Review – Iron Man Subcasts Statue

One of the cool things about attending shows like the New York Toy Fair is that it’s a good place to score great deals. The show isn’t one where you wander from booth to booth buying items, but on the last day of the show many exhibitors sell their display items. And that’s how I managed to score this Subcasts Iron Man statue* for only $20.

That’s a Huge Box!

And you know what? It’s an attractive box. A very minimalist, basic design, the box actually looks like one that I’ll keep, and not just because it perfectly protects the statue whenever I need to move it again. Stylized and gorgeous, this sturdy box would make a nice display piece; if you can find the room to display it. Unfortunately, mine will likely find its way into the closet where it will wait patiently for the next time that I need it.

Not at All “Movie Accurate”

As you can see by the photos, this is almost a “super-deformed” Iron Man design. The oversized head and hands, distorted torso, arms, and legs, and the huge feet all combine to make this Subcasts Iron Man statue* a fun, goofy design that’s going to look great with the Iron Man action figures in my collection. And at 10.5-inches tall it’s highly unlikely that this statue will get lost on the shelf.

Red, Yellow, and White

The statue is painted only in three colors; any “black” or shading you think you see on the statue in these photos is simply the way the shadows play across the detailed surface of the statue. For using only three flat colors, the designers behind this statue did a great job of adding depth to the toy by relying on lighting. And the paint is flawless, with every line crisp and clear and the surface smooth and unblemished. We shouldn’t expect any less from a display piece like this, but it’s always nice to know when a statue lives up to its price. (And no, I’m not referring to the $20 I paid for it; this statue is easily worth the $75 retail price that it was released at in 2007.)

Statues? Really?

I know, I know. You guys don’t come to battlegrip.com for a look at statues, but I figured that some of you would enjoy a glance at an Iron Man statue. Especially one that blends designer toy sensibilities with the cool armor design work of Tony Stark. And the fact that this is exactly the sort of thing a resin toy designer could produce in his garage makes this even more appropriate for the site. After all, would any of us really complain if someone produced their own Iron Man bootleg resin toy?

Closing Thoughts

I never would have bought this statue at $75 or $50, but at $20 I just had to grab it the moment that I saw it. A fun, solid design, this Iron Man Subcasts statue makes it unfortunate that Upper Deck’s Subcasts series didn’t perform well enough for them to continue producing new statues. A Galactus in this style would be a lot of fun.

I can’t recommend this piece to anyone but the most dedicated Iron Man fan, and even then it’s not going to be appreciated if you aren’t also a fan of designer toys and stylized designs. The size of the head in comparison to the body almost gives this bobblehead-like proportions, but I’d take this over any bobblehead.

For another look at this statue see this review at Superhero Times where the reviewer writes:

“Overall, this Iron Man Subcast from Upper Deck is a solid piece. It’s a one-of-a-kind Iron Man collectible that will surely stand out in any collection. It’s detailed sculpt, combined eye-popping colors, make for an eye-catching piece that is aesthetically interesting and interpretative, and fans who want something special for their Iron Man collection will definitely want to be sure to pick this statue up.”

I don’t think any fan will want this, but I can’t disagree with the decision that this is a solid work.

*Affiliate link: Orders using this link earn battlegrip.com cash, which is applied to buying toys.

Philip Reed is going to post a few more reviews this week as he tries to get everything ready for Robot Week next week. There won’t be a lot of updates this week, but if everything works right then next week will be packed with robots that are more than ready to take on Iron Man.