*No Costumes were harmed in the making of this gallery.
Images by Tendou
Images by Tendou
| BLACK SUITED SPIDER-MAN GALLERY |
| For more one-sixth reviews and galleries go here... |
"The Power... Feels Good".
by Gatack
May 12, 2007
May 12, 2007
I was in line for six hours-SIX HOURS-to be there at the midnight showing of Spider-Man 3.
For me and many other people on the planet, it's the most anticipated movie of the summer
(which, as of this writing, has raked in 391 million worldwide). That's saying a lot considering
you have big name sequels like "Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At Worlds End", "Transformers",
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer", and
even the unnecessary and unasked-for pop culture throat-jammer that is "Shrek 3: The
Quickening."
All are back and all have various levels of merchandise to sell. Of course there was one bit
of merchandise that obviously caught my interest.
For me and many other people on the planet, it's the most anticipated movie of the summer
(which, as of this writing, has raked in 391 million worldwide). That's saying a lot considering
you have big name sequels like "Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At Worlds End", "Transformers",
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer", and
even the unnecessary and unasked-for pop culture throat-jammer that is "Shrek 3: The
Quickening."
All are back and all have various levels of merchandise to sell. Of course there was one bit
of merchandise that obviously caught my interest.
The rumor that Medicom would do Spider-Man 3 dolls was around, but there was nothing
really solid to hang your hat on. Whether it was just wishful thinking from fans or something else,
the belief was strong that there would be a Spider-Man 3 Medicom series. Then one
day-BAM!-there they were and it was safe to say that the masses went wild. Spider-Man,
Symbiote Spider-Man, and Venom were in plain view for the world to see. Sure the images
were controversial due to their premature release to the public (yay Sideshow!); but hey, it was
the confirmation fans were hoping to get. And as quickly as Sideshow put the images up they
were taken down (boo Sony!). However, finding the images wasn't a hard thing to do since
every movie, gossip, and pre-order toy site plastered the images on their own site.
really solid to hang your hat on. Whether it was just wishful thinking from fans or something else,
the belief was strong that there would be a Spider-Man 3 Medicom series. Then one
day-BAM!-there they were and it was safe to say that the masses went wild. Spider-Man,
Symbiote Spider-Man, and Venom were in plain view for the world to see. Sure the images
were controversial due to their premature release to the public (yay Sideshow!); but hey, it was
the confirmation fans were hoping to get. And as quickly as Sideshow put the images up they
were taken down (boo Sony!). However, finding the images wasn't a hard thing to do since
every movie, gossip, and pre-order toy site plastered the images on their own site.
That was a few months ago (January 4th for the curious). Now the figures are finally out and
it's time to see what all the hype is about. The symbiote Spider-Man is the most promoted
design in Spider-Man 3, so this review will focus on that version and not its regular-colored
counterpart (which won't vary much from this review anyway as it's essentially the same doll with
a different color scheme).
it's time to see what all the hype is about. The symbiote Spider-Man is the most promoted
design in Spider-Man 3, so this review will focus on that version and not its regular-colored
counterpart (which won't vary much from this review anyway as it's essentially the same doll with
a different color scheme).
The biggest thing about this doll is the outfit so I want to tackle that first. Unlike the cloth outfit the comic version of the
black costume Medicom had, this one is made out of a more pleather-like material (which Medicom describes it as a "special
coated fabric"). As we've seen in the prior movies, Spider-Man's costume captures the look and style of the comic with several
subtle alterations. It has several little hexagon-like patterns that give a level of intricacy to what's considered a simple costume.
black costume Medicom had, this one is made out of a more pleather-like material (which Medicom describes it as a "special
coated fabric"). As we've seen in the prior movies, Spider-Man's costume captures the look and style of the comic with several
subtle alterations. It has several little hexagon-like patterns that give a level of intricacy to what's considered a simple costume.
