I think he loves gold.
And gold shall he receive, with McFarlane Toys' Platinum Edition 12" The Batman statue. If you're lucky, dear reader, then you too may be able to find this highly sought after collectible for display on your shelf.
But is it truly 24 karats of (plastic) goodness, or is it the action figure equivalent of pyrite? We got our hands on one to let you know just how much it's really worth, so read on.
When I say this figure/statue/a little bit of both is gold, I mean it: it's all gold, from head to toe, and all the way down to the base. The standard version of the piece is modeled on Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight from the hit (and really good) film The Batman, and the Platinum Edition here is nearly identical in sculpt and details.
Except that it's, you know, gold.
Even just looking at the base you can tell that this thing is going to be impressive, as the details there are mighty impressive. Sculpted to look like a slightly decrepit, brick roof, you can see the pockmarks and chips on each stone, which are arranged in a manner like you would find on an old building in a historic downtown. It's not haphazard or random, but it isn't neat and clear either. Instead, it looks like this roof has decades of stories to tell, with the latest one being that the Batman is using it as a lookout.
There are two pegs, so you can fit the Batman figure's feet in place while he surveys his city, aka your display shelf. It's cool on its own, but the base would be nothing without Batman to stand upon it, and hard as it may be to believe, the Batman is so much cooler than an admittedly cool rooftop.
Even the soles of his shoes are great! Like the base and the rest of the figure, they're impeccably detailed. It looks like real tread, and I love that his left foot is bent at an angle to make it seem like he's really resting it on the edge of the roof.
And then there's the rest of the figure. I've mentioned before that I'm not crazy about Batman's design in the movie (or most of the other costumes, but that's neither here nor there), and after seeing the film... I mean, I still don't love it, but it works. The movie was good enough that an unappealing costume didn't bother me in context.
Saying that, this guy looks awesome. Even rendered in a single, shiny color, the different elements of his costume look like the material they're meant to emulate. His boots and gloves look like utilitarian, rugged leather, the body armor and shoulder pads look like they could take a bullet, and his mask has the little stitches that let you know that Bruce Wayne tailored it himself.
The belt, thigh holster, and gauntlets are nice in particular, as they let you get a pretty good look at the design of these accessories that aren't that easy to see in the movie.
I call this a figure and not a full-fledged statue because it actually has some articulation. The arms have some articulation and range of motion, even if it's limited, and the cape is made of a soft rubber or plastic. So even though it's molded to feature a specific shape and silhouette, it's not just a solid piece of hard plastic hanging from Batman's back. As you can see in the gallery, it can be lifted up so you can see the detailing on the back of the Batsuit, and the softer material will surely provide more protection than a rigid, hard cape in case of a fall.
The only questionable aspect is that Batman is clutching a Batarang in his right hand, only because I'm almost positive he never used any in the movie. If anything, a grapple gun would have been more accurate to the film, but who cares. It's a nice detail, and Batarangs are always welcome.
Needless to say, the figure is pretty massive too. I mean, it says it right there in the title: it's a foot tall, so it towers over other McFarlane action figures. And LEGO minifigs? Forget about it.
But seriously, it's a cool piece, and this is about as good a segue as I'll be able to set up for...
Overall: A mighty impressive piece of work from McFarlane. The construction, details, and overall design of the figure are solid gold, so it's fitting that the figure is colored gold too. Since it's a Platinum Edition piece, it's harder to find and more expensive than the standard Batman statue, but it's well worth tracking down to have as part of your collection.
Disclaimer: McFarlane Toys provided this statue for the purpose of review.
