Prime1 Studios - 1:3 Catwoman - Arkham series

[gearhead]

The masses are the millions of people out there who are casual superhero fans. The ones who see the movies but have never read a comic book. The ones who watched the cartoons as a kid but have no idea who Jim Jee is. The people who have a Superman logo tattoo on their arm but don't know who Darkseid is.

There are loads of people out there that may happen to see this and go "That's f'ing awesome! I love Catwoman! I'm buying it!" That same person might look at Thanos and be like "What the hell is that? $1200? Are they high?!"

All I'm saying is that this statue will appeal to a lot more people than the other Arkham Statues and it's a all just a numbers game.

Personally, I ordered cause I love it, my wife loves it, and I intend to keep it and could care less how much its worth in 5 years. Just expressing an opinion that if you also like it, it may not be wise to wait.

[French Cancan]

I thought that to see the studio's photos of this feline girl could have to change my mind... But not. She has no charisma, she looks like a gentle girl, not a dangerous one, cosplayed like a catwoman.
My AK Harley agrees...

@ Forps: You can be funny, passionate, but none of what you say has to be written in the stone.

[Chargersfan57]

Originally Posted by Silas Loki

People get forum bans for being less annoying. This guy must have majority shares in Statueforum.com

Man this makes me think about jumping back to freaks board as my main! I don't think it's as annoying there...

In all the years I've been on both forums, I seem to recall people just being themselves. Now we have these "character" accounts where people create a persona.

[bicoid18]

Originally Posted by SolidLiquidFox

The moment a Hush Catwoman is released all market predicting for this piece will mean nothing. Jim Lee comic line will be more appealing than a video game line. It is a long standing rule that comic versions are more appealing than movie/other versions. That is something that's missing from this analysis.

That was my initial thinking as well which was why I was in the fence for this piece. But I jumped on the wait list. What changed my mind was that this statue was based on the 3D character designs and there is still a question of how well Jim Lee's art translates into 3D. Some of it will be up to the sculptor's interpretation.

Also for me, this statue has crossover appeal. It isn't a huge departure from the Darwyn Cooke classic costume. It looks fantastic. And last, I think BR may have mentioned it before, but didn't P1 mention that they wouldn't do comic characters from the Arkham line other than Batman?

As for Forps, sure he might rub people the wrong way, but I find his posts/rants kind of entertaining and insightful. Sure as hell beats most of The Freaks forum. Hell I basically quit the Berserk thread because of the poo pooing of the statues there on every damn page. Hard to get excited for upcoming pieces if all they want to talk about is how inaccurate Guts' eyebrows are while basically jacking off on their figma figures and 1/6 dollies.

[Nugchompa]

I came from that other forum over here. I barely check it anymore.

[SolidLiquidFox]

Originally Posted by gearhead

All I'm saying is that this statue will appeal to a lot more people than the other Arkham Statues and it's a all just a numbers game.

Originally Posted by bicoid18

That was my initial thinking as well which was why I was in the fence for this piece. But I jumped on the wait list. What changed my mind was that this statue was based on the 3D character designs and there is still a question of how well Jim Lee's art translates into 3D. Some of it will be up to the sculptor's interpretation.

Also for me, this statue has crossover appeal. It isn't a huge departure from the Darwyn Cooke classic costume. It looks fantastic. And last, I think BR may have mentioned it before, but didn't P1 mention that they wouldn't do comic characters from the Arkham line other than Batman?

I can see where you are with this way of thinking. I still feel that in my case passing is a better option.

[Doctor Doom]

Sorry to interject....Anyone know if they have plans for IVY in this line? Thanks!

[papadoom]

Originally Posted by forps

[I]

Arkham Batman 1/3 (the first 1/3 from Prime1) = EASY pass (looks like a giant action figure, his head is too small for his body, the whole statue gives a strong action figure vibe)

Arkham Knight 1/3. Nice try but combination of a B list character + unknown to the masses =- difficult to appreciate in the aftermarket

Harley 1/3 = EASYYYY pass…The face and hands give the impression of a plastic doll, translucent resin does not translate well in this statue, it looks like melted plastic, like wax = + the sculpt needed full mixed media (not only the skirt) = AGAIN a strong toy vibe

Bane Venom 1/3 = again some mistakes from Prime1 who was still learning the game = EASY pass

Bane Mercenary 1/3 = the best from the 2 Prime1’s Banes. Mercenary’s pose oozes attitude. Possible appreciation

Two Face 1/3 = FULL-SCULPT looks atrocious = when a new Two Face statue with mixed media comes for PO, this will go DOWNNNNN in value. WAYYYY down

Killer Croc 1/3 = ATROCIOUS sculpt and application of translucent resin but with Sideshow producing the PUNIEST Killer Croc PFF evahhhh, this 1/3 is saved for the time being. Nevertheless, a NEW Killer Croc PFF standing upright and its fate is also sealed.

