I’m gonna try something a little different with this review, and you can let me know if you like it. Rather than critiquing the box, then the base, then the figure, I’m going to skip the packaging commentary and approach this from two different angles: a first impression that gauges the collectible’s wow-factor (this is how your guests are going to see it), and a deeper examination that will hopefully help you make a well-informed decision before throwing down your hard-earned cash.
First Impression
For me, it’s “That’s quirky as hell, but a very accurate realization of what we saw in maybe three pages of the Snyder and Capullo’s Metal.” For the casual guest to your home, the reaction will be more akin to “What’s going on here? Is Batman a miner now? Why does he have a baby? WHAT’S WRONG WITH THAT BABY?”
Anyone who hasn’t read Dark Nights: Metal is going to have questions (if they are seeing this thing with all its accessories). And those questions are going to lead to more questions until finally you’ll give in and lend the graphic novel to your friend or uncle or plumber, whoever’s enthusiastic and inquisitive. But for those who have read the book, I think they’re going to be really impressed by the accurate depiction of Capullo’s Rebirth design (including the drastic nose bridge that pretty much every other artist ignored when drawing this particular cowl), the heavy outlines of muscles to match Glapion’s inks, and the blue highlights on the boots and gauntlets that keep with colorist FCO’s often vibrant contribution to the mini-series. You’ll also appreciate how you’re not stuck with a single look. You can pose this statue as an homage to The Dark Knight’s purple-caped days or you can go full-on Metal and add the whimsy of a Bat-handband light and /or a tote bag with infant Darkseid.
Scrutinized
This is the “am I gonna feel like a chump if I spend $85 on this?” section. And, mostly, the answer is “No.” I say “mostly” because it’s only 90% a fantastic Dark Nights Metal Batman statue. See, I’ve gotten an early look at a number of statues spinning out of the DC Collectibles line so far and besides the Dawnbreaker‘s fragility, this collection has been stellar. Batman w/ Baby Darkseid, however, has some noticeable, and these imperfections are isolated to one specific and pretty darn important area: the head.
Paint application from the neck down is fantastic. The batsuit is clean, the lines are sharp, the blue on black highlights are not overdone or distracting, there are no awful blobs or bleeding, and I dig the matte finish. Darkseid and his backpack carrier are dingy and dirty and stand out from the immaculate costume in a terrific way as well! It. Is. Sublime. From the neck down… The two heads (with magnetic fasteners, none of that peg or pin crap) unfortunately do not look so great when you get up close.
From a distance, both appear fine, sure. But once you’re 18-inches or so away you see that the exposed mouth and chin of Bruce Wayne was washed in a flesh-colored hue that pooled so heavily that it appears as if someone dunked the Dark Knight’s head into the punch bowl. Then we have skin tone peeking through the black paint that was applied too faintly to the angles of the cowl. If the statue you order possesses these same imperfections, you can probably touch them up with some water-based acrylic paint… but for $85 you shouldn’t have to.
In all other regards, this Batman and Darkseid combo is a quality statue. The polyresin feels surprisingly dense and durable, even when it comes to the infant Lord of Apokolips accessory. No magnets or pins are required for the backpack, by the way. Simply place the “collar” over Batman’s open neck and attach the head of your choice to secure the world’s most dangerous baby in place.
I like the pose, too, and the swooping arc to the cape. By not having the cape just hang limp there, it creates a sense of motion. Paired with the outspread arms and bent legs, it looks as if Bats is balancing himself after just landing from a great height.
Keeping with the style of the Metal series, this figure stands on a detachable base boasting the same Bat-pentagram pattern etched into its surface like that seen with the Evil Batmen. And when this line is all said and done, I think you could come up with a pretty cool display by having Batman & Baby on one end of a shelf staring down the horde of Dark Universe Batmen amassed on the other.
Overall
Most collectibles showcasing Capullo’s Rebirth suit omit the harsh nose bridge, but since this one keeps it, it’s probably the most accurate statue of the costume we first saw in Batman #50. And with two optional head sculpts and one of the weirdest accessories you’ll ever see included with a statue, you can pay homage to the late twenty-tens era Dark Knight or be even more specific and show your appreciation for the wild ride that was Metal. I think that the overall build quality is excellent, appreciate the versatility of the aforementioned swappable pieces, and… basically I believe it looks quite perfect from an average viewing distance. I just hate how poorly the heads of my own statue were painted. I’ll likely need to touch them up myself, and for that I would advise you to approach your purchase with mild caution if subtle paint flaws would distract you as well. It’s worth a purchase if you’re interested, but not a rush-out and buy at full price item like Dark Nights Metal: The Merciless.
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