Well Here he is the Bowen Smackdown Hulk. Regarded by many as one of the Best Hulk statues out there. Because of this, this may be one of my most controversial review. Read on.
Now I have been getting back into reading hulk comics for the past year. I have been really enjoying it and forgot how much I loved the character. Hulk is not only my fav. Comic character but probably my fav. character in all of pop culture fiction. I just love that all of that power is controlled by the brain of a child.
Anyways due to my renewed love for Hulk I have decided to get out and get the Hulk statues that I have always been interested in but always held off getting. Anyways Smackdown was the last one on my list. I must admit that I have never been in love with this statue. I think the idea is great but something has always been off in my eyes. I decided to get it anyways because I do love the pose and it is one of the few Hulk in action statues out there.
Face sculpt - 2 out of 5 Meh..That about sums it up for me. I think looking at this statue it is easy to tell that this is one of Bowen's first Hulks. It's not bad it is just sort of bland. It shouldnt be. All that rage. But it just seems to lack that High end professional look I have come to expect from statues at this price range. I love the idea I am just not in love with the execution. I thought that perhaps seeing it in hand would help improve the look. IMO it looks a little worse In hand. His face does look much better in the photo I have posted above and is how I have him displayed. (I think I would change this to a 3 out of 5. It has really grown on me and I like it much more now. Not enough to give it better then a 3 because it really don't deserve it no matter how much I grow to like it)
Body Sculpt - 4.5 out of 5 / Pose - 5 out of 5 - Total 5 out of 5 This is where this piece shines. You get Hulk in his "Hulk smash" pose. It really is what seperates this piece from the pack. I love the sculpt of his ribs and arms. Really just a great idea that was very well done.
Paint - 2.5 out of 5 - I am not a fan at all of the Yellow Green that Bowen uses here. It looks like he has jaundice. In fact if you put Bowen's Red Huk, Smackdown Hulk, and the Hard Hero Hulk all next to each other it looks Like you have a Hulk Traffic Light. I would also Like his pants to have been a darker purple instead of the pinkish purple that was used. On the possative side the shading is done well.
Base 3 out of 5 - It does the job.
Overall - 4 out of 5 I want to give this a higher rating, I really do but the face sculpt and paint colors really bring this down a point and a half for me. However the Pose and Body Sculpt are great and make this piece worth owning. I would not mind seeing Bowen go back to this type of pose with an updated better sculpt that the company seems to now be capable of. (I gave this a higher rating because I really have grown to love this statue. A lot of that has to do with the fact that I now have the Abomination again and these two look AWESOME together!)Hulk Tower