Nightwing 1/3 = A JOKE. Probably the WORST 1/3 ive ever seen. 100% doll vibe and that hair….God, that hair !!!

Batgirl 1/3 = contrary to Harley 1/3, the armor and tight costume SAVES Batgirl 1/3. If she was standing upright to MATCH other 1/3 sculpts height-wise, it would probably appreciate. But if a new and taller 1/3 Batgirl comes up, then KO. Nevertheless, I predict that Batgirl will hold value whereas Harley 1/3 wont

Robin 1/3 = nice sculpt, “niche” character, not many statues of Robin around = I see him holding his value

Joker Arkham Origins 1/3 = too many things going on =TOY vibe. Combined with the lack of mixed media (Joker as a character needs mixed media for big scales) and possible new versions coming for po = NO way it will hold value in the long run

Batman Arkham Origins 1/3 = A JOKE. The definition of action figure looking. Easy pass


Masterpieces who will appreciate

Mr Freeze 1/3
Deathstroke 1/3
Catwoman 1/3
Azrael 1/3 = a “niche” character. I like the sculpt and the attitude, but i hate the lack of mixed media. Future value = UP
….and if QC holds, Flashpoint Batman 1/3 (as a niche representation and a perfect execution, I can see it going up in value once its gone)

Nice list, forps. Can't agree with all your comments about the sculpts of some of these statues, though. Joker and Croc for example for me are among the best pieces I have ever seen; love the look of those two. Two Face, Bane, Nightwing on top of all, for example, I can easily agree with what you're saying.

I'm wondering, have you seen all of these statues in person, or are you judging just by seeing pictures and videos? Harley, for example, looks awful in most pictures/videos, which is why I was on the fence as whether to purchase her, but in person, she's excellent.

I am also of the opinion that these statues will most probably not hold their value on the aftermarket, and I mean ALL of them, including Freeze Ex, Catwoman Ex etc. The gaming style of these is not everyone's cup of tee (I, for example, love them and prefer most of them over their comic counterparts, but that's probably the exception), and the relatively high ES for some of the characters doesn't make it better.

The price development of course will depend on how the whole statue market will develop in the future. I am pretty new in this collecting scene, but it appears to me that these high priced statues are just becoming popular, with Prime 1 having entered the market and Sideshow also raising its prices. So, if the prices will be going even up more in the future, these statues even for their original price might become a bargain again for some fans in the future. Who knows.

In the end, I anyway don't think that a statue should be seen as an investment, but simply as something that you like and that you enjoy as long as you possess it. Even if you have to sell it some time and lose some dollars/euros, the joy of owning it for a while should be worth that loss. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend this hobby.

By the way, you also forgot Scarecrow. Great statue in my opinion. And Batman Noel as well. Nice one as well!

[FJC]

Originally Posted by Chargersfan57

Man this makes me think about jumping back to freaks board as my main! I don't think it's as annoying there...

In all the years I've been on both forums, I seem to recall people just being themselves. Now we have these "character" accounts where people create a persona.

It's not bad over there. No forps and CBG hardly ever makes an appearance anymore.

[jadekite22]

Originally Posted by FJC

It's not bad over there. No forps and CBG hardly ever makes an appearance anymore.

I find that both forums get really bad when topics like attractiveness in female statues, likenesses on movie statues or value speculation (especially on hyped statues) come up because the makeup of the most vocal members (i.e. the 3%) is fairly homogeneous compared the rest of the increasingly diverse collecting audience, mainly from being in the game so long. Opinions on variants, for example, are much less knee-jerk from people outside of the hardcore communities. Hell, even the PCS collectors on here seem to be accepting than the SSC ones, whereas they're less tolerant of criticism toward their chosen company compared to SSC fans. There are obvious flippers on here who drop in to hype pieces and companies while they're buying and selling only to trash them as soon as they're through liquidating.


I hate that I've spent enough time on either forum to be able to differentiate because I think collectors I see on Instagram or some Facebook groups simply buying what they enjoy and not engaging in all the drama are the more mature ones. Then again, I'm a total hypocrite because I try to call out the bogus information when I see it in hopes that this forum will better work as a tool for those aforementioned collectors to get accessible info on quality and customer service the companies from which they're interested in buying offer . . . and that ultimately makes me an active participant in the drama. I recognize every community has its provocateurs and self-interested misinformation peddlers. But in this particular one (and in the veteran comics community), it only gets worse the more invested in the hobby itself one gets rather than simply building a collection based on their own individual tastes. I appreciate the artistry that goes into producing these pieces, but if I here one more person claiming one Venom statue is higher art than another, I'm going to throw my monitor.