16 October 2010

Knight Models' Doctor Doom (KMV018)

As I mentioned in a comment to an earlier posting, KM's October releases will feature--on the Marvel side--the ruler of Latveria, Victor von Doom, bka Dr. Doom.

The presentation is classic: a pondering Doom, slouched on his throne, hands steepled before him. The only thing that might have been better would be one arm across an arm of the throne, holding a bejeweled goblet. . .

But I digress. The drapery of belted tabard and voluminous cloak is extravagantly exquisite. And there is a wrinkled rug, that while defying logic, serves a masterful purpose.

Why then have I not already placed an order for this kit? Two reasons: the leg harnesses and the cuffs of the gauntlet.

I am not particularly taken with the shape of the sabatons; but there is a canonical provenance to the style, if not the mass. The leg harnesses, especially the left one, is a different story altogether: the cuisse does not line-up with the poleyn; and the medial ridge of the greave is not straight. The right leg harness suffers from its own shortcomings, though not as dramatic, if not simply less visible.

The cuffs of the gauntlet are simply nonsensical: massive forearms are reduced to wrists less than half their diameter!

If these kits were not €50 srp, I might consider buying one and putting it away for an inspired rainy day; but at over US$70 srp--before customs; shipping; etc.--that is too much money to acquire an unfinished product.

FOLLOW-UP. . . Just saw "the greens" (read: masters) of the two new Marvel releases, and while my appraisal has not changed one iota, my estimation of the piece's build-up potential has. The necessary corrections can be made relatively simply, and I now have this piece on order. . . Full, hand's-on review to follow. . .

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