Sideshow Collectibles Michelangelo Comiquette
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When Playmates produced their series of TMNT statues it took them four years to get all four produced. And even then, finding the final two statues
was no easy task. Sideshow Collectibles seems to have no intention of repeating that mistake. Now just six months after their first release, the
Donatello Comiquette, their third TMNT comiquette has been released. This time it is Michelangelo. (Yes they went back to the old, improper spelling.)
While my wallet may be aching, I have to admit that I am excited to get one set closer to completing the set.
Packaging - 7/10The third TMNT comiquette brings more of the same in terms of the packaging design. Each of the four sides of the box has a glossy photo of the statue against a background of old black and white TMNT comic images. There are still the usual three paragraphs on the back, including one "announcing" the release of the Michelangelo Comiquette. That still strikes me as being silly. But beyond that, the packaging looks good and does it job of protecting the statue inside until it gets into the hands of collectors. I do have two minor issues with the packaging this time around. The first is that my box was actually assembled improperly. The bottom panels were assembled in the wrong order. It wasn't a big issue, but it would make the box more prone to damage. There also seems to be an issue with the decal on the front of the box which denotes that this is one of the Sideshow Exclusive versions of the Comiquette. It doesn't want to stay affixed to the glossier surface of the photo. Both issues are quite minor. But given the cost of one of these statues, such things shouldn't be overlooked.
Sculpting - 9/10The sculpting for Michelangelo is top notch as it has been for the previous two TMNT Comiquettes. Michelangelo shares a similar pose to that of Raphael as he crouches on the corner of the roof top. Unlike Raphael, Michelangelo is balanced on his two feet alone. He then has his right hand extended in front of him with one pair of nunchukus and his left extended back behind him. His face is in an asymetical sneer with the left side of his mouth open wider than the right while his right eye is partially shut. It is a slightly odd expression, but it is somewhat fitting for Michelangelo. As with the Raphael and Donatello Comiquettes, the roof top base is exceptionally well done.There are a few of minor issues that I have with the sculpt. The first is that the crouching pose means that Michelangelo's upper and lower legs merge together. I realize that this issue is unavoidable given this pose. But it does seem much more noticable with Michelangelo than it was with either Donatello or Raphael. The second issue that I have is with the positioning of his nunchukus. He is holding the nunchukus in his right hand in a ready stance, as if prepared to strike. And that matches the way the other two Turtles have been sculpted. But his left hand has only half of the nunchuku in his hand while the other half is permanently positioned parallel to it, but not in his hand. The only way for it to be in that position would be if his arm is in motion. My final issue with the sculpt is with the decision to place a small skin blemish on the top of Michelangelo's head. They have included similar blemishes on both Donatello and Rapahel. But because of the way that this one was placed, it was hard to tell if it was a part of the sculpt or a blob of paint. It was only by checking that the blemish is present on both versions of Michelangelo's head that I could be sure that it wasn't a sloppy paint job.
Paint - 9/10The paint work on the Michelangelo Comiquette is very well done, though not perfect. The yellow used for the plastron shell extends beyond the shell in a few places. Those spots zare quite small, but the brighter color compared to the green of his skin makes those small imperfections easier to see. Ideally I would have liked to see a little dark paint used on the area between his upper and lower portions of his legs. But those areas are so small that they would be hard to paint.
Articulation - NAAs one would expect on a statue, there is no articulation on the comiquettes.
Accessories - 10/10Technically, only the Sideshow Exclusive version of the Michelangelo Comiquette has an accessory. As with Donatello, Michelangelo is designed so that the bandana and the top of the head are a seperate, removable piece. The regular version has the Mirage Comic style, red bandana. The exclusive version includes both the red bandana and a cartoon style, orange bandana. Other than the color of the bandanas, the two versions are identical. Michelangelo's nunchukus and both of his hands are all molded as seperate parts from the rest of the statue. While I can't imagine that two many people would want to display Michelangelo without his hands, this does give you the option of whether you want to include either of the nunchukus.
Value - 9/10The regular version of the Comiquettes is suppose to retail for $190. The exclusive version sold for $200. That's not cheap. On the other hand, there are not a lot of chances to get high quality, high end statues like this. It has been the better part of a decade since Playmates did it last. It could very easily be another decade before they are done again. So while the retail price is steep, it is likely that they will hold their value for a long time to come. The only draw back is managing to get them for regular retail prices to begin with.
Happy Hunting:The version of the statue that I have is the Sideshow Exclusive version. It was only available from Sideshow's website. Your best chance of getting the exclusive version at this point is going to be on eBay or through another secondary market. The regular version should be shipping to retailers. But even they are few and far between. So if you do find one available for a reasonable price, I wouldn't wait to buy it in the future.
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