Of all Tony Stark’s Iron Man getups, I’ve always found the Hulkbuster armor to be the most fun. I mean, just the notion that he has a rather intimidating suit of armor that exists solely to deal with the Hulk is just so cool, and then, when you actually see it, the mass and power that the armor suggests is difficult to deny. Evidently Disney and Marvel Studios agree since the Hulkbuster armor was adapted to the big screen in Avengers 2: Age of Ultron. It was a slightly more stylized take on the armor, but we got to see it in action as it went toe-to-toe with the Hulk, and that fight sequence was probably the most memorable part of the movie — simply put, it was frikkin’ awesome. Fortuitously timed with the movie’s release is Diamond Select’s take on the comic-based Hulkbuster armor, and while the movie may have raised the profile of the Hulkbuster armor, Diamond has given us what could be the definitive Hulkbuster figure as part of their Marvel Select line.
That may sound like hyperbole, so let’s see if the figure really does live up to such lofty praise!
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Immediately, there is no denying that this sucker is one substantial action figure. The package is positively heavy, and they way it fills up the typically large and spacious blister card makes it easy to see that this figure is something more than the usual Iron Man offering. The artwork on the side of the box set features an artistic rendering of the Hulkbuster handling the Hulk without much effort — I love how that idea is communicated so subtly with just the Hulk’s fingers in the frame while the Hulkbuster armor is put to work. This sets the tone for the figure, and I simply could not wait to get it out of the box. I really haven’t been this excited about a figure in quite some time.
Once freed from the packaging, the figure lives up to almost every unrealistic expectation I had saddled upon it. The only thing that bothers me is that left hand — it looks pretty goofy in a neutral, vanilla pose. Fortunately it looks great in action poses, but more on that later. In hand, the figure is a knockout. The red and gold paint apps are gorgeous metallic hues that make him look like a new sports car. And the sculpt is faithfully detailed with a lot of care put into it. Not to harp on this point too much, but this really could be the best-looking figure I’ve seen in a long time.
While there’s a lot here to be excited about, there are some nits too. The way his head sits is a little bit strange, for example. It seems to sit a bit too far down into his shoulders. And mine was as stiff as could be when I first tried to turn it. I had to heat it with a hair dryer for about a solid minute in hopes of that freeing it up so I could move it at least a little bit. What I found by heating it was the head is actually made of a much softer plastic than the body, so I was able to pop it right off with a little work. When I placed it back on, it didn’t sink quite as low into the shoulders as it did before, and it now moves much more freely. When I say it “moves,” it actually swivels — that’s the extent of its range of motion, but it’s enough. It makes the entire suit of armor feel like much more of a tank. So if you can’t get your figure’s head to move, heat it up, pop it off, and pop it back on — that should do the trick.
That open-palmed had may be another point of contention, but in action poses that open palm looks much less goofy. I actually really like it now and am glad he didn’t come saddled with just two fists, though I get why some would prefer that. I’ve been playing the Contest of Champions iPhone game, and I’ve noticed instances where the Hulkbuster is firing some sort of energy blast from that hand, so I’m guessing that’s what the pose was based on, but I like to use it as though he’s holding the Hulk off while he gets ready to deliver a punch to the skull.
In terms of articulation, he’s surprisingly easy to pose for such a heavy brick of a figure. His breakdown is as follows:
- Swivel head
- Ball-jointed shoulder pads and hips
- Hinge-and-swivel shoulders, wrists, abs, and feet
- Bicep swivels
- Hinged elbows and knees
His hands look as though each finger should have been individually articulated, and perhaps that was the plan at one point. They’re sculpted with such detail that they really do look as though they’re sitting on working ball joints, but, alas, they’re not and they are locked into those two poses.
He stands about 8 inches in height and is a good match for most of the Marvel Legends Hulk figures. I have him pictured here with the first Avengers movie Marvel Legends Hulk, and they can almost look eye-to-eye. I think it fits that the Hulkbuster would be just a bit larger than the Hulk, but that’s just my own personal preference. I tend to purchase Marvel Select figures only if I can integrate them into my Marvel Legends collection, and this guy fits very well, I think.
I do wish the helmet could be raised to reveal Tony Stark’s head like the old Marvel Legends Hulkbuster did, but no part of the armor is removable to reveal anything. You get exactly what you see.
Now, this figure is a Disney exclusive, which is evident by the logo stamped on the lower left corner of the package, so to obtain this guy you’re going to have to try your luck at your local Disney Store or try to place an order on Disney’s online shop. At my local shop there were about eight on the shelves the week they got them in, but as positive word of mouth about this guy spreads, he’s sure to be an in-demand figure that will disappear quickly. Make sure you give it a once-over before purchasing as well — I had to look through all eight before I found one I was happy with in terms of clean paint apps. But once you find a good one, this figure is pure joy. I definitely recommend picking up one as soon as you can.