Knight Models' Green Goblin (KMV016)

I must have stared at the box, surfed the web, scratched my head. . . well, you get the idea. . . for nearly an hour before taking a deep breath and finally opening my third Knight Models kit.

As I mentioned way back when, I have a select few must-have characters on my list. One of these is our friendly, neighborhood web-slinger's arch-nemesis, Norman Osborn, bka The Green Goblin. So when KM finally announced their release of this character, I was ready to let bygones be bygones, and throw my money in the ring one . . . more. . . time. . . Speaking of money, this is a very reasonably priced offering relative to what we've had to date, especially if you consider that you get a mixed media kit of the GG on his bat glider...

So, what do we get? I received issue #151/500, and if what was in the collectible tin is any indication, then ordering asap after the kit is released is key to avoiding any major disappointment/s! While not bowled over with the quality, this is a significant (!) improvement over my past experiences. The glider is cast in 7 pieces, with the major structures (4, including exhaust plume) cast in light-grey PUR. Going over it with a fine toothed comb, I found about 10 air holes, which are now filled and curing. More disconcerting was the rough, uneven surface of the glider body: KM needs to pay more attention to the surface finish of their masters and prototypes.

The figure itself--7 pcs., white metal--is not bad at all. It appears that a harder alloy has been used, and surface texture, though a little rough and crystalline, should buff out nicely. No significant pitting discerned as of yet, though there are indications of super-cooling and/or short pours--again nothing significant, though the locating pegs, feet-to-glider, will require some work.

All in all, after a moderately in-depth examination, I would have to give this one a solid B, maybe a B1/2+. KM is not going to rock the world with their castings, but you have to applaud their creativity and their passion.

PS--As I mentioned earlier, this is not your "classical" GG. This is the GG from the Marvel Knights' Spider-man arc. . .


While it might not appeal to the purists, I applaud KM's decision to offer this variant--especially as Moebius has pretty-much sewn-up the classic version.