This is probably the challenge par excellence among all Marvel statues. The Premium Format of Doctor Doom, in fact, is considered the best statue ever produced by the "old-school" of the famous American Company, while Magneto represents the piece which enshrined the success of the young Singaporean Team and simply started a "new-age" for this kind of collecting! The characters are two real reference points in the Marvel Universe. Victor Von Doom is the sovereign of Latveria: he represents a true genius of evil, driven by an insatiable thirst of power, and the archenemy of the Fantastic Four, with whom he wrote unforgettable stories during the Silver Age of Comics, mainly illustrated by Jack "The King" Kirby. Magneto is the master of magnetism and the most formidable enemy of the X-Men: a mutant struggling for dominance of his race, rejecting any possibility of a peaceful coexistence with humans, and the key character of most of the formidable sagas of mutant world. These statues are very sought after by fans all over the world and have reached crazy prices on the market. Surprisingly, ten years separate the two pieces: Magneto was released in the early 2015 (800 copies), while Doom dates back to 2005 and was released in both an exclusive (run of 500 pieces) and a regular (1000 pieces) version, which are differentiated by an additional decorative element, constituted by a small column and a finely decorated chalice. The pieces are heavy and comparable in size, although the XM piece requires a larger space for an appropriate display. The weight of Doom is about 11Kg, while Magneto weighs 13.5Kg. The base size of the Premium Format is 28x35cm and its height is 36cm; the base of Magneto is bulkier (37x43cm) and the fingers of the Sentinel, constituting the very original seat, make it approximately 47cm high. In addition, as usual for most of XM collectibles, Magneto is equipped with a lot of add-on, which give a wide variety of exposure: two interchangeable left arms, one extra Cerebro helmet and two interchangeable heads (with and without the typical helmet of the character). In this context, it is worth pointing out the high level of "implementation" provided by the Singaporean Company. Unlike Doom, Magneto is composed of many separate elements that have to be assembled: the joints are perfect and the many interchangeable parts can rely on powerful inner magnets which provide a great stability everywhere. Both statues are characterized by a top-level aestethics, an amazing sculpt and a perfect coloring; nevertheless, their best quality is the unusual and incredible attention to details, not only and not as much concerning the characters, as rather the seats!

Doom represents the archetype of the sitting pose and probably the first 1:4 scale statue offering this original feature. The piece was sculpted by Pablo Viggiano, in collaboration with Martin Canale (and his Gore Group) and Gidget Earle. The character sits comfortably on a regal throne, with his elbows on the armrests, the clasped hands at chest level and legs fully bent. The pose is very realistic and the whole figure gives off a feeling of lofty naturalness. Being a Premium Format, Doom wears a tunic in real fabric, exhibiting a green tone very similar to the original Comics and a luxurious satin appearance in the inner part. Obviously, the presence of the costume partially covers the sculpt of the figure, but this does not prevent to appreciate the perfect proportions and the masterful realization on the underlying body. The sculpt of the armor is breathtaking, with different, thick patches appearing on both arms and legs and circular elements at the sides of elbows and knees. Note the carved junction elements scattered here and there on armour, the realism of the folds of the leather in correspondence of the resting points of the elbows and the amazing details in relief and finishing touch on feet and, above all, on hands. The tunic is embellished by a large belt with a metal buckle and two golden circles on the upper part of the chest, which offer a great chromatic contrast with the dominant green color. The rotated head and the glance, slightly turned downward, provide the whole figure with an aura of regal and disquieting pride!

The design and concept of Magneto is the result of a collaboration between XM Team and Studio HIVE, while the sculpt was realized by the talented Suheryanto Hatmaja. The character has a more relaxed pose: the legs are more elongated compared to Doom, the left arm is bent backwards and lays down on armrest, whereas the right one can be displayed with a floating Cerebro helmet or, alternatively, resting on his typical headgear. The sculpt of Magneto is nothing short of amazing. The figure exhibits a great naturalness and a well defined musculature on abdominals, biceps and quadriceps. A large and rigid ring on the upper part of the chest acts as a hook for the huge violet cloak, laying down softly to the foot of the character. The costume is characterized by very detailed elbows and shin guards, equipped with strips and metallic buckles, and a wide belt at the waist. The central part of the red suit on chest and abdomen is finely textured, as well as the partially covered calfs. Note the perfect color shades, pointing out any muscle contour, the details of the rubber soles of the shoes and the incredible realism of the costume folds at belly and, above all, at the knees.

The throne of Doom is simply a piece of art and probably the reason why this statue is one of the most valuable Marvel collectibles. In essence, the seat is a square, but the presence of a (forty-five degrees angled) column at each of the four corners gives rise to a rather complex planform. The few uncovered parts, especially at bottom, have squared shapes; they are embellished with small pyramidal protuberances and are colored in a masterful way, as it were made of just rough stone. Everything else, it is an incredible set of ornaments and decorations, with a superb bronze appearance and totally different from each other! The two columns on the frontal part end at the armrest level: they show two mythological figures, composed by a human bust with a animal head, very similar to a minotaur, with a ring at nose and a sort of tunic, ending (at bottom) with a human face.

