There was a temptation, however slight, to pick a dark horse candidate for my figure of the year. Because really, in the world of figures at least, 2020 was full of sleepers and slow burns. Hasbro was tearing it up this year, especially if you like Transformers. Hell, I can think of 3 other Mezco sleepers that easily crack the top ten: Hellboy, KGBeast, and Gambit, and that’s without looking on my shelves.
And there’s something inherently wonderful about that. In a year where a lot of other things spectacularly went to hell, the figure game hasn’t been this good in a while.
This past year was a little difficult for me to buckle down and do conventional reviews. Instead, I’ve tried to step out of my shell a little, try some more informal ways of sharing my love for the hobby. I’ve kind of traded my posts and paragraphs for pics and videos, and it’s not half-bad, it’s just different.
Which is a long way around-the-block apology for not getting a formal review done for this Supreme Knight Batman.
This is the culmination of a Mezco sub-series that I will openly admit– I wasn’t all that jazzed about when it started. But Ascending Knight came out, and he was just damn good. Sovereign Knight followed, and again, ridiculously good. But I knew, it all came down to the final version; the old man.
And anybody whose had the pleasure or burden of talking to me on this site for the last 16 years knows, no Batman gets me like the old man Batman does.
In a year where we all got older beyond our years, I got the figure that embodies not just Dark Knight Returns, but all the imaginary DKR variants I’ve dreamed up over the years. The distillation of every cool fan art interpretation I’ve seen. Hundreds of custom figures, most that never escaped my brain, in my decades-long quest to get that battle-weary Batman off my mind’s eye, and into my hands.
I often joke when people tell me, as great a compliment as it is, I should try to go to work for Mezco that they don’t need me– they know what I like better than I do. And Supreme Knight takes that from joke to solid fact.
In fact, it was not so many years ago that I had picked Mattel’s Dark Knight Returns Batman for my figure of that year- I’m thinking it was 2015, but it literally feels like a lifetime ago regardless of date. I remember writing it in a bittersweet fashion, watching that particular toy line bite the dust, but being grateful for one last attempt. Of all years, this figure of the year just leaves me feeling satisfied. If One:12 Collective ended tomorrow, I have the best damn Batman figure I have ever owned, in multiple colors, spares, and even customs. That means everything from here on out is pure gravy. And I loves me some gravy.
To Mez and the One:12 crew; my heartfelt thanks. Best wishes and God Bless. You’ve put a smile on my face in a year that was determined to steal it away. Well done.
