[T16skyhopp]

Okay, I got my variant Steve. He is definitely not black, but he is darker than the regular version. They aren't all that different though. If I had to guess I would say they have the same base color, but regular Steve has a lighter highlight applied to most of him.

The browns (belt, harness, leg armor, pouches) are different. Regular steve has darker brown while variant steve has a lighter brown.

Shields aside, I'm not sure which one I like more. I am leaning toward the regular, the blue is a bit nicer. But the light browns pop more on the variant. Obviously, get the one based on what shield you like. The other differences are not that big. I might sell off the variant with the regular shield or I may keep both. Undecided as of now.