Statue Spotlight: Sideshow Collectibles Psylocke PF (2022)

When it comes to financial planning, especially for that which involves high-end collectibles, the more knowledge have the better. There is little worse than not having the money to comfortably buy a statue you find amazing due to having spent funds on another piece that you would not have bothered with had you known this new thing would be available. However, there have been recent instances of statue companies following this model of keeping collectors well-informed and running into new issues of an unhappy customer base. Not only has Sideshow Collectibles garnered a reputation for being the antithesis of this model, but have taken it a step further by announcing surprise statues and putting them out for order within a week or two of the announcement, as it was with this most recent Premium Format offering: Psylocke. I quite enjoy this model and find it exciting every time a new statue is suddenly revealed. Even with it not being a fresh character, it has rejuvenated a bit of the thrill this hobby offers.

Following the less than favorable changes/outcome of their previous Psylocke PF from 2018, I am not surprised Sideshow is looking for redemption amongst collectors. Though, it does feel like too quick of a turnaround for a B-level X-Men character, especially considering the long line of top tier mutants that Sideshow has yet to touch in 1:4 scale (e.g., Iceman, Beast, Angel, Professor X). Nonetheless, it is encouraging to see Sideshow continuing to pump out an X-Men character here and there after the abrupt halt the company took following the 2-3 year mutant extravaganza.

(Left: New Version. Right: Previous Version)

This new Psylocke takes a much different approach from the previous iteration. Rather than a near museum pose with a simplistic base, this new statue looks to set an entire mood. The psychic ninja is crouched on top of a stone lantern embedded with shurikens; a sign of an ongoing or recent battle. Very reminiscent of Sideshow's newest Symbiote Spider-Man Premium Format Statue, the company commonly repeats some of its newer character poses across a few pieces before retiring it for a while. This perched appearance is set to the background of a rocky path leading to traditional Asian temples in the distance, bathed in blue from the moon hovering above the furthest temple.

This Psylocke is definitely one of the better looking sculpts the character has garnered and I find that it all starts in the face. With Will Harbottle sculpting, it is not surprising to find a beautiful portrait. Hair flowing off to the side with a few loose strands to capture volume and wind effect along with emphasized cheek bones give elegance to her "ready to strike" body language. For collectors who prefer characters with more classic takes on their costumes, Sideshow's newer X-Men offerings are sure to strike their fancy and this statue is no difference. Other than some minimal seam work and what appear to be appropriate folds in the suit, her costume is kept simple and texture-less. Her sash has a dramatically long appearance, but it fits the overall aesthetic, though she might trip on it when walking. I do think her abs look a bit odd and too defined for someone who's upper body has a slight bend. Her left arm is holding her saya as she is motioning her readiness to wield the kitana encased within. There are two right arm options: one demonstrating her psionic ability with her signature psyblade and another preparing to grip the katana. I think these are two good options to have, with a minor nitpick about the psyblade showing her sculpted fist encased in the energy. It does not look that good and covering the hand completely would have been a better choice.

I absolutely hate forced perspective bases. However, I will say that this is one of the better ones I have seen. The issue is that a lot of proficiencies will have to come together for it to look as good as it does in its best prototype images. First, the factory will have to replicate the differing hues of grey/blue to illustrate the shadows of the background and the moonlight. Second, it may only look good in a display with a dark background, which I am aware is pretty common, to set the nighttime scene. I just don't trust a final production piece with 70% accuracy to look like anything other than dull and depth-lacking. Having the rear portion of the base be a separate piece that could be left off may not be a bad production choice, as it does appear to carry a seam at the moment.

As a whole, I actually find this piece to be really cool both in the aesthetic and in its offering of something unique to this X-Men character that does not follow the typical formula for mutant bases (though I am not opposed to those). The blue, red, and purple of the character are striking for the dulled background, really allowing Psylocke to stand out. Again, where this piece will struggle is in the production, which I know can be said for any statue, but when the paint plays a huge part in the forced perspective that struggle becomes amplified. For collectors, this may be a hard piece to swallow as it may not look great in an X-Men lineup, which seems to be the common thread for X-Men collections. But for those who do not care as much about base compatibility, I think you are looking at the best licensed representation of the character.