Modification/Customization for the DX12 Batman Figure

Collector Freaks Forum

Help Support Collector Freaks Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Maglor

Super Freak
Joined
Jan 22, 2009
Messages
22,863
Reaction score
13
Location
Here
The DX12 Batman figure is excellent right out of the box, however (perhaps more than most figures) he is greatly improved by modification/customization.

I thought we could use a thread dedicated to the subject in the DC Customs Forum. To start things off, I'll share a series of videos I threw together on the subject. Followed by some picture tutorials. I will set aside a few more posts for other mods as they come to light so we can keep the main stuff on the first page. Everyone please feel free to contribute any mods you have done or ask any questions you might have about any mods that are mentioned. :duff



Part 1 covers modifications/suggestions for:

  • Cowl and faceplates
  • Neck
  • Custom cape
  • Shoulder pads


[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qF2dPsq0i4[/ame]






Part 2 covers modifications/suggestions for:

  • Gauntlets
  • Belt installation on DX02
  • Glove mod (with live demonstration)
  • Ab straps
  • Belt positioning


[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJG11RpIjco[/ame]




Part 3 covers modifications/suggestions for:

  • Ankles/Boots (with live demonstration)
  • Fitting the DX12 Bruce Wayne head to the DX02 body.


[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNFpvVpHZ0o[/ame]




One last video ('cos I forgot a couple things...) covers

  • More about the gloves
  • How to futz the ab armor
  • Fitting the DX02 backpack to the DX12

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htGTv_cA4HE[/ame]



[Oops... 4 and a half minutes, not 2 and a half...]
 
Last edited:
Neck Shortening Mod:




A quick breakdown of the neck mod for anyone curious:

photonov0785238am.jpg


1. Carefully split the post in two at the seams.

2. Remove the bottom rubber grommet, don't be too rough, as it is glued in place.

3. Snap the neck post back together. There are four posts that snap together, so you don't even need to glue it.

The difference is subtle, and you may not even think its necessary, but I personally think it makes a difference, and fixes the only issue I had with this guy.



Alternate Neck Mod:

Mod link: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5129583#post5129583

09-1.jpg




Neck Widening Mod:


Mod link: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5135579#post5135579

IMG_6636s_zps672c3066.png




Glove mod:


IMG_4161.jpg







Elbow pad mod (cut version):


IMG_4162.jpg





If you wanna put the BW sculpt on the DX02

Link to mod: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5179669#post5179669


IMG_4256.jpg



Custom capes.


Here he is with the long rayon.

IMG_4264.jpg




Short rayon:

IMG_4427.jpg




Velvet cape (not sure which length, but I think it's the "hero template"):


Just got mine today...not perfect, but very happy with it! If you futz with the pers you can make them look pretty good imo

IMAG0086.jpg
 
Last edited:
PERS plate removal:


Edit: Got it out (the PERS plate), not for the faint hearted.. nearly lost a finger..
photo-66.jpg

photo-65.jpg




Squint mod:



Well guys, I can guarantee you when you see it in its actual scale it does not look 'sleepy' (thanks mags). Sometimes it's easy to forget that these things are minute in hand, not bown up in macro. But anyway thanks for all the positive responses (except mags).

You may ask, why not try to do it from outside? You could do something from the outside but it won't look smooth and perfect, the detail is so fine any roughness looks really bad.

So anyway, to try and answer some of your questions. To get at the PERS plate. I spent weeks thinking about this, tried twice and gave up, but decided to go for broke today, I have two cowls so I thought I would take the gamble. I took some pics as I went so I will post in future. There are several obstacles to get through..

1: there are two circular metal plates around the inside of the head.
These are to stick to the magnet neck. Wedge them off, but keep them. You will need them again.

2: under the magnets is a very strong black plastic semi circle. This is a bastard to get out. It's the type of plastic that shatters rather than bends and it's in there tight. Once you get it out you can see the PERS control and back of faceplate.

3: the face plate (as shown in previous pic, is a rectangle of flesh coloured plastic, this is soft, to hold the eyeballs. I had to cut this away from the inside of the mask, one slip and you will ruin the eye hole of the cowl or puncture your finger..ahem.

4: Once you get it out, sand down the areas that are messy. Personally I think it's a really bad idea to get rid of the bottom eyelid, as it's painted very well and gives the eye structure. Also it is almost flat so depending on the shape of the top lid can give you different expressions. I wanted tiny eyes, hidden in black, because I love that look.

