]]> If you follow this blog, you may know that I’m not always happy with the quality checking of DC Collectibles/DC Direct statues, especially considering the higher price point they usually charge. I always find reasons to give them another chance, especially when they release favourite characters of mine, like Death from The Sandman. Imagine my disappointment when the quality issues overshadowed the figue on this one.

Be sure to read my full review over at DC Collectors! I checked three figures before I found this one, so this is not just an issue with my copy I’m afraid.

Amitie is the main character of the wildly addictive game series "Puyo Puyo Fever", which are a continuation of the classic series by Compile. It's one my very favourite puzzle game series, so I had to have her! 

I'm historically not the biggest fan of DC's Ame-Comi line, I've found most of the designs to be a little lackluster. So I was even more excited when some great new figures were presented at C2E2 earlier this year. DC is putting more of its weight behind the line, bringing in talent like Amanda Conner to give it a comic to back it up and hiring awesome sculptors like veteran James Shoop to bring us better designs, like this Brainiac. Ame-comi still has some evolving to do, but let's check out the progress, shall we?

]]>

I’m historically not the biggest fan of DC’s Ame-Comi line, I’ve found most of the designs to be a little lackluster. So I was even more excited when some great new figures were presented at C2E2 earlier this year. DC is putting more of its weight behind the line, bringing in talent like Amanda Conner to give it a comic to back it up and hiring awesome sculptors like veteran James Shoop to bring us better designs, like this Brainiac. Ame-comi still has some evolving to do, but let’s check out the progress, shall we?

The Ame-Comi Brainiac design appears to be a gender-flipped (as all Ame-Comi statues are for the male characters) version of Gary Frank’s Action Comics #868 cover, which also serves as the cover to the Superman Brainiac graphic novel. Definitely one of the better depictions of the character I’ve seen.

Ame-Comi designer Jim Fletcher seemed to be particularly inspired with this character, and sculptor James Shoop rendered it beautifully. The design on the body armor reminds me a lot of Witchblade, but Brainiac definitely pulls off the anime feel. Perhaps the more adult side, but who’s complaining?

Really the biggest problem I had with this figure was its packaging. Despite carrying an MSRP of $69.95, Brainiac is packaged in the same box the DC Collectibles action figures come in, and definitely arrived worse for wear as a result. The box just feels cheap and the blister package/wire tie combo inside made her feel more like a $30 toy.

This poor packaging led to her suffering some damage in shipping, in the form of paint rub from her head. DC Collectibles, if you want to capture some of the Japanese figure market share with this line, you are going to have to step up the packaging quality. This kind of thing just isn’t acceptable.

Once she’s out of the package though, all flaws are forgotten as you’re lost in the amount of detail in her sculpt. At 8.25″ tall, she seems much larger as she’s sculpted in about 1/6 or 1/7 scale. She definitely feels and looks larger than the Black and White line despite her stature. I think the $70 price point is very fitting for her level of sculpt quality and detail versus size compared to similar figures from Japan.

If I could change anything on the figure, it would be to make the pink areas metallic to match the lips and eyes. I wonder if the detail on this figure ended up with a few budget concerns in the end. I’m glad they went with the original illustration’s eyes, as one of the prototypes shown on the box had her with the normal Ame-Comi eyes, which put her squarely in the uncanny valley for me:

I’m surprised that version made it to the box image. There was definitely a bit of oversight on the entire packaging process with this figure. I hope it’s resolved in future Ame-Comi releases and they find something a bit sturdier, because if the design level keeps up like this I will have to pick up some more releases!

I’m not the biggest Superman fan so I don’t have much merchandise from the series, but now I’m thinking I will have to get a Supergirl to pair her with. Ame-Comi has released a couple Supergirls previously, but I’m thinking I’d much rather have one of the Kotobukiya releases. So I suppose Ame-Comi hasn’t completely won me over just yet.

They sure are trying harder now, though! This Brainiac is pretty great.

If sexy gender-flipped android supervillains are your thing, Brainiac can be found or ordered at your local comic shop, or purchased online at Amazon or Big Bad Toy Store.

I've been a bit critical of the DC Collectibles Batman Black and White line before, but there are always exceptions to the rule. When I first spotted this Jock designed Dick Grayson as Batman prototype at C2E2 earlier this year, I was amazed at how dynamic they made it. Now that it's in my hands I can really see how sculptor Michael Locascio knocked it out of the park. Take a look!

