I’m
going to be reviewing a
lot of
DC Collectibles’ action figures over the next few weeks. They timed
a huge number of releases to coincide with the holidays, which was
probably a pretty clever idea.
I’ve
written before how I had basically sworn off of DC’s in-house
action figures a few years ago, so I won’t belabor my complaints
about their quality and fragility. Especially since DCC seems to have
made huge strides in those areas.
But
first we have to start with a bit of a throwback figure that honestly
leaves me a little confused – Black Mask.
Since
then he has… presumably done stuff. I can’t honestly recall any
Black Mask stories, though I know I’ve seen the guy.
For
reasons that become apparent as you play through the game, the makers
of Arkham
Origins
gave ol’ BM a pretty substantial role.
This
is the Roman Sionis version of Black Mask, as seen in Batman:
Arkham Origins
and in one of the DLC packs for Arkham
City.
Well, he was dressed differently in City,
but I thought it was worth mentioning that he was in there. And also
worth mentioning that his mask makes an appearance in Jeremiah
Arkham’s office in Arkham
Asylum.
I
do prefer the white-suited version of Origins,
as it is much more visually interesting than the one in City.
But the main thing about the video game version of Black Mask is the
mask itself. Rather than being a plain, black skull it is covered
with designs and detail. This is the sort of thing that makes for a
great action figure. But is Black Mask a great action figure?
First
Glance:
Black Mask shows a mind-boggling lack of articulation. It’s so
weird to see this little articulation on a DCC figure that I thought
maybe he had some kind of experimental new hidden articulation. Not
so much. But the figure still has a nice profile and design-wise fits
in with the rest of the line.
Articulation:
Baffling. I have no idea why Sionis got gypped on joints.
Head
– ball joint
Shoulders
– swivels
Elbows
–pivots
Hips
– swivel
I
can’t even tell you how surprised I am that I am reviewing a 6”
scale action figure with seven points of articulation. It’s just
damned strange.
His
head moves quite nicely and has a decent range of posability.
His
shoulder cuts are done in such a way that if you pose his arms any
way other than hanging they don’t match.
Sionis’
elbows don’t quite bend 90 degrees.
The
hands are separate pieces from the arms, and would appear to be
designed to swivel. I was too afraid of ripping them off to try too
hard. I don’t know if they’re stuck by the paint deco or really
just aren’t supposed to move.
Black
Mask’s legs can move some, but there’s really not much point
since his knees and ankles are not articulated. Well, I take that
back. The figure is balanced poorly, so if you couldn’t move the
legs he’d just fall over all the time.
Sculpt:
Black Mask is a 100% new sculpt, which makes his design even more
baffling. Maybe if he were a new head on top of an old figure I could
understand more. Or if he was some kind of special release. Although
to be honest, I’m not entirely sure where he fits into the line. He
wasn’t offered as part of a wave or series or whatever DCC calls
them. He was all by his lonesome in Previews.
Side
Note: But at least he was offered in Previews, unlike Hugo Strange.
But I’ll get to that in his forthcoming review.
The
head is fantastic. Like in the game, the front skull portion is a
shell on top of another mask. The shape is very cool and exactly the
right size. Sometimes skulls as masks can look a little goofy from
being too big (like The Mask). But Sionis’ black mask is sized
perfectly. And it’s positively festooned (I believe that’s a
first for Needless Things) with details. I sat and stared at all of
the little patterns for several minutes while I was taking pictures.
Sionis’ eyes are visible through the mask and they look great.
The
overall sculpt of the figure is fantastic, partially due to the lack
of articulation. The lines of the suit look great, as the pinstripes
are all sculpted rather than simply painted on. It gives the figure a
texture and makes it interesting to handle.
The
torso under the jacket is well done, with a shirt, vest, and necktie.
I like that the jacket is a separate piece. It gives the figure so
much more substance and a much fuller profile.
The
gloved hands are posed slightly differently, but both are meant to
hold pistols. The seams and detailing on the gloves looks good –
the level I have come to expect from DCC.
Coloring:
Aside from the eyes and surrounding flesh – which looks great –
Black Mask is pretty much black and white.
One
thing I do like about the game version of this character is that the
mask is actually a mask and not some kind of magical thing that is
permanently attached to his face. It doesn’t move, it doesn’t
emote. It’s just a mask. That is represented very well here by the
human eyes underneath. The skin tone is nice and the detailing on the
eyes is excellent. The mask itself has a sort of wash to highlight
the detailing while the secondary mask underneath is a different
gloss of plain black.
The
sculpted pinstripes of the suit are brought out by a dark wash. The
paint on the tie, vest, and shirt is distinct and clean. As easy as
it would be to mess up a black/white paint job, DCC did a very good
job. And all of the blacks have different glosses to them to five the
figure a little more punch. The gloves and shoes are glossy, the
shirt is not. It all works quite well together.
Flair:
Black Mask’s jacket is a separately molded piece of soft plastic or
rubber. It looks really good, matches the rest of the figure
color-wise, and is designed in such a way that the armholes are not
even visible. The problem here is in the packaging. There was a wire
tied across the figure’s midsection and it left permanent dents in
the soft material on either side of Black Mask’s abdomen:
This
isn’t a design flaw, but a case where a lack of communication and
forethought caused damage to my – and everybody else’s –
figure. Boo on DCC for this easily avoidable error.
Accessories:
Sionis comes with a pair of matching pistols. They have a ton of
detail – both painted and sculpted – and look awesome. They fit
perfectly into the figure’s hands. There’s nowhere to store them
if you don’t want him holding them, but the only option would have
been shoulder holsters under his jacket and that would have just
looked awful.
Packaging:
It’s one of those damned clamshells. Except… wait… what’s
this?:
OH
MY WORD IT’S THE BEST CLAMSHELL EVER!
By
which I mean the only clamshell that I have ever found or likely will
ever find acceptable. There is a notch at the top where you stick
your finger in and simply pull out a perforated portion of the back
of the package. It’s wonderful. And while there is still a danger
of cutting yourself, this is far better than using scissors.
Plus,
the design of the package is just incredible. These are figures that
are really going to stand out in a toy aisle. Well, on a toy wall. We
won’t be seeing these in Walmart or Target or Toys R Us or
anything.
Value:
MSRP is $24.99, which this figure is most certainly not worth. But if
your local comic shop gives subscribers a discount on merchandise
Black Mask might be worth you money.
Overall:
Black Mask’s lack of articulation almost keeps him from fitting in
with the rest of the Arkham
game figures. If it weren’t for the sharp design and the paint job
he wouldn’t work at all. But placed on the shelf amongst the rest
he looks okay. I am still tremendously disappointed, though. He could
have been so much better.
3
out of 5
Check
with your local comic shop first. If you can’t find Mr. Sionis
there you can hit up Entertainment Earth, BigBad, or probably even
Amazon.
-Phantom
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