Bmutha
Super Freak
As a Canadian, I must post this (my signed, authentic Sid Crosby jersey...Vancouver 2010 style!):
Bmutha's Collection
- Thread starter Bmutha
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Aka_ugly
Super Freak
Nice pics of batmen and joker together.
I should be getting my batman on Tuesday. I had to buy mine off of evil bay. I hope I don't run into this problem.
I should be getting my batman on Tuesday. I had to buy mine off of evil bay. I hope I don't run into this problem.
Uncle Bingo
Love that Joker
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2014
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I just went through your thread and your collection is absolutely amazing! I really love your comic collection and I think your Thor PF turned out fantastic!
Bmutha
Super Freak
Well, I can tell you that I had never used a Dremel before yesterday, and it was very easy to use. It is very precise, you can basically shave of fractions of a millimeter at a time. Don't be afraid if you have to use one...just practice on something else first to get the hang of it. Good luck, and congrats on finally getting your Batman!
Thanks, bud. Yeah, the Thor is probably my favorite piece in my collection. It just draws your eye immediately. He's off getting a bit more work done, and I hope to have him back in a month or so.
Bmutha
Super Freak
Batman PF Review
Alright, so, now that I have my complete Batman PF EX all set up, I finally feel able to admire this thing in all its glory.
First off, the box for this beast is HUGE...almost as big as the box that the Thor PF (comic version) comes in. The packaging seemed reasonably secure, although the cape appears to be the most vulnerable, seems more and more people with cracked or broken capes. So, make sure you inspect both sides of your cape for damage and cracks. Also, be careful when you first pull the styrofoam out of the box. Many people, including me, had an issue where a circular piece of the styrofoam right below where the base sits was actually broken, allowing the base to fall out. BE CAREFUL!!
For me, and I'm sure many of you, Batman was a day 1 (practically minute 1) pre-order. Sideshow's very first Batman PF (I'm sure there will be many more to come)...I just had to have it. Batman is a freaking cultural icon, one of the most popular, if not the most popular super hero...ever. This PF, despite its issues, largely (literally) lives up to that larger than life status.
The base on this thing is beautiful. Yeah, it's a standard gargoyle. We've seen Batman perched on gargoyles, surveying the streets of Gotham down below a million times so there's not much new here, but Sideshow really executed this base well, and it really lends itself nicely to this iconic Batman pose. And this base is HEAVY! It feels solid in your hands...no cheap crap here. The one knock on the base is that, for some people, it's a little wobbly. It seems like the factory workers put the little rubber feet in the wrong spots, or just didn't use enough. A bit of a misstep on Sideshow's part maybe, but don't fret. Just throw a few extra pads under there, or shim it up with some cardboard or something similar (I folded up a few pieces of foam paper...did the trick nicely).
Pose...well, it's a museum pose with a bit of a twist...a slight turn at the waist, and his head is looking off to the side (one of them is, anyway). I've read that Sideshow was going for a "god like" look for this piece, and I think they nailed it. Imagine being a criminal on the streets of Gotham, and looking up to see this costumed brute watching you up on the city skyline? Yes, time to change your undies, because you would have just crapped your pants....
Much of the sculpt is hidden below the fabric suit, but you can see some good definition and details in the abs, arms, and legs. This Batman is an amazing physical specimen to say the least! Clearly, he's been working out! The sculpted pieces (head, hands, boots) do look very nice, with nice attention to detail. The cape, though…DAT CAPE! Wow, the detail and just the size of the cape makes it very impressive. The cape is probably my favorite part about this piece, all of the intricate folds and the way it is flowing…looks like it’s blowing in the wind. Without it, the pose would look fairly static, but the cape details really lend a sense of action to the piece.
The mixed media, well...it's very nice. The subtle diamond pattern is a nice detail, and for the most part, the fabric is nicely form fitting. But, alas, we all know about the pit issue. It's not actually as bad as some of the pictures out there make it look (especially those first pics that scared the crap out of everyone!), but in no way are they how Sideshow intended them to look. There are a few ways to fix them, so people of all skill levels should be able to get theirs looking the way they want it to. I have done the “pit surgery” on mine with success, so the saggy pits are a non-issue for me now. The saggy pits are a big miscue by Sideshow, in my opinion, and it’s unfortunate that this happened after a year and a half wait. Although it's not as bad in person, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the pits should have been glued in place from the beginning.
The utility belt on this thing is amazing, though, and really adds to the piece overall. I'm really glad they went with a fabric belt. His undies are fabric, too…kind of a pleather material, and they look ok (they’re plain black undies…not much else to say about them).
