Toys

Diamond Select SDCC exclusive X-23 as Wolverine unmasked statue review

The newest iteration of the superior Wolverine hero (sorry, Logan) reviewed.

October 15, 2018

As far as I know, Charles Soule’s run isn’t done yet and Wolverine alpha hasn’t fully returned so I feel safe in saying that we all know Laura Kinney, X-23, the All New Wolverine, is actually the superior clawed hero.

Fittingly, she’s been rendered exceedingly well in two separate Marvel Legends figures, a coming Play Arts Kai figure, and a statue from Sideshow. So, how does this SDCC exclusive rendition of the immortal X-heroine fit in? Pretty well but not without noticeable issue.

First off, it’s immediately apparent that this sculpt was crafted with care. The physique is impressive, the pose is interesting, and 23’s face is given the right amount of attention to warrant having this piece in your collection alongside the masked variant . The semi-transparent “X” (with badass claw marks) is especially cool, as is her slightly lifted back foot, which gives the entire figure a good, dynamic feel.

However, closer investigation also reveals that while the sculpt itself is great, the paint application meant to highlight those finer details is undeniably lacking. The model we’re reviewing here has several noticeable paint dings, scrapes, and nicks across the entire body as well as various overlaps and misapplications that detract from the otherwise great look the piece gives off from afar. The omission of X-23’s signature foot claws is also slightly baffling.

All in all, a great, but not perfect offering that any X-23 super-fan (myself included) will love to have, and others might want to hold off on both due to the availability of more flexible figures on the market as well as some poor execution.

Is it good?

A stellar sculpt marred by a less-than-stellar paint job keeps this X-23 statue from being all it could be.

Great sculpt that highlights a cool pose, physique, and additional little details.

While the paint itself is a cool speckled mixture, the application leaves much to be desired.

Good

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