Review of Earth One and Earth 2 Batman
Batman Black and White statues

Introduction

DC Collectibles hit up their fans of the Batman Black and White series with two releases fairly close together: the Gary Frank designed Batman Earth One version, and the Nicola Scott designed Earth 2 version. I thought covering both at once made a lot of sense, although they have little in common other than the gray scale paint work.

The Scott statue shipped a few weeks ago, but the Frank design has just started to ship. Either will cost you about $70, depending on the retailer.

They have also gone back to 'limited' editions with these, running them at the same 5200 edition size as the DC Bombshells and Cover Girls.

Packaging - ***
The boxes are still pretty plain, and if you're wondering where the limited edition designation is, it's not there. You'll only find the numbering on the bottom of the statues, with no mention on the box and still no Certificate of Authenticity.

The boxes might not be fancy, but they do keep the statues safe, which is job one.

Sculpting - Earth One ***; Earth Two **1/2
The sculpting on both of these is quite good, at least in terms of detail work, sharp edges, and clean lines.

Neither of the designs really popped for me, however. The Earth One design from Frank is my favorite of the two, but he is larger in scale than many of the other releases, making him at odds with some of the others on the shelf. While the pose is alright, it's just that - alright. Nothing about it really jumps off the shelf or has that 'wow' factor.

I like the Earth 2 design even less, but it's not the funky costume. I like the outfit, and it's nice to see some of these more unusual suits, not just because of the artist but because of the style.

It's also not because of the dynamic nature of the pose. I've said before that I really like it when they make the base part of the actual design, and here Batman is stepping up on to the base as part of his fighting pose.

While I like the leg and body pose, the arms aren't doing it for me. The pose of the arms makes the extreme nature of the body pose seem awkward and clumsy.

It doesn't help that he's on the opposite end of the size spectrum, coming in a bit smaller than average. Not a lot, but with the large Earth One version next to him, it seems pretty extreme. There's about an inch different between these two - Earth One is just a smidge over 7", while Earth 2 is down around 6" - and even accounting for the deep stance on the latter, the size difference is startling.

Paint - ***
Both of these statues are quite similar in this category. The work is solid, with good choices in terms of the gray tones and the use of matte versus gloss finishes.

They also both have some sloppy edges here and there, especially around the eyes and faces. Theres also the occasional mark or drip, and the most obvious on mine is on the front of the base for the Earth 2 statue. 

Still, considering the price, the paint is solid B work.

Value - ***
You can pick these up for under $70 with a little effort, which is a solid value. While the Bombshells are slightly bigger (9" compared to 7") they are up over $100 each now. The fact that these are still reasonable is pretty amazing, and it makes it a little easier for the hardcore completists.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - Earth One ***; Earth 2 **1/2
It's very hard for a series like this, that has ran for so many years and so many releases, to remain fresh and interesting. I think these two are a good example of that problem, at least for me.

Neither really knocks my socks off aesthetically, and the slightly wonky scale doesn't help. Perhaps my favorite thing is that they've been able to keep the price in a range that allows completists in the game, something that's critical for this series to continue strong.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - Earth One **1/2; Earth 2 ***
Paint - ***
Value - ***
Overall - Earth One **1/2; Earth 2 ***

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is also at $70 for both.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other Black and White reviews include the Capullo Joker, Allred, Bane, Batman Beyond, Bolland Joker, Jock and Cooke versions of Batman, New 52 Jim Lee Batman, Sam Keith version, the Mignola variant, the humorous version based on artwork by Sergio Aragones, the Gleason and Chiang versions, the Finch version, the Bermejo Joker, the Tony Daniel Batman, the Arkham Asylum version, the cool Man-bat, and don't forget the other black and white Joker Jim Lee.

- before that, we had the Quitely version of Batman, the Bermejo, the McGuinness version, the Dave Mazzucchelli version, the Penguin, Gotham Knight 2 version, the Bruce Timm version, the Ethan Van Sciver version, the Aparo, the Neal Adams and George Perez versions, the Gotham Knight, Bob Kane, Frank Miller, Jim Lee, Matt Wagner, Mike Mignola, and Kelley Jones. *whew*

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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