5: you need to use an epoxy putty, one that air dries very hard. I used black. Now if you haven't done anything at his scale before I recommend you try this before you open the head, it's a very precise job for someone without sculpting experience. Even a finger print ruins the illusion at this scale, it has to be completely smooth, once dry, use a very fine paper, wet as you go. Then paint, i also added gloss varnish to the wet areas of the eye socket, it doesnt show up on thise pics but looks great in hand. Then pop the PERS eyeballs back in and reassemble, this is quite easy. The biggest challenge with this project is to not damage the outside of the cowl, tricky when you are wedging and breaking inside the head.

No more derpy derp.





I used Milliput 2part epoxy putty Standard yellow-grey mix. hardens overnight and is rock solid. you can sand it afterwards if you need to smooth things out. really good for sculpting onto something that you don't want to potentially ruin by baking
31I20E4TFPL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

And to answer your second question, no I didn't take out the PERS system. didn't want to risk damaging anything





Squint mod with Medicom mouth:






Eyelids painted without squint (Use a flat black acrylic):




DX02 face plate mod:



Change I made on the mouth of the DX02 to make it compatible with the head to DX12.
121115112304381070.jpg



In the above pic, skyler appears to have simply cut off the peg and part of the chin. I used an emery board and sanded the chin, upper lip and back.
 
Last edited:
Face-Plate Swaps



DX02 neutral mouth:

IMG_4366.jpg



DX02 open mouth:



IMG_4333.jpg



DX02 angry mouth:




Smirk mouth to Open mouth mod:

Mod link: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5099354#post5099354


Essentially, I sliced apart the lips of the "smirk" faceplate with an Exacto knife, cut out some of the inside material and forced the lips open with tweezers and the end of a small paintbrush. It seems simple in theory but it was actually very time consuming and delicate. I even had to touch up the paint on the lips afterward because some rubbed off in the process. The head itself is actually an extra I purchased strictly for mods. Not sure if I would risk it if I only had one set of face plates to tinker with. I actually don't even have the figure yet - that head is sitting atop a Medi body for now. Hopefully BBTS ships my whole figure soon!

I will do another update with my "teeth" mouth plate mod later this evening.


With Modified Medicom Head:

Here's a medicom head I modded and repainted for shortround.

I think the size is just right and thi is the first time it looks good on a pics.

Pics courtesy of shortround.

IMG_0431.jpg




DX12 neutral mouth with the back sanded (also, squint mod):

Here, I've sculpted new eyelids for the squint and sanded down the back of the mouth pieces so they fit deeper into the mouth. felt they stuck too far out before...

SAM_3130_zps39dbd562-1_zps0e87ad5a.jpg



Robbiethepainter custom face plate:

...custom faceplate from Robbie

IMAG0165.jpg
 
Last edited:
Ab strap mod:


IMG_4381a.jpg


They should be a deep black, and they are pretty subtle. However, on the DX12, they are a grey - lighter than the abs themselves, which makes them pop - plus they are shinny. They draw your eye, and I had to do something about it. This comparison is crap, because I didn't think to take a flash "before" pic. Anyway...



Before:


IMG_4375.jpg






After:


IMG_4379.jpg


All I did was paint the straps with a flat black acrylic. They are darker and reflect less light, meaning they are more subtle, which makes me happy. I know it's not a major change (and I suspect most can't even see what I did), but I like it. As you can see, I fixed that white spot on his lower right ab as well. :)





Here's a flash "after" pic:


IMG_4381.jpg


I know that this is hard to see, but looking at the last flash picture you can see the color the ab straps used to be if you look at the bicep straps/bands. The ab straps are noticeably darker now.


Also, I need to do a second coat, as after it fully dried some of the grey started showing through on a few of the straps...




Gauntlet "cuff" mod:



...Dipped them in near boiling water and reshaped the openings by the hands. Trimmed the hands down. Now there is an overlap where the gauntlet sits over the glove.

Iphone pics only at the moment, but hopefully you get the idea...

6EFD76EC-A2A6-400B-A70F-8F5E8FBFA1D4-487-000000CE4772428D.jpg







Ankle widening mod:

IMG_4455.jpg




See video #3 in 1st post for how-to.



Boot swap mod:




Combo Boot Mod:


These are DX12 Boots modded with DX02 rubber tops...

photo-60.jpg




Sleeve fix.


IMG_4583.jpg




Click link if your sleeve looks pulled up under the gauntlet: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5095917#post5095917
 
Last edited:
Chest Kevlar Straightening Mod:

Link to full mod: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5095693#post5095693


Nocrookedlines.jpg



Credit to LipSmack for being the first to do this mod/fix.




