Marvel Gallery - DAZZLER!

Marvel Gallery PVC Statues - Dazzler (Disco) - Diamond Select Toys 2020

Dazzler is a character with an interesting history. She was pitched as a joint venture between Casablanca Records and Marvel Comics in the late seventies to sell comics, cartoons, and music a'la The Monkees and The Archies. If her first concepts would have been accepted, she would be a black hero (modeled after Grace Jones) named Evelyn Free using the codename Disco Queen to fight villainy with her powers to force the truth out of people. Thank goodness her name was tweaked and her abilities changed to light-based powers, but it would be awesome to see a multiverse Grace Jones version some day. This Marvel Gallery PVC statue is my favorite piece of Dazzler merchandise in my collection. It captures great great classic disco look in a statuesque pose at a very reasonable price. The Marvel Gallery, DC Gallery, and Femme Fatales statue lines from DST are very impressive. I currently own eight and I only expect that number to grow. Let's check out Dazzler below!

Marvel Gallery - STORM!

Marvel Gallery PVC Statues - Storm (First App) - Diamond Select Toys 2021

I am infinitely impressed by Diamond Select's Marvel Gallery and DC Gallery series of PVC statues. The funny thing is that I don't really pay attention to them in the convention and solicitation areas. Rather, whenever I walk into this one local comic shop of mine, a store that seems to stock every single Diamond Select product, I see a new Gallery statue that I can't live without. I restrain myself and only buy one at a time, and this store is on the other side of my city (and they never order TPBs) so I only go there every few months. And this is a great thing because these statues only fit on the top of my shelves and a windowsill, and I'm quickly running out of room. My newest "must-have" is this very classic looking Storm. I saw it for a first time a few weeks ago (despite visiting the DST booth at multiple conventions since it was released in 2021). The sculpt is perfect and the pose is streamlined and dynamic (and not to overuse the word, but she is statuesque). Let's check out the Marvel Gallery Storm below!

Marvel Gallery - FIRESTAR!

Marvel Gallery - Vinyl Diorama Series - FireStar - Diamond Select Toys 2021

Diamond Select Toys has been really impressing me with their Marvel Gallery line. Previous PVC statue lines (mostly from other companies) have typically been too stylized for my tastes. Or sometimes, the sculpts just aren't there for me. But the DST Marvel Gallery (and DC Gallery) statues have the design and sculpt quality of the high-end polystone statues, but at a price point that is far more palatable. I also love the character choices. It seems that all my favorite characters are added to the roster one-by-one. The designs are essentially classic, but there is always a slight redesign. In the case of this Firestar statue, her boots and gloves extend almost all the way up her limbs, which seems like a unique choice for this particular product. But I like it. A few short years ago, I only had one lonely Firestar product in my collection. It was just a simple Toy Biz Medusa repaint, but I was ecstatic. Flash forward a few years and this Marvel Gallery statue is the 13th item on my Firestar shelf. Here's to many more!

Marvel Gallery - SQUIRREL GIRL!

Marvel Gallery PVC Diorama - Squirrel Girl - Diamond Select Toys 2019

I love it when a wacky character becomes legitimately popular. A character whose name, power, and team affiliation (The Great Lakes Avengers) are all clearly intended to be tongue-in-cheek typically wouldn't have much staying power, but when they do, they tend to be pretty great all-around. Harley Quinn and Gwenpool were both similarly meant to be one-and-done pun-based characters who have persevered and established themselves as standalone characters. And now the quirky Doreen Green is joining those ranks. Squirrel Girl may have been introduced more than 28 years ago, but only in the last 10 has her popularity skyrocketed. She has had two solo comic series (the current one is up to issue #46), appearances in numerous animated shows (and a movie), many videogames, and her merchandise is starting to trickle out. We have yet to see a true action figure, but stuff like this gorgeous Marvel Gallery PVC Statue is more than enough to tide me over while I wait for the inevitable Legends figure.

Marvel Gallery - ALL-NEW WOLVERINE!

Marvel Gallery PVC Statues - X-23 as Wolverine - Diamond Select Toys 2018

I'm always torn on my opinion of PVC statues. I have always been reluctant to buy larger collectibles (for display reasons) and a good deterrent has always been the price. Then a new trend of PVC/Vinyl statues began and that price factor was eliminated. The first offerings I remember were the DC Direct Ame-Comi statues. While I appreciated those designs, all my purchases suffered from poor engineering - namely unsupportive ankles. Later efforts at PVC statues had overall designs that I just wasn't thrilled with (weird poses, face sculpts, etc). This includes the Bishoujos, Femme Fatales, and various DST lines (They're all decent products of course, I'm just picky). But the one line that I can't seem to resist is Marvel Gallery. I love the character selection, I love the statuesque poses, and I love that they get some heavy-hitter sculptors on the payroll. I always love a Sam Greenwell sculpt and this Laura Kinney Wolverine is no exception. Let's check out the glorious All-New Wolverine below!

Marvel Gallery - IRONHEART!

Marvel Gallery PVC Statues - Ironheart (Riri Williams) - Diamond Select Toys 2017

One of the greatest joys of collecting is when you've been eyeing a product for months, with no intent on actually buying it, but then the stars align and it finds its way into your hands anyway. I always have lots of reasons to refrain from a collectible purchase, but mostly it comes down to space/scale, not wanting to "start a whole new collection," and the trusty standby: price. But then there are these rare occasions when you stumble across a a deal you can't pass up and you cave. I recently picked up this Ironheart 11.5" PVC statue at GameStop for $11 and I'm thrilled with the purchase. I've eyeballed a lot of the Marvel Gallery statues in the past (Lady Deadpool in particular), but all it took was a crazy sale to get me to break my resolve. It doesn't hurt that this is the first piece of merchandise of Riri Williams as Ironheart either. I read the first bunch of Invincible Ironman issues and loved her. Hopefully this is just the start of many Ironheart products (I just bought her Minimate today!). Let's check her out below!