For me, SIC's are actually how the characters are supposed to look. More like armor or creatures than just a costume. So, I see them as the most accurate representation of the character.
This one of those .."i don't get why people buy this crap!" threads ? Or is it supposed to provide answers to someone's interest into the SIC figure line?
If your interested in the SIC watch/read some reviews and - if you like the designs/characters then buy it, if not then don't.
The SIC line is a design choice, similar to the AmiComi style or the Megafire (?) poseable megazords.
As for the Hero Side Story lines, they give us a really awesome What-if set of stories, like you'd see with Elseworld tales or like the Gobuster vs. Gobuster movie.
Frankly id love to see a LOT more lines like this for Kamen Rider and Super Sentai.