It’s really here, isn’t it? It’s hard to believe. We really did it.
It wasn’t much more than a year ago that Mezco had decided before Toy Fair 2017 that the final Batman v Superman figure, a Batman variant that sort of stole the show in five minutes of screen time, was on hiatus. But, in a rare incidence of solidarity, we fans of the line spoke out against this choice. They heard it in person at the show, and plenty of Facebook and Twitter posts. And even an article here on Fwoosh. It was clear in interviews Pierre gave after Toy Fair that this decision was already being reconsidered.
Then, it happened. A couple months later, Knightmare Batman was available for preorder. Then all that was left was the easy part; waiting for the shipping notices.
As a figure, I think most will find that this Batman is a pretty unique and exceptional example of the stuff Mezco does best. But beyond that, this figure is special because he represents an understanding between a company and its fans. It showed that on those occasions where the community speaks loud and clear, Mezco is willing to listen. That seems like an obvious thing; a business should listen to its customers. But after many years of interacting with various toy makers, I can tell you this is NOT often the case in the figure business. So Knightmare Batman is a great reminder that while yes, this is business, it’s made so much better when the guys and gals running the show appreciate the love and give some back. So, to the Mez crew, the Randys, Dwights, and the Jerrys, Jays and Chris(es) that came before them, a tip of the hat and a heartfelt thanks for making our passion your passion over the years.
Now back to the work at hand here. Knightmare ships in the smaller Mez exclusive box, as an exclusive, but the bright coloring and weathered effects make it stand out even among those.
Inside is a nice clean clamshell with the figure accessories on top, and armature and stand underneath. Inside we get the figure, two variant heads, three extra hands, goggles, 1911, and SCAR -L. It may seem a little light, but keep in mind two additional pieces that would normally be considered accessories — the jacket and shemagh — are already affixed to the figure.
The base body for this Batman is mostly consistent with his main movie suited version, but I have wondered if he may make use of some slightly smaller thighs and calves, like Commander Rogers. So the articulation is built the same, and functions maybe a little better in the torso and ankles, but of course that big jacket does restrict some of the arm movement. Though possibly not as much as you’d anticipate.
The suit is a real step outside the usual, with a lot of layering, and it really pulls it off. The Alpha Industries-style OD 3 (a color that’s constant green/khaki flux is almost worth its own article) pants are stitched to the more skin-tight upper suit. Now, it appears that includes the sleeves as well, but I haven’t pulled the couple stitches out of the shoulders to check out under the coat. And that is one hell of a coat. Weathered and detailed front-and-back, the fit of the coat is really impressive. There is some wiring on the inside, and it really does make for some excellent posing. I usually don’t like wired capes and coats (Sorry D Amazing!) but this subtle jacket stuff is awesome. The shemagh is also tacked to the back of the jacket (I think), but it leaves plenty of slack to adjust it around his face or neck.
The belt is a carry-over from the regular figure, but attached to it is a webbing belt and a leg-drop kydex holster, kinda like a Blackhawk. The holster can travel on the leg a bit, which does mean you can adjust it with the posing. The neck piece and boots appear to be the same as well, but the gloves picked up some wrapped details.
The head sculpts are amazing. Both masked heads look to have more paint apps than even the previous ones, and they weren’t lacking themselves. The yelling head is a lot of fun to mess around with. Now, there is some dissent on the Affleck head, but I think there’s just something about it that fights with the camera. In person, I think it is at least as solid a likeness as Cavill Superman was, and I feel like it’s one of their best to date.
The weapons also have a lot of additional details, in paint and sculpt. The SCAR has the duct tape on the stock, the Joker card and bandana sculpted in, and nice attention was paid to things like the muzzle brake and the gas port. The removable magazine is a good fit in the mag well, and the bullet details are maybe even better than Punisher’s. The 1911 doesn’t quite take overtake Frank’s, with a fixed mag and slide, but the paint looks solid, grips in particular.
This is one of those figures that set out to do a ton of things, and I feel they knocked most of those out of the park. There is a lot of ambitious effects present, especially for a figure that almost didn’t make it. And this nice balance of layered clothing and weathering, it feels like an audition for something like an Indiana Jones or Mad Max figure. If you didn’t pre-order this one, man …
