Arkham Knight Batman 1/3 Scale Statue
by Prime 1 Studio
Released: May 2016
Edition Size: 1,000 Ex, 2,000 Reg
Product Size: 34" H x 12.5" W x 15.25" D
Product Weight: approx. 25 lbs.
Design Team: Unknown
Original Retail Price: $899.99 USD plus shipping
Please watch the video review HERE
Sculpt: 8.5 / 10
I am unsure who to credit for the sculpt...I am not sure if Prime 1 had someone sculpt it, or if the game designer provided a digital file...but, somewhere, someone did the digital 3D model for this statue. Whomever it was, did a very nice job. Lots of detail and texture used throughout the suit, giving Batman the muscle-bound, heavily armoured look used in the video game. This version of the batsuit is almost a cross between Iron Man and a traditional Batman costume, it's a very high tech, "gadgety" look and feel. The base blends sleek and modern with a gothic look, and is very suitable for a Batman statue.
Paint & Mixed Media: 8.0 / 10
A solid paint job throughout the piece, with clean lines and separation between different colours. Some nice weathering effects on the grey leather areas, as well as armour scuffs and scratches throughout. The skin tones on the face are quite realistic, particularly on the lips. A decal/sticker is used on the shoulder pads, chest logo, and a few other areas on the chest. Being completely honest, I was surprised that decals (I've been informed that the only proper way to pronounce this is "dee-kal"...many apologies for my western Canadian upbringing,
) would be used so prominently on a piece of this stature, and they do cheapen the overall feel of this piece.
The cape is fabricated of a premium feeling material. Several wires are embedded into the cape, allowing the owner to mold the cape into almost any imaginable shape. The cape could be the best aspect of the entire piece...it is very well done.
Design: 7.0 / 10
I believe Prime 1's vision for the Arkham line is a premium museum style display. Once the other pieces in the line are released and displayed side by side with Batman, I believe their vision will pay off. That said, this piece is very static feeling, with almost zero sens of life to it. The gargoyle base has been done over and over again on other Batman statues, so there are no high marks for originality here. When it comes down to it, it's a very generic Batman piece.
There is some variety to the display options, as the piece does come 3 alternate right forearms: one clenched fist, one holding a grapnel gun, and one holding a batarang (exclusive version only).
Production & Build Quality: 8.5 / 10
The statue breaks down into several parts: base, 2 stone gargoyles, body, cape, cape collar, portrait, shoulder pads, chest plate, the 3 alternate right forearms, and batarang (the batarangs are actually metal). The body fits onto the base with a key and peg under the left foot. All of remaining pieces attach with magnets. I will say that the collar piece that fits over the cape and shoulders is fairly tough to get on...I had trouble with it as I thought that it could break. Ultimately, you just have to give it a good push. The piece I had with me for this review was fairly wobbly, as the right foot did not quite touch the base.
For people concerned about statue weight, this one weighs roughly 25 pounds. For its size, the pieces do feel light, but overall, 25 pounds is not an insignificant weight.
Packaging is your typical styrofoam that you find on most Sideshow pieces. I will say that the pieces are very efficiently packed, as the box is not as big as I was expecting.
The Arkham Batman is a good quality piece, but nothing mind blowing here.
Overall: 8.0 / 10
On the whole, Prime 1 Studio has produced a fine quality piece. The cape is excellent, but otherwise, all aspects of the statue are very good, not great. Other than the 1/3 scale aspect, there simply is nothing earth shattering about it...nothing we haven't seen before. However, that's not to say it's not an enjoyable piece. I believe fans of the game will be over the moon with it, and hardcore Batman fans will also be satisfied. People that are planning to collect parts of, or even the entire line, should feel confident in the quality they are likely to receive. I believe that the line as a whole will be worthy of the large amounts of space it will eat up. I am looking forward to seeing how these 1/3 scale pieces display with each other.
**Special thanks to my buddy Walid, who allowed me to borrow this statue from his collection for this review.**
