[wp-review id=”89197″]

Batman Day is on May 1st and with the announcements that Mezco has made about their figures, it only feels right to post this review of the One:12 Collective Batman: Ascending Knight. He is the first Batman in this line that is designed from the artists at Mezco an not based on an existing design.

PACKAGING:

The packaging is the slipcover type with Batman’s symbol on the front and sides.  The color of the packaging is grey all around with the writing and symbols in black.  The back has the action/accessories photos that are the same as what the company uses on their site.  It shows what you get inside the box.  This is something that I hope Mezco never stops doing in some manner because it is a guide to what you should expect inside of the box. 

LIKENESS:

The likeness is excellent with the two headsculpts included and the grey suit.  Beginning with the sculpts, there is a masked and a Bruce Wayne unmasked version. Beginning with the masked version, the paintwork on him is a matte finish and the ears are on the taller side.  They make him have a look like some of the older versions of the Dark Knight and a definite comic book look.  The face has the classic scowl and the whiteout eyes.  Its definitely a good looking sculpt and is very Batman. The Bruce Wayne maskless sculpt has a nice skin tone and paintwork.  For the most part, the expression matches the masked version but not as intimidating.  The hair has a matte finish and has a nice looking texture.  
 

The costume has influences from the JUSTICE LEAGUE live action movie and The New 52 comic book run where the armor is segmented.  It is a mix of the Mezco mesh and the plastic/rubber-like material that they use.  It makes the material feel a bit sturdier and also makes the panel look work.  The Bat Symbol resembles the one from the 2001 video game BATMAN: VENGEANCE. There are some lines on the wings but it is pretty close.

The cape is made out of a faux leather material or at least something that feels like leather (I’m not great with materials).  It can be folded over to look smaller or expand out to show why they call him the Caped Crusader.  I really like the cape for the look and the functionality.  The bottom of the cowl just sits on the top and looks great.  If you don’t fold it in the proper way, it can flare out and look odd.

The boots look like they have a reinforced tip and lace up to about mid-calve.  The details are in the light weathering and laces.  The treads have an aggressive look and have the foot peg holes.  This is the modern Batman with real world tactical gear.

ACCESSORIES:

The included accessories are the 2 headsculpts, 7 interchangeable hands, 10 Batarangs, 1 grappling gun, 1 closed grappling hook, 1 open grappling hook, 1 open grappling hook with attached rope, 1 heavy assault Batarang, 1 tranq-dart wrist crossbow, an arm for posing, a set of cape hooks, the base stand with the Batman logo, and a bag for storing the accessories.

The gloves he has are SAP gloves.  There are all black with the hard knuckle portion exposed. The site lists only 6 Batarangs but there are 10 included.  They are the staple in Batman’s arsenal and they have some etching to give them some character other than a flat surface.  It’s a good thing that they include 4 extra Batarangs because they are small and, I’m sure, they can be easily lost. The grappling gun is more like a pistol rather than some of the other shapes that character has had.  It can be combined with the open and closed grappling hooks plus the utility belt has a holster under the cape to keep it hidden.  The open hook with the rope can be made to look like he his shooting the grappler.  You could rig up something to keep it hanging for display or photos.  There is a plastic plug that goes into the gun.  I was able to get a few photos that look like he shot the hook and he’s about to swing upward. 

The heavy assault Batarang or Bat-brick as Mezco is calling it, is a bigger bat symbol that would work like a shield, be thrown to break thick glass, or thrown at a villain to take them down. The tranq-dart wrist crossbow is an interesting accessory.  It took some adjusting to get it to sit right on his hand.  

The base stand has a black Bat-symbol against the grey with the heel peg.  The peg is removable for the arm to be used with the stand.  The arm is good for an aerial pose and there is a clamp for the cape hooks. This is my first One:12 Collective figure with a cape so the hooks that it came are new to me.  They clamp on the arm and hold the cape in place so that you can keep it there for photos or display.  It works how it should but I’ll admit it took me a little bit to figure out due to the lack of a manual.  Also, it isn’t listed as an included accessory anywhere so I wasn’t sure what to do with it.  Once I got it attached to the arm and the cape, it did the job.  As per usual, there is an accessory bag included to keep them in the piece.
 

ARTICULATION:

The figure is pretty flexible.  The body underneath the costume bends with the double joints in the knees and the elbows.  That’s where the costume material comes in to move with the body.  The head is on a ball joint so it can move around in any direction and still look very natural at the neck.  The torso and hips also have some room to move/twist.  Like I said, the midair posing on the arm and cape hooks looks really cool.  There isn’t much to limit his movement other than getting the kneepads in the right place.  Also, the utility belt can ride up his torso depending on the position of his hips and torso.  The wrists and ankles rotate well in the same manner as the rest in the line.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

I’m something of a nerd when it comes to all things Batman so I’m always on the lookout for good representations of The Dark Knight. This definitely falls into that something for fans to want to pick up.  There are a few things that make me love it and one of them is where the influences of the design came from.  The look is slick and matches with the other villains that have been released.  
 
One little gripe is that I wish Mezco would do instruction manuals, even if it is a one sheet for a brief overview of what’s included by name.  I know the image on the back of the box shows almost everything but a little guidance on the cape hooks would’ve been helpful.  The design, the headsculpts, the accessories, and the functionality all have been done incredibly well.  I can easily give this one the recommend and move on him quickly before he sells out.