Review of Lord Joker - Ninja Batman
Deluxe Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

It might seem like Hot Toys are the only sixth scale Batman folks in town, but that's not quite true - Star Ace has a slice of the license as well. They produced the Ninja Batman awhile back, and they've followed it up with a Lord Joker from the same universe.

The Batman Ninja movie is quite unique, a sort of alternate timeline (I say sort of because this is actually Batman, but he's been sent to back in time thanks to Grodd's time displacement Quake Engine), where Batman is in feudal Japan.

This second release is Lord Joker, Batman's nemesis in any time period. This guy comes in three versions - special version, regular and deluxe. The deluxe, reviewed here, includes a diorama base with support rod and flintlock rifle with 'bang' flag, and will run you around $275. The regular is missing the base, along with the metal bendable support rod, and the rifle and flag, and is about $25 cheaper. The special version is something new - a stripped down version for those looking to save some cash. He doesn't have the base, rifle or flag of course, and is missing several other accessories like the gourd, bomb, and remote control. This stripped down release is around $220, all depending on the retailer of course.

Packaging - ***
The box is bright and colorful, matching the style of the anime. It declares this is the deluxe version with a sticker on the outside, and inside you'll find collector friendly plastic trays holding everything safe and sound. There's a few more pieces of tape to cut than usual, but nothing major.

Better instructions would have been helpful for assembling the base, but there are marketing photos that show what it should look like when assembled.

Sculpting - ****
This is a terrific looking sculpt, capturing the insane, wild appearance from the game perfectly.

The hair sculpt is amazing, with locks protruding from various areas. The tightly held bun has a ton of detail, and there's a fine sculpt on all the hair strands. It might look a little odd with these pieces sticking out at various angles, but it matches the anime appearance quite well.

There's plenty of realistic detail in the face and skin too. The teeth look fantastic, and the skin texture is very life-like. If you remember, I was disappointed in the undersized result we got with the head on the Ninja Batman, but this one is pretty much spot on.

Paint - ****
The paint work supports the sculpt nicely, highlighting the minutia and adding depth to the features.

There's a nice wash to the hair, bringing out the stranding and style. The black around the eyes has a realistic transition to the white skin, and the glossy lips and eyes are perfect. The teeth have a shiny, translucent quality that adds to the overall realism of an otherwise animated design.

The accessories sport great paint operations as well, with plenty of detail work and a good consistency in color and coverage.

Articulation - ***
The articulation is better here than it was with Batman, but there's still a major annoyance, at least for me.

The neck works great, with plenty of lean and tilt. The big collar and hair do not get in the way at all. The shoulders, elbows, and wrists operate as you'd expect, and the multiple layers of clothing aren't as restrictive as you might imagine. You can get plenty of good one and two handed poses with the various accessories.

The torso can crunch, lean, and tilt, although it's not quite as good as I'd like. The hips and knees work great however, making it quite easy for him to take a realistic pose on the barrel.

However, the big annoyance is the ankles. There's nothing to restrict them, other than their design. There's decent forward and backward movement, but very little side to side or rocker movement. This means only shallow stances can have the feet perfectly flat on the ground, and even medium stances will look a bit unnatural.

Accessories - ***1/2
Let's break these down by version, starting from the ground up.

All the figures come with multiple hands. There's a set of wide grasping hands he comes wearing, a set of tight grips, and a set of grips specifically for the fans. These swap easily, and remained in place while I was posing him, an improvement over the Ninja Batman as I recall.

All the versions also have the two fans, as well as the sword and scabbard. These look terrific, and work well with the intended hands. There isn't any place to attach the scabbard to the costume that I see, but you can slip it into the belt if you want.

I'm betting that both the special version and the regular release have a standard display stand as well, although I haven't seen them. The regular version also adds in a drinking gourd, a flower bomb, and a remote control to detonate the bomb. These can work with the gripping hands.

The deluxe includes a flintlock style gun, along with a 'bang' flag written in Japanese. He also has an extra right hand designed specifically to hold this gun.

The other big add for the deluxe is the diorama base. This includes the base, a large multicolor barrel, and a black bendable support rod. There's a couple key features here worth mentioning.

First, the various accessories can be added to the base. There's slots (with rubber inside to avoid damage) to hold the two fans, and places to hold the gun and scabbard upright. There's a small black wire support included to make that sturdier as well.

Second, the design of the black support rod is unique. They have attached a small bracket to the lower back of the figure, and rather than use a waist gripper or crotch support, the rod has a thin, flat top that slips into this bracket. It's a much cleaner look, with less chance for damage to the costume over time, but it is the sort of thing that only works with certain types of multi-layer costumes.

Outfit - ***1/2
This is a very bright, bold outfit, pulled right from the movie designs. There's multiple layers, and the tailoring on each is impeccable.

There's only a couple minor pieces that I felt could be higher quality, like the belt and tie. The rest of the costume - shirt, pants, vest, coat, shoes - look terrific, and are far less restrictive than I expected. The quality of stitching and construction, as well as the materials used, is excellent.

Fun Factor - ***
The ankle articulation hurts here a bit, since I won't be able to get as many unique dynamic poses on the shelf over time as I'd like. Still, there's a few good ones, particularly when you bring in the barrel.

Value - **
There's a lot here, no doubt about it. The costume is very unique and very complex, and the deluxe has a nice share of extras, including a useful display base. I like the bracket/support solution as well, making it more likely you'll creating long term leaping or jumping poses for the shelf.

If this guy was $250, he'd be an easy **1/2 score, which is an average value ranking and does not affect my personal Overall in any way. The extra $25 or so is a bit harder of a sell however, and dropped my score here a half star.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not much. Most of the pieces seemed sturdy and well made, although you'll want to take care when putting them into the hands. Pay attention to where you're squeezing or applying pressure, to ensure you aren't going to break any small bits.

Overall - ***1/2
Those who read the review of Ninja Batman will recall I was not super happy with the result. The pin heads, along with some articulation issues, were exasperated by the high price. He wasn't at the level of quality the price point demanded, which is why I suspect we're getting a version 2.0.

However, this Joker turns it completely around. I still have an issue with the ankles, but the rest of the body worked great, and the costume, accessories, sculpt, and paint are all top notch. I'm very pleased with this end result, and you should be happy no matter which version you go with. The diorama makes the extra spend worth it in my book, but even the basic release has the key ingredients.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ****
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ***1/2
Outfit - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has the deluxe for $310 and free shipping.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Of course, you'll want to check out the Ninja Batman they produced earlier. I believe there's a 2.0 version coming soon for those that missed out.

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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