]]>

I’ve been a bit critical of the DC Collectibles Batman Black and White line before, but there are always exceptions to the rule. When I first spotted this Jock designed Dick Grayson as Batman prototype at C2E2 earlier this year, I was amazed at how dynamic they made it. Now that it’s in my hands I can really see how sculptor Michael Locascio knocked it out of the park. Take a look!

Jock is great at capturing the essence of a character simply and without sacrificing his noir aesthetic. Dick Grayson’s stint as Batman was highlighted by his amazing acrobatic ability which made him immediately visually stand apart from Bruce Wayne, but also made him a controversial change in the top selling title.

Jock and Michael Locascio have brought that feeling to the Black and White line, creating a classic Batman who definitely stands apart from the other more static posed Bats in the lineup. Fans new and old will definitely find something to love in this figure.

This figure is definitely made to be placed high up, but if you do you’ll miss a lot of the beautiful ssculpting. Michael Locascio has used his classical training to perfectly blend realistic anatomy with Jock’s rougher style. Rough edges and slightly unfinished muscle structure are definitely intentional here as Mr. Locascio brings Jock’s style to a 3D format, as the sculptor is definitely no stranger to a lot of detail in a sculpt.

This simplicity means less detail for the factory to handle, so the paint job is easier to get just right than some of the other Black and White statues, which definitely suffer from detail loss from prototype to execution. Unless you feel strongly against Dick Grayson, there is very little to find at fault with this statue!

The wire used was packaged very well and little had to be done to pose it well, so props to the packaging guys at DC Collectibles for this one. The details on the glove and the cape could have been a big problem, but my copy had no issues whatsoever.

This figure is ridiculously photogenic. There is just not a bad angle you could pose him at, but he definitely begs to be set apart from other figures so all the details can be highlighted. At 9 inches high including the base and stick, he’s very small!

Michael Locascio is no stranger to action figure sculpting. I would love to see an action figure version of this statue done in the Jock style. Unfortunately it seems DC Collectibles is pretty focused on the New 52 now, so I doubt that’s very likely to happen.

At an MSRP of $79.95 Dick Grayson is nicely priced even for the casual fan. This is definitely a great addition to any collection!

Dick Grayson as Batman Black and White was released in August 2012 and is still available at the time of this writing. Find or order him at your local comic shop or online at Amazon or Big Bad Toy Store.

When DC Collectibles first released their Lee Bermejo designed Joker statue last year, I kept wondering when I'd get to see a Brian Bolland version. When this Joker first debuted later that year at a convention, it was more than I could ever hope for. Not only did we have a Bolland Joker, but it was from the cover of Legends of the Dark Knight 50 with his cat! After waiting what felt like 5 months for it to show up in Previews for preorder and even longer for it to come out, the newest Batman Black and White figure is in my hands and I can show it to you!

]]>

When DC Collectibles first released their Lee Bermejo designed Joker statue last year, I kept wondering when I’d get to see a Brian Bolland version. When this Joker first debuted later that year at a convention, it was more than I could ever hope for. Not only did we have a Bolland Joker, but it was from the cover of Legends of the Dark Knight 50 with his cat! After waiting what felt like 5 months for it to show up in Previews for preorder and even longer for it to come out, the newest Batman Black and White figure is in my hands and I can show it to you!

Each statue in the Black and White line showcases a different classic representation of Batman by some of the best artists to tackle the books. They’re smaller statues, Joker stands 9 inches high including his base, but they make a big impact!  Judge for yourself how well sculptor Brian Fay captured Bolland’s Joker.

There’s a bit of detail lost due to the smaller size, but the spirit is definitely still there! Brian Fay has spent a lot of his career doing action figure sculpts for McFarlane studios, and the level of creepy found in many of Todd McFarlane’s lines is definitely felt here.

I’m not sure I’m a big fan of the new packaging style that DC Collectibles has adopted since changing the logo. It definitely takes away the impact of pretty much any figure I’ve gotten, and at times feels like it cheapens the statue inside. I hope this is a phase they grow out of soon, as I usually keep many of my figure boxes so they’ll be easier to move later and these are just unpleasant to look at.

