Figure Review: Ultron (Marvel Select)

Let's start with the description on the back of the package...

Built by scientist and Avenger Hank "Ant-Man" Pym to be the ultimate android, Ultron quickly became self-aware thanks to the gifts of Pym's own brains patterns, be he also fell in love with Pym's girlfriend, the Wasp. After he was rejected by his "father," Ultron directed his ire at the Avengers, first through pawns like the Masters of Evil and the Vision, then face-to-face in his newly indestructible adamantium body. Ultron is effectively immortal, thanks to virtual storage of his personality files, and he is constantly upgrading his systems, which means the Avengers must remain ever-vigilant for his return.

I got this figure as a Christmas gift on year and have been wanting to review him for a while, so now I finally get to do so. Onto the review...

Sculpting - 10/10

Ultron's sculpt is excellent and very comic book accurate. Gentle Giant really outdid themselves here and it shows. While the forms are mostly organic, the more modular-looking parts such as the knee and ankle joints fit in well. I also like the shoulder spikes and the circular details on his head piece. Details such as those add to the accuracy of the figure because even the detailed bits are minimal, they add a lot. Furthermore, this sculpt Ultron reminds me of George Perez's interpretation of the character in the '70s, which wasn't particularly muscle bound, so I'm glad that Gentle Giant didn't go over the top in that regard.

Paint - 8/10

Ulton's paint job is mostly a metallic color, which suits the character. The slits in his lower leg and pelvic area, for example, seem a little uneven due to being such small areas. Some areas, particularly in his shoulder and pectorals, seem a little underpainted because I notice that that they don't quite match with the rest of the figure's paint. There are also other blemishes throughout the figure that look a scratchy, which could have to do more with the mold than the paint. However, I do like the tints of gray on his pectoral and abdominal muscles as well as his trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles. Those tints, while not overly done, add a nice touch to the paint job. The red eyes and mouth work well and they are subtle yet menacing in such a way that they look more opaque than transparent because his facial features weren't transparent in the comics.

Articulation - 8/10

From what I gather, this figure has about twenty points of articulation...

• ball jointed neck
• ball jointed shoulders
• single jointed elbows
• rotating wrists
• mid torso joint
• ball jointed legs
• double jointed knees
•  ball jointed ankles

Marvel Select figures don't tend to have a lot of articulation, but this figure has enough to get some dynamic poses. For a figure like this, I'm glad that Diamond Select didn't go overboard, but some finger articulation would've been nice. The ball jointed ankles are unique and fit this figure well for being able to pose him on his base.

Accessories - 9/10

The figure comes with a highly detailed display base, which features a fallen Ant-Man and Wasp as well as what I assume are Hawkeye's broken arrows. This base is excellent for display the figure because it doesn't take up a lot of space nor is it bulky. It also has two pegs for displaying Ultron.

                                           

                                         
Overall - 9/10

I would highly recommend this figure to any Avengers fan or anyone who is looking to start or add to their Marvel Select as it makes a great display piece. And since Age of Ultron came out a week ago, it's all the more reason to get the figure. If you're looking to pick up the figure from you local comics shop or any conventions in your area, you'll probably spend between $15 and $20. If you're looking to buy online, I would try either Amazon or eBay.