Mafex: The Dark Knight Joker Figure:

I recently purchased The Joker figure from The Dark Knight movie line by a company called Mafex. The figure, although produced by Mafex, has been licensed by DC. I picked up this figure because I don't yet have a premium format figure based on Heath Ledgers role in The Dark Knight. The figure has only just been released here in Ireland, although I am aware it has been out for a number of months in the United States. 

The figure retails at €60, which is a pretty hefty sum of money for a singe figure. However, once you take a glance at what comes in the box and at the quality of the product, it soon becomes apparent just where your money has gone. The figure has been produced and manufactured by Medicom Toy Corporation and has been distributed in America and Europe by Diamond Comic Distributors.

The packaging is a huge letdown for me as there is a huge shine on the plastic window of the box, so you can only really appreciate this figure for what it is once it is out of the packaging. The figure and it's many accessories come slotted in a black plastic tray, which I am not fond of because the Joker's dark purple colour scheme makes some of the parts incredibly hard to see. 

Out of the box, you are presented with a stunning figure which comes with eight different hands, a glock pistol, a knife, a handful of playing cards, a machine gun, an RPG, a different head and even a clear plastic display stand. Mafex really went above and beyond with the amount of extras they threw in with this set. The details on everything are exquisite, each piece included is accurate to Christopher Nolan's movie. The Joker even features a real chain coming out of his pocket, just like how it appeared in the movie. 

The paintwork is the best I have ever seen on a figure. In all my years, I have never seen a figure which features so many different washes, dry-brushings and colour depth. Just about every part of this figure can be taken apart to be repositioned. This is both good and bad considering it makes a stunning display piece, although sometimes when moving the figure around things can fall off, such as the arms.

The figure features so many points of articulation, the possibilities of posing are endless. It even features an ab-crunch in the torso, which is a feature rarely seen in DC licensed figures. This figure is number 5 in it's series and I can only presume more are being brought out, due to the overwhelming demand for the product and it's success. 

I also included a promotional video from my youtube channel for this review:

a

The photos which accompany this blog post were taken by me and are copyright of Batman Collection Ireland. 

My Life With Batman:

My name is Ross Collie and I mentioned before that I had grown up with Batman all around me. Essentially, this post is an attempt to put that into some sort of perspective for you. My Dad has been collecting all things Batman all throughout his life and I think it's fair to say that I have also been bitten by the bat-bug.

Batman was always something I loved no matter what age I was. Mornings would be spent watching The Animated Series on television, Afternoons spent walking through the aisles of toy and comic shops in an attempt to find a figure which would be endlessly played with, and evenings would be spent setting up scenes and taking a look at what figures could and couldn't do.

I would purchase figures from all franchises, but there was a consistent trend in the amount of Batman products I would get. I loved Batman, and I quite clearly still do. I would bring a Batman Lunch box to playschool (The Irish equivalent of kindergarten), Read books on the world of Batman and all the while I would always have a Batman figure within arms reach.

I have always been mesmerised by my fathers interest in Batman, so it's no surprise that I have begun to continue his hobby which operates around  Batman products. Another thing I've always loved is writing. This blog, Batman Collection Ireland, Allows me to combine both my love for writing and my passion for Batman, to provide an accurate and interesting source for reviews, thoughts, opinions and guides.

Collecting Batman products has been a life-long journey for me, and thus my long history with the world of Batman gives me credentials that very few Batman reviewers can say that they have. I hope you enjoy the reviews I bring to the table on both old and new products alike.

The photos featured on this blog post are of me during various stages of my early childhood and are Copyright of Batman Collection Ireland.

Arkham Knight: Harley Quinn Figure: 

I recently posted about a statue of Harley Quinn based on artwork taken from the '90's (Bruce Timm's Animated Series). As a result, I thought I might tribute a post to the most current interpretation of the nurse-turned-psycho Harley Quinn. Arkham Knight is a Batman console game being released in the coming months and so a line of figures were brought out to accompany it. I picked up this Harley Quinn figure for €25.99, which wasn't too bad a price considering it was up to €30 in other retail locations! It's worth saying that shopping around in this industry can save you a serious amount of money in the long-run. 

The figure comes in a stunning display box which is pictured in the gallery at the end of this post. The box allows for an excellent view of the figure and displays all of her accessories accordingly. Harley has been sculpted here by Gentle Giant Studios, who are becoming more and more involved in sculpting figure line-ups for DC Collectibles. The unique thing about this figure is that it looks fantastic on display both in it's box and outside of it's box, and in my opinion, it trumps the packaging for all previous Arkham figures. 

Harley features 22 points of articulation, which is really quite impressive.  She stands 6.5 inches tall and does not come with a display base. (I used my own display base in the photo gallery). Her sculpt is remarkable, especially considering I was planning on not purchasing her due to how I thought the sculpt looked in the preview photos. The end-result figure looks far better than the prototypes ever did.

She comes with a pair of inter-changable hands which are really easy to put on and remove as you see fit, a baseball bat, a pistol, a detonator and also a jack-in-the-box bomb which features a head on a spring and also a turning handle. 

DC Collectibles and Gentle Giant Studios really went the extra mile with this figure, from the packaging right down to the copious amount of accessories, and thus I hope all of the others in the Arkham Knight line are of a similar quality. I would really recommend purchasing this figure, as it is a stunning piece for fans and collectors alike. 

The photos which are included in this post were taken by me.

Custom Painted Statues: 

Quite often, statues are sold with no paint applied to them. These statues are generally a flat grey colour, or are of whatever colour the material they are made from naturally is. These statues are also generally made from a mould, using materials such as resin, porcelain and also a really wide variety of plastics. 

Many people enjoy the D.I.Y aspect of painting these pieces themselves, however, many people also hire painters on commission to make their piece unique and unlike any other that is available on the market through a stunning paint-job. 

The quality of these works vary hugely from painter to painter (as you can see in the photos which accompany this post) and because of this, so does the price you must pay to get the results you want. 

The Two-Face statue which is pictured in this post is a stunning example of such a work and whilst it is not considered an official DC statue, it shows off a stunning portrayal of the character none-the-less. There are many different textures to be seen on the statue, such as the marble floor and textile suit.

On the other hand, we have the Batman statue (also pictured), which is heavily based on the artwork of comic book artist Frank Miller. This statue shows a very flat coat of paint, with no form of layering. The details are lacking in comparison to Two-Face, and even the paint is beginning to flake in certain parts which is from being hastily applied. The difference in standard is huge, thus why most statue painters use acrylic type paints on their works for best results. 

I advise you to have a look at a painters past works before you even consider asking them to paint a piece for you, as commission painting is a costly arrangement, and you want to make sure you are getting the best standard for your money.

(For those unsure as to who Two-Face is, he is a villain who is at constant battle with Batman. He makes each of his decisions by flipping his coin and deciding accordingly. He is obsessed with things being "fair", thus why he utilises a coin which offers a 50/50 chance.) 

The Photos Which Accompany This Blog Post Were Taken By Me. 

Trailer: For Future Posts: 

The following is a trailer taken from my youtube channel for some upcoming blog posts. I took all of the pictures which are featured here and I am responsible for the design and layout of said photos. 

I recommend turning up your screen quality in the bottom right-hand corner whilst viewing the video, as it enables superior clarity in terms of photo quality.