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Packaging - ***
Okay, so it isn't quite as bad as the cardbacks for the kid's line, but
these are still pretty dull. While there's a little personalization on
the back, it doesn't make up for the lackluster graphics and colors.
The box gets an extra half star though for some newly designed 'twisty
ties'. Actually, they are little plastic ties, similar to what you've
seen on some garbage bags, that work much better than traditional
twisties because they are a) less likely to damage the figure and b)
much easier to remove.
Sculpting - ***1/2
There's no doubt that some of the extra cash went into a nicer sculpt
on this figure. The detailing is very sharp and deeply cut, with a nice
realism to the boots, gauntlets and chest armor. The proportions are
quite good too, with the head just about the right size for the body,
and the arms and legs proportioned correctly to the size of the figure.
The chest seems a little thin, because you'd expect the armor to add a
bit more, but it's a minor nit.
The cape is rubber, which I'm not a big fan of in this scale. There's
nothing you can do with it to add to the pose, and it suffers from the
usual problem with a big hunk of black rubber - inconsistent finish.
Some areas are quite glossy, some much more flat. The sculpted folds
are well done, but the cape doesn't do much to add to the appearance of
the figure.
The head sculpt is a reasonable Bale fascimile, although it's
interesting to note that the chin does not look the same on the masked
and unmasked versions. I've included a shot of the unmasked head
in the box, but I'm not reviewing that one here, just the masked
version.
The hands
are sculpted to hold accessories, although there are none in sight. I
would have prefered posed hands in this case, that could have added
something to the dynamic nature (or lack thereof) in the basic pose.
He does stand extremely well on his own, although there is a display
base included to remain consistent with the rest of the line.
Paint - ***
Considering how little paint there really is, what's here is a bit on the iffy side.
The eyes are probably my biggest issue, since on all the ones I looked
at there was slight differences between the height and direction of the
pupils. None of them were lazy eye bad, but none were dead on accurate
either.
The slightly bluish gray color on the costume is clean and neat,
although I suspect some folks will find it less than appealing. I don't
mind, and I think it adds a nice contrast, but some may find that
contrast a bit too much.
The belt is done in gold of course, and this is consistent if a bit
heavy handed. There's some smaller silver details, and there is a bit
of slop and far less clean lines around these, as well as the bat
symbol on the front of the belt. None of the ones I've seen have sharp
points on the wings, but rather the gold has bled down over the black.
Articulation - **
While the Action Cape version actually has some reasonable
articulation, this one does not. If you like the very basic sculpted
pose, you'll be okay, but don't expect to get anything additional out
of this guy.
There's an attempt at a ball jointed neck, but because of the design it
only has the range of movement of a cut joint. That's too bad, since at
least if his head was able to tilt, you'd be able to improve on the
basic pose.
There's cut joint shoulders that look like ball joints but aren't. That's always a huge disappointment.
There/s the usual T hips, pin elbows and pin knees as well. And that's
it. No waist, no ankles, no cut wrists...as you can see, the joints
that are here aren't going to allow you to do much other than find the
sweet spot to keep him standing in the sculpted pose.
Accessories - *
The only accessory is the included display stand. It has a nice, sharp
looking movie graphic on it. The single foot peg works fine, but
considering this is Batman, that's mighty light for a $30 figure.
Value - **
Thirty bucks? I've always had a problem with this price point for these
figures, and that hasn't changed. Yea, the sculpt is good, but I
suspect about 25% of the cost is just because it's adults buying it for
themselves rather than buying it for kids.
Fun Factor - **1/2
This is a figure designed to stand on the shelf in a single pose and
look good doing it. Kid's aren't going to find it particularly
appealing unless they just wanted something to do what I just
described. If you're looking for a toy, check out my review of the
Action Cape Batman for The Dark Knight.
Things to Watch Out For -
I can't find a thing. He's definitely a sturdy figure, and there should
be no worries about breakage or damage. You may find better or worse
work on the eyes though, so that might be one thing to keep an eye on.
Overall - ***
While the sculpt is extremely nice, the price point is just too high
for what amounts to a rather basic Nerd Hummel. I don't expect super
articulation, but there's no reason the kid's Action Cape version
should be so much better articulated and 30% cheaper.
Still, if you're looking for a low cost alternative to the $80 and more
versions in the sixth scale market, this one can fill the bill. He fits
in nicely with the previous Mattel 12" figures, and I'm hopeful that
we'll get a Joker out of them as well.
Score Recap:
Packaging - ***
Sculpt - ***1/2
Paint - ***
Articulation - **
Accessories - *
Fun Factor - **
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***
Where to Buy -
Clearly, Toys R Us is the place to go. But if you're looking for
something in the higher priced but higher quality range for a 12" Dark
Knight figure, check out the new offerings from Hot Toys. Since these
are Asian market only, you'll need to buy them through Ebay at this
point. You can use MyAuctionLinks.com to search for him and the Joker.
Related Links - I have some very recent related reviews:
- I just did a review of the slightly larger Action Cape
version.
- And in the 12" DCU series, I checked out Killer Croc.
Not so recent was the first Batman and the
Cyborg Superman.
- in the higher end market, check out the comparison review
I did of the Takara, Hot Toys and Medicom Batman Begins figures.
Discussion:
Want to chat about this review? Try out one of these terrific
forums where I'll be discussing it!
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