Hot Toys Storm Shadow Review

After the first Hot Toys review i made, yeah, it's Snake Eyes, i don't think this next review will be totally unexpected. Like i mentioned before, this guy over here is the Yang of Snake Eyes' Yin. His fellow ninja from the Arashikage clan - Storm Shadow...or Tommy if you want to be hip...

Once again, Anton got the better of me...i'm gonna get back at you soon...count on it!

I suppose there is no way you can separate the two in any collection. It just wouldn't be right in my humble opinion. I had to bit the bullet on this one since he's more expensive than Snake Eyes...but when i opened that shiny, new Hot Toys box (or slid it from the cover wrap rather with that Lee Byung-Hun portrait), i knew why...

To put this simply, i am quite surprised that Storm Shadow is a lot better than the Hot Toys Snake Eyes. Well, his arsenal spoke volumes to support that claim: 2 Swords, 2 scabbards, 2 Sais, a pistol, 4 Ninja Stars,4 sets of alt hands, a connector piece for his swords and a masked alt-head. You also get extra buttons for his awesome ninja-suit, which is, very nicely designed - very sleek and slim in contrast with the bulky upper body of Snake Eyes. You also get an instruction sheet and that very nice stand to round up the package.

Noticed the details upstairs? Damn! that Byung-hun default head sculpt is pretty sick. That is one of HT's features that cement their superior status to other 1/6 manufacturers. Zoom in close will ya? Now notice the intricate details on his clothes. I actually re-checked the details from the movie multiple times for accuracy and i tell you he's really very impressive. For those who wished to know, i think his clothes are made of fabric, synthetic leather and those shiny, silk-like trims (sorry, not that knowledgeable about cloths and such). The holster, belt, front straps, leather scabbard holders and small belt-bag to hold his shurikens complete the details of his otherwise minimalist suit.

As much as i love his default Byung-hun head, i really must opt to display him using his trademark Ninja-masked head. After all, this is what he looks like in the classic cartoons long before Lee, The Rock and Magic Mike were included in the franchise. I missed though the short-sleeved ninja-suit during the older days of G.I. Joe as well as his bow and arrows. Don't get me wrong though, i love that Darth Maul stunt he's able to pull with his (connected) swords or his dual Sais, reminiscent of R_ _ _ _ _ _  from those green dudes living in the sewers...oh well, let's not get sidetracked...

His garments allows him more movement and articulation than Snake Eyes and i have no problems with his arm pegs. I have a small issue though with his weapon gripping hands since you need to slide the handles in, risking paint rub-off in the process. His scale is consistent with Ray Park...errr...Snake Eyes so no PAK-like scale problems over there. Also, i love the stark white contrast his costume provides but i fear it's a lot more difficult to maintain - you should really display him inside a protected case or area to keep the dust away. I hate to be caught doing laundry for Storm Shadow, you'll get a lot of weird looks from people if they see you...well, maybe...

If you have Hot Toys Snake Eyes get Storm Shadow. Your collections won't be complete without him...trust me. I ain't gonna B.I. you but you won't be at peace if you don't get them both - it's either both or none.