Package Description
The first time the Silver Surfer appeared in Earth's skies, it was as a thrall of Galactus, a world-devouring entity as old as the universe itself. He brought with him chaos, and the promise of destruction. It was only when he was reminded of his own world, long lost in the depths of space that he rebelled against his master. Cut off from the purpose he knew for so long, he took to wandering the space lanes, intervening where he could to see that right was done, trying to atone for the countless worlds he had helped to destroy. As the first and most favored among the Heralds of Galactus, he is a living battery of the Power Cosmic, one of the foundational energies of the cosmos, and as such, his power is nearly limitless.
Appearance
Silver Surfer has a brand new sculpt for this figure (which he shares with his 12” version). The paint application is generally good, although it may be hard to find a figure without damage in a few spots to the paint. Paint rub is something to be careful about with this figure. Overall I think the paint job works well. A shiny metalized finish may have been overwhelming. The hint of white in the silver color also softens his appearance, which is good for posing him with other figures.
The build on this figure is good. Surfer needs a sleek but powerful look, and I think this sculpt delivers. All the muscle lines are mirrored on the left and right sides of the body to give him a more symmetric, aerodynamic look. The lines come out dark though because of the shadows they throw across the silver, which may not be the look some people are looking for. However, I think the quality of the body sculpt with the new, stern face sculpt is comic accurate and on the whole a decent interpretation of the character. However, it does give the impression of being modeled more after the movie look than the comic, but the two are close enough.
The only real problem I have with his appearance are the hands. It can be hard to pose him well with his "slap" hand, which only works well in some poses on the surfboard. Unlike the Icons version though, the wrist ball joints blend in fairly well. The only joints that look out of place are the balls for the shoulders and hips. The board looks good and is done well. The shiny finish is something I really appreciate on this figure, but is kind of odd when the board is shinier than the figure. At times, the torso joint can be intrusive, but it’s possible to block it from view with the right pose.
Also of note is that he has a very different presence from the Icons version. On the Icons version it’s easier to see the details of the sculpt, and so the curves of the figure soften his appearance. On the smaller version, the details are more compact, and the shadows created by the sculpt have a more dramatic effect on the smaller figure. The shadows create a darker, less powerful presence than the sleek Icons Silver Surfer, but it still has a good impression. Overall, I think everyone will find a few faults with the figure that don't quite match their expectations of the character. But given the chance, he should mesh well with anyone's interpretation of the Silver Surfer.
Articulation
Surfer has fairly standard ball and pin joints everywhere Toybiz did except for the wrists and ankles. The swivel joint on the ankles are sorely missed on the surfboard. The range of motion in the legs is ok, but he could benefit greatly from more flexibility on the surfboard. Unlike the 12” Icons Silver Surfer, this Surfer can look up to a decent degree. All in all, he moves a bit easier than the 12” version, and has decent balance.
Poseablility
Surfer's problems begin with the size of his board. If he's sitting on a table, the board is going to take up a lot of space. Without the board, he can look awkward because of the pose of his hands, and how much he stands out from other figures. Surfer is bright, so he's going to attract a lot of attention within a crowd of figures. His legs are also a little warped from the package, so he can look a little awkward standing up. If need be, this can be fixed with a hairdryer. He has a good number of poses he can do on his board, but he is still not quite as versatile as the ML Series 6 Silver Surfer with the magnetic board.
Overall he's going to look best riding his board strung up in the air somehow. For on the ground, my suggestion is for Surfer to hold the board, taking up less space and hiding one of his hands
Final Judgment: 6
Overall, this is a good Silver Surfer figure, but he doesn’t quite have the visual impact of the Icons version. This scale works against him because all the features have to be more compact, when he needs a sleek, elegant look. Overall though, I think he captures the look of the Surfer quite well. Paint quality and the pose of the hands can complicate his poses, and he can sometimes look a little awkward. Even though he’s the best Surfer out there yet, the lack of excitement when I hold this figure means Silver Surfer gets a score of 6. There are still a few improvements this figure could benefit from, but it’s still a worthwhile purchase.
SCALE
10. My favorite possession.
9. My favorite action figure.
8. One of my favorite action figures.
7. An exceptional action figure.
6. A good, but not exceptional action figure.
5. An adequate action figure.
4. Not worth the money I spent.
3. I'll give it to somebody's kid.
2. I'll give it to somebody's dog.
1. It's going to lose a fight with my car.
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