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Introduction
When a property, character, or license lasts for decades and decades and decades, there's bound to be many iterations, reboots, and 'takes'. It's true for everything from Star Trek to Planet of he Apes to Superman to Spider-Man to every one of your favorite old school properties.
Of course, Batman has seen a million alterations. Every time a new artist or writer worked on the comics something was altered at least a smidge. While his overall back story and motivation remain the same, just about every other aspect of the character has been tweaked at one time or another.
Which means that every Batman fan has a favorite, one time through the spin cycle where everything just clicked. For me (and many others), that would be Batman: The Animated Series, a god of a show that towers over almost - almost - every other version.
It's been a long time since the show was on the air, but they've kept the style and tone alive with several direct to home movie releases, as well as a nice selection of collectibles. Diamond Select Toys is currently producing a series of mini-busts, and while they are intended for the low price market, the quality has been surprisingly good.
The latest in the series is Mr. Freeze. This guy is a limited edition of 3000, and will run you around $50 depending on the retailer.
Packaging - ***
Nothing super special here, but it does include the edition size and numbering on the bottom of the box. There's also a large Certificate of
Authenticity, and of course, the package is completely collector friendly, with no need to damage anything when removing the bust.
Sculpting - ***1/2
When looking at any collectible, it's important to keep the price in mind. These aren't intended for the $100+ market, but designed for collectors a
bit more on the frugal side.
Even with that being said, the sculpting is top notch. They have reproduced his look from the original show, with a sharp definition to critical areas like the nose or jawline. The clear dome looks terrific, and is firmly attached to the body. There's not a ton of surface detail, but that's because of the medium they are mimicking. Animated characters don't have a lot of small detail in their designs (usually), but DST did a nice job with what's available. For example, the eyebrows could have merely been painted on, Uncle Leo style, but they went the extra mile and sculpted them.
The bust stands just over 6" tall, fitting in nicely with the rest of the series. The sculpted base, which looks like a building, might not make as much sense with Freeze, but it does fit the tone of the show and is consistent with the rest of the line.
Paint - ***
The paint quality isn't quite at the level of the sculpt, but considering the price point, it's B work.
The colors are consistent in coverage and finish, always a big plus when there's a lot of area covered by one color. While there's a little slop to the edges, it's not over the top or extreme. The quality of the application lines up pretty well with the price you're paying, and if you're extremely OCD, you could always repaint it yourself. You just have to figure out how to get that dome off...
Value - ***1/2
You can pick this guy up for around $50, which is a solid value on the current market. I'm really quite impressed with the statues and busts that
DST is currently producing on the lower end of the price spectrum. While it's clear some things have to take a hit, the effect on the overall
quality isn't as extreme as you might expect.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.
Overall - ***1/2
This series just seems to keep getting better with every release. While Freeze isn't *quite* as nice as Man-Bat, he's still a solid entry in
the overall line, and a big step up from their first few releases last year. They are finding a way to squeeze the most quality out for the price,
which is always very much appreciated.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***
Value - ***1/2
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy
Online options include these site sponsors:
- Entertainment Earth is also at $50.
- or you can search
ebay
for a deal.
Related Links -
The last animated Batman bust I covered was the terrific Man-Bat, and I believe the only other of
the many animated busts from DST so far that I've covered is Harley Quinn.
If you're a fan of the animated Freeze, check out the action figure from DC Collectibles.
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.
