It's very rare that one collects in a complete bubble. My collection certainly has benefitted from connecting with like minded people and generally being an asshole with the heart of gold, as opposed to just being a complete douche. So, it was a nice feeling that when my mother was in Hong Kong and basically stonewalling me from actually obtaining any deals, that I was able to call upon some help from Singapore. Not exactly the same area, but same continent.
Close enough.
So this kind gentlemen obtained two things for me, all of which are cheaper than getting it here in Canada even after shipping, though there are some lessons learned with the first item, the MMS 305 - Maria Hill Hot Toys figure.
So up until Winter Soldier, S.H.I.E.L.D. featured very heavily in the MCU universe, mostly represented on screen by Nick Fury and his most trusted subordinate, Commander Maria Hill. Nick Fury might have been stubborn, but at least he would try to lighten up once in a while Maria Hill, as far as I can tell, had no sense of humor. The character basically disappeared after S.H.I.E.L.D. went away, and popped up ever so briefly at the end of Infinity War. I believe she's due to come back for the upcoming Secret Wars miniseries
Retailing for $215 USD on Sideshow back in the day, this was the usual Sideshow doing some price gouging because it can, as the exchange rates weren't that bad back in the day, and an entry level figure was probably closer to the $170 - $180 USD point. She was a bit harder to get in non-Sideshow territories as the figure was a Convention Exclusive. Befitting of her price point, she didn't come with much:
- 1 x Main Figure
- 6 x Posing/Gripping Hands
- 1 x Pistol
- 1 x Walkie Talkie
- 1 x Bluetooth Earpiece
- 1 x Base/Stand
So one of the nice things about the Maria Hill figure is that for once, the general body shape is actually a good match for the Hot Toys figure. There remains issues with proportions, specifically the fact her torso is too long and her waist is too narrow, but it's certainly better than Black Widow.
With regards to lessons learned, the first lesson is I completely underestimated the effects of age and more importantly, climate, to pleather. Singpore is a humid, tropical country, and pleather doesn't really like that sort of thing, especially if it's been trapped in a box for 8 years. Pleather deterioration happens here as well, but its usually more the result of playwear and not simply because it existed. Pleather damage was experienced over every possible surface, with damaging varying. I'm hoping my fabric paint will keep all that remains in check.
What I wasn't expecting was discolouration of paint. So unlike any of my other female sculpts, Maria Hill actually features blush on her cheeks, most likely to accentuate the shape of her cheek bones. I guess the paint they used for this, in conjunction with humidity and plastic bag her head was stuck in for the past 8 years, resulted in those paint apps turning yellow.
Sigh
The good news is that overall, the strengths of the head sculpt are not reduced by this paint flaw. As expected, the head sculpt is not a perfect match for that of Cobie Smulders. To me, it's the eyes (of course) and the fact her jaw is too square. The sculpted hair, as always, takes away from the accuracy as does a generic expression. Having said all that, none of those particular details are news to people who collect Hot Toys.. or at least it shouldn't be. The actual likeness is closer to the mark than any other female sculpt at the time, and even by modern standards it's still pretty good, lacking some of the more subtle details that Hot Toys has perfected over the years, particularly in the ways of paint and level of detail of the hair.
Now if you're buying one of these figures, chances are you're going to be putting it into a museum pose of sorts and be happy with it. It's not like Hill has a trademark landing pose, and I don't recall any extreme action sequences with her. Her trademark pose is crossing her arms and generally looking like you've annoyed her. So having said that, the only things that would have been nice on the base body would be working ankle joints and Butterfly joints so the arms can cross more naturally. The suit is of a soft nylon, whatever they make Jeggings out of, so its suitably soft. But tailoring and the stiffer Pleather sections have resulted in a fairly mobile upper body and knees, but some very rigid hips.
So what I'm saying is... lots of standing poses.
Paint Application wise, well it's pretty hard to gauge the quality exactly due to the blemish. Having said that, even without colour correction you can see the actual paint application is stunning, as always. For a while there, Hot Toys was the only company that was putting on that clear coat on the eyes, giving them a lifelike look. The sculpt might be dated, but it still looks as sharp as ever. There's also some minor paint work on the accessories which are equally worthy of attention.
Build Quality wise, nothing to report other than the unfortunate use of climate sensitive materials.
There you have it. A classic beauty from a classic age of cinema... You can't blame Hot Toys for going the way of super hero suits and whatnot for their new figures because, well, that's what Marvel has decreed. But as I've said before, there's just something about figures when they were still dressed in cloth outfits, and featured a more grounded realistic look. Maria Hill is a great example of this, and I'm hoping that she returns as a figure for the Secret Wars line.
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