Mezco’s One:12 Collective features some of the finest superhero action figures on the market. No, they aren’t cheap; but when you consider what you get for the price, they aren’t disproportionately expensive—especially when compared to something in the DC Multiverse or Marvel Legends lines.
I already reviewed the “Onyx Edition” of Mezco’s Sovereign Knight Batman a few months ago, but now the regular version has arrived. Was it worth the wait? Which do I prefer between the two editions? Read on to find out.
The box
I loved the black and gold box for the Onyx Edition, but the standard looks great, too. You might say it even looks better from a distance, because it’s easier to discern the bat and the writing. I also really like the outer-sleeve-and-window-box setup on the Standard—the Onyx was just a conventional box with no window.
One point of note: the picture on the back of the box is of the prototype version of the figure. The most notable difference is that there are all sorts of lines on the Batsuit that did not make the final cut. More on that later.
Packaging
As you can see in the gallery above, the packaging looks pretty standard, which is a good thing. Mezco’s One:12’s are packaged better than anything else I’ve ever bought, with nested trays that manage to cram an awful lot of accessories—and the figure!—in a pretty small area. There’s no annoying tape keeping parts in the trays, either. This is definitely one of the best parts of the Mezco experience.
Parts and accessories
If you’ve already seen the Onyx, the accessories are no surprise. You get the same Bat-drone, grapnel gun, sonar gun, big Batarang, 10 small Batarangs, and yada yada yada that you get with Onyx. The four heads—long ears, long ears damaged, short ears, and unmasked—are the same, as well, though all cowled heads have a flat black paint, as opposed to the glossy stuff on the Onyx.
I love the different hand options, which are useful for the obvious things—fist fights, holding guns, etc.—but also for some less obvious things. Check it out:
Three Batarangs loaded between his fingers. Oh yes.
The cape is sort of an accessory, too, though it isn’t removable. And I love the cape. It’s the same as on the Onyx, and it’s made so that you can easily fold it behind his shoulders or flare it out in front of him so he’s wrapped in it. Or you can go half, like in the Batarang shot above. Tons of options, and they all look great.
Construction
I’m repeating myself from earlier reviews, but I love the way Mezco does hands. Instead of the post-ended hands that you might find on Marvel Legends figures, the One:12 figures come with socket-ended hands that attach to ball ends on the arms. This is much easier for removal or installation, it feels more solid and stable, and results in a hand with a greater, smoother range of motion.
The rest of the figure is incredibly well-made, too. The heads connect via the same sort of ball-and-socket design as the hands, and the boots, knee pads, and cowl are great, too. All of the plastic parts look fabulous. The question, though, on any Batsuit, is the underlying jumpsuit. How is the actual suit part of the suit?
I think it looks great. As I mentioned above, the lines that were visible in the prototype are gone, and we’re left with a much simpler suit. There’s texture all over it, and some of it even appearing in patches, but it never looks like an over-designed piece of fabric. I would love to see the classic trunks on here, but it still looks amazing even without them. And, of course, many of you wouldn’t have it any other way.
My only real gripe on this thing is that Bat-emblem on his chest. The shape is just fine, but why is it so bulky? It isn’t even flush against his chest in spots. It in no way wrecks the whole figure, but I’m scratching my head on this design choice.
Articulation
The Standard Edition Sovereign Knight is likely the exact same figure beneath the clothing as the Onyx. So it has the same points of articulation, and is, in that sense, highly-posable. Where it exceeds the Onyx, however, is in that the fabric of the suit is far less restrictive than the vinyl on the darker figure. I can aim the arms higher, achieve wider kicks, and get Batman into a one-knee pose a lot easier. Obviously, you should still be careful not to overdo it and risk ripping the fabric, but there’s definitely a greater range of motion here with a stretchier material.
The air support arm is a lot of fun, though I must say it can be a challenge to get the cape articulation right with the included wires. It always seems like the wires are a bit too long. I can get them all attached, but it’s a struggle. You also have to be comfortable with the post and wires being visible. For me, I don’t see myself using it in the future, because I prefer a cleaner display without breaking the illusion so much.
Overall
This is my fourth Mezco figure, and I’m definitely hooked. I learned with the Onyx—my first—that these generally look a lot better in person than they do in Mezco’s product photos, and that’s certainly true of this Standard Edition Sovereign Knight. Not only is the final design better than the prototype, but the fabric itself also looks way nicer when you’ve got it in hand. With lots of accessories, interchangeable parts, and posing capabilities, this is a mighty fine Batman. It isn’t cheap, but you get a lot of bang for the buck. If you can find one of these at your local shop or online, I highly recommend adding it to your collection.
