No matter where you stand on the quality of Rocksteady Studios' Batman: Arkham video games, the developer's version of Gotham was undeniably stylish. The mixture of real-world and fantastical elements to craft a Gotham and Batman that were familiar and new all at once was a delicate balance to strike. The aesthetic really hit its stride in the final installment, Arkham Knight, which ramped everything up to eleven including the Bat-suit. Now, Hot Toys has rendered its interpretation of Rocksteady's Batman, and it's a sight to behold.

Hot Toys is no stranger to Batman, nor is it a stranger to Batman video game figures. The company has put its mark on the character over the past decade, with some truly remarkable sixth-scale recreations of Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and even the previous Kevin Conroy incarnation from Batman: Arkham City. While the Arkham City Batman wasn't received quite as well as the movie versions, the Arkham Knight iteration looks to rectify that, and put Rocksteady's Dark Knight on the same page as that from the original 1989 film and the more recent Nolan trilogy.

The more armored take on Batman's outfit made for an interesting take in the game, but it also makes it a more practical take for an action figure. Part of the issues with the Arkham City Batman came from the reliance on the "seamless" body suit. Hot Toys' tailors things too specifically at times, and often renders them rather immobile as a result. Granted no Hot Toy figure buyers are taking these guys out to the playground, but it's nice to be able to pose them without worrying about a the clothing tearing.

This Batman still has a body suit, but it looks like Hot Toys has included more flexibility this time around by adding in the armor padding. Theoretically, this should provide needed poseability in the arms and torso so you can get some of those key Batman poses when displaying the toy. Or you could just leave him in a standing pose, which is intimidating in its own right, but not nearly as dynamic on a shelf.

The traditional accessories are included, like grappling gun and the explosive gel gun, but the best inclusion is clearly the wrist projector. In-game, it's easy to throw that kind of visualization up and make it look good. Here, there's no light in Batman's arm, but you can attach a little video screen pop-up of Barbara Gordon to make it look like Batman is having a long chat about which criminal he should be chasing down next. He also has two jaws to swap out for different reactions, so Batman can be really stoic or really angry. You know, the full range of Bat-emotions.

The Hot Toys Batman: Arkham Knight Batman is available at Sideshow Collectibles for pre-order now for $244.99, and is expected to arrive in Q4 2017.

 

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