Thursday, March 17, 2011

REVIEW: Iron Man 2's Hulkbuster Armor


Hulkbuster Armor | Produced by Hasbro | Released May 2010

Tony Stark - ever the genius - created the Hulkbuster Armor to deal with the foreseeable threat of the Hulk. Designed to battle him toe-to-toe and with improved protective plating, the Hulkbuster Armor has been put to its original purpose on more than one occasion...

Our Iron Man Retrospective continues today with the Hulkbuster Armor from the Iron Man 2 Comic Series.


Where's The Silver Centurion?
Iron Man fans will - I'm sure - be asking that very question, given that the Hulkbuster Armor is a more recent development than the Silver Centurion Armor. The answer, my friends, is that we've already Reviewed the Silver Centurion Armor, so we're moving on now to this next suit.

The Hulkbuster Armor
This is a seriously hefty figure. But given the suit's intended role, it needs to be.


The sculpt does a good job conveying the weight and power of the armour. Although it may share some elements with the Classic Iron Monger figure, it still looks cool and manages to convey its own unique look. It's a heavy, durable figure that reminds me of something like a Masters of the Universe toy with its focus on chunky design and powerful feel. It really looks as if it could go ten rounds with the Hulk.


Articulation isn't bad for a figure with this much bulk. The head joint is very stiff and quite limited (the fact that it's so squat may also contribute to this feeling, as there's nothing to grab onto to twist) but the hips are the ball-joint hinge I much prefer over the usual Marvel Universe/Iron Man 2 pins. The shoulder pads are also a little restrictive, but that's kind of the point: the suit isn't the most agile of creations. With that said though it's still perfectly possible to get some good, powerful poses from it. 

Paint is cleanly applied and nicely done, although the actual red of the armour is a little off compared to the other Iron Man suits. This seems more of a burgundy red than the usual London bus red, but it's cleanly used.

Extras
The Hulkbuster Armor includes a stand (not that it needs it) and three Armor Cell Cards.

Final Thoughts
It's hard to really explain but I'm just not connecting with the Hulkbuster Armor. Most figures speak to you in some way, either through their engaging design or through the character they represent. This however just feels lifeless. After I opened the figure and posed it, I put it into my display case and it's been there since. I'd almost forgotten it was there, to be honest and even thinking about it now, there's nothing that makes me want to go back and re-pose it or examine it again. 

The thing is, it's not really doing anything wrong and there are worse figures in the range. It's a much more well-designed and produced toy than both the Horned Mask and Classic Red and Gold Armors. But for some reason, it's just not as interesting. I hate to be so vague but it's that unquantifiable X Factor that's just lacking here. I'm sure if you're a fan of the Marvel Universe/Iron Man 2 line, then you'll probably enjoy owning this figure but it's not going to win anybody over to the line.

Scores
SculptB+
PaintB
ArticulationC+
Production QualityB
Final ScoreB-

Image Gallery

2 comments:

  1. I have searched everywhere for this specific figure and can not find it. I freakin think this is probably my favorite Iron Man suit second to the Modular/bleeding edge suit. Its bad a$$

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I just struck lucky finding it, to be honest.

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