Rocksteady’s Joker design from the inaugural Arkham game finally gets the Hot Toys treatment, and it doesn’t disappoint. In fact, we here at Batman News are so enthusiastic about it that we’re doing our first Hot Toys video review. However, if you’re at work or maybe a funeral (at least try to hide the phone in a handkerchief for Pete’s sake, the woman gave birth to you!) or anywhere else that it wouldn’t be appropriate to watch a YouTube video, I’ve also supplied a written review that sums up the important bits.
The Box
The box is quite colorful, but it doesn’t have the embossing or extra ornamentation we’ve seen on the packaging for other recent figures like the Leto Joker, Robbie Harley Quinn, or Armored Batfleck. A folding front flips back to open up a viewing window to the figure and his many accessories, which is a nice touch. However, lifting the lid reveals regular ol’ brown cardboard. This wouldn’t be a big deal with just about any other collectible on the market, but with an expensive Hot Toy you come to expect painstaking attention to detail with every aspect of your purchase.
The Figure
They nailed it. It’s honestly one of the most spot-on figures you can find on sideshow.com, and that’s saying something. Every Joker sold comes with a hand-painted head sculpt that’s an exact rendering of what you saw in the now-classic video game. Not only does he look dangerous, he even comes with a pamphlet warning you that the hair might be too sharp to touch (it isn’t)! As for the expression itself, it would’ve been cool to have had him laughing, sure. But what we get is far more versatile. With the proper adjustment of ambient lighting and positioning of the chin to the appropriate angle you can easily make this figure look as gleeful or as menacing as you like.
Equally as impressive as the head sculpt is the tailored suit. Colors are an exact match, and the mix of fabric, faux leather, and metal gives the clothing wonderful texture as well. Now, it’s worth noting that the suit hugs every contour of the maniac’s lanky frame, so I wouldn’t recommend pulling the jacket off just because you’re curious to see the mustard yellow shirt (with blood splattered front) in full– you’ll probably never be able to get the outerwear back on and looking as fabulous as Mr. J deserves. The lack of freedom in being able to easily change his garments is the only drawback about what you see, but there is a rather unfortunate flaw beneath it all. If you were to adjust Joker into a seated position the pants will naturally ride up a tad and reveal ankles. So what? Well, while it’s a fashion faux pas to go sock-less in such formal attire, it’s an even bigger sin when it leaves an ugly plastic joint and accompanying foam exposed. This is a problem for anyone who wants to seat The Clown Prince on a throne of baby dolls or plant him on the folding chair of an interrogation room diorama. The thing that makes a Hot Toy so awesome is that it doesn’t look like a toy at all, and an obvious tell like foam and bare plastic breaks the illusion.
What’s Included
- Batman: Arkham Asylum Joker figure with newly developed 32cm tall body and over 30 points of articulation
- Six pieces of interchangeable gloved hands:
– One pair of fists
– One pair of relaxed hands
– One right hand for holding pistol
– One right hand for holding injection gun - One specially tailored purple colored Joker suit with a sculpted boutonniere on the lapel
- One yellow color shirt with blood splatter weathering
- One light green colored bow-tie
- One pair of purple pinstripe pants with patch on left knee
- One black belt with gold colored buckle
- One pair of black-and-purple shoes
Accessories
Hot Toys always does a good job making sure their Joker figures come with plenty of toys, and they don’t skimp on the accessories with Rocksteady’s Joker either. You get the cuffs from the opening scene where Batman marches Joker into Arkham, the X-ray specs from the PS3 bonus content, chattering teeth like those that were found throughout the map, the injector pistol from the final chapter, and more. Is there anything missing that I would have liked to see? Absolutely! Scar-face the puppet would’ve been amazing! And that dolly that Joker was strapped to at the start of the game would’ve been fantastic.
Additionally, Joker comes with a figure stand and a backdrop of the Arkham gates. The stand has a screen printed top with artwork from the game, plus a shiny metal nameplate. It’s nice but Joker is so well balanced that he stands upright on his own with ease. The backdrop is excellent, but a tad too narrow.
What’s Included:
- One pistol
- One injection gun with three injection pellets
- One chattering teeth explosive
- One pair of glasses
- One pair of handcuffs
- Specially designed figure stand with game logo and backdrop
Overall
This figure is nearly perfect. The only flaw in the design is the lack of socks to hide the ankle joint when posing The Clown Prince of Crime in a seated position. Other than that, this is identical to the in-game design in every conceivable way, and it comes with some excellent accessories as well. Demand is so high for this collectible that even at $229.99 The Joker sold out before sideshow.com put a review sample in our hands! Of course, there is a wait list you can sign up for and I suggest you do so immediately.