The sides of the seat are enriched with two central, rhomboidal and finely worked friezes and other small decorations. The rear columns are higher and are constituted by two female figures which, presumably, symbolize life and death. The life, on the right, shows a sinuous body wrapped by a dress and an angelic face, adorned with an elaborate hairstyle; the death, on the left, has a similar pose, but the body is partially putrefied and the face is replaced by a skull. Each figure rests on human heads and skulls, carved in a masterful way and different from each other. The back of the seat is enriched by many other ornaments: three circular coats of arm, located at the vertices of a triangular figure; two bands with jagged edges, delineating the lateral columns; an elliptical and ivory cameo, depicting a woman and animal figures in relief. Finally, a large, circular, bronze plate, with a centered skull and snakes, is located on the back of the headrest.

The concept of the mutant's seat is stunning and can rely on one of the most innovative and original designs among all Marvel statues. In essence, it is constituted by two parts: the ruins of the hand of a Sentinel (the fearsome enemy of X-Men) and a large, circular metal plate, acting as a base and depicting the very well known logo of the Xavier's Institute. The hand is partially open: the huge fingers are slightly rotated around the character and immediately reveal their robotic nature, thanks to the large circular hinges and metal piping connecting any phalange. This feeling is emphasized by the perfect metallic tones of painting, the many scratches and dents scattered everywhere and the writings on the hand back and the right side of the seat, in a typical "industrial" style. Note the truncated thumb on the left, which come out big electric cables from, and the cluster of metal pipes on the right, constituting the original armrest of the anomalous throne. As aforementioned, the colors perfectly simulate the metallic semblance of the whole and mix a dominant blue (even offering some iridescent hue) with the silver and copper tones of the hinges and the flexible piping, respectively. The circular base, which the feet of Magneto rest on, is sculpted in a masterful way and leaves partially uncovered the big central "X" and the emblem of the Institute ("Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters").

Also the faces of both characters are sculpted in a wonderful way and increase the overall charm of the figures. The head of Doom is fully carved and very similar to Comics. A iron wire inserted in the tunic hood allows to model its shape according to your preferences. Many squared and chiseled contours point out the cheeks and the nose, while small circular spikes delineate the slots for eyes and mouth. And even though the eyes are barely visible, a terrific gaze comes out from the mask! The masked head of Magneto is characterized by a brilliant purple color of the helmet, gnashing teeth, long and arched white eyebrows and two disturbing eyes without pupils, which emphasize the enraged gaze of the mutant. The alternative (unmasked) head has a more thoughtful look and shows a bushy white hair, blue eyes and very well defined wrinkles on forehead and cheeks.

Concerning the add-ons, the small column distinguishing the exclusive version of the Sideshow collectible perfectly combines with the style of the Doom's throne and represents a awesome, additional decorative element for the whole figure. It is constituted by a cylinder with a bronze appearance, resting on a stone pedestal and equipped (on top) with a squared base, where a beautiful chalice can be positioned through a magnet. The column is rich of decorations carved in relief and exhibits a sort of twisted snake, ending with an irreverent human face with the tongue sticking out; the cup on top is outstanding too and vaguely resembles a piece of the Vatican Museums, with small red gems and decorations all around, emphasized by the brilliant, gold color. As already said (and usual for the XM pieces), Magneto offers a lot of add-ons which allow to change the display. However, besides to the interchangeable heads and the left forearms (with the floating Cerebro helmet and/or the hand resting on both the hero's and the same Cerebro helmet), the Singaporean Company also offers an art print, depicting the concept art used for the piece and released in a fairly heavy cardboard, and a silver coin (I think with about half of the edition size), encased in a clear plastic holder and with a small plastic display stand.

Well... it is very hard to identify a winner between these two incredible collectibles and, in any case, I think a definite choice would be ruled more by your own taste and passion for the character, rather than some technical aspect. In terms of sculpt and paint the pieces, in essence, are equivalent and simply represent the top-level quality you can find for this hobby! Some collector may prefer the classic mixed media provided by the old Sideshow Premium Format line, while some one else is undoubtedly in favour of the full sculpt; however, regardless of the great appeal of the fabric used for the Doom's tunic and the high quality of the textures characterizing the Magneto's costume, the bodies' proportions, the naturalness of the poses and the faithfulness to the Comics' characters are simply perfect. The same is true for the paint: the awesome metallic silver on the armor of Doom, the stone appearance of the exposed parts of the throne and the outstanding coppery tonality of its decorations are balanced by the brighter colors of Magneto, the impeccable shades on suit's folds and muscle contours and the metallic look of the giant Sentinel's fingers, so that both the statues offer an excellent chromatic impact. Also the concept and the design of both pieces are well above average! As already said, Doom represents the true archetype of the successful "pose on throne" which nowadays characterizes many Marvel statues and the idea of enriching the seat with a huge amount of top-quality decorations was really winning; on the other hand, the concept of the Magneto's seat is really spectacular and provides the whole figure with an unmatched charm. Concerning the details, I still think Doom is literally unrivalled! The marvelous statue released by XM Studio gets very close to it and, as said, can count on a great originality and an extraordinary visual impact; nevertheless, the opulence, the heterogeneity and the perfect antiqued bronze appearance of the Doom's throne make it a real piece of art, hardly comparable to any other Marvel statue available on the market. On the contrary, the add-ons offered by the Magneto statue are no doubt more consistent with the present expectations of all collectors: the possibility to change the display, in fact, has always been a very appreciated add-on for any fan and also the presence of both a fine art-print (depicting the same statue) and a silver coin (in a limited edition) represent two captivating elements. On the other hand, the exclusive column of Doom represents a further, wonderful decorative element, which somehow completes the impressive aesthetics of the whole but, at the same time (and, maybe, intentionally), avoids to change what is very close to perfection on its own!