Kotobukiya has been making all of the right moves as of late when it comes to their statues. Erick Sosa was brought in to reinvent the image of Kotobukiya's past and make it into a leading producer of fine collectible pieces. The second piece in their Fine Art line of statues by Sosa is none other than that of the Latverian ruler, Doctor Victor Von Doom.

Let's hit the jump to check out what the master of diplomatic immunity has in store!

Kotobukiya Fine Art Statue Doctor Doom
Release: U.S. August 2010, Japan Available Now
Sculpted by Erick Sosa
MSRP: US$209.00 from Entertainment Earth

 

The first thing that I need to get across is that this thing is huge. To match that, it's going to come in a big box. The box is white all-around, with just subtle touches about it. The gold foil font is a nice touch on the front, with the sides an emboss printing of Dr. Doom text, and the back featuring shots of the statue. Also on the top of the box is the individual number regarding the piece. The production was limited to just 1250 pieces, with my particular one being #172.

 

Out of the box, the piece feels even larger. Standing in at 15" with the base, the 1/6-scale statue is going to require adequate room to display it. The pose itself makes Dr. Doom seem that much larger. The arms crossed, standing firm against the power of anyone that might stop him.

 

Taking a closer look at the man, the details are incredible. The divots on the armor are each shaded and every fold of the cape has been beautifully done. The eyes pop from the mask with sheer intensity and stare directly into you. However, not everything is as perfect as it could be.  There is a scratch on his right elbow and some gold smudging on his cape. My assumption is that the scratch came during the shipping process. While it's only noticeable when inspecting it closely, it's a shame that it comes on a US$200+ statue.

 

Another look at the bottom half reveals more of those beautiful, beautiful folds. The waves are done absolutely perfect and really add to the statue. The colors pop out at you and Erick has done a great job of capturing your attention. However, I do notice another smudge of paint. The green from the belt loop extends onto the belt, but it is again only noticeable from a close inspection. It's still rather distressing for such an expensive piece.

 

What ultimately sells me this is the cape. I cannot describe in enough words how amazing a job Erick did on this alone.  It just has a flow to it that really make this a piece that stands apart from other releases. The pose, combined with this flowing cape, creates a feeling upon seeing it. Doctor Doom will invoke fear, and it's due to an amazing cape.

 

Let's talk features. As you can see above, the statue is available to display one of two faces. You can easily switch between the two as they are held in by magnets, so no fear that you'll possibly break something when you switch them out.

 

What adds a lot to the statue is its base. It features four LEDs, and they do a decent job of creating further grandeur. I wish that they would have done the base like that of the ArtFX Iron Man, but this isn't a bad effort in its own right. However, this effect of the base is done to do its main job, support the figure itself. Dr. Doom has metal pegs in his feet, which then insert into two holds on the top of the base. The figure is cold-cast, so it is a hefty piece. There is no lean issue due to this, a complaint that has been brought up about some of the ArtFX Iron Man releases.

 

Ultimately, I have to say whether or not this fine statue is worth it. As much as I love what Erick Sosa has done with this line, with Doctor Doom, I'm hesitant to say anything. As glorious as he's sculpted it, I'm somewhat disturbed by the scratch and paint. I can accept those sorts of things on cheaper PVC, but this is a US$200 investment. I can recommend this, but only for the hardcore fan. It is gorgeous and the imperfections can be overlooked, but a high price tag will be enough of a buffer for the curious.

This piece was provided by Kotobukiya for review purposes.