Review: Astonishing X-Men Wolverine Mini-Bust, by Diamond Select

Released this week is the 6th installment of Diamond Select’s Astonishing X-Men line of mini-busts, featuring everyone’s favorite (because of overexposure) Canadian feral berserker, Wolverine.

For those who have been following this line, you’d know that the Astonishing X-Men mini-busts have been nothing but, well, astonishing. From the wonderful details in their tiny structure, to the perfect expressions they portray, to the amazing paint jobs they possess, this is THE series of mini-busts that could actually compete with Bowen Designs’ consistently stellar offerings.

How Does Wolverine Fare Against The Other Busts In The Series?

Pretty good, if I may say so.

The sculpt is great. Every ripple of his muscles is captured in vivid detail. Proportions are perfect. Veins extrude quite dramatically. Plus, there are so many delightful extras with this installment.

The sculpt is a given. Jeff Feligno is known as one of Diamond Select’s elite craftsmen, and anything he touches turns out beautifully.

Besides, with the pedigree established by its five predecessors, namely Shadowcat, Beast, Colossus, Cyclops, and Emma Frost, we couldn’t possibly expect anything else with this Wolverine bust.



Which turns out to be its undoing, however.

Though the sculpt is great, it is quite underwhelming when compared to the others from the same line. It is not the sculptor’s fault, though. There is only so much you could play with when it comes to Logan’s new gear. He doesn’t have a pet dragon, nor blue fur, nor Slim’s commanding pose, nor Emma’s beautiful bust... really... that White Queen mini-bust is a masterpiece!

The pose that the bust tried to convey didn’t work for me, as well. A lot of collectors were actually turned off when preliminary pictures of this installment were released, primarily because the details aren’t really apparent. But those concerns would be laid to rest once they see the finished product, that’s for sure. This mini-bust packs a wallop, regardless of the pose. It’s just that I personally believe a more dynamic and, dare I say, cooler position could have been chosen. Nonetheless, it’s a production decision which does not take away from the craftsmanship of the piece.



Perfect Paint

The paint job is excellent. Not a single abhorrent coloring can be seen. Everything is in order, just like a computer-colored comic book panel. The hues of the paints are dark enough to convey Logan’s feisty nature despite his seeming preference for sunny colors.



Diamond Select Vs. Bowen Designs; Accuracy Vs. Functionality

In my opinion, the main difference between Diamond Select and Bowen Designs when it comes to their respective portrayal of Marvel characters boils down to a matter of accuracy vs. functionality.

Diamond Select chooses to take the more comic book-faithful route. They design their pieces as accurately as possible, based on how they appear in their books. This Wolverine mini-bust, for example, was based on John Cassaday’s pencils, and it shows. Looking at him would be like looking at a comic book page.



This becomes a disadvantage, however. Some costumes are made to look cool in comic book pages, compromising believability more often than not. This Wolverine mini-bust is just like his comic book counterpart. Though that’s a good thing, it’s also something bad. The placement of the mask seems off. The claws seem longer than how they should appear. And I never really dug Wolverine with fangs. He’s a berserker, yes, but never a vampire (save for that instance when he was possesses by a Brood, but we digress).

Bowen Designs take some liberty to adjust the costumes and make them more believable. Try to look at the condom-shaped head of a full size Deadpool statue, for example. Better yet, the more humanlike physique of their Venom.

This is merely a matter of preference, however.

So, About The Wolverine Bust...

My first concern was the claws. They seemed so fragile! They’re quite sturdy, however. My guess is that they’re made of aluminum laced with ceramic. They’re bendable, so if they manage to bend a little, you could gently pull them back to how they should be.

Now, here’s what I believe is the worst part about this piece... Wolverine would make you lose some sleep!

Not because of the joy brought by his acquisition, mind you, though some may profess such bliss.

It’s because Wolverine has problems standing. Yes! The base cannot support the bust well. A breeze could make it fall. A slight bump of your display cabinet would make it tumble forward.

This is such a disgrace. It could have been avoided by simply adding two extensions on the base at the front side of the same. Yet, Diamond Select failed to correct this oversight. It’s been merely 3 weeks since the wonderful, wonderful Emma Frost bust was released. Why were they in such a hurry to distribute this one?

So here are some safety tips:

• Place Wolverine at the back side of your display cabinet, so that when he tumbles forward, he won’t fall off the edge.

• Do not place another piece in front of Wolverine, so that he may not be able to push that piece whenever he falls.

• Make sure that your display cabinet has a glass window to break the eventual fall. Yes. I said “eventual.” Wolverine would tumble forward eventually.



Wolverine is in scale with the rest of the Astonishing X-Men, with the exception of the White Queen, which was a little too big for this line.

The claw marks on the base are a nice touch. Definitely adds character to the bust.



All in all, I’m very happy with this purchase. It completes the astonishing Astonishing X-Men line, and it concludes the series on a high note.



Well, it’s not really the end of the series, as Danger, their main nemesis in issues 7 to 12 of the comic book series, would be made into a mini-bust as well. But who cares about her, right?