my proverbial marbles when I saw the teaser shot of it in the Age of Ultron Trailer.
The scene in the movie showcasing the fight between the Hulk and Iron Man in this Armour was epic for myriad of reasons, the least of which was the fact that it was shot in down town Johannesburg.
I would suggest you go and watch the scene again just to refresh your memory so you can read this review in the right frame of mind to appreciate the awesomeness that is the King Arts 1/9 Scale Hulkbuster figure.
Quick background. King Arts International Limited is the trading name of the Guanxin International Group. They are a Hong Kong based company that specialises in among other things the manufacture of high end collectibles.
To the best of my knowledge King Arts holds licenses for a series of Marvel properties and have recently been manufacturing 1:1 scale replicas of everything from Iron Man Arc Rectors to Captain America shields.
I’d like to send a shout out to Joe and his team from Smallville Comics (specifically Eric and Diego this time around) for letting me stuff around with this figure in store.
While King Arts aren’t a new player in the market anymore, their products aren’t as popular in the South African market as they should be.
I attribute this to the popularity of other competing lines such as Hot Toys and Sideshow. With most collecteotrs veering towards those lines, King Arts seem to be sidelined.
This is the first product by King Arts that I am reviewing so I will do my best to cover the most salient aspect of the figure, which in this context would be the Aesthetics, Accessories, Articulation, and the Aish factor of the figure.
Aesthetics
Massive Monster of a figure.
This is a monster of a figure! The figure measures close on 41 cm and weighs a whopping 2.8 kgs.
The beauty of this is the fact that it allows one to have a version of this iconic armour in a size that does justice to its various details while also being capable of displaying in a display shelf.
This is a die cast figure. That adds a lot of weight to the figure. While the figure is fully painted and boasts phenomenal paint detail, the die cast components do add an added bit of lustre.
As would be expected there are a series of LED light-up features together with the weather-worn/ battle damaged effects. I was impressed by the level of detail and attention to detail on the figure as there are lights everywhere from the back all the way to under the feet. I can’t think of how one would pose the figure in order to showcase that. Still you have to admire the attention to detail.
The switches are all very well hidden. This is a double edged sword. On one hand the design isn’t ruined by little switches all over the place.
On the other hand, it would likely take forever to get all the lights witched on and then get this guy posed again for photos or showcasing the piece. First world problems, I know!
Moving along.
One of the most fascinating features of the figure is the provision to insert a King Arts Mark 43 figure. As you can see from the photo gallery below you can remove the chest plates (all magnetically affixed). Sadly the figure does not include the Mark 43 figure.
Assuming you do fork out the Moolas to get one of those, the Mark 43 would fit in seamlessly as we saw in the movie.
To be perfectly candid, I can’t imagine why anyone would bother doing that. These figures are not cheap so while I think it’s great to keep it movie accurate, I don’t imagine ANYONE will be using that particular feature.
In any event, even without the Mark 43 figure this is an incredibly awesome display piece.
Accessories
The Mark 43 cavity. While not the most practical feature, I am impressed by the attention to detail.
Unfortunately, this figure falls a little flat in this department. The figure includes an alternate “hologram” headpiece that can be swapped out quite easily. That’s pretty much it. I don’t count supplies like batteries or the little tool to insert eh batteries as accessories.
It would have been great for the figure to include perhaps a plastic Mark 43 bust or a Mark 43 head. That would have allowed us to approximate that look of the character with the Hulkbuster helmet opened.
Still, given the cost to manufacture these things, I guess King Arts realised that they ought to focus on delivering a masterpiece display item versus a more gimmicky one.
That consideration alone justifies the fact that there is a shortage of accessories and I’m not overly upset by the lack of accessories.
Articulation.
This is a very sturdy figure with a solid build
Surprisingly enough, notwithstanding the fact that this is a very bulky figure, it actually boast a phenomenal amount of articulation throughout the figures
I was happy to find all the usual points of articulation. It was a pleasant surprise to find several additional points of articulation in the shoulders, arms, hip, legs and feet. These all allow the figure to bend a little more to achieve additional poses. There’s also a lot of articulation found in features such as the hydraulic pistons in the hands and feet.
As always it is probably a good idea to familiarise one’s self with the instructions manual before goofing around too much.
Another credit to the design and engineering team for the figure is that the points of articulation are seamlessly integrated into the build.
AISH-Factor
The fine detailing of the intricate workings is magnificent!
My first real exposure to a King Arts product was nothing short of amazing!
Insanely detailed, utterly functional and brilliantly engineered, this figure is a sterling commendation to the capabilities of King Arts.
