Her show may have been divisive, but She-Hulk’s recently released Hot Toys figure – available in the US via Sideshow – is, to reference her famous cousin, pretty incredible.
Based upon the depiction of the character in the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the Hot Toys figure is meant to match that show’s CG incarnation of She-Hulk, which itself was essentially a big, buff, green version of lead actress Tatiana Maslany. And it does a rather commendable job of doing just that.
First and foremost, this figure is simply really impressive to behold. She stands just under 14 inches tall and feels pretty dang substantial and heavy when you’re holding it, which feels appropriate for a Hulk family member. The seamless medical silicone used to form the character’s exposed skin looks very good and quite realistic in pretty much any pose, whether she’s standing prone or throwing a punch.
The one place there are visible seams is at her wrists, which is unfortunate, given it stands out from the realism of the rest of the figure, yet is somewhat impossible to avoid in order to have swappable hands. It’s just too bad the TV show She-Hulk didn’t wear wristbands or gloves to hide those seams, given she often has done just that in the comic books.
Her face looks great and, given the figure is a very real object, arguably this figure is an even more “realistic” version than the onscreen digital She-Hulk would sometimes look under close inspection. It’s very clearly Tatiana Maslany’s face and features, with the green skin tone given subtle details like small lines that sell it as a person’s Gamma-green skin. Some may wish they’d gone for a “tougher” expression, but the smiling portrait reflects the show’s lighter tone and Jennifer Walters’ frequent attitude when She-Hulk-ing.
In my recent review of the Mantis Hot Toys figure, I lamented the plastic hair limiting that figure’s head movement to a rather extreme degree. While She-Hulk’s hair is also plastic and quite substantial, it actually feels more flexible than Mantis, and while you can’t turn her head all the way to the side, she still has some decent variations that can be achieved.
She has separate rolling eyeballs, something Hot Toys has offered more and more recently. This feature is a cool one conceptually but one which I always find incredibly difficult to navigate when it comes to actually using a small tool to change the eye position, which was especially true with She-Hulk. The specific placement of the plastic piece inside her head used to attach the head to the neck is way too close to where you’re supposed to put the plastic tool in in order to change her eye direction – so much so that even if you get one eye where you want it, removing the tool without then accidentally changing the position again is quite a challenge, much less getting both eyes pointing the same direction.
That being the case, I spent the better part of a very frustrating hour trying to get her eyes facing the same direction once more so poor She-Hulk didn’t look, um, notably confused. If you absolutely want to change her eye position, you’re better off just trying to move them with your finger from the front of her face, but keep in mind, it can be tricky either way.
Given the need for her to show off those buff arms and legs to allow for maximum fight time mobility, She-Hulk’s costume isn’t elaborate, but you can see some nice design details on the figure. Hey, her renowned costume designer Luke Jacobson had to put in some layering and texture!
With a character who’s a brawler, it makes sense accessories are minimal, mostly confined to multiple hand variations, including the appreciated inclusion of flat-handed hands that can be used to replicate the so-called “thunderclap” She-Hulk, like the Hulk, uses to send foes flying. There is also a cellphone she can hold in one of the hands, which is a cute touch that fits in with the TV show and attorney Jennifer Walters’ lifestyle. The front of the phone shows a dating app, which also is fun, since Jen’s attempts at dating were a big part of the series.
Still, given the front of the phone is such a plain sticker, I wonder if they could have included some form of swappable phone screen instead to show her looking at different contacts/references from the show beyond the dating app alone.
Overall though, the She-Hulk Hot Toys figure is a real standout that feels unique compared to almost any other Hot Toys release. As a longtime big fan of the character from the comics, and someone who enjoyed a lot of the TV show and its overall approach – even if I had some quibbles as well – it’s great to have her standing tall on my shelf. Given the very mixed reaction to the series, it remains to be seen if and when we’ll get this version of She-Hulk back in the MCU, but the existence of the show has at the least led to this terrific collectible.
Oh, and yes, rest assured that She-Hulk makes for a formidable, eye-catching pairing with the previously-released Hot Toys Daredevil figure based upon his appearance in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
As with Daredevil, She-Hulk is now waitlist only on Sideshow’s site. But given waitlist items can frequently become available for Sideshow, I would highly recommend trying for her for those interested.
Priced at $305, the She-Hulk Hot Toys figure is an odd mixture of being very expensive in and of itself yet oddly feeling like somewhat of a bargain for the always expensive Hot Toys, given even a normal-sized figure is often edging towards $300 these days, and she’s so both notably bigger than the norm and so well made – even if those pesky rolling eyeballs briefly brought out my own Hulk rage.
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