“I believe observation and knowledge must precede action.” –Stephen Strange
It seems like it’s been forever since we were last treated to a Marvel Select 7-inch comic-based figure, and the newly released Dr. Strange is just that — an absolute treat. So enough with the intro — let’s check out Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme!
Packaging
This is your standard Select box. It’s big, colorful, and full of twist ties. The back of box has personalized text about the character (which I always love) and gives credit to the sculptor (which I also love) — the ever-talented Jean St. Jean. It also shows a photo advertising a variant head. According to DST Company Rep Supreme MSWord, the variant head will no longer be available.
Sculpt
The sculpt on this piece is just fantastic, and he’s made it to my A-list in terms of Marvel Select releases. From the stern expression to those expressive magic hands — this IS Doctor Strange. And that cloak! Even the trim around the edges has been sculpted. The sculpt of the tunic and cloak does hinder the articulation in some places, but it’s just so good that I can overlook it.
Paint
Another great job with the paint applications as it brings out the sculpt rather than detracts from it. The washes aren’t overpowering and the cut lines are mostly clean. My figure does have the slightest bit of slop on the lower tunic. I was really impressed with how well the head turned out. His eyes are slightly off — making it appear as if he’s always looking right, but other than that, it’s nearly perfect. They nailed his famous hairdo — so everything after that is just gravy.
Articulation
This isn’t one of Marvel Select’s most articulated figures, but it will do just fine for the character. Dr. Strange has a ball-jointed head, pin-and-disc shoulders and elbows (single-jointed), bicep swivels, cut forearms, pin-and-disc wrists, cut waist, DCUC-style hips (I think), double-jointed knees, and pivot ankles. The collar of the cloak is much more rigid than the rest of it, so it does restrict the movement of the head a bit. You won’t be getting too much side-to-side movement. The arms and hands are the shining star of this figure in terms of articulation, and you can hit a ton of his spell-casting poses. The legs are the only downside to this figure. The lower part of his tunic is pretty stiff and limits his hip movement. So splits and lunges are pretty much out of the question. The real problem if that there is no thigh cuts or swivel of any kind. You wouldn’t be able to utilize that joint fully anyway, thanks to the tunic, but having it would have helped a bit in balancing the figure.
So with no ab articulation and limited leg functionality, the good Doctor is going to be mostly standing at attention waving his arms about. I would have loved if they had done with Doctor Strange what they did with their recent Sally figure from the Nightmare Before Christmas — included a separate pair of legs pre-posed in his crossed-legged meditative position.
Accessories
With prices being what they are these days, any inclusion of accessories is welcome. Strange comes with a stained glass base, his amulet, and his mystical energy blast. The amulet is on a real chain, and the inclusion of real metal is always impressive to me for some reason. The energy blast is a little tricky to get on, but it seems to fit well over his right hand. The base is well done, just like all Marvel Select bases, but sadly, I just have no room to display any of them. So in a box it goes, which is a shame because I really like the the way they handled the stained glass.
So all in all, this is a pretty great addition to your comic-based Marvel Select line. With a pretty much perfect sculpt and enough articulation to hit a good number of interesting poses, Doctor Strange has earned his place in the front row of my Marvel Select display.
Thanks for reading!
