Sen-ti-nel comes through huge (literally) with this Hulkbuster!
Producer: Sen-ti-nel
Price: $360 USD
Release: Apr. 2016
Height: Approx. 9.0″
WHERE TO BUY: The Toy Source and Amiami
Sen-ti-nel Co. Ltd gives us the latest in their Re:Edit Iron Man line with Hulkbuster. This is their fifth release, and I have to say that it’s definitely the one that makes the biggest statement thus far (with a pretty close second going to their War Machine.) It brings such an awesome balance of size, gimmicks, and playability that almost a week from receiving it I’m still awed by it. Below I’m going to give a write-up, but this is one of the few times where I highly implore you all to watch the video as well, because seeing everything in motion is a must.
Out of the box, you’ll see that Hulkbuster is light on accessories; two stands (hall of armor and stand for flight poses,) and that’s it. It’s a beautiful thing because he actually has fully poseable hands and doesn’t have a need for the pre-posed hand options that come with the others… so in a sense, he actually comes with more since he has a stand specifically made for him (which he definitely needs due to his weightiness.)
Aesthetically, this thing is just beautiful. Surprisingly to me, I’d had quite a few people question me about the design of it because they weren’t familiar with the comic iterations of Iron Man armors, but yes; like the others in this line have and will continue to be, this is a nod to the comic design of the Hulkbuster (mk. 1) armor. It definitely has a more “manga” twist though in terms of proportions which really drive home the “brute” look and feel of Hulkbuster. Let’s not forget that it’s also about 9″ tall, so it’s definitely going to have an imposing look next to other 6 and 7″ scaled figures. The paint job is immaculate as well with a tone of metallic ready that’s just perfect. The gold and silver accents are also immaculate and do very well with blending into each other.
I’ve hit on Hulkbuster being weighty, so let’s talk about why. Outside of just plain being a big figure with a lot of parts inside, he also carries diecast content in his chest, foot soles, and throughout it’s frame/skeleton (ala Bandai’s SPEC line of products.) The diecast content has a great balance and adds to stability and keeping joints strong rather than the opposite effect that imbalance can bring. And you’ll need those joints to be strong because you’ll love posing this Hulkbuster. It feels like it certainly has more moving pieces than not, and the shoulder and waist armor being movable to create more space to move. The only minor gripe I have with this piece’s poseability is wishing the wrists allowed for more upwards wing of the hands to create a better Repulsor Blast pose.
Finally, we can hit on the gimmicks; gimmicks EVERYWHERE. The cockpit functionality on Hulkbuster is outstanding; watching all of the moving pieces while you press down on the piece to activate is just plain fun. The Bleeding edge Iron Man inside is also well done, and I love the small touch of it having a different paint job from the original Bleeding Edge release in order to match the Hulkbuster. The head being poseable is also awesome. The insane amount of lights is also a spectacle; in having a total of six separate light switches and battery compartments, they’ve allowed this thing to not only look like a miniature Christmas tree, but do so without having to worry about the battery life of a single set running them all. I’m still really smitten with how they made the energy packs on the back actual battery compartments that plug in to power the chest/eye and back thruster lights. It’s incredible.
In the end, Hulkbuster turned out fantastic and exceeded the high expectations I’d already had for it. It’s big, solid, fun, and just fantastic looking. I appreciate what the Marvel movies have done for the franchises but the comic designs will likely always be my favorite and it’s good to see the comic variants of the Iron Man Armor get great homages here. Hulkbuster is one that I highly recommend.
Overall Score: 10.5/10 – I can write words, but there are still none for this. The extra half point is for the extra mile went to deliver and incredible piece.
