Ant-Man Bootleg LEGO Minifigure by Sheng Yuan

I picked up another batch of Sheng Yuan brand bootleg LEGO minifigures recently and included in the set is this comicbook version of Ant-Man!

Not technically a bootleg, this minifigure is not a direct rip-off from any existing LEGO set. The design may have been pulled from a video game or a custom, but I am not sure. Regardless, you won't find this guy in physical form from any other source than those crazy Chinese BootLEGOers!

And while I'm no Ant-Man afficionado, I'm pretty sure if LEGO ever does make Ant-Man they won't go with this comic version and instead will go with the upcoming movie version. That being the case, I am glad to have the goofy comicbook version, which may very well be the only version we ever see!

I just LOVE this little helmet. I also love toys of comicbook characters who are technically in scale. Ant-Man can make himself the size of a LEGO minifigure, which makes this guy 1:1 scale if you really think about it. Neat!

Ant-Man came with a base and two spiders. I don't know if this spider design is a LEGO rip-off or not. I have personally not encountered LEGO spiders who look like this, but then again I never studied LEGO Spiderology.

Nailed it!

One hilarious design choice many bootleg minifigures suffer from is a massive case of wall-eye. This has been done in lieu of the white bandanna LEGO incorporates on the heads for characters like Batman. The bootleggers do it in order to make their minifigure pupils match up with the dimensions of their helmet eye holes. It looks good with the helmet on but ridiculous with the helmet off. But let's face it, no one is going to display their Ant-Man minifigure without his helmet, and even if you were inclined to do so, any flesh colored male LEGO head would do as a replacement.

As for quality, I've said it before and I'll say it again: Sheng Yuan stuff is all pretty great. Ant-Man is one step under official LEGO, which isn't to say he has any real flaws at all. Just that LEGO set the bar pretty high.

His helmet is incredible, his torso has design on both front and back, and he's a great representation of the classic comic Ant-Man. His face only has one (wall-eyed) expression, but that's enough since the helmet covers most of it anyways. The two spider friends are a fun addition too. All that for less than a buck (when you buy him as part of a set of eight figures) with free shipping from eBay - how can anyone go wrong adding this diminutive dude to their collection?