The black costume is virtually identical save for a couple of details. One of the differences
in design is the more aggressive spider emblem on his chest with the more pronounced pincers
and longer legs. The Medicom one-sixth captures both of these details well. The webbing on the
outfit was created by a special "puff paint" application which adds a nice layer of depth to the
body suit. The sleeves are also long enough that they hide the wrist joints very well. It's a great
suit but it's not perfect. It's not an exact replication of the movie version. It would have been nice
if it had that metallic sheen to it, but as it is, it's a very slick representation of the movie black
costume Spider-Man.
in design is the more aggressive spider emblem on his chest with the more pronounced pincers
and longer legs. The Medicom one-sixth captures both of these details well. The webbing on the
outfit was created by a special "puff paint" application which adds a nice layer of depth to the
body suit. The sleeves are also long enough that they hide the wrist joints very well. It's a great
suit but it's not perfect. It's not an exact replication of the movie version. It would have been nice
if it had that metallic sheen to it, but as it is, it's a very slick representation of the movie black
costume Spider-Man.
Sculpted by Keisuke Sawada, who has done several high quality masked Medicoms
before (Darth Vader Episode VI version, Protect Gear Kerberos 0) was up to the challenge
when it came to his duties on Spider-Man 3. The sculpting on Spider-Man only encompasses
three things: the head, hands, and boots. The sculpting for these are pretty much dead-on to
what they look like in the film. The hands are not sculpted in any type of exaggerated comic style
but have the proportions of real hands. The sculpted web pattern on the head, hands, and boots
are all very consistent with each other in terms of line thickness. The boots themselves are
made of "extra" soft vinyl which allows for easier balancing of the figure. What I would have liked
to have seen on the head, are the use of compound eyes (what Medicom uses for the eyes of
the Kamen Rider helmets). Seeing the mask up close in the movie showed a lot of detail that
using compound eyes would have brought even more life to the one-sixth.
before (Darth Vader Episode VI version, Protect Gear Kerberos 0) was up to the challenge
when it came to his duties on Spider-Man 3. The sculpting on Spider-Man only encompasses
three things: the head, hands, and boots. The sculpting for these are pretty much dead-on to
what they look like in the film. The hands are not sculpted in any type of exaggerated comic style
but have the proportions of real hands. The sculpted web pattern on the head, hands, and boots
are all very consistent with each other in terms of line thickness. The boots themselves are
made of "extra" soft vinyl which allows for easier balancing of the figure. What I would have liked
to have seen on the head, are the use of compound eyes (what Medicom uses for the eyes of
the Kamen Rider helmets). Seeing the mask up close in the movie showed a lot of detail that
using compound eyes would have brought even more life to the one-sixth.
Since this is based on the live-action movie, not many artistic liberties were taken with it. In
fact, it's a pretty straightforward representation of the Symbiote Spider-Man as he is shown in
the movie, which is exactly what I expected and wanted. Style wise, this doll captures the
attitude of the character perfectly when he's just standing there, and when posed even better.
fact, it's a pretty straightforward representation of the Symbiote Spider-Man as he is shown in
the movie, which is exactly what I expected and wanted. Style wise, this doll captures the
attitude of the character perfectly when he's just standing there, and when posed even better.
There really isn't much to talk in terms of paint application. The only things that fall into the
paint application category are, again, the head, hands, and boots. The eyes have a mother of
pearl-like color to them which adds a level of depth to them. Spider-Man can be a quality control
nightmare due to his busy design. There are lines all over his head, boots, and hands. I
mentioned earlier that the lines on the outfit are a paint puff application. This is a very interesting
technique to use on a one-sixth outfit.
paint application category are, again, the head, hands, and boots. The eyes have a mother of
pearl-like color to them which adds a level of depth to them. Spider-Man can be a quality control
nightmare due to his busy design. There are lines all over his head, boots, and hands. I
mentioned earlier that the lines on the outfit are a paint puff application. This is a very interesting
technique to use on a one-sixth outfit.
Is it ground breaking? Depends really on what you consider ground breaking. I
don't think it is, but it's still a unique approach in handling the web design on the
bodysuit. Needless to say there isn't a sloppy line on this guy.
don't think it is, but it's still a unique approach in handling the web design on the
bodysuit. Needless to say there isn't a sloppy line on this guy.
