Review – Monstrehero Swirly Intergaladiator

I’ve posted about Monstrehero’s Intergaladiator resin toys a few times now, each time show a photo of these strange — but very neat-looking — resin toys. One thing I neglected to mention last month when a batch of these were released, though, was that I broke down and ordered one. I wanted to get this guy on the site a lot sooner than this but life has been keeping me busy so he’s had to wait until now.

I should have bumped this guy up and spent some quality time with him sooner because this is some very pretty resin.

Packaging

I was a little worried when I opened the shipping box because the first thing I uncovered wasn’t all that impressive. A stock white box with a color printout applied to the front makes me nervous. Well, the box may not be interesting but at least opening the box revealed . . .

Freaky and Wacky Resin Goodness!

The photo above is a pretty good shot that shows you exactly what an Intergaladiator looks like. Built out of six pieces — only five of which can be seen in the photos above and below — the Intergaladiator stands just over 4-inches high to the top of his dome. He’s broad, though, and rather chunky when you pick him up. Sure he’s not as chunky as Bullhorn (reviewed here), but he’s definitely a solid chunk of resin.

And he’s got some articulation! Intergaladiator’s arms are on hexagonal posts so by removing and rotating and arm you can change the positioning. A round peg is better, since it allows movement without removing bits, but this form of articulation works just fine for an art piece that you’re just gonna pose.

I’ll Beat You With My Club!

Check it out, folks, the Intergaladiator even has a weapon! It’s a simple club, but he can hold it and it makes him just a little more threatening than he would be without it. The club’s the weakest point on the toy — structurally, not in terms of design — feeling even more fragile than the posts that hold the arms in place. I swear that the first bit of this guy that’s going to break will be the handle of the club; I must resist the urge to drag this guy outside for photos.

Putting the “Swirl” in Swirly

I need to take this guy outside for some cool photos, though, because his swirly pattern is too awesome to leave locked up on a shelf. Every bit of color in this guy comes from the cast resin and not paint; the blue and white patterns in his appearance come from swirling two different colors of resin together and the effect is awesome. And now that I have a little experience with resin I feel safe saying that this sort of effect can’t be simple to pull off since the resin tends to harden fairly quickly. Now maybe this guy was constructed with a slow-curing resin, but regardless of the type the random swirl can’t be easy and the final design looks as impressive as hell.

Some of the marble-like effects — especially in the helmet — don’t even look random. For not having any paint this is one colorful and fun toy.

A Surprise Inside!

Pop off the removable helmet and you reveal a skull-headed creation that’s also removable. This mini-figure — about 2.5-inches of skull and intestines — is what really turns the Intergaladiator into a freaky construction that could scare the hell out of a kid sister. The photos below show the front and back views of this interior monstrosity which, unfortunately, cannot stand on its own. If this guy had twisted little feet — maybe even organs or something equally nasty — then you could pose him beside the suit. As it is you can either pose the figure with the helmet on or the helmet off and the skull showing.

I may need to work out some sort of stand for the mini-figure so that I can display both pieces at once.

Closing Thoughts

With one of the sickest resin toy designs I’ve seen so far, and I’ve seen some pretty sick toys, Monstrehero’s Intergaladiator is an awesome addition to any resin toy collection. Partial articulation, a creepy concept and great execution, and the sheer rarity of each piece in the series all combine to make this one of those toys that will be highly collectible in a few years.

And I’ve got one. One’s enough, though, since it’s such a high-dollar piece that owning more than one could seriously cut into a monthly toy budget. There aren’t any Intergaladiators up for sale now, but if you want one then keep your eyes open for the next time Monstrehero drops a run of these guys on the market.

Philip Reed is happy that he broke down and grabbed one of these the last time they were released. This is an unusual and creepy resin toy that really shows off the amount of artistry that can be poured into a hand-cast toy. A great addition to the collection!