Shoulder-Plate Separation Mod:

Mod Link: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5139045#post5139045


doubleshoulderplates_zps910b8294.png




I took Plasmid's shoulder mod and made a little improvement. I had a pair of DX02 shoulder pads laying around. So I cut them up, sanded them and glued the bottom piece to add that plate underneath the shoulder armor. Came out great I think. Now I just need to figure out a way to do the same mod for my second one. :)

IMG_0763_zpsfd091eab.jpg


Alternate Shoulder-Plate Separation Mod:

Mod Link: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5154320#post5154320

just for fun, wanted to do this custom shoulder pad since DX02 came out, now we got the DX12, going all out on both :yess:

*Note, I test this custom on the DX02 first, since our DX02 has the sleeves mod way before HT releases theirs..... then will do the same on the DX12 after.



Once satisfy with the shape, spray painted with matt black color

DSC09423_zps7004a047.jpg


Now we add our custom cape onto the suit, the fabric on the cape surround the edge of the shoulder pad real well.
DSC09426_zpsea03f331.jpg



Neck Sleeve mod:

Custom neck mod, we made a new neck sleeve to go over the original neck piece on both our DX02 and DX12. Now it has the real mesh in it :) Will be thicken it a bit more, these are still prototype...

DKRNeck1220124_zps95ff0067.jpg
 
Last edited:
Shoulder pad shrink mod:


Mod links here: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5096008#post5096008

https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5141738#post5141738


IMG_4655b.jpg




Shoulders, kevlar connector, and collar replacement mod.


Link: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5092629#post5092629

I also replaced the uppder parts from the dx02 armor.
So I replaced the shoulders, kevlar connector and collar.

Basically I highlighted in red the parts form the DX02.
I think the shoulder pads looks more in scale and the kevlar connector ar emore accurate.

P1050775-01.jpg

P1050778-01.jpg


Kevlar Connector Correction Mod:

Mod link: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5157451#post5157451


Finished mod...:
IMG_6974edit_zps491e8649.png
.



Custom Bruce Wayne "non-PERS plate":

Mod link: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5172117#post5172117

New non-pers eyes for Batman, taken from the Bruce sculpt. I carved into one and painted it. Also displayed here with Robbie's custom face plate...
IMG_7058s_zpsed79d325.png



Cape Collar Adjustment:

Mod Link: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5206462#post5206462

I Modded the shoulders to allow the cape to sit closer to the collar and neck, like on the real suit. I did this by cutting a section of the armor out right below where the cape holes are set. The cape now sits lower on the body. Doing so creates a nice slope effect for the shoulders as well.

IMG_7166_zps90d9536a.png



Inner suit removal (gets rid of thunder-thighs and increases articulation):

Link: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5208343#post5208343


What I didn't like was the lack of lower body and hip articulation. So I decided to cut apart the batsuit to see why, only to find a foam padded undersuit. The undersuit is held in place with lycra shoulder straps, and glued to slots in the inner thighs of the True Type body. Also the shoulder and bicep areas are adhered to the suit with a sticky adhesive.

This deliberate destruction of such an expensive item isn't for the faint of heart, but if you are careful, the outer suit will come off with care and no permenant damage.

As seen in the picture, I cut an inch down the front and back of the black suit, and slipped the body out. When it was reassembled, the cut ends were reinforced with fabric glue to prevent fraying, and a strip of elastic lycra was glued under the cut ends to rejoin it. Glue for me as I cant sew.

DX12BATMAN03_zps9a02c5af.jpg
 
Last edited:
nice quick mod tutorial Maglor your video's went super fast and very cool last pic, thank's for posting them...
 
Thanks so much Mags... freaking awesome. This needs to be pineed! Once I receive my dx12s I'm going to attempt some of these!!!
 
Cripes. Does all this need to be done to make this a truly decent figure?? He's in my "Pile" at BBTS, but this is making me wonder if I should even bother. I'm not into spending all this time customizing my figures to get them where they need to be.

Cool of you to put all this together though, Mags.
 
Just to make the case for at least painting the eyelids black:


Biogl.jpg




The pink around the eyes on the DX12 is way too prominent.
 
My DX12 will be here tomorrow and seeing as I'm new at this, I'm not sure that I'll be doing any mods to a brand new $260 figure....but I did want to say THANK YOU for putting it all in one place. I had read about some of this here and there on the DX12 thread but sifting through hundreds of posts is just impossible.

So thanks for taking the time to do all of this.
 
Wow awesome work man, probably won't do many of these but I can appreciate people wanting to,thanks for compiling it all
 
Back
Top