The body used for Spider-Man is the Medicom 301 body, which is arguably the
best one-sixth body on the market. That body allows Spider-Man to stand and pose
like a real person, which I think is the ultimate goal of every one-sixth out there, to give
the illusion of realism. And with the subject matter being Spider-Man, anything less than
a super-articulated body would hinder the character of this figure significantly. The
articulation for this newly released movie version is about average. The tightness of the
outfit does hinder the posability of it. There seems to be padding of some type on the
midsection of the doll, which hinders the full motion the torso.
You can get some good poses out of him as is, but you're not going to get the types of
poses that the comic book Medicom Spidey can do.
best one-sixth body on the market. That body allows Spider-Man to stand and pose
like a real person, which I think is the ultimate goal of every one-sixth out there, to give
the illusion of realism. And with the subject matter being Spider-Man, anything less than
a super-articulated body would hinder the character of this figure significantly. The
articulation for this newly released movie version is about average. The tightness of the
outfit does hinder the posability of it. There seems to be padding of some type on the
midsection of the doll, which hinders the full motion the torso.
You can get some good poses out of him as is, but you're not going to get the types of
poses that the comic book Medicom Spidey can do.
If you own the prior Medicom Spider-Man releases then you'll know what to expect with this one, and if you don't let me fill
you in: hands and webbing. And when I mean hands I mean lots of hands. From casual open-hand to web shooter posed
hands they are all there (eight of them to be exact). The webbing...
Scratch that.
Upon further review, we get two pair of hands. NO extra head, NO plethora of hands, and NO webbing. NADA. The
accessory category is what hurts this figure the most. He comes with one pair of casual hands and the other pair is of the
web-shooting left hand and the clawed positioned right hand. To get the most out of a Spider-Man one-sixth he's got to have
several hands. His hands are very expressive and important to giving his multiple poses. In the movie the symbiote
Spider-Man punches quite a bit, yet he doesn't come with fists. As I said in my Ghost Rider review, I think every one-sixth
comic book character should have fists. It should be a gimmie in my opinion. Also, I don't like how the other pair of hands aren't
symmetrical with each other. I can't have my Spider-Man firing webs from both of his hands as he's only capable of shooting
webs from his left hand. Other characters can (sorta) get away with having only a couple of hands (like Ghost Rider and
Wolverine), but Spidey can't be shorted hands wise. The gallery below would be bigger if he just came with more hands; the
lack of extra-hands really take this one-sixth down a bit.
The accessory I would have liked to have seen come with this Spider-Man is a second head. I wouldn't expect a Peter
Parker head (especially since the regular Peter Parker Medicom will take care of that via mail-away coupon that comes with
the black costume Medicom. Sideshow will distribute this stateside), but I was hoping for an extra head showing the symbiote
engulfing Peter.
you in: hands and webbing. And when I mean hands I mean lots of hands. From casual open-hand to web shooter posed
hands they are all there (eight of them to be exact). The webbing...
Scratch that.
Upon further review, we get two pair of hands. NO extra head, NO plethora of hands, and NO webbing. NADA. The
accessory category is what hurts this figure the most. He comes with one pair of casual hands and the other pair is of the
web-shooting left hand and the clawed positioned right hand. To get the most out of a Spider-Man one-sixth he's got to have
several hands. His hands are very expressive and important to giving his multiple poses. In the movie the symbiote
Spider-Man punches quite a bit, yet he doesn't come with fists. As I said in my Ghost Rider review, I think every one-sixth
comic book character should have fists. It should be a gimmie in my opinion. Also, I don't like how the other pair of hands aren't
symmetrical with each other. I can't have my Spider-Man firing webs from both of his hands as he's only capable of shooting
webs from his left hand. Other characters can (sorta) get away with having only a couple of hands (like Ghost Rider and
Wolverine), but Spidey can't be shorted hands wise. The gallery below would be bigger if he just came with more hands; the
lack of extra-hands really take this one-sixth down a bit.
