Over the last few years I've become increasingly fond of Kotobukiya's Bishoujo line of pretty-girl figures. Not just for their very fine sculpt-work, but also for their inventive re-imagining of various pop-culture characters, ranging from Freddie and Jason to My Little Pony.
In the case of the Marvel figures however, what we get are straight up anime-style versions of our favourite heroines, often in appealing poses, and why not? Marvel's lycra-clad heroines have always had sex-appeal.
In the case of Domino, the figure has a striking resemblance to J Scott Campbell's Domino #1 variant cover in both style and tone. The outfit details are certainly subtle, with shoulder armour, dual pistols and a unique, pale blue criss-cross style belt and gun holster. very shiny paintwork on the black parts bring out the curves in the light, and the silver details on the buckles and boots against the matt of Domino's skin and hair make this a piece of extreme contrasts, beautifully blended together. In short this figure pops like no other in this line.
The whole thing is topped off with a cool stand that's an actual domino, and a little bonus Deadpool teddy, which is just freakin' adorable! I want another for a keychain!
On top of this attention to detail we also have a fantastic pose. The guns out, over the shoulder look is extremely sultry, with an expression that's all business. While I collect Bishoujo figures sporadically (Juri, Psylocke, Sakura, Squirrel Girl and The Wasp are the only figures in the line-up at chez AI for now) they're fast becoming some of the most must-have figures coming out of Kotobukiya's stable, and that's saying something. The upcoming Poison Ivy, Baroness and Beetlejuice figures look amazing. I'd love for them to tackle Spider-Man's Mary Jane and White Rabbit down the line.
If there is one drawback, it's a legacy one. Domino doesn't scale well with older figures, and as you can see in the gallery, she's much larger than Psylocke and smaller than Sakura (remembering that Sakura is a teenage girl). The haphazard scaling is only a problem if you're trying to create a themed display, but its something to be aware of if that's your intention, as older figures can be very expensive.
Enjoy the pictures, and take a look at the Facebook Bishoujo collector's group for a friendly community and help spotting those annoying Knock Off's!
Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook to get all the latest site updates
Metal parts and lavish detail make this a souvenir to pick up - if you could only get to Yokohama's Gundam Factory...
