Ever since I added our Iron Man 2 checklist, I’ve received some feedback from Iron Man fans about my calling this armor Oversize. When I was in college, I found Tim Rassbach’s Iron Man Armory and have sworn by it ever since. My designations for the armors come from his fantastic site. Since I’ve seen this armor called Neo-Classic in other places, I will also mention that here. There’s no doubt that the figure is a representation of the armor that first appears at the end of the Armor Wars and marks Tony’s return to red/gold armor after the destruction of the Silver Centurion armor. There just seems to be some uncertainty as what to call it: oversize, neo-classic, bulky, coffee can. Regardless, it’s one of my favorite armors and I’m happy to get it in the line so early.

This figure features a new sculpt, that unlike the other figure in this review, is accurate to its comic roots. This armor design is bulkier than the previous, sleeker models and the sculpt reflects that with raised red areas, beefier yellow areas, and an overall stockier look. The shoulder pads fit in rather seamlessly and are hinged so they can raise with the ball shoulder.

One drawback to this otherwise bulky figure is that he comes up a tad shorter than some of the other comic armors. I’m not sure what the tech specs for this armor or how tall it should be, but I’d like him to be closer in height to War Machine than being on the smaller end of the line.

I only had one of this figure to choose from and I got lucky that he was painted pretty well, but there are places where I see things I don’t like. The first is conceptual, his gauntlets, boots, and head are a different shade of red from the main chunk of armor on his torso. Since the parts are all a consistent red, it gives the figure an interesting look and it can almost overcome the mismatch aesthetically. The other problem area is the red wash used on the yellow areas. On some parts, it works really well and adds definition, on others it just makes the figure look orange.

This figure has balls at the ankles, hips, elbows, shoulders, torso , and head, double-hinged knees, hinged shoulder pads, and cut wrists. The hinged shoulders allow for the ball-joints to have great range. The torso joint can swivel freely and has great back motion, but that’s thrown off by the yellow area underneath. When you lean him back, the yellow area expands and it looks odd. The head doesn’t have great range, but it does a little up and down motion which makes him a standout from the other figures.

In addition to his grey base and armor cards, the figure also includes the yellow repulsor blast that came with the Stealth Armor Iron Man.

Despite a few issues with accuracy or paint choices, I’m still very happy with the line. I’m not buying every figure, but there’s plenty to get excited about while still picking and choosing. I’m really enjoying the comic series figures and was happy to find these (and I’ll be happier when I can find the Hulkbuster armor).

The Proto Armor figure is a bit of a letdown with so many details overlooked just to get him done cheaply, but since the original figure was great, he’s still a nice addition – particularly if you look at the $5 coupon as coming out of his price. It’s $5 off a $20 Iron Man purchase, which will definitely get some use if I can find the remaining three figures in series two at once. The oversize armor is the real gem here though. It’s a little small, but it looks great and it’s one of a handful of armors that are memorable and tied to a specific era. I love its look. Plus, it’s great to finally get an Iron Man with a yellow power source.