Unfortunately at this stage, King Arts do not seem to have a strong market presence in South Africa. Sadly people see them mainly as an alternative to Hot Toys instead of product offering in its own light.
Hopefully the resounding AISH this figure warrants will be a start towards changing that unfortunate perception.
As one would expect, this is a slightly more expensive figure. However I can confidently go on record saying that it is worth every cent.
Being a slightly older release, you may have a bit of a challenge sourcing one of these.
You may have to fork out a bot to get it off the second hand market.
However even then it will probably still be cheaper than the (soon to be released) Hot Toys version.
Where to from here?
You may still be lucky and can reach out to Joe from Smallville Comics at:
kentcomics@yahoo.com or
joe@smallvillecomics.co.za
Alternatively, you can try the Local Distributor (Hobby Island) who may be able to help you.
You can reach Hobby Island at:
maggie@hobbyisland.co.za or
frankie@hobbyisland.co.za or
www.hobbyisland.co.za
Be sure to tell them that Zaid sent you. Take chocolate.
What did you think?
Got one of these for yourself?
Have a question or two you would like us to answer?
Have suggestions for reviews/ features you would like us to investigate?
Feel free to hit us up and let’s get the dialogue going.
Z
"Veronica, could you lend me a hand" - Iron Man Remember how we were talking about how the Iron Man franchise is arguably one of the best things that has happened to collectors? Well today’s review item is another very good piece of evidence that validates that argument. The so-called Hulkbuster Armour was something fans have loved over the years. I remember losing my proverbial marbles when I saw the teaser shot of it in the Age of Ultron Trailer. The scene in the movie showcasing the fight between the Hulk and Iron Man in this Armour was epic for myriad of reasons, the least of which was the fact that it was shot in down town Johannesburg. I would suggest you go and watch the scene again just to refresh your memory so you can read this review in the right frame of mind to appreciate the awesomeness that is the King Arts 1/9 Scale Hulkbuster figure. Quick background. King Arts International Limited is the trading name of the Guanxin International Group. They are a Hong Kong based company that specialises in among other things the manufacture of high end collectibles. To the best of my knowledge King Arts holds licenses for a series of Marvel properties and have recently been manufacturing 1:1 scale replicas of everything from Iron Man Arc Rectors to Captain America shields. I’d like to send a shout out to Joe and his team from Smallville Comics (specifically Eric and Diego this time around) for letting me stuff around with this figure in store. While King Arts aren’t a new player in the market anymore, their products aren’t as popular in the South African market as they should be. I attribute this to the popularity of other competing lines such as Hot Toys and Sideshow. With most collecteotrs veering towards those lines, King Arts seem to be sidelined. This is the first product by King Arts that I am reviewing so I will do my best to cover the most salient aspect of the figure, which in this context would be the Aesthetics, Accessories, Articulation, and the Aish factor of the figure. Aesthetics [caption id="attachment_211063" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Massive Monster of a figure.[/caption] This is a monster of a figure! The figure measures close on 41 cm and weighs a whopping 2.8 kgs. The beauty of this is the fact that it allows one to have a version of this iconic armour in a size that does justice to its various details while also being capable of displaying in a display shelf. This is a die cast figure. That adds a lot of weight to the figure. While the figure is fully painted and boasts phenomenal paint detail, the die cast components do add an added bit of lustre. As would be expected there are a series of LED light-up features together with the weather-worn/ battle damaged effects. I was impressed by the level of detail and attention to detail on the figure as there are lights…
Geeky Goods Review: King Arts Hulkbuster
Geeky Goods Review: King Arts Hulkbuster
2017-03-06
Darth Zady Bun
Busted!
Total - 10
100 10
A Marvelously crafted rendition of this fan favourite. Well worth the investment.
User Rating: Be the first one !
10
Packaging (Front)
First Look
Right View
Back View
Left View
Scale Comparision
Weathering effects
Close Up Back View
Helmet
Removeable chest pieces
Sculpting detail
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Darth Zady Bun
Guest Contributor
Zaid is a story teller, traveller, artist, entertainer and comic culture geek of note.
Powered by chocolate, and guided by an ever growing bucket (and collectibles) list, he finances his addiction to geek merchandise, comic books, action figures and all the cold cast porcelain and PVC pieces of heaven he can buy by giving (mostly) legal advice. He is also rumoured to have once eaten an entire pack of Marie Biscuits with a single mug of Five Roses Tea.
Witnesses deny the incident.
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Article Tags: action figure review · Darthzadybun · featured · Hobby Island · Hulkbuster · Iron Man · King Arts · marvel · smallville comics · Zaid Hassen Motala
Article Categories: Geeky Goods Review