I can count on one hand the number of times a resin statue company has managed to covertly sneak an unannounced all-new sculpture from a popular line all the way through production and successfully announce it via actual in-stock ordering, but that’s just the feat Diamond Select Toys has pulled off with their newest entry in the X-Men Animated Series busts lineup. To the shock of fans everywhere, the DST X-Men Animated Beast statue has been released is now available for order exclusively from ShopDisney. Is this surprise drop worth getting hyped about? Here’s my review…

While it’s not all that uncommon for resin statue companies to quietly produce limited exclusive repaints without previously announcing them (as Sideshow Collectibles did with their hotly demanded 1:4 X-Force Psylocke Premium Format Figure), it’s next to unheard of for a totally new piece to be manufactured without a peep to collectors.

Even so, that is exactly what has transpired with the new X-Men Beast mini-bust just released by Diamond Select Toys.

I’m so hardwired into the collecting world that it was absolutely stunning when the first exposure I had to this piece was a Facebook ad directing me to buy it from the Shop Disney website. I didn’t think I could be shocked like that collecting-wise anymore. I liked it! I placed my order immediately last week, and Hank McCoy has now arrived in my home in animated resin bust form.

Despite being an exclusive release, this Beast feels extremely consistent with the rest of the X-Men 92 busts series. Beast is limited to 3000 pieces like the other characters in the lineup, and comes in the now-familiar primarily blue, red and yellow box with large photos of the bust on three sides. It’s simple, but colorful and effective.

Inside the box is the authenticity card, along with the busts encased in plain white styrofoam. I’m all about keeping costs down, so I have no issue with this basic packaging—I don’t need my statue nestled in fancy cloth or thick black foam.

The Beast mini-bust itself is in the same 1/7 scale as the rest of the X-Men: The Animated Series line. The size is extremely close to the classic Bowen Designs mini busts of old, which strikes a nice nostalgic cord. The Bowen Beast bust was among my first mini busts ever, but I didn’t love that piece because of the whited-out eyes and savage design, which didn’t capture the traits of the character I loved from X-Men TAS.

Thankfully, while it took about two decades more of waiting, this is precisely the intelligent-eyed blue-furred Beast mini bust I always wanted.

In keeping with the cartoon character design from the TV show, there’s not a ton of sculpted textures on this sculpture. Instead, most of the detailing is painted on in the show’s classic cel-shaded style. This might sound on paper like it wouldn’t work, but the bust captures the look and feel of the beloved cartoon in spectacular fashion.

The various shades of blue on the body depict the different colored patches of blue fur beautifully, and the pose with one fist and one splayed hand for acrobatic balance is spot-on. I love it. The eyes and facial expression do a terrific job of capturing Hank’s humanity and intellect, and the basic blue Danger Room-styled base is subtle and matches well with the rest of the team.

The $80 price-point of this piece is also a boon, as few companies are offering dub-$100 resin pieces these days. I imagine Diamond Select Toys will need to increase their pricing or discontinue this line in the not-distant future, but I’m glad they’ve held the value pricing as long as they could.

Overall: I was admittedly dubious that DST could complete the 1992 X-Men Animated team in resin mini bust form, but Diamond Select will have fulfilled the dream once the other solicited characters (Storm, Jubilee and Professor X) arrive. This surprise release of Beast out of nowhere blew my mind and also my expectations. Animated Hank McCoy looks absolutely excellent, with a fair MSRP, outstanding design and quality, and is overall a fantastic piece. If this bust line ended after all the announced busts arrive, now it would feel complete. A triumph for DST.

GRADE: A