Patriotic Hero Takes Center Stage Among Avengers...
When Kotobukiya’s ARTFX+ Statue series of DC Comics characters took off, fans knew it was probably only a matter of time until Marvel joined the party. The 1/10th scale snap-fit statues carry on the tradition of quality established by the original ARTFX series with a smaller price tag, and now the collection includes DC, Marvel, Star Wars, and Halo. Koto chose to start each comic book license with a full team of heroes, and for Marvel that was of course the Avengers. Based on the looks of the characters from the Marvel Now era by superstar artist Adi Granov, the ARTFX+ statues give a flair to Earth’s mightiest heroes we haven’t before seen. Today I’ll be sharing a close look at one of my favorite Marvel heroes, Captain America!
If you’ve picked up or seen any of the DC Comics ARTFX+ Statues you’ll know they come in very distinctive boxes that are mostly clear with frosted sides and themed colors. For the Marvel collection Koto has gone in a different direction and it’s pretty cool. Captain America comes in a bold package covered in artwork and showing off the figure itself. The entire box is covered in a background of overlapping Cap image in blue and black, on top of which are the usual logos, the inspiring portrait by Adi Granov, photos of the statue, and more. The back panel of the box has the artwork of the full lineup of Marvel Now Avengers along with detail photos of Cap and a description of the statue. Inside the box is a plastic tray holding the four components of the statue (which is easily assembled in seconds) and a sleek black display base.
In Granov’s illustration the Avengers stand ready to face any threat, the team lined up and standing in traditional positions of strength and power. Captain America, long a leader among the Avengers and indeed the heroes of the Marvel Universe, is always at the forefront and the statue based on that artwork captures him confidently standing up to the bad guys. His pose is pretty straightforward, appropriate for the no nonsense hero. Rogers (approximately 7 ½ inches tall) stands with a slight lean over his left leg, ready to leap forward. His iconic shield leads the way held loosely in front of his body while his right fist is clenched to strike. Cap wears a modern take on his traditional patriotic costume as seen in the Marvel Now era featuring rugged red boots, reinforced blue pants, and a brown belt with pouches and silver buckle. He appears to wear a white undersuit with vertical red stripes on the belly and over it a blue armored chest and collar piece and red gloves. Steve’s blue cowl reaches up his neck and over the back of his head where it meets a sturdy but low-profile helmet.
The Marvel Now Captain America is bright and colorful (as Cap should be) and absolutely covered in cool details both sculpted and painted. His clothing has all sorts of creases, piping, fasteners, and unique textures like the hexagonal armor on his chest. Cap’s shield looks great with its metallic paint, and on the back of it you can see Koto went the extra mile with a very complex sculpt of its contraptions for staying on the hero’s arm. And of course there’s a ton of detail on Rogers’ head from the steely expression on his face to his blue eyes, the “A” on his forehead, the helmet’s integrated ear guards and chinstrap, etc. Just like most of the ARTFX+ series Cap has magnets in his feet so he stands well on the included black base.
The Marvel Now Captain America ARTFX+ Statue is currently available for about $50. It’s stylistically different from most collectibles out there with a bold look, and you know you won’t be disappointed with the craftsmanship from Kotobukiya. If you’re a fan of the star-spangled hero you should definitely check out this statue, though you Avengers fans have probably already got the full Marvel Now set.
Review and photos by Scott Rubin
Keep up with all the latest toy news by following Figures.com on Facebook and Twitter!
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, TheToySource.com, Toynk.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and EntertainmentEarth.com.
For hobby miniatures and all your gaming needs, visit MiniatureMarket.com.