The Thor vs Loki statue can be somehow considered the ugly duckling in the group of the classic Marvel dioramas produced by Sidehow. Since its release in 2008, in fact, the community of collectors has basically snubbed it and even today, after all these years and unlike most of its prestigious colleagues, it is not hard to find it on the international ebay sites at a relatively low price. I myself, while considering it an admirable collector's item and a must for all Marvel fans, recognize that, in some respects, it represents a sort of missed opportunity by the American Company. The statue was sculpted by Martin Canale and Martin Demonte and is rather large: the size is 27 x 36 cm, with a height of approximately 43 cm and a weight that is just over 4 kg. Oddly, Sideshow produced only a regular version with an edition size of 1500 samples and also this anomaly (compared to traditional production) probably affected the enthusiasm of many collectors, accustomed to the rarest and attractive exclusive variant. The scene depicts the fratricidal battle in the proximity of a large throne, adorned by a chalice lying on the ground and various coats of arms in relief. The God of Thunder attacks his half-brother from above, brandishing the legendary Mjolnir with the right hand and resting his knee on the top of the throne; Loki is located lower and attempts a desperate defense with a long trident, bending the legs and turning to the opponent with a surprised and clearly worried expression! The poses are very dynamic and the two characters show a good resemblance to the original tables of Comics. In particular, Loki exhibits a weedy physique and the somatic traits of an old malignant, typical of the Silver Age and the style of many Marvel cartoonists: the face is marked by deep wrinkles, a nightmare toothing and a wicked and perfidious glance. Thor, on the contrary, shows the characteristic blue eyes and long blonde hair, with an extraordinary physique, here emphasized by the pumped muscles on arms and chest and by a very athletic and aerial pose. The sculpt of the piece is excellent and the attention to detail nothing short of amazing. Just look at the clothing of Loki, embellished with metal bumpers on shoulders, elbows and knees, and the typical headgear with long and curved horns: the folds of the costume follow the complex dynamics of movement (twisting at the bust) in a perfect way, giving the scene a eye-catching realism. Similarly, the Thor costume on the chest and on the back is pulled back by the notable extension of the right arm and shows a fluttering cloth at waist, which emphasizes the dynamism of the motion. Nevertheless, the costume of the Thunder's God is not the classic one: the color is black, the winged helmet is quite unusual (both in frontal appearance and in the coloring of the side wings), the big red cape is absent. In my opinion, it is precisely this diversity to diminish, to some extent, the aesthetic impact of the piece, and not so much for the choice (attractive, after all) to represent the character in a more original way, but for the marked poverty of the resulting polychromy. The same circles on the Asgardian's costume (small and a little bit featureless) seem to get lost in the black costume and the gray of the large throne is too much intrusive in the visual impact of the whole figure, despite the presence of the fine chalice lying at the foot of Loki and the traces of red wine fallen on the ground. We should think of what this statue would have been with a throne in the style of the Doom Premium Format, adorned by leatherette armrests and decorative bronze coats of arms and the traditional black and blue Thor costume, with the yellow leather bands on the boots, the feathery white wings on the helmet and a large, fluttering red cape! Probably, it would have been the diorama par excellence within the whole Sideshow production: a formidable and unrivaled artwork. Anyway, thanks to the dynamism of the scene and the quality of the sculpt, I think this statue represents a indisputable must for all Marvel fans and it would certainly deserve a greater attention by all collectors.