The logo on the production piece is different than the one originally shown on the prototype pics. The original was smaller, more rounded/circular, and had an embossed look. The one we got is larger, with long sleek lines...to be honest, I like the production logo better, as I think it is more accurate to the comics. They did ditch the embossed look, which is unfortunate, but not a deal breaker for me. Some people had issues with the logo being too low on the chest...you can adjust it somewhat, but what you see is basically what you get (if you do the pit surgery, make sure you get the logo in a spot to your liking before you re-glue the suit). Overall, the logo looks great in my books.
Mine is the EX version, so I have the extra switch-out right hand holding his signature batarang. I thought the batarang was going to be a non-issue, really…on Sideshow’s site, it looks small and kind of hidden by the leg. But, the batarang is large and I feel it really adds a lot to the statue…I wouldn’t say EX or fail, but it is much nicer and more noticeable than expected. I think it's safe to say that anyone that is lucky enough to have the EX will be displaying with the batarang hand without any second thought. The regular comes with only the clenched fist right hand. If you got the reg, you may also consider yourself lucky, because this statue is still amazing without the batarang.
Both versions come with two head sculpts. You have the short-eared head that looks off to the side (my favorite), and the long-eared forward facing head. Both are very nice, and depending on which one you use, it can really change the dynamic of the statue. Some people were put off by the darker complexion on the face…personally I have no issue with the colour used on his face. Looks great to me (I've seen the repaints, and they are a noticeable improvement, but I'm fine with the factory paint job). Both faces make Batman look every bit like the grizzled, battle hardened crime fighter of the night that he is, and either one you choose will look great.
The paint job on this piece is nice, but nothing really jumps out at me as spectacular. The gloves and boots look leather-like, and they shaded them to show a bit of wear and tear (Batman’s gloves probably take a beating after laying the smack down on criminals all night long). As I noted above, some people have issue with the face paint, but I’m not too fussed about it.
Where this piece really shines is its sheer size and presence. It’s officially a ¼ scale piece, but he’s a bit larger than that…heck, this guy is not that much smaller than my Hulk maquette (he's actually a bit taller, but I'm talking just sheer bulk)! Personally, I like how this larger size just makes Batman look that much more imposing, but it will cause some sleepless nights for you scale freaks that want all of your pieces to be the exact same precise scale…Batman will dwarf most ¼ pieces.
All said, Batman is a glorious PF. The base is beautiful, the cape lends a sense of action, he’s freaking huge, and, well, he’s freaking Batman! A few issues at the factory level are holding this piece back from a better score (although, if you have the nerve to fix the pits, you can get this thing pretty damn close to the prototype). Is this piece a grail? For some, only pieces with extremely low ES can be considered a grail (supply), but I think those people sometimes forget the demand side of the equation. This is Batman, and I think this will be a desirable piece in the future for that reason alone. So…grail? I know I don’t plan to ever sell mine…
Pose: 8.5 / 10, museum pose with a twist
Detail: 8.5 / 10, the cape is superb, great muscle definition, love the utility belt, details on both face sculpts are exceptional
Paint/Mixed Media: 8.5 / 10, I can’t find anything really wrong with the paint, but nothing really “pops”. Mixed media materials are very nice, but “saggy pits” out of the box keep this from a perfect score
Presence: 10 / 10, HUGE, imposing statue will catch your eye every time
Base: 4.5 / 5, doesn’t get a full score because it is slightly wobbly and didn’t need to be
Bonus: 5 / 5, each head changes the look of the statue and the EX batarang is much more noticeable than anticipated
Overall: 45 / 50 for a score of 90% for the piece straight out of the box, 46.5 / 50 93% after pit surgery
Alright, so, now that I have my complete Batman PF EX all set up, I finally feel able to admire this thing in all its glory.
First off, the box for this beast is HUGE...almost as big as the box that the Thor PF (comic version) comes in. The packaging seemed reasonably secure, although the cape appears to be the most vulnerable, seems more and more people with cracked or broken capes. So, make sure you inspect both sides of your cape for damage and cracks. Also, be careful when you first pull the styrofoam out of the box. Many people, including me, had an issue where a circular piece of the styrofoam right below where the base sits was actually broken, allowing the base to fall out. BE CAREFUL!!
For me, and I'm sure many of you, Batman was a day 1 (practically minute 1) pre-order. Sideshow's very first Batman PF (I'm sure there will be many more to come)...I just had to have it. Batman is a freaking cultural icon, one of the most popular, if not the most popular super hero...ever. This PF, despite its issues, largely (literally) lives up to that larger than life status.
