Review of the Joker 1966 Batman Television Show
Statue

Introduction

I finally watched the Lego Batman movie last week (I know, how could I wait so long?), and while there were many, many funny parts for the serious fan, I think I laughed the hardest at the references to the 1966 television show. As goofy as it is, it remains a nostalgic favorite for me.

I've been picking up a variety of the new merchandise based on the old show, and the Premier Collection set of statues is meant as a reasonably priced alternative to some of the higher end goodies out there, like the Tweeterhead statues. Interestingly enough, the Tweeterhead and Premier Collection Batgirls shipped at about the same time (I even reviewed them together), and now the Jokers are hitting at almost the same time as well. Things that make you go hmmm...

This is the classic Cesar Romero Joker, an icon from the original show. He's a limited edition of 1966 pieces, and will run you around $135, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***
The box is quite basic, but does use some nice graphics from the old show. There's no photo of the actual character though, which means you can't directly compare right on the shelf.  The solid Styrofoam trays will keep the one piece statue safe, and it's collector friendly of course. There's also a large Certificate of Authenticity with the edition size and specific number (this information is repeated on the base of the statue), and while it's merely a mirror of the box design, it's still nice to have.

Sculpting - **1/2
Let's refresh our memory with the character first: this is Cesar Romero as the Joker, as is this, this, and this. The first photo is the closest I found to the look they were going for with the expression on this statue.

This sculpt looks nothing like Romero. I can't find him in there anywhere. The hair is the best feature, and there is a nice amount of detail. That's often a failing for statues, where they tend to create poorly defined, lumpy hair styles, but here we get some decent stranding and a more granular look.

The costume is also good, with the wrinkles and folds looking appropriate and realistic, and enough detail in the various pieces - tie, vest, pants, shirt, jacket, right down to the little hole in the glove palms - that he looks good from the neck down. Again, it's not a great match to the actual actor, as this statue is too thin and lanky, but at least it's a realistic depiction.

But the face...it could as easily be me as Romero, and trust me, we look nothing alike. This is a true cosplayer depiction, and it's weird, because the sculptor (Jean St. Jean, as proclaimed on the front of the box) is extremely talented. The eyes, the nose, the shape of the face, the jawline and chin, even the long neck - none of it reminds me of Romero.

I'll be honest - I'm not loving the pose either, but that's the least of my nits.

The statue stands about 12" tall in total, including the small base. It's all one piece, with no assembly required.

Paint - *1/2
Even worse than the sculpt, the paint quality is well below expectations. The eyes are flat and life-less with weird green dots in the corners, the lips are too thin and sloppy, the teeth look horrendous, and even the hairline is all over the place. There's damage too, including a small spot on the end of his nose and an odd rub mark across his right lapel. At least the colors are generally good, and the hair is better than the rest of the statue. But overall it's a mess, and the quality of the paint applications is well below the expectation at this price point.

Value - **
While these are seen as a cheaper alternative to the Tweeterhead line (remember, those run $250), the $135 price point is still really painful. That's because of the overall quality, as compared with other superhero themed statues in this general scale. For example, the DC Bombshells (from DC Collectibles) run $35 cheaper, and have a better overall quality.

These are a limited edition, and they do have the added pressure of matching an actual actor as a character, rather than an artistic impression of a character, but these factors don't sell me on a 35% higher price.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not much. There's no assembly, and you probably won't get to see your specific statue before buying it, ruling out any chance to be picky on the paint job.

Overall - **
I have to say I'm pretty disappointed with this release.  While the line overall hasn't been outstanding, it has been a reasonably priced alternative. However, the quality is well below what I'd expect even at $135, certainly below what we're seeing with other statue lines in the $100 range these days. As much as I love the 1966 show, I think this guy will be my last purchase in the Premier Collection for the license.

The Premier Collection animated Batman stuff has been better, thankfully, and I expect I'll stick with those for now.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is also at $135.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've covered several of the Premier Collection 66 Batman statues, including Batman himself, Catwoman, and Batgirl.

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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