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Introduction
There's not quite the deluge of product based on the old 1966 TV show that we originally saw when the licensing floodgates blew open a few years ago, but there's still a few things coming out from several companies. Diamond Select Toys is one of the more prolific, and their series of busts added two more members this month.
Included is Catwoman as portrayed by Eartha Kitt, one of the three actresses to play the character, as well as the Bookworm, originally portrayed by the great Roddy
McDowall. These are limited to 3000 busts each, and retail for around $50 - $60, depending on the retailer.
Click on the image below for a Life Size version
Packaging - ***
The boxes work well enough, and the general show graphics look good. They have the edition and number on the bottom, and they include a large Certificate of
Authenticity with the info as well. This information is repeated on the base of the bust itself.
My one complaint is with the low density, soft Styrofoam they use for the interior trays. While it didn't fall apart on me quite as badly as I expected, I still much
prefer the denser variety.
Sculpting - **1/2
I'm assuming you could use some reference material for these two - This is the talented Eartha Kitt as Catwoman (from the
side and straight on), and here we have Roddy
as the Bookworm.
Your first issue in surveying the quality of the sculpt is getting past the paint. There's some issues, particularly on Catwoman, that can make that difficult.
I'm not picking up on either likeness, even ignoring the paint. The work on Catwoman's hair and costume is great, and I love the classic pose. But what little of Ms. Kitt I see is mostly caricature, and not very realistic. It's disappointing, because she has a facial bone structure that should be instantly recognizable.
McDowall is clearly harder to capture - he has a more generic appearance to his face. Yet this version is so generic as to be unrecognizable. Out of context I would have never guessed it was him under the glasses and hat. In fact, it's generic enough that one has to wonder if they were able to get the likeness rights to the actor. I heard they had, but it still makes me wonder.
I do love the work on his costume though, especially around the glasses and book. There's plenty of detail work, and the use of the clear plastic on the lens' and the magnifying glass was a smart idea.
Based merely on portraits these would have scored lower, but from the neck down the work is quite good. There's some nice detail on both costumes, and the poses match the characters extremely well. Of course the bases are designed to match the rest of the line, with key elements from the show's designs. They both stand about 6 1/4" tall.
Paint - Catwoman **; Bookworm ***
The paint work on the Bookworm is reasonable, with a few sloppy spots here and there. They went with a gloss look to the suit, which works for me in this context. The
gold trim on the suit could be cleaner, and some of the coverage is inconsistent, but considering the low price point, I'm cool with the general quality of the work on
him.
Catwoman, not so much. There's several glaring issues on the face, which is always the single most crucial area. Your eyes are drawn there first, and any issues are magnified by this importance.
Her teeth and lips are the single biggest issue. The sloppy work on the white color ruins the expression and realism of the overall bust. There's also an obvious glue line along the top edge of the mask, and even the ears have black edges from the hair color.
Her costume is better, but it's not what creates that first impression. The gold detailing looks good, including the tiny fingernails.
Value - ***1/2
A huge differentiator here is the price point. You can pick these busts up for around $50 or so, which is well below the current average. Yes, the quality suffers some
for it, but it also means that collectors on a budget have an option.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.
Overall - **1/2
This series has had its ups and downs, that's for sure. I thought the work they did on the Mad Hatter was exceptional at this price point, but these two are back on the
lower rung. I'm very happy to see a low cost alternative, as the price of most 'collectibles' has gotten out of hand, but the paint quality needs to be at least
at the level of the Bookworm here to make it a real option.
We know they can capture the likenesses based on some past releases, but neither of these manage to do it in a compelling way. The pose and overall design, along with the price save them from a lower score.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - **1/2
Paint - Catwoman **; Bookworm ***
Value - ***1/2
Overall - **1/2
Where to Buy
Online options include these site sponsors:
- Entertainment Earth has a good price at $50 each
- or you can Search
ebay
for a deal.
Related Links -
The last bust I looked at was the much better Mad Hatter. Before that, I checked out Batman.
There is also the Premiere Collection series of statues, including Batman, Batgirl, Joker, and Catwoman.
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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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.