The base on this thing is beautiful. Yeah, it's a standard gargoyle. We've seen Batman perched on gargoyles, surveying the streets of Gotham down below a million times so there's not much new here, but Sideshow really executed this base well, and it really lends itself nicely to this iconic Batman pose. And this base is HEAVY! It feels solid in your hands...no cheap crap here. The one knock on the base is that, for some people, it's a little wobbly. It seems like the factory workers put the little rubber feet in the wrong spots, or just didn't use enough. A bit of a misstep on Sideshow's part maybe, but don't fret. Just throw a few extra pads under there, or shim it up with some cardboard or something similar (I folded up a few pieces of foam paper...did the trick nicely).
Pose...well, it's a museum pose with a bit of a twist...a slight turn at the waist, and his head is looking off to the side (one of them is, anyway). I've read that Sideshow was going for a "god like" look for this piece, and I think they nailed it. Imagine being a criminal on the streets of Gotham, and looking up to see this costumed brute watching you up on the city skyline? Yes, time to change your undies, because you would have just crapped your pants....
Much of the sculpt is hidden below the fabric suit, but you can see some good definition and details in the abs, arms, and legs. This Batman is an amazing physical specimen to say the least! Clearly, he's been working out! The sculpted pieces (head, hands, boots) do look very nice, with nice attention to detail. The cape, though…DAT CAPE! Wow, the detail and just the size of the cape makes it very impressive. The cape is probably my favorite part about this piece, all of the intricate folds and the way it is flowing…looks like it’s blowing in the wind. Without it, the pose would look fairly static, but the cape details really lend a sense of action to the piece.
The mixed media, well...it's very nice. The subtle diamond pattern is a nice detail, and for the most part, the fabric is nicely form fitting. But, alas, we all know about the pit issue. It's not actually as bad as some of the pictures out there make it look (especially those first pics that scared the crap out of everyone!), but in no way are they how Sideshow intended them to look. There are a few ways to fix them, so people of all skill levels should be able to get theirs looking the way they want it to. I have done the “pit surgery” on mine with success, so the saggy pits are a non-issue for me now. The saggy pits are a big miscue by Sideshow, in my opinion, and it’s unfortunate that this happened after a year and a half wait. Although it's not as bad in person, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the pits should have been glued in place from the beginning.
The utility belt on this thing is amazing, though, and really adds to the piece overall. I'm really glad they went with a fabric belt. His undies are fabric, too…kind of a pleather material, and they look ok (they’re plain black undies…not much else to say about them).
The logo on the production piece is different than the one originally shown on the prototype pics. The original was smaller, more rounded/circular, and had an embossed look. The one we got is larger, with long sleek lines...to be honest, I like the production logo better, as I think it is more accurate to the comics. They did ditch the embossed look, which is unfortunate, but not a deal breaker for me. Some people had issues with the logo being too low on the chest...you can adjust it somewhat, but what you see is basically what you get (if you do the pit surgery, make sure you get the logo in a spot to your liking before you re-glue the suit). Overall, the logo looks great in my books.
Mine is the EX version, so I have the extra switch-out right hand holding his signature batarang. I thought the batarang was going to be a non-issue, really…on Sideshow’s site, it looks small and kind of hidden by the leg. But, the batarang is large and I feel it really adds a lot to the statue…I wouldn’t say EX or fail, but it is much nicer and more noticeable than expected. I think it's safe to say that anyone that is lucky enough to have the EX will be displaying with the batarang hand without any second thought. The regular comes with only the clenched fist right hand. If you got the reg, you may also consider yourself lucky, because this statue is still amazing without the batarang.
Both versions come with two head sculpts. You have the short-eared head that looks off to the side (my favorite), and the long-eared forward facing head. Both are very nice, and depending on which one you use, it can really change the dynamic of the statue. Some people were put off by the darker complexion on the face…personally I have no issue with the colour used on his face. Looks great to me (I've seen the repaints, and they are a noticeable improvement, but I'm fine with the factory paint job). Both faces make Batman look every bit like the grizzled, battle hardened crime fighter of the night that he is, and either one you choose will look great.
The paint job on this piece is nice, but nothing really jumps out at me as spectacular. The gloves and boots look leather-like, and they shaded them to show a bit of wear and tear (Batman’s gloves probably take a beating after laying the smack down on criminals all night long). As I noted above, some people have issue with the face paint, but I’m not too fussed about it.
Where this piece really shines is its sheer size and presence. It’s officially a ¼ scale piece, but he’s a bit larger than that…heck, this guy is not that much smaller than my Hulk maquette (he's actually a bit taller, but I'm talking just sheer bulk)! Personally, I like how this larger size just makes Batman look that much more imposing, but it will cause some sleepless nights for you scale freaks that want all of your pieces to be the exact same precise scale…Batman will dwarf most ¼ pieces.
