Review – Momaw Nadon (Hammerhead) Mini-Bust
After reviewing the Sideshow Collectibles 12-inch scale Hammerhead action figure (review here) I decided to start digging into the character to get an idea of what had been released in the way of collectibles. A very, very little searching led me to this Hammerhead mini-bust* by Gentle Giant (website) that, at $13, was a good enough price that I immediately ordered it. And I’m glad that I only paid $13 because it’s really not a fantastic piece; especially when compared to photos of Gentle Giant’s next mini bust of the same character (last mentioned here).
Packaging
A fairly generic box design that we’ve seen used for several Star Wars collectibles, there’s nothing at all exciting or interesting about this box. I am keeping the box, but only so that I can easily move Hammerhead in the future and not because it’s an amazing display of packaging design.
A Tight Sculpt
Roughly 5-inches tall, this Hammerhead mini-bust’s sculpt is every bit as nice as the 12-inch scale action figure . . . which is to be expected from a company like Gentle Giant. The teeth and eyes are excellent, and even the texturing effect across the skin feels good to the touch and looks great. When it comes to the quality of the sculpt I have nothing at all to complain about.
Paint
Also excellent, but I have to admit that I prefer the darker skin coloring of Sideshow’s action figure to the pale flesh tones of this mini-bust. And I suspect that everyone out there agrees with me, because Gentle Giant’s upcoming Hammerhead mini bust* also uses the darker skin colors. It’s not that the paint on this tiny statue is bad — in fact, it’s quite sharp and the gloss on the teeth and eyes is a nice touch — it’s just that I think Hammerhead looks better darker.
Honestly, though, the one advantage this lighter coloring has over the darker flesh of the action figure is that the vein-like paint details pop a lot more off of this piece. The photo above gives you a close look at the bust and if you look at Hammerhead’s flesh I think you’ll easily see what I’m talking about.
So Why the Unhappiness?
At $13 this mini-bust is a great buy, but when compared to the upcoming mini-bust this design really suffers. The lack of arms is a huge problem for me, and it’s only going to be in a group of Star Wars toys and statues that this bust really starts to look better to me. I know that most busts out there don’t include arms, but it’s those armless designs that had me go years without any real interest in busts or statues.
Closing Thoughts
Not a recommended statue for anyone except the insane who feel they must own every Hammerhead collectible on the planet, this is a very nice work of art that only feels like a bit of a disappointment because I’m comparing it to upcoming art and Sideshow’s 12-inch scale version of the character (review here). If you like the photos and don’t mind spending the $13 you can still grab one from Amazon.com*.
For another point of view (heh) see the pics and short review at Fandomania. The review was written shortly after the bust was released in 2008 so it’s not compared to the two newer Hammerhead collectibles; that probably makes it a fairer straight-up review of the bust on its own.
Philip Reed wonders just how many Hammerhead/Ithorian toys and statues have been produced over the years. It can’t be many, right?
Man for years I hated that Hammerhead was only ever getting love in busts and stuff. I’m glad to see that has finally changed. I have so little room in my life for busts…
Well at least ones of the stone variety.