Superhero Times: a service of Action Online
'Blink' and you might miss Her
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Minibusts are interesting collectibles. They are usually picture-perfect 3D renderings of popular characters, capturing not only the design and appearance of a given character but also his or her attitude. More expensive than figures but cheaper than statues, minibusts present a niche market with dynamic and interesting collectible pieces which are taken for granted by the masses. This often overlooked market presents fans with the level of detail they wish could go into their figures, at a price much more affordable than full statues of their favorite characters. They’re the beginning of high-end collectibles but still affordable for the average collector to get his favorites.
The new “Age of Apocalypse” Blink bust from Action Figure Xpress is a perfect example of this, and will serve as a wonderful addition to any collection.
The packaging for Blink is solid. She is in a box that is covered with full photos of the bust as well as close ups of her face. Inside, she is kept in place with a Styrofoam holding unit. She’s well protected, which is very important, and the packaging is attractive overall. However, I would have liked a window box showing at least some of her. Personally, I like to see what I’m getting when I drop $45 on a product, but this closed packaging does protect the figure well, so I cannot complain.
In Blink’s case, you will want to exercise extreme caution when removing her from the box. The pink stakes she’s holding can pop out of socket and get lost very easily. Returning her to the box without extreme care could also knock them loose. Two of mine fell out between unpacking and repacking her, but I was able to easily glue them pack into place without problem. In fact, the piece is more stable because of it.
Once you get Blink out of the packaging and situated on your shelf, she is a beautiful piece of pop art. The sculpt is a nearly perfect representation of Nightcrawler’s daughter, with a dynamic, battle-ready stance providing a window into her courageous attitude. Her pedestal base, which boasts an “AoA” seal on the front and an “X” seal on the back clearly identifies her as part of a particular story thread and team, which is great for those who can’t initially identify her in your collection. The connection of the character into her pedestal was excellently done, with a “teleportation” effect at the base blending the two into one another. It looks fantastic and was a great way of setting Blink to her base. Also, she is specifically hand numbered on the bottom of the pedestal, in case one loses the included Certificate of Authenticity.
The paint apps to Blink are also impressive, despite being relatively simple. Given the simplicity of Blink’s design, the paint apps are striking, with bright maroons and green. The detail added to her face is excellent, and all apps throughout the piece are crisp and clear with neither discoloration nor smudging.
While Blink does not include accessories, per se, her stakes are weapons that really add to her overall presentation. They fit into her hand excellently, and give the figure a great “ready to throw down” appearance. As I said earlier, they are glued to figure and may fall out, but they are stronger once re-glued into place with a strong adhesive. Blink also included a numbered Certificate of Authenticity, which is a great bonus.
Blink retailed for $45 at Comic-Con, which is a good deal as she was a retail exclusive limited to 600 pieces. Overall, Action Figure Xpress’ Blink Bust is a great collectible. She is beautifully sculpted in a dynamic pose, with a bold, detailed appearance that sure to catch the eye of anyone checking out one’s collection.
Check out more photos of both minibusts in our Gallery.
Review and Images by C.J. Stunkard
Review Sample Courtesy of ActionFigureXpress.com