All said, Batman is a glorious PF. The base is beautiful, the cape lends a sense of action, he’s freaking huge, and, well, he’s freaking Batman! A few issues at the factory level are holding this piece back from a better score (although, if you have the nerve to fix the pits, you can get this thing pretty damn close to the prototype). Is this piece a grail? For some, only pieces with extremely low ES can be considered a grail (supply), but I think those people sometimes forget the demand side of the equation. This is Batman, and I think this will be a desirable piece in the future for that reason alone. So…grail? I know I don’t plan to ever sell mine…
Pose: 8.5 / 10, museum pose with a twist
Detail: 8.5 / 10, the cape is superb, great muscle definition, love the utility belt, details on both face sculpts are exceptional
Paint/Mixed Media: 8.5 / 10, I can’t find anything really wrong with the paint, but nothing really “pops”. Mixed media materials are very nice, but “saggy pits” out of the box keep this from a perfect score
Presence: 10 / 10, HUGE, imposing statue will catch your eye every time
Base: 4.5 / 5, doesn’t get a full score because it is slightly wobbly and didn’t need to be
Bonus: 5 / 5, each head changes the look of the statue and the EX batarang is much more noticeable than anticipated
Overall: 45 / 50 for a score of 90% for the piece straight out of the box, 46.5 / 50 93% after pit surgery
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Bmutha
Super Freak
Batman pit surgery how-to video. Please excuse my cinematography skills! Hopefully this can help a few people out that are thinking of doing this.
Bmutha
Super Freak
Thank you very much for the video Bmutha, i will do it as soon as it arrives
Good luck, bud! Take your time and it will turn out great.
RobertoBagg10
Super Freak
Great video Kris 
really indepth tutorial that will help many a collector when it comes to fixing the pit issue. Thanks for sharing 
really indepth tutorial that will help many a collector when it comes to fixing the pit issue. Thanks for sharing 
darthstitch
Super Freak
Alright, just what you all wanted...more Batman pics!
This is my replacement body from Sideshow. I had to fight with it to get it to fit on the base. The metal peg was at the wrong angle, and that causes the peg on the left foot to me misaligned with the hole (by quite a wide margin). No problem for me, though! I picked up a dremel 3000 from Home Depot (always wanted an excuse to get one) and shaved down the metal peg and enlarged the hole where the metal peg fits...voila, fits like a dream now. I also ended up having to shave down the peg on the right arm, as the batarang hand didn't fit properly either.
After these two fixes, this new body is nearly flawless. I'll try to post a review soon, but here are a few pics of my (finally) complete Batman PF EX:
Great pics bro
Bmutha
Super Freak
Great video Kris
Great pics bro
Thanks, guys!
Antman84
Super Freak
Wow great review
Bmutha
Super Freak
Wow great review
Thanks!
Tavegg
Super Freak
Awesome review man. Very extensive and well thought out. Dead on IMO
Bmutha
Super Freak
Thanks, bud!
i just went through all 30 pages of this (slow afternoon 
)
Damn nice thread right here!! Great stuff, custom cabinets, great photos, great collection, Amazing comics and that Jersey!!!
Great stuff Bmutha, keep postin!
)Damn nice thread right here!! Great stuff, custom cabinets, great photos, great collection, Amazing comics and that Jersey!!!
Great stuff Bmutha, keep postin!
Bmutha
Super Freak
i just went through all 30 pages of this (slow afternoon
Damn nice thread right here!! Great stuff, custom cabinets, great photos, great collection, Amazing comics and that Jersey!!!
Great stuff Bmutha, keep postin!
Thanks for the compliments, my man (only fellow Canadians seem to appreciate that jersey!).
The last year has been pretty intense. I joined these boards about a year ago and since then my collection has exploded! I've moved some stuff out, but there is definitely more coming in than going out.
Here is an update to my ongoing collage...these are the pieces I've brought in in the last year:
RobertoBagg10
Super Freak
Nice collage Kris....love to see a collection grow and yours has certainly flourished over recent months. Congrats
Thanks for the compliments, my man (only fellow Canadians seem to appreciate that jersey!).
The last year has been pretty intense. I joined these boards about a year ago and since then my collection has exploded! I've moved some stuff out, but there is definitely more coming in than going out.
Here is an update to my ongoing collage...these are the pieces I've brought in in the last year:
I would take that jersey over any statue...huge Hockey fan
excellent haul over the last year! and the collage looks great!
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