Since almost every promotional photo of this figure shows him from the side, I was actually expecting him to be standing on his base a bit differently. It throws off the balance a little bit when you look at the full figure from the side, which is possibly why most promos also seem to cut off the base.

Somehow I think it works in the case of the Joker, as his outlook on life is always a bit twisted anyway. Why should his figures conform any better? I wonder if this skewed view was what Mr. Fay had in mind the whole time.

The nice thing about the Black and White statues is that they bring out the quality of the sculpts so much better, as you’re not distracted as much by a factory paint job. I love the detail in the folds of clothing, and how you can still make out the muscles in the Joker’s back through his coat. This strikes me as being very true to Bolland’s detailed style, despite the limitations due to the size and material the statue brings.

I’ve said it before, but I think DC Collectibles would really benefit from moving toward more plastics production like companies such as Kotobukiya have done. There’s a lot of detail that just can’t be captured in a cold cast statue without fear of warping or breakage. If you’re not sure what I mean, look at a figure like this next to some of the other work Brian Fay has done for McFarlane. He brings some amazing realistic detail when he has the freedom of acction figure material to work with, and DC’s figure lines would really benefit from that quality boost, and wouldn’t have to include distracting things like Joker here’s distracting fabric bow due to casting difficulties.

Overall this is a great little figure, but at a $79.95 MSRP it could have had even more detail in a different material and been a better value for its small stature. For a big Batman fan on a budget, the Black and White line delivers in spades with its shelf appeal and different options but there are definitely better things to spend your Batman dollars on, like Kotobukiya’s superhero lines. Still, this Joker succeeds in being creepy as can be and is a great addition to our Halloween!

Buy this statue at your local comic shop or online at places like Amazon or Big Bad Toy Store.

If you're a Batman fan, this picture needs no explanation. It's just amazing. Kotobukiya is bringing us an amazing statue in May 2013 that true Joker fans will absolutely kick themselves if they miss out on. This is the Joker based off the cover illustration by Brian Bolland of the classic miniseries The Killing Joke, written by Alan Moore. This haunting sculpt is brought to us by Abe Junnosuke, who in this writer's opinion is one of the very best comic book style sculptors out there.

]]>

If you’re a Batman fan, this picture needs no explanation. It’s just amazing. Kotobukiya is bringing us an amazing statue in May 2013 that true Joker fans will absolutely kick themselves if they miss out on. This is the Joker based off the cover illustration by Brian Bolland of the classic miniseries The Killing Joke, written by Alan Moore. This haunting sculpt is brought to us by Abe Junnosuke, who in this writer’s opinion is one of the very best comic book style sculptors out there.

In case you need some convincing about Abe-san’s ability, let me direct you to some older Kotobukiya releases he sculpted. Difficult subjects like Cable, Frank Miller-style Batman, and Storm which even in the best sculptor’s hands can turn out badly are seemingly a walk in the park for this guy. He captures the essence of a character with such detail that it looks almost easy.

The Killing Joke is so iconic in the Batman mythos that when Mark Hamill recently announced he was finished voicing the Joker after Arkham City, he said the Killing Joke was one the only roles he would consider returning for. It was the series that, for better or worse changed the life of some iconic DC characters forever, and a large part of that can be attributed to Brian Bolland’s haunting artwork.  Great Batman statues come and go, but I think most fans will agree that this is THE Joker statue to own.

But just a great sculpt wasn’t enough to stop Kotobukiya. They’ve included bonuses based on expanded illustrations of the Joker in the crate of dynamite, the creepy bondage guy, and a working LED-lighted spotlight. Personally I hope the little angel guy will be removeable so I can stick him in my medicine cabinet to scare off nosy party guests. Perhaps he could also be useful in dieting as a refrigerator raider deterrant? He’s certainly an off-putting addition that makes the scene here even creepier!

Run, don’t walk to your local comic shop to preorder this beauty, who will be listed in the newest issue of Previews. Be sure to preorder as this figure is sure to not stick around long once he’s released, if past Kotobukiya ArtFX and Fine Art comic lines are any indication.

If you must order online, you can find the Joker at Big Bad Toy Store. He’s also available in Japan or from online retailers like AmiAmi or Hobby Search.

Happy Halloween, and Smile!