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Bermejo has worked on Bats in a
couple different series, including Batman: Deathblow, but the pose is
very much based on the Gotham
Nights cover art. Bermejo is well known for his very
realistic style of
art, often gruesome and always very, very detailed. I had my doubts on
how well that style could be translated to this series of statues,
which have been less detailed and textured in the past. Taking on
Bermejo's design was a new task, but bringing in the talented Jean St.
Jean was the smart move.
Packaging - ***
It's the usual box, with hard styrofoam interior. No Certificate of
Authenticity, but the edition number is on the bottom of the box as
well as the base of the statue.
Sculpting/Design - ****
I wasn't sure just how this version would turn out, since the art style
is a bit of a departure from many of the past releases. There's a lot
of gritty detail and realism to Bermejo's work, and capturing that in
the statue series presented some unique problems.
Jean
St. Jean did the work here, and as always, did an amazing job. The suit
has far more texture and detail than most of the past releases,
especially the back of the long, flowing cape. It almost has an old
school Mcfarlane Spawn look to it, reaching out toward you like a
sentient attacker.
I also love the shape of the
cowl, ears and
jawline. Again, this is a less comic-booky styled Batman, with more
human proportions.
I wasn't sold on the gritting
teeth look at
first, but it's growing on me. Usually this expression comes off as
constipated, but there's something about the shape of the mouth and set
of the eyes that gives it a much more menacing appearance.
I've
also mentioned before that I like it when the sculptor acknowledges the
existence of the display stand. They've done that here by placing one
foot off the stand with the other on top. The statue and stand are
separate pieces as well, with a metal foot peg to keep him in place.
Another
excellent feature is the separately sculpted cowl/shoulders, cape and
symbol. This creates a sharp relief line between them, and allows them
to stand out visually, even when they are all done in basic black. It
also matches the artwork far better than trying to sculpt them as a
single piece.
He's a *smidge* big for the
series, but not as out
of place as some of the past releases have been. He's more of a 7"
scale than the traditional 6" scale, but the hunched pose helps offset
some of the added size.
Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is very clean and sharp, particularly around the face
and teeth. There's a nice use of varying finishes, and I love the high
gloss bat symbol on his chest, sculpted as a separate piece as well.
I'm
not really digging the darker color on the crotch and inside thighs,
because it gives the costume a bit of a 'chaps' appearance. I don't
know about you, but I'm not feeling it.
The wash works well to bring out
the detailed sculpt however, which is particularly important with this
design.
Value - **1/2
You aren't going to feel like Scrooge McDuck or Mr. Burns when you buy
this, but you won't fell ripped off either, especially at under $65.
The quality here, both in sculpt and paint, makes up for the fairly
high price for a statue this size.
Things to Watch Out For -
It's always a good idea to remember that the statue isn't attached to
the base - forget that, and you'll be sorry when you pick it up!
Overall - ***1/2
Another great addition to the series! I was worried that
they'd
have a tough time pulling off Bermejo's style, but those worries were
clearly misplaced. And while this one is under the standard Batman:
Black and White label, they could have easily called it "Gotham Knights
3".
Score Recap:
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy -
Online options include these site sponsors:
-
Alter Ego Comics
has him for
$68.
-
Urban Collector
has him for
$64.
-
Things From Another World
has
him for $64.
-
Big Bad Toy Store
has him for
$68.
- Entertainment
Earth his him for $74.
- Forbidden
Planet in the UK has him at 54 GBP.
- or you can hit
ebay looking for the deal.
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