I don't need to tell you about Batman in the Arkham Knight game. It's an amazing game with a great story and graphics, and it is the techiest suit I've seen in the series. It's also 11 years old at this point, so if you haven't played it yet, it's cheap in the Arkham collection on most game stores if you want to grab it.
I started my very first toy collection by purchasing some 2012 TMNT figures and a 4 pack of Arkham City figures. I loved the games, and having some fun to play with representations was kind of like a little physical memento I could display on a shelf. It was all downhill into toy collecting from there!
Out of all the Arkham figures I own, this may be the most excitingly poseable Arkham knight figure I've ever owned (that is under the Hot Toys price). The figure has a ton of dynamic movement and unique accessories I've never seen before, AND they really learned from their fragmented plastic shard cape fiasco from the 009 Batman figure by making this one with a poseable wired cape.
This is only the second Amazing Yamaguchi figure I've owned, and while it is extremely poseable, it's almost a 3D puzzle to figure out how to get it exactly how you want it. I'm still not well-versed in this despite playing a bunch with the Ver. 1 of the Arkham Knight itself. As an aside, they are coming out with a Ver. 1.5 of that figure that actually has their two pistols and rifle. I'm a little tee'd to be honest that I bought the version previously, knowing how DC was being weird about it's license for figures that used guns. Sigh! Anyway, into the review!
Sculpt/Paint: 3/3 I have no notes here. Tons of painted and sculpted detail everywhere that really emulate the textures of his armoured suit in the game. The blacks are very shiny as are the plated armour bits. The accessories are also really well detailed and painted.
Articulation: 3/3 (30+ joints): Amazing Yamaguchi always goes very extra on their joints and points of articulation. Heck, the ankle and front armoured part of the foot are 4 joints themselves. The waist is super well articulated, and you can get a crazy good ab crunch and backwards bend for the back. What I always find interesting in the two AY figures I have so far is that the knees are single joints and yet they are cut vertically, which allows the same or better range of motion as most other figures' double knee joints. Thighs/hips have several points of movement, but they're a bit tricky to get just right. The far right and left areas of the chest have their own joints that allow it to widen and contract to allow the arms to cross over. The shoulders are a bit complex here as well. The shoulder pad moves slightly around allowing the very large double ball joints to move around. The elbows also have ball joints rather than double hinges. The head and neck have a ton of range of motion, probably the best I've ever seen in a batman figure. You can get him to lie flat and move his head to look straight ahead into the camera! And I can't finish this section without talking about the Cape. The cape is a work of art. Best bendy wire cape on a Batman figure I own. It has wires for each scallop area as well as the outsides. The material is a super shiny leather looking material and the inside still looks good as well. The only minor nitpicks I have is I don't like the cape being inserted underneath the shoulder pad, and the ankles are tricky to pose sideways. Did I mention you can move his EYES around?!?
Accessories: 1/1 You could potentially complain that Batman should come with all his gadgets he uses in the Arkham games, but honestly, you've got so many parts here it's hard to gripe. He comes with gadget holding hands, fists, outspread hands, and a hand that has his line launcher. The line launcher has swap-out parts to have it deploy ,which is cool. He also has his remote hacking device that comes in it's flipped-out mode with a transparent piece to hold the various holographic messages/hacks. Very cool! No other Arkham figure has these, I think. He also has his two batarangs, one regular and one remote detonating. The stand he comes with is sturdy and includes a smaller plug-in piece for his back to plug in. Oh! I nearly forgot there is a piece to move around his eyes, but honestly, I have such a hard time making that look good, it gives me a new appreciation of people who have to paint pupils.
Fun Factor: 3/3 This is so fun to play with. There's a ton of dynamic poses here, and so many I haven't even managed to pull off yet. Despite the top-heavy, bulky chest and very expansive cape, he balances well, holds a one-footed pose well, and despite a lack of other face plates, is very expressive in his figure motion. I'll have to make a special diorama for this figure and the Arkham Knight.
Verdict: 10/10 This is my perfect Arkham Knight. I doubt I'll ever buy another (fingers crossed). I can't think of a cooler, more poseable and flashier Batman for the Arkham series. I'm really hoping the Amazing Yamaguchi line makes an Arkham Robin and/or Nightwing, cause I would get those in a heartbeat if this is the quality they'll be in.
 |
| Packaging is alright, nothing crazy her |
 |
| But seriously, look how shiny that cape is |
 |
| I think this is what the cover of the game looks like |
 |
| Very nice set of accessories |
 |
| This is my brain trying to wake up in the morning |
 |
| Really amazing dynamism you can achieve with this one |
 |
| Line Launcher looks pretty good |
 |
| Good kickage! |
 |
| Some height comparisons. I was surprised that the Arkham knight is taller. The McFarlane and DC Collectibles versions look crazy though. Their legs are waaaay too long. |
No comments:
Post a Comment