Review of Batman Black & White statue - David Finch Design

Introduction

Only once in awhile does a comic book creator get to do double duty, both writing and drawing a series. This is especially true when the character they are working on is not their creation, but one of the tried and true heroes owned by the big boys. David Finch has that opportunity these days, working as both artist and writer on the new Batman: The Dark Knight series.

DC Direct has just released a statue based on the designs of Finch, clearly a more modern take on the age old detective. Finch has only been working with the character for the last year or so, making this one of the faster transitions from comic style to Black and White statue that we've seen.

The sculpting duties are being handled by Mike Locascio this time around, and the statue is limited to 5000. He just started hitting comic shops in the last week, and you should be able to snag him in the $70 range.

Packaging - ***
The box protects the statue (two pieces - one statue, one base) well, and utilizes the higher density Styrofoam. There's no window, and there's no Certificate of Authenticity, but the photos are good and there's enough background text for the basics.

Sculpting - ****
Another terrific dynamic design, combining two of Finch's favorite things for Batman to do - crouching, and grasping his cape in his fist.

There's a ton of detail here, especially on the cape and costume. The wrinkles and folds are finely sculpted, and the wide stance works great with the wild McFarlane-esque cape.

I mentioned many Black and White statues ago that I really like it when the figure and base are sculpted in such a way that the base is integrated as part of the character's reality. This is one of those times - Batman is stepping off, or on, depending on your point of view. I love this design, and it adds a ton of appeal for me.

This is a slightly different uniform for Batman though, and while it is extremely well sculpted, you may have an aesthetic issue with the look of the armored chest and groin, or the ribbed seams on the front of the legs. I like the look, modern as it may be, but your mileage may vary.

Paint - ***
While I love the dynamic sculpt, the paint detracts a bit from it, rather than enhancing it as it should. It's not a matter of slop - in fact, there's very little of that - but rather of tone. The work on the face and lips softens up the sculpt, making the face and mouth less defined.

Outside of the lower face, the work is pretty good.  Most of the symbol is clean, with just a little wavering around the edges of the bat wings. The use of the high gloss black on key spots, including the knuckle spikes on the gloves, adds a little punch to the monotone pallet. There's enough wash on the suit and cape to bring out the finely sculpted wrinkles and creases, but not so much that he looks like he rolled in dirt.

Value - **1/2
This guy can be had for as little as $60, or as much as $80, depending on the retailer. I'm grading around the $65 - $70 range, assuming you can find it pretty easily at that price. Considering other current statues on the market, that's a pretty average deal, and not one that is going to effect your attitude toward the statue in any real positive or negative way.

Things to Watch Out For -
As always, you'll want to take care putting the metal pegs into the softer resin base.

Overall - ***1/2
While the paint work isn't quite as nice as I'd like, particularly around the lower face and mouth, I have to say that I really do love the design. Incorporating the base into the stance in this way is a big plus for me, and makes the statue stand out from the pack. That, along with the modern uniform, make this one one of my favorites from their recent releases.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has him at $70.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Past reviews include:

- the Bermejo Joker.

- the Tony Daniel Batman.

- prior to that it was Arkham Asylum.

- back before the holidays, I looked at the cool Man-bat, and don't forget the other black and white Joker by a Lee - 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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