The accessory I would have liked to have seen come with this Spider-Man is a second head. I wouldn't expect a Peter
Parker head (especially since the regular Peter Parker Medicom will take care of that via mail-away coupon that comes with
the black costume Medicom. Sideshow will distribute this stateside), but I was hoping for an extra head showing the symbiote
engulfing Peter.
And of course he comes with the classic clear plastic Medicom stand. Personally I don't care for
stands. In fact, I loathe them. They are a necessary evil in the one-sixth world; they're my personal
Anti-Life Equation if you will. The majority of Medicoms don't need them and they look ugly when
clamped around the waist of a figure (and if you don't know what you're doing you can damage the
fabric which I've seen people do*) But the clear Medicom stand is the least intrusive one I've seen and
should help you put him in various dynamic poses.
stands. In fact, I loathe them. They are a necessary evil in the one-sixth world; they're my personal
Anti-Life Equation if you will. The majority of Medicoms don't need them and they look ugly when
clamped around the waist of a figure (and if you don't know what you're doing you can damage the
fabric which I've seen people do*) But the clear Medicom stand is the least intrusive one I've seen and
should help you put him in various dynamic poses.
When it comes to super-hero licenses, Medicom tends to do one of two things. They either go for
the comic book approach to things, in which the box looks like the cover of a Marvel comic (a
technique that they also used on the Ash/Satoshi Medicom, so I guess that style of packaging isn't
limited to just Marvel characters anymore) or they go for the minimalist approach and do something
like a logo or character image and some color. Here they take a very stylish route and give us some
very slick packaging. You have CG art of the black costume with the faded-hexagon imprint on the box.
The open flap reveals a close-up image of the doll with the Medicom right opposite of it. Also on the
front of the box is a sticker telling you of the Peter Parker mail-away coupon that's included in the
package. It's a very collector friendly box and, like most Medicoms, he comes on a very collector
friendly tray.
the comic book approach to things, in which the box looks like the cover of a Marvel comic (a
technique that they also used on the Ash/Satoshi Medicom, so I guess that style of packaging isn't
limited to just Marvel characters anymore) or they go for the minimalist approach and do something
like a logo or character image and some color. Here they take a very stylish route and give us some
very slick packaging. You have CG art of the black costume with the faded-hexagon imprint on the box.
The open flap reveals a close-up image of the doll with the Medicom right opposite of it. Also on the
front of the box is a sticker telling you of the Peter Parker mail-away coupon that's included in the
package. It's a very collector friendly box and, like most Medicoms, he comes on a very collector
friendly tray.
What really makes me jump for joy is that he doesn't come with twisty ties. It's the best Marvel Medicom package I've
seen, very well done indeed.
seen, very well done indeed.
$99 USD is a great price for a Medicom, even for a bare bones one. Thanks again to Sideshow's agreement to distribute
certain Medicoms here in the U.S. (there is no sole distributor of Medicom in the U.S. BTW, regardless of what people try to
tell you), we've been given these incredible dolls for a very good price. The yen price on Spider-Man is 17,640 which is roughly
$149 USD so it's being sold here for one-third off the imported price. You're getting a high-profile Medicom for $99. I see no
problem with value here.
certain Medicoms here in the U.S. (there is no sole distributor of Medicom in the U.S. BTW, regardless of what people try to
tell you), we've been given these incredible dolls for a very good price. The yen price on Spider-Man is 17,640 which is roughly
$149 USD so it's being sold here for one-third off the imported price. You're getting a high-profile Medicom for $99. I see no
problem with value here.
I guess you can consider this a live-action movie rehash of the original black costume Spider-man (sans the extra head
and hands). It is what it looks like. With that said you won't find a better interpretation of the movie Spider-Man 3 black costume
out there on the market. Not for the quality and not for the price.
and hands). It is what it looks like. With that said you won't find a better interpretation of the movie Spider-Man 3 black costume
out there on the market. Not for the quality and not for the price.
