I typically write about sports, mostly soccer on my blog but I am switching it up today. I am a huge Marvel fan and have had my eye on the Hot Toys line for a while but never pulled the trigger on buying their figures. However, that changed when I ordered the Iron Man Mark IV figure from Hot Toys last month. After End Game, it seems a lot of people are looking to make their first purchase and have some questions. I try to answer some of those questions in my review of the Iron Man Mark IV.
Presentation
- Packaging: The packaging is great and most importantly, it keeps your expensive figure safe and secure during its long journey to your doorstep. Iron Man is front and center with his palms up, ready to strike with his repulsor beams. The graphic wraps around the sides of the box with the back reserved for people behind the figure aka the artists. Inside, heavy duty styrofoam keeps everything secure. Visually, the packaging looks great on a shelf and will not be something you want to hide.
- Stand/Display Base: They did the bare minimum. It’s a generic stand with the Iron Man 2 movie logo and “Mark IV”. If you had any dreams of crazy flight poses, I suggest you let those fly away. It is disappointing for a figure that costs about $350 retail to wimp out on the stand. It is especially disappointing when the plastic version of this figure came with a much nicer base that lit up when it was released years ago.
Appearance
- Head: This figure comes with 2 heads: an Iron Man helmet and a Tony Stark head sculpt. A Robert Downey Jr head sculpt is included and its very good. One thing to keep in mind when looking at this sculpt is which version of Iron Man (RDJR) it is based on. Iron Man 2 came out in 2010 and was filmed in 2009. To me, the likeness is spot on and you will instantly recognize it is Robert Downey Jr playing Tony Stark. It also looks great on the figure and is properly proportioned. The Iron Man helmet lights up, once you get the tiny batteries into the right spot. Both options are great and will lead to many great poses.
- Outfit/Costume: This Mark IV is very faithful to the one in the movie. There are actually 2 Hot Toys versions of the Mark IV: a plastic version that was released years ago and diecast version that was recently released. Also, there’s a 3rd version that comes with the gantry but it features the same diecast figure. My review covers the diecast version without the gantry and it is more expensive than the plastic one but not as much as the version with the gantry. A little confusing but stay with me. This diecast version features a lot of great weathering, that adds a lot to the figure. Just keep in mind, the figure is not “brand new” in case that is the look you are going. The paint job on the armor is great and shows no sign of chipping off. The more you “play” with the figure and try new poses, the more you will appreciate all the minute details Hot Toys included.
Articulation
- Poseability: I’ll have to admit I was really hesitant to even try to pose him when I first took it out of the box. But after I overcame my fear of breaking my shiny new toy, I was able to put Iron Man in any pose I could think of. Whether I wanted him to drink some coffee or strike the famous Iron Man pose. Hot Toys did a good job of hiding the joints within the armor. One thing that will help negate the basic stand is Iron Man’s boots are not 1 piece. The toe area has articulation that will greatly help in keeping this figure upright without any assistance. The 3 pairs of hands will allow for a wide range of poses. The pair with the fully articulated fingers will make it easy for him hold onto any other accessories or weapons you have lying around such as Thor’s Mjolnir. Whether he is worthy enough to wield it is another story…..
- Constraints: The only knock for me is you cant have him fully looking up to a flight pose but since the stand will not let you do that type of pose anyway, it’s minor. The figure did feel a little stiff when I first took it out of the box but it has loosened up after a few different poses.
Accessories
- Hot Toys did not skimp on the accessories. In addition to the 3 pairs of hands and the all weapon accessories, they included sunglasses, a coffe cup, a donut and a donut box. So you can recreate the scene in Iron Man 2 where Nick Fury finds him at Randy’s Donuts. The weapon accessories will keep you busy with future poses for a while. Especially if you get more Hot Toys and try doing battle poses.
Value
- If you are okay with spending $350 on a figure and are a big Iron Man fan, then I highly recommend you go with this one. I think it provides as much value as a $350 figure is going to. It is well built and will definitely last you. The accessories and extra head sculpt should help cushion the blow to your checking account. The non-diecast version of this figure is cheaper, if you can find it on the after-market but it has an issue where the red on the plastic is slowly turning pink. This figure will not have that problem. Another option if you want a nice Iron Man figure but don’t want to spend hundreds, is the SH Figuarts line. Those are about 6-7″ tall as opposed to Hot Toys which are around 12″. They have even better articulation and look great.
Overall
- This was my first dip into the Hot Toys realm and I am very impressed with the quality of the figure. I was a little leery spending so much but it has exceeded all my expectations. A big reason why I took the plunge is how iconic the Mark IV is, to me at least. Visually, it is nearly identical to the Mark VI minus the new chest plate and repaints. To me, those two suits are the last of the “bulky” armors before Stark builds his slimmer suits and invents his nano technology. And if you’re a fan of those slimmer armors, don’t worry, Hot Toys has plenty of those to purchase. The Tony Stark headsculpt adds a lot to the figure and increases the cool factor that much more. I own a few Hot Toys figures now and this is still my favorite and I do not see myself selling this one. So if you are thinking of starting a collection, I highly suggest you take a hard look at this figure before it completely sells out and becomes pricier on the after-market.
