The arctic tundra of Canada is a deadly place under “normal” circumstances. All manner of dangerous creatures occupy its land. Most of those creatures kill for food rather than sport. None of them, however, possess the sadistic intent of Victor Creed. Let’s take a look at the Sideshow Collectibles statue of the murderous mutant, Sabretooth.
Sculpt & Design – 3.0 out of 5 stars
+ Flawless sculpt with amazing detail (great detail on face, costume, and muscles)
+ Great depiction of the character
– Statue is large and takes up quite a bit of space
– The teeth on the exclusive version’s alternate head blend together, looking a bit unnatural
Sideshow has done a marvelous job of sculpting Wolverine’s fiercest and most evil nemesis. This statue is loaded with detail and perfectly encapsulates Sabretooth’s likeness. He stands upon the base of a snowy rock formation, likely representing his favorite hunting ground in northern Canada. He looks ready to pounce upon his prey from this icy tundra base.
The aforementioned base is carved to perfection. The rock formation is well-sculpted and filled with detail. Buried in the snow are the remnants of a fallen tree, probably collateral damage from the battle. As if there is any question whom Sabretooth is battling, clear signs of adamantium claw marks on the tree give us the answer.
Sabretooth is poised and ready for battle. His elongated and deadly claws show why he is known as Der Schlächter (“The Butcher” in German). The sculptor does a superb job of capturing the murderous intent in Sabretooth’s face. Sabretooth’s pale white merciless eyes flawlessly convey his lack of compassion and empathy.
The body sculpt of this bloodthirsty and barbarous mutant is masterfully done. Sideshow have completely outdone themselves with the muscle definition on this brute. Simply put, Sabretooth seemingly has muscles on top of his muscles. Additionally, they’ve also done a fantastic job in sculpting his trademark yellow and brown bodysuit. No detail has been ignored, from the intricacy of the costume stitching to the folds and wrinkles.
Additionally, the exclusive version comes with an alternate head portrait of Sabretooth in his classic hood, sporting his trademark maniacal closed-mouth grin. This is a definite plus for fans of the 90s animated series. Having the option of changing heads adds value and variety to this statue. However, the teeth on this version don’t look quite as natural. A bit more sculpting around the individual fangs would have better brought this look to fruition.
Naturally, this sculpture is quite large, standing at 18 inches in height and 37 lbs. It’s certainly not as tall or heavy as some of the other Sideshow snows statues. However, it does take up a lot of room given the fact that Sabretooth is lunging forward, an issue that may be a drawback to some collectors.
Paint – 3.5 out of 5 Stars
+ Excellent shading on suit and muscles
+ Suit and gloves give appearance of real leather
– Face and beard fall a bit flat (Could have used more tones and shading)
– Base could use more color tones and shading for the snow
Par for the course, Sideshow has done a masterful job on the paintwork. It never ceases to impress how they bring these stationary statues to life. Given Marvel’s classic use of two-toned costumes for their characters, Sideshow once again manages to infuse vibrance and liveliness through their brushwork and shading.
The base of the figure is realistically painted. The fallen tree is painted a weathered grey. The impressions in the tree bark left from Wolverine’s claws are dark brown and authentic in appearance. The light brown used to represent the split tree branch looks genuine. The snow is natural looking, if not slightly bland. Perhaps adding a bit more color and shading to the snow would have made it more realistic looking.
The paintwork on Sabretooth’s face is decent. His cold pale face and white eyes inspire fear among his enemies, while the subtle redness around his mouth encompasses his mutant rage. However, Sideshow could have used different tones and a bit more shading to better bring his face to life (especially on the exclusive edition’s alternate head). The textures and shading used in his blonde hair make it look full and thick, but his sideburns fall a bit flat. The mane around his neck is wisely painted a lighter white-yellow which helps it stand out.
The costume itself is very well-painted and given a glossiness that brings Sabretooth’s vintage bodysuit to life. The dark brown shading used on his gloves makes them appear thick and weathered. The darker paint around his musculature helps bring out the savagery of this monster. The shading around the seams of the costume does a sensational job of complementing the sculpt work.
Value – 4.0 out of 5 Stars
+ Attention to detail on this piece is unmatched
+ Great character depiction
– Face sculpt could use a bit more detail
Ultimately, the sculpt and paint work make this the quintessential Sabretooth statue to own. It encapsulates everything that makes this murderous mutant monstrosity Wolverine’s most deadly foe. At $610 for the regular version, and $625 for the exclusive version with the alternate head, this statue is packed full of attention to detail. It’s also quite large, and will take up some surface area on your shelf. If you’re a fan of the character, this is an absolute must-have. It must be noted that at the time of this review, the exclusive version is sold out, but there is a waitlist in case there are cancellations.
Other Details
Material: Polyresin
Product Size
Height: 18″ (457.2 mm)
Width: 18″ (457.2 mm)
Depth: 15″ (381 mm)
Weight: 12 lbs (5.44 kg) *
Box Size
Height: 15.00″ (381 mm)
Width: 20.00″ (508 mm)
Depth: 28.00″ (711.2 mm)
Dimensional Weight
37.00 lbs (16.78 kg) [Intl. 51.00 lbs (23.13 kg)] *
Artists
Sculpt and Design
Design
Paint
Mold and Cast