Among the many Hulk variants that in recent decades have filled pages and pages of Comic books (often assuming some features substantially different from the classic character), the original hero of Lee and Kirby can be actually identified with the simple adjective Savage (which just stands for “ barbaric, fierce, primitive”) and that, in its essential features, shows a furious rage, the green skin, an inhuman musculature and strength and the (limited) intelligence quotient of a child. And among the last productions of the American company, this statue (in my opinion) is one of the most beautiful and successful ever released! Although not expressly stated by Bowen, both the sculpt (especially of the face) and the coloring (a rather clear green tonality) are probably inspired by the famous drawings of Sal Buscema (the younger brother of John, a real legend of Marvel), who for many years worked at the tables of the green Goliath, impressing on him a unique style and progressively dismissing those Frankenstein characteristics of Kyrbian resemblance, originally imposed by Lee. Contrary to many Bowen pieces dedicated to the hero, the Hulk Savage (released in 2013 with an edition size of 1900 samples) has a typical museum pose: he stands firmly planted on the ground, with his bent legs slightly wide apart and a physique of a terrifying power that, although the unnatural oversize, shows an excellent harmony and perfect proportions. The base is elliptical and depicts a shattered pavement. The muscles exhibit an immense size: the incredibly swollen (in spite of the outstretched arms) biceps and triceps and the awe-inspiring shoulders, the large pectorals and the over-defined abdominals. Moreover, the huge fists enhance the feeling of furious anger emanating from the face, where the enormous jaws, the clenched teeth and the furrowed eyebrows simply inspire terror! The pants are sculpted to perfection, rich of folds on the powerful quadriceps; they are characterized by fabric “flourishes” everywhere at the ends and exhibit two big rips at the knees. The top-quality sculpt adds to a masterful (to say the least) coloring: every contour defining the muscles is emphasized and well-finished through a darker shade of green, which enhances the superhuman look of the body and its aesthetic impact. Also note the remarkable sculptural realization of the hair and the perfect coloring of the face, where the forehead, cheekbones, jaw and chin show slight (but evident) gradients, and both eyes and eyebrows are well finished at every detail. Obviously, any judgment or appreciation on a Marvel statue is affected by the same idea that the collector has about the character and his own tendency to prefer a variant compared to the other. From an aesthetic point of view, I have always considered the Hulk by Sal Buscema the best one and for this reason (in spite of the undeniable charm and beauty of the other statues dedicated to the hero) I feel an instinctive (and nostalgic) enthusiasm for this piece.