Your favorite monochromatic collectibles line expands this month with two new statues inspired by the artwork of Amanda Conner. Back in June we talked about the Kim Jung Gi Batman Black and White statue, which is a really wild re-imagining complete with robot parts, a machine gun, and roller-blades. However, if you're been hankering for a Black and White design that's more traditional, I think you're going to absolutely love Amanda Conner's take that draws from the best elements of all the classics. As for the Black and White Harley statue we'll also check out, I don't think you''re going to love it, I KNOW you're going to love it.
See what I mean?
The painted polyresin looks like it was yanked right from the pages of Conner and Palmiotti's ongoing series (you can read the reviews right here at Batman News). While Amanda Conner goes back to basics for an iconic, timeless Batman design, her Harley statue is rich with little details taken from the character's New 52 update. One can only assume it was a real pain to mold and paint, especially when compared to the Batman, but the results are stunning. Let's start with the head: carved strands of hair, individual bells on a choker, perfectly mischievous expression, and a variety of hues that highlight the eye shadow, eye liner, eyes, lipstick, etc. A lot of precision is required to do all of that, and that quality craftsmanship continues into the costume and accessories as well. Look at all of the white spikes on the hammer or mallet, each featuring no bleed onto the base, which sports multiple shades of grey for even more texture. Individually raised bullets on the belt, creases on the pants, etc. etc. Everything about Conner's original artwork is painstakingly realized. Quite simply: if you love Amanda's Harley then you won't be disappointed in this statue.
Amanda keeps things simple with her Batman, and I love her for it. What we get is reminiscent of Bruce Timm's work from Batman: The Animated Series (I ranked every episode, if you want to check that out), but with a more stylized chest emblem and a pair of subtle lines tracing the stomach, perhaps hinting at some concealed armor. He's not overly bulky, either, but the muscles are clearly defined so you get the balance of a Neal Adams-esque Caped Crusader who can brawl but is also acrobatic and quick as hell. One detail that might be overlooked is that the boots and gloves have a light gloss to them for added texture, and the cape features slightly more exaggerated scallops than usual. The cape is MUCH better than what is shown on the promotional images and box art, which make it seem like Batman's cape barely falls to the back of his knees. What is actually here is quite long and sculpted to appear as if it billows dramatically behind him. I have no complaints at all about this design, really. Conner's Batman is a Dark Knight that could seamlessly fit into any era, and his pose is pure confidence.
Overall
I approve of them both. Sculptor Jonathan Matthews did an amazing job of translating Conner's artwork into three-dimensional statues with striking monochromatic paint that really stands out in any display. The Harley statue looks exactly like what you've seen in the comics and features way more detail than the average Black and White release while the Batman features less detail, but the design is so timeless and utterly iconic that it should make any Bat-fan happy (really great gift idea). These are two top-notch additions to the Black and White line, and I'll proudly be displaying them on my shelf.
Each statue costs around $80.00 ($75 on Amazon right now) and is a limited edition of only 5,000.
