Incredible

He has finally arrived.Unsuspectingly (okay, excitedly) I open this box to discover the back of what appears to be a Hot Toys Dark Knight Figure. Could it be?

Yes it is! This box is gorgeous. The sleeve around the actual box is heavy, made of some kind of composite cardboard that feels sturdier than I was expecting. The artwork on the box is second to none. What about the inside, though?

Wow. The window is amazing. The picture opposite plus the description underplay how incredible this figure is turning out to be. I've never been into 12" figures (except for Ultimate Soldier figures from the late 90's), so I'm hoping I'm not let down. Let's open it up!

Incredible. This is, without a doubt, the greatest Batman figure I've ever seen. The detail is so intense and minute that it's almost like actual movie prop work. The head sculpt looks like it's alive (the gloss they used for the eyes really gets me), and it looks like its name is Christian Bale. The articulation is unlike anything I've ever seen.

The accessories are so cool too. I'm a little disappointed that the batarangs don't clip into the belt like they did for version 1.0 of the Hot Toys Batman (with the Begins suit), but not exceptionally disappointed. The grapnel gun (yes, it's spelled "grapnel", I looked it up) clips onto the back of the belt, hidden by the cape.

Speaking of the cape, I was a little concerned that a large fabric cape would look a bit goofy on a 12" figure. Not so. It doesn't overwhelm the figure at all, and only adds to the overall look. It's a bit difficult to interchange the hands (I'm also nervous I'll break him), but it works. Without a doubt, I don't regret spending a single penny to get this guy. He's outstanding, in every sense of the word.

An epic battle for the ages.