Greg Capullo’s Two-Face Figure Finally Rears His Ugly Head, and It’s Awesome [Review]

It's hard to believe that it's been more than a year since we last saw any figures in the Greg Capullo DC Collectibles Designer Series. DC Collectibles has been busy with a number of Batman-related releases, as well as the Icon series and other artists in the Designer Series line, but after getting three waves in a year, the stark silence on the Capullo figures was a bit disheartening.

Though hardly the first figures produced in-house at DC to replicate the style of an artist currently at the employ of the comic publisher, the Capullo Designer Series featured some bold imaginings that captured the look and feel of the top-selling comic book in DC's stable. There was a strong connection between the figures and book, and it was startling to see just how well DC Collectibles' Jonathan Matthews was able to bring Capullo's linework to life.

The third series, which we reviewed last December, was originally supposed to include a revamped Two-Face, but production delays got in the way of Harvey's release. Rather than putting out a figure that wouldn't match the quality of the previously released characters, DC Collectibles shelved Two-Face until the issues (which were never really made clear) were resolved. While that's resulted in Two-Face shipping almost exactly one year later than he was supposed to (no pun intended), it also resulted in a strong figure that does the line and the character justice. That seems perfect for ol' Harvey Dent.

Like a number of the Capullo Designer Series figures, Two-Face has hardly appeared in Batman. Save for a few panels here and there, we've hardly seen Harvey at all in Scott Snyder's and Greg Capullo's New 52 version of the headliner Bat-book. Based on this sculpt, I wish he actually was around a bit more as this gruesome visage is one that would surely stand out compared to the pale-faced Joker and mutton-chopped Riddler that took up so much of Batman's time. Not that those stories were bad, it just would have been nice to see more of the rogues gallery incorporated outside of "Endgame." Even the box art for this figure comes from the opening spread of Batman #1, which arrived back in 2011. That's how long it's been since we've seen any real impact from Two-Face.

Now here we are, just about five years later with the former district attorney finally getting his revamped New 52 due. Capullo's Two-Face is fairly grotesque, taking a bit of inspiration from the Aaron Eckhart version from The Dark Knight. Harvey was a bit blonder in the comic pages, but the brown hair suits him just fine. Despite his better half having few defining lines, Matthews did a nice job giving the impression of weariness on his unscarred face. The damaged half of Harvey's head is impressively detailed, and shows a lot of exposed sinew and muscle. You could make the case that this is a bit too much, but it's captured in such terrific detail at this scale, it's hard to look away.

The hollowed eye in particular calls to your attention simply because there's a gaping black hole there. You can't see what that side of Harvey is thinking, but you know it's not good. It's all tied together with a great pain app that gives off a little bit of shine and slickness. That muscle is still raw like a fresh cut. It's almost as if you might get your hands wet with mucous by touching it. That's some spectacular work.

The classic black and white suit calls back to the way Two-Face was presented in Batman: The Animated Series. The app is crisp and fresh, and there's virtually no bleeding whatsoever. That's a tough bit of work for a mass market figure like this, but that kind of polish goes a long way in selling the figure's ambiance. Harvey deals only in absolutes, so having any kind of colors running over would tarnish the Two-Face brand. The three-piece suit does limit the kind of posing you'll be able to get away with, but Two-Face isn't exactly Catwoman either. He can stand on his own just fine, and you can move him around enough to get a solid imposing stance. The buckled shoes are a nice touch too, and have just the right amount of shine to let you know they cost a lot of money. Or they would have if they weren't stolen.

Like Two-Face's head, his hands also get a good and bad version. Sadly, the good side is sculpted to hold Harvey's fateful coin and that's it. There are no alternate hands and the coin isn't removable, so it's rather limited in use. It's odd given that DC's included two pistols for Harvey to use, but he can only actually hold one at a time in his bad hand. I get it; he's Two-Face, so he gets two of everything. It's a rather impractical inclusion though, and I'd rather have gotten some other kind of accessory, like a different second gun, that could actually be used in some manner. Still, the pistol fits nicely in the left hand, which also gets its fair share of scarring.

Hopefully the upcoming Capullo Designer Series arrives on time and without any production delays, as this is a line that's been setting bars for DCC since it started. Had this figure arrived a year ago in conjunction with the rest of the third wave, it would have been a hell of a set of four figures. On his own, Two-Face is a great figure, though the audience for such a piece is rather limited. You're either really into Greg Capullo, or having all the DC Collectibles Batman figures you can get your hands on. I'm not so sure with the myriad of other figures currently shipping from DCC that a more casual fan would grab this one off the peg, but then again, they'd be missing out on a stellar Two-Face.

The DC Collectibles Greg Capullo Batman Designer Series figures are available now on on Amazon, as well as your local comic shop, for ~$24.95. This figure was provided by DC Collectibles for review.