The Iron Man Mark III is probably one of the most sought after figures from Hot Toys this year. The initial batch of figures released have reportedly been sold out in record-breaking time. The next batch of figures will become available around late March or early April and is expected to sell out just as fast. I was one of the lucky few who managed to place a pre-order for the first wave of this figure sold by Maxi Collector.

The packaging is slightly different from what we’ve come to expect from Hot Toys. Instead of having an outer sleeve that covers the panel box, the Mark III box comes with a cover that wraps around the box and is anchored in place by the armor’s arc reactor.

Opening the wrap-around cover reveals a great artwork of Iron Man along with a list of names of the great talents who worked on this collectible figure. The quality of the box as well as the design are truly top-notch.

The Mark III comes with 2 sets of extra hands, a Tony Stark head sculpt which bears the likeness of actor Robert Downey Jr., and the ubiquitous figure stand with the accompanying name plate.

This figure, while handsomely crafted, has plenty of movable parts which I personally find a little worrisome. Hot Toys products are usually built with decent sturdiness, but I believe these areas are prone to breakage if handled by a heavy set of hands. Make sure to take extra care in moving and opening the flaps found at the back side and at the rear portion of the legs. The hinges that hold these flaps in place look fragile. The missile launchers on the forearms should likewise be handled with care.

The Tony Stark head that comes with the package is another testament to the exceptional sculpting talents Hot Toys has in its arsenal. Just take a look at the skin tone – it’s so lifelike that it’s spooky.

And to complete the dramatic features of this figure, Hot Toys has provided collectors with functional lights on the chest, eyes and hands.

The light switch for the chest and eyes is found at the back side of the figure.

The one for the hands can be located at the forearm.

The switches are minuscule so (again) take extra care in flipping them on/off.

Overall, it’s worth every dollar spent. If you haven’t made up your mind about purchasing one, my humble advise is don’t take too long deciding. This is one of those “you snooze, you lose” type of things and is expected to only cost you more if you drag your feet.

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