BRUCE LEE The Martial Artist Series No. 2 by Storm Collectibles

Storm Collectibles' "The Martial Artist Series" of Bruce Lee statues saw its second release this summer. No. 2 in the series features Bruce in a sparring pose and represents some significant improvements over the first figure, especially in terms of sculpt and proportions.

Standing about 7 & 1/2" tall, Bruce's measurements clearly don't match the line's 1/12 scale moniker. So know, right off the bat, that this figure will NOT be in scale with other 1/12 figures. In fact, it's not even in scale to Storm's other "1/12" figures (Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat). It's just a tad bit "off", even when posed beside No. 1 from the line, although that might be because No. 1's knees are locked, while No. 2's are slightly bent (however, I tend think it's more due to the overly long legs of No. 1, while No. 2 is more accurately proportioned).

The figure itself is beautifully done. The face sculpt is a vast improvement over the two heads that were included with No. 1. This one captures his features perfectly, and the slight pursing of the lips, subtle knitting of the brows in the forehead, and lifelike texturing of the jawline are all brilliant. There's a five-o'clock shadow that's well-done here, as well. The body is made of an interesting plastic, which actually resembles a very hard rubber. It's not flexible in any way, but there's a little give when you press on it with, say, your fingernail. The sculpt of the musculature everywhere is absolutely amazing. In real life, it's one of the things that made Bruce Lee so jaw-dropping, and the figure captures that essence perfectly. Bruce Lee is shredded. From his neck all the way down to his calves, there are striations and crevices and veins. I count six prominent muscles in his forearm, alone. Of course, the abs and obliques are terrific, and nothing (well,almost nothing) is overdone. The result is that the figure doesn't get "old", if that makes any sense. What I mean is, as a statue, there is little to no play value here. What I want from a statue is something that I can return to again and again and still find things of interest. This statue accomplishes that (the muscles across his chest and shoulders consistently amaze me!). It looks great on the shelf, and is something that I will be noticing for a long time.

That said, there are two slight complaints that I have. First, the armpit hair stands out too much for me. My complaint isn't that it's there (accuracy and all), but more that it's too defined. It detracts from the rest of the figure because it's something that distracts my attention from other details. My second complaint is odd, in that it relates directly to the sculpt that I was praising earlier. Sounds like a strange reversal, but it's not. I'll explain. The sculpt is fabulous, period. The paint, however, is not quite as strong. The result is that there are places where the edges are not as sharp as they should be, especially where the trunks meet the torso, and around the black and white applications of the gloves. What would really have been perfect, would have been if these were separate components added on, rather than having them as part of the original sculpt. The lacing at the gloves and shin pads are especially bad, and ruin the lifelike illusion of the rest of the figure. Doing them as separate pieces with that soft rubberized plastic that Storm uses so well on their other figures would knock this one completely out of the park. In fact, they've done such a thing with their Mortal Kombat ninjas, making the forearm, hand and shin bracers as separate sculpted pieces, to great effect.

That said, No. 2 Bruce Lee is a nifty statue. It improves on No. 1 without replacing it, and offers enough of a new look to be worth the purchase. I'm very happy with it, and feel that it's a solid A- offering. Incidentally, the head for this statue is on a magnet, as well, and can be interchanged perfectly with the two heads that came with No. 1. Below are some pics of the heads and torsos, mixed and matched...

No. 1 and No. 2 together

No. 2 with No. 1's head

No. 2 with No. 1's alternate head