Batman PF Review
Alright, so, now that I have my
complete Batman PF EX all set up, I finally feel able to admire this thing in all its glory.
First off, the box for this beast is HUGE...almost as big as the box that the Thor PF (comic version) comes in. The packaging seemed reasonably secure, although the cape appears to be the most vulnerable, seems more and more people with cracked or broken capes. So, make sure you inspect both sides of your cape for damage and cracks. Also, be careful when you first pull the styrofoam out of the box. Many people, including me, had an issue where a circular piece of the styrofoam right below where the base sits was actually broken, allowing the base to fall out. BE CAREFUL!!
For me, and I'm sure many of you, Batman was a day 1 (practically minute 1) pre-order. Sideshow's very first Batman PF (I'm sure there will be many more to come)...I just had to have it. Batman is a freaking cultural icon, one of the most popular, if not
the most popular super hero...ever. This PF, despite its issues, largely (literally) lives up to that larger than life status.
The base on this thing is beautiful. Yeah, it's a standard gargoyle. We've seen Batman perched on gargoyles, surveying the streets of Gotham down below a million times so there's not much new here, but Sideshow really executed this base well, and it really lends itself nicely to this iconic Batman pose. And this base is HEAVY! It feels solid in your hands...no cheap crap here. The one knock on the base is that, for some people, it's a little wobbly. It seems like the factory workers put the little rubber feet in the wrong spots, or just didn't use enough. A bit of a misstep on Sideshow's part maybe, but don't fret. Just throw a few extra pads under there, or shim it up with some cardboard or something similar (I folded up a few pieces of foam paper...did the trick nicely).
Pose...well, it's a museum pose with a bit of a twist...a slight turn at the waist, and his head is looking off to the side (one of them is, anyway). I've read that Sideshow was going for a "god like" look for this piece, and I think they nailed it. Imagine being a criminal on the streets of Gotham, and looking up to see this costumed brute watching you up on the city skyline? Yes, time to change your undies, because you would have just crapped your pants....
Much of the sculpt is hidden below the fabric suit, but you can see some good definition and details in the abs, arms, and legs. This Batman is an amazing physical specimen to say the least! Clearly, he's been working out! The sculpted pieces (head, hands, boots) do look very nice, with nice attention to detail. The cape, though…DAT CAPE! Wow, the detail and just the size of the cape makes it very impressive. The cape is probably my favorite part about this piece, all of the intricate folds and the way it is flowing…looks like it’s blowing in the wind. Without it, the pose would look fairly static, but the cape details really lend a sense of action to the piece.
The mixed media, well...it's very nice. The subtle diamond pattern is a nice detail, and for the most part, the fabric is nicely form fitting. But, alas, we all know about the pit issue. It's not actually as bad as some of the pictures out there make it look (especially those first pics that scared the crap out of everyone!), but in no way are they how Sideshow intended them to look. There are a few ways to fix them, so people of all skill levels should be able to get theirs looking the way they want it to. I have done the “pit surgery” on mine with success, so the saggy pits are a non-issue for me now. The saggy pits are a big miscue by Sideshow, in my opinion, and it’s unfortunate that this happened after a year and a half wait. Although it's not as bad in person, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the pits should have been glued in place from the beginning.
The utility belt on this thing is amazing, though, and really adds to the piece overall. I'm really glad they went with a fabric belt. His undies are fabric, too…kind of a pleather material, and they look ok (they’re plain black undies…not much else to say about them).
The logo on the production piece is different than the one originally shown on the prototype pics. The original was smaller, more rounded/circular, and had an embossed look. The one we got is larger, with long sleek lines...to be honest, I like the production logo better, as I think it is more accurate to the comics. They did ditch the embossed look, which is unfortunate, but not a deal breaker for me. Some people had issues with the logo being too low on the chest...you can adjust it somewhat, but what you see is basically what you get (if you do the pit surgery, make sure you get the logo in a spot to your liking before you re-glue the suit). Overall, the logo looks great in my books.
Mine is the EX version, so I have the extra switch-out right hand holding his signature batarang. I thought the batarang was going to be a non-issue, really…on Sideshow’s site, it looks small and kind of hidden by the leg. But, the batarang is large and I feel it really adds a lot to the statue…I wouldn’t say EX or fail, but it is much nicer and more noticeable than expected. I think it's safe to say that anyone that is lucky enough to have the EX will be displaying with the batarang hand without any second thought. The regular comes with only the clenched fist right hand. If you got the reg, you may also consider yourself lucky, because this statue is still amazing without the batarang.
Both versions come with two head sculpts. You have the short-eared head that looks off to the side (my favorite), and the long-eared forward facing head. Both are very nice, and depending on which one you use, it can really change the dynamic of the statue. Some people were put off by the darker complexion on the face…personally I have no issue with the colour used on his face. Looks great to me (I've seen the repaints, and they are a noticeable improvement, but I'm fine with the factory paint job). Both faces make Batman look every bit like the grizzled, battle hardened crime fighter of the night that he is, and either one you choose will look great.
The paint job on this piece is nice, but nothing really jumps out at me as spectacular. The gloves and boots look leather-like, and they shaded them to show a bit of wear and tear (Batman’s gloves probably take a beating after laying the smack down on criminals all night long). As I noted above, some people have issue with the face paint, but I’m not too fussed about it.
Where this piece really shines is its sheer size and presence. It’s officially a ¼ scale piece, but he’s a bit larger than that…heck, this guy is not that much smaller than my Hulk maquette (he's actually a bit taller, but I'm talking just sheer bulk)! Personally, I like how this larger size just makes Batman look that much more imposing, but it will cause some sleepless nights for you scale freaks that want all of your pieces to be the exact same precise scale…Batman will dwarf most ¼ pieces.
All said, Batman is a glorious PF. The base is beautiful, the cape lends a sense of action, he’s freaking huge, and, well, he’s freaking Batman! A few issues at the factory level are holding this piece back from a better score (although, if you have the nerve to fix the pits, you can get this thing pretty damn close to the prototype). Is this piece a grail? For some, only pieces with extremely low ES can be considered a grail (supply), but I think those people sometimes forget the demand side of the equation. This is Batman, and I think this will be a desirable piece in the future for that reason alone. So…grail? I know I don’t plan to ever sell mine…
Rating updated April 10, 2014...with our new consensus rating system:
Sculpt - 9/10
The cape is superb, great muscle definition, details on both face sculpts are exceptional. Love the huge gargoyle base.
Paint/Mixed Media- 7.5/10
It's a nice paint job, but it's not the best I've seen. The tailoring and materials are tight on this, but I have to dock it for the obvious flaw on the arm pits. The score gets bumped to a 9/10 with fixed armpits.
Design - 9.5/10
The switch out parts are great, and each head changes the look of the statue, and the EX is actually more noticeable than I thought it would be. The statue has great presence...instantly demands attention. The pose and the gargoyle base make this look like it's straight out of Gotham City, and show off the Batman costume!
Production & Build Quality- 8.5/10
It is a (mostly) solid, heavy piece giving it that feel of high quality. Pieces generally fit well together, magnets are strong. The base is a little wobbly, but easily fixed. The piece is a tad larger than true 1/4 scale: the added size is a great feature but can make him look too large next to other pieces.
Overall Score:
8.6/10 out of the box, and
9/10 with the fixed pits
