Hellboy - Action Figure Reviews - The Armchair Empire

Series: Hellboy 12”

Craftsmanship: 9.5 / 10

- Very poseable

- Good attention to detail

- Bendy tail

- “Real” clothing

- Sculpt and paint application are great

Playability: 6.5 / 10

- Clothing can be ripped

- Some very small accessories to worry about

- Great compatibility with other 12” figures

Newsletter

Be notified of site updates. Sign-up for the Newsletter sent out twice weekly.

Enter E-Mail Address Below:

Hellboy by Sideshow Collectibles

Whenever I get my hands on a 12” figure from Sideshow I always wonder if I should open the box. Sideshow puts almost as much effort into their packaging as they do into their figures so it seems a shame to actually have to open it. This

Advertisement

applies to the Hellboy Deluxe Figure, although in this case I was more than happy to free him from the packaging.

The Hellboy movie was probably the most under-appreciated superhero flick of 2004 but it has become one of my favorite superhero movies of all time. This is why it’s good to see what a fantastic job Sideshow did with the figure.

Advertisement

Starting from his feet and working right on up to his filed horns, there’s not much to complain about – mostly it’s all good. He’s stands about 12” tall and is instantly recognizable as Hellboy. The facial sculpt done by Mat Falls is first rate but it looks better from the side. The small details are great like the eyes and the inclination of the right cheek, grabbing that perfect sneer. The paintjob is also great, but the red almost seems too red. (In the extras on the Hellboy DVD you find out the red is five or six tones of red.) Moving down his right arm you’ll find the Right Hand of Doom, Hellboy’s stone hand, which has a single seam joint at the wrist to afford some motion. The rest of the articulation is along the lines of other 12” figures from Sideshow with “human” articulation, like ball-joints at the shoulders and hinged knees. It offers lots of poseability. Even better is that the "real" clothes allow free range of motion.

With a bit of careful work his full-length “leather” jacket can be removed. Okay, it’s a lot of careful work. I thought I had a made a drastic mistake when I removed the jacket because I had a helluva time getting it back on.

Some assembly is required. Hellboy’s bendy tail has two prongs on the base that are inserted in holes at the base of Hellboy’s spine. To do so, the back of his pants have to be opened so the tail can be installed. Just be careful when you do put it in. Having a co-worker walk in at the same moment you’re installing it can lead to awkward moments. “What are you doing to that action figure?”

Special mention has to made about Hellboy’s gun, the Samaritan. It fits great into the holster on his belt, but it looks way more menacing in his hand. The Samaritan can be snapped open and the cylinder section can be removed. On top of that, the four bullets can be taken out as well! It’s an awesome detail but one that can’t be appreciated until you actually take him out of the package.

I rate the playability low for a few reasons, mostly the susceptibility of the “real” clothes to getting ripped, particularly any of the accessories on his belt. The other issue is that the Samaritan poses a lot of problems. The bullets especially are tiny so losing one or a few is really, really easy. The other accessory that comes packed with Hellboy is a horseshoe. I don’t remember one appearing in the film, but it’s still kind of cool to insert in his belt. Compatibility with other 12” figures is high, particularly if you have any other figures from Hellboy. If you exercise some caution when playing with Hellboy there’s no reason you can’t have a bit of fun. There’s also the possibility of dioramas. If you’re like me you’ll install him on the Hellboy base – with the stanchion that runs up the back and secures the figure – and simply re-pose him to suit your mood.

The deluxe Hellboy had a limited run of 7,500 pieces and with a rumored sequel in the works, get him now. A collectible this cool doesn’t come around often.

- Omni
(January 30, 2005)