It is always very difficult for a collector to express an absolute preference among his pieces: each item has its genesis, its own history, and probably a good reason for being there: a part of the great family. In my case, however, this preference (albeit minimal) exists: the classic Hulk Premium Format! Released back in 2005 with an edition size of 1000 pieces, this Sideshow statue is the perfect materialization of the idea I've always had of the character, since when, in the 70s, I read the first Marvel Comics published in Italy. For this reason, this piece exerts on me an incredible appeal and a matchless emotional impact. Sculpted by Andy Bergholtz, a self-admitted fan of the originary Hulk (the one drawn by Jack The King Kirby), this Premium Format was also released in an extremely rare gray version (the exclusive variant, usually recognized as the Grey Hulk), which can be considered one of the most precious and sought-after statues all over the world. It is sufficient to say that the run of this version, originally conceived to be of 150 pieces only, was increased by Sideshow because of an anomalous crash of the server devoted to the on-line preorders. At the opening of bookings, in fact, the demand was so massive to crash the system, thus creating an unexpected overbooking; thus, in order to not to disappoint the customers, Sideshow decided to meet the requirements in surplus and produced 29 extra pieces with respect to the original limit, thus fixing the final edition size to the unusual number of 179 pieces. The statue is 51 cm high, has a planform size of about 46 x 42 cm and, presumably, is made of full resin, exhibiting a record weight of 23 kg! The regular version shows an excellent green tonality, with awesome nuances at any muscle contour and perfectly matching the original traits of the early Comics. The gray version, on the other hand, is inspired by the original color of the character, as it was originally conceived by the authors and before the green became his distinctive feature for all readers around the world. The statue has a breathtaking visual impact. If you place it close to the many multi-colored Sideshow statues of the other heroes, this Premium Format strikes for its imposingness and incredible majesty. The whole figure is very faithful to the unique style of the Lee-Kirby era and is located on a base free of frills, representing a pavement with deep cracks, which points out the size and weight of the giant. Unlike the regular version in a purple jeans (offering a great chromatic contrast with the green tone of the skin), the exclusive variant exhibits a more classic pale blue jeans, with the seams at the waist and pockets in good evidence. And the jeans are, in essence, the only colored add-on appearing on the figure: everything is focused on the sculpt and color shades, here designed to emphasize the devastating mass of the hero! Every single muscle. in fact, is sculpted in a workmanlike manner and realized with an incredible care of the details. From biceps to pectorals, from deltoids to triceps, from calves to abdominal and back: in this Hulk any muscle is impressively pumped and portrayed to the extreme, never reaching, however, a grotesque level and always maintaining the correct proportions everywhere, in an overall surprising and harmonious balance. The result is a body which exudes power from every pore, but, at the same time, exhibits the harmony of a statuesque physique, monstrously perfect in any part! The attention to detail is really above average. Look carefully at the raised and extremely realistic veins, scattered throughout the body, the folds behind the right arm at the trunk level, the bloating of the dorsal muscles, the incredible groove at the spine to highlight the huge muscular mass, the realism and the perfect proportions of hands and feet, the black hair faithful, as said, to the original Comics and far away from the modern (and a little forced) hairstyle of the various Planet or Ultimate versions of the character. One of the elements that distinguishes this piece is the very realistic pose: the body is rotated on the trunk with legs slightly bent: the left arm leans forward to counterbalance the right one, clearly preparing to launch a deadly blow! The left hand is open but tense, and the tension is evident from the swollen veins on the bent arm and the impressive biceps. The right arm, on the other hand, is elongated backwards in the preparation of the blow and, in this way, emphasizes the monstrous chest, the pectorals and abdominals of the hero at best. Really a realistic and natural pose, which allowed the artists to bring out the physicality and power of the green Goliath. The expressiveness of the face is outstanding (and even more effective in the exclusive version, due to the chromatic contrast between the background gray and the green eyes). The face exactly conveys the original idea that Stan Lee had of the hero: a Dr. Jekyll with the features of Frankenstein: enormous brow ridges with iper-protruding cheekbones hollowing out the eyes in an unnatural way and a flattened nose on the deformed mouth. The bull-like neck is hardly noticed under the powerful and swollen trapezium, while the eyes seem to aim for the target with a really threatening gaze. Among the classic Premium Formats produced by Sideshow, Hulk distinguishes for the intrinsic scarcity of colors and the total absence of decorative elements. The character is rough on his own and, just like in the Comics, he can only rely on his muscles. There are no flashy and scaled costumes, no sumptuous and fluttering cloaks or armors with bright and metallic colors; there are no multicolored shields or hammers engraved with bombastic inscriptions. No glamorous mask, no winged helmet, and even the base (unlike the original Premium Formats of Captain America, Thor and, above all, Doom) is deliberately deprived of any extra frippery. But what, at first glance, might seem like a weak point, Andy Bergholz was able to turn into a strength point, by focusing his amazing work on the only essential characteristic of the Hulk: his devastating physicality! And the result (in my humble opinion and, of course, in its context